Today's General Conference talk profile is titled "Come, All Ye Sons of God." As I was picking out talks a few weeks ago I thought I might skip the Priesthood session of General Conference. After all, it didn't really apply to me. I was a mother of boys, but not a priesthood holder. As I was reading the conference titles though, I felt impressed to include this one, especially since it was given by the prophet. I am so glad that I read it and I feel like I learned a lot from it. I started reading it from the perspective of a mother of boys that need to prepare to serve a mission, but I learned about teaching the gospel and teaching my investigators.
I love listening to our prophet. He is personable and embodies charity. In this talk, President Monson gives us four points to become "more profitable servants in the Lord's vineyard."
So, on to the first step. Search the scriptures with diligence. I feel like I hear this every Sunday and every General Conference. It really must be important. It's also one of those things that is hard for me to do every day. It's like visiting teaching. I feel really good when I have done it and I can see the benefit to it. I just have a hard time being consistent about it. President Monson says:
- Search the scriptures with diligence.
- Plan your life with purpose.
- Teach the truth with testimony
- Serve the Lord with love.
So, on to the first step. Search the scriptures with diligence. I feel like I hear this every Sunday and every General Conference. It really must be important. It's also one of those things that is hard for me to do every day. It's like visiting teaching. I feel really good when I have done it and I can see the benefit to it. I just have a hard time being consistent about it. President Monson says:
The scriptures testify of God and contain the words of eternal life. They become the foundation of our message.
So if the scriptures are the foundation of our message, we should know them and not get prideful and decide that we have already read the scriptures many times and know the basic stories so we have nothing more to learn. *ahem* On that note, President Monson references Alma 17:2-3 where Alma is talking about the sons of Mosiah. It says:
They had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.
I've read this many times, but this time in this talk I realized something different. I realized more of the why behind read the scriptures. President Monson restates his first principle - Search the scriptures with diligence - and in my head I added "So that you can teach with power and authority of God." I'm not sure why, but for some reason that addition really made this scripture come alive and mean something more to me. I guess it's like when you learn something for yourself, it makes more of an impact than when someone teaches it to you. Like a lightbulb moment.
President Monson's second point is to plan your life with purpose. This point resonated a bit with me. It seems like I see a lot of young men who are aimless. They'll get married if someone happens along, if it works out, if there isn't anything else fun to do. They might find some kind of job, but it has to be fun. They don't seem to have a plan for their lives and they don't seem to have a purpose. I mean, not every plan is going to work the way you think it will. I wasn't planning on getting married when I got married and Sis. Dew wasn't planning on not getting married. I was flexible though and when the opportunity came to get married, it was much better than the plan I had. So I changed plans. But at least I was going somewhere. And guys, if you have no direction in life, you're not very attractive. So plan your life and discover or choose a purpose.
This point also spoke to me on a mom level because along with teaching my children the scriptures, I need to help them learn how to plan their life and have a direction to shoot for. Here are some good parenting suggestions that President Monson tells us:
President Monson's second point is to plan your life with purpose. This point resonated a bit with me. It seems like I see a lot of young men who are aimless. They'll get married if someone happens along, if it works out, if there isn't anything else fun to do. They might find some kind of job, but it has to be fun. They don't seem to have a plan for their lives and they don't seem to have a purpose. I mean, not every plan is going to work the way you think it will. I wasn't planning on getting married when I got married and Sis. Dew wasn't planning on not getting married. I was flexible though and when the opportunity came to get married, it was much better than the plan I had. So I changed plans. But at least I was going somewhere. And guys, if you have no direction in life, you're not very attractive. So plan your life and discover or choose a purpose.
This point also spoke to me on a mom level because along with teaching my children the scriptures, I need to help them learn how to plan their life and have a direction to shoot for. Here are some good parenting suggestions that President Monson tells us:
Preparation for a mission begins early. In addition to spiritual preparation, a wise parent will provide the means whereby a young son might commence his personal missionary fund. He may well be encouraged as the years go by to study a foreign language so that, if necessary, his language skills could be utilized.
We have mission funds started for all of our children except the Bubbers. Chicklette has a little more flexibility with her money, since girls aren't under the same obligation as the boys, but not much. She could use it for school. We will be starting Latin this year which should give them all a good base from which to learn many other languages. Two points for DH and I!
President Monson's third point was to "teach the truth with testimony." He starts by saying:
President Monson's third point was to "teach the truth with testimony." He starts by saying:
Obey the counsel of the Apostle Peter, who urged, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” Lift up your voices and testify to the true nature of the Godhead. Declare your witness concerning the Book of Mormon. Convey the glorious and beautiful truths contained in the plan of salvation.
This points back to the first principle of studying the scriptures diligently. You can't have a testimony of what you don't know. Also, get a testimony of what you study. People can, and will, argue with your interpretation of the scriptures, but they cannot argue with your personal witness that you know something is true. I believe with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is a true book of scripture. No one can tell me that I don't believe it. I felt the absolute, celestial joy of an answered prayer. I can get tired of going to church every Sunday, but I cannot forget the testimony that I received when I prayed for an answer. I know that the Lord restored the gospel to the earth today. I know that Joseph Smith, though flawed, was a prophet of the Lord. No one can argue with me that I don't believe it. So I need to teach my children how to pray and how to listen for a witness of the truth.
President Monson's fourth point was to serve the Lord with love. He says, "There is no substitute for love." I wholeheartedly agree. People can tell when you are being fake or insincere, but if you truly love someone, that feeling will carry over and they will be much more open to listening to any message you have to offer. This speaks to me as a mom also. If I love my children and show them my love, they will be open to listening to me and maybe even obeying. President Monson says, "...those souls whom you help to save may well be those whom you love the most." I can think of my children as my little investigators that I am teaching the gospel to. They need to feel my love and the security of a loving home. I want all my family to be with me in heaven someday. I can't imagine how sad I would be to know that I hadn't taught one of my children correctly so they were not with me. I know we can be a family forever and I hope that my children will choose to obey the commandments and feel the happiness that the gospel brings.
President Monson's fourth point was to serve the Lord with love. He says, "There is no substitute for love." I wholeheartedly agree. People can tell when you are being fake or insincere, but if you truly love someone, that feeling will carry over and they will be much more open to listening to any message you have to offer. This speaks to me as a mom also. If I love my children and show them my love, they will be open to listening to me and maybe even obeying. President Monson says, "...those souls whom you help to save may well be those whom you love the most." I can think of my children as my little investigators that I am teaching the gospel to. They need to feel my love and the security of a loving home. I want all my family to be with me in heaven someday. I can't imagine how sad I would be to know that I hadn't taught one of my children correctly so they were not with me. I know we can be a family forever and I hope that my children will choose to obey the commandments and feel the happiness that the gospel brings.