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LDS Week in Review – July 7th-12th

Welcome to our Week in Review! If you didn’t have the chance to join us every day here in LDS, here’s your opportunity to get caught up. We started off the week with “Dinner Discussions,” which helps keep us on track with our lessons. Then we had a review of Dallin H. Oaks’ conference talk on “Testimony.” Is your teen trying to decide whether or not to add seminary to his schedule? “Choose to Attend Seminary” will help him see that the blessings will be great if he’ll take that extra time to study the gospel more deeply. We continued … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: What Do Mormons Believe about Death?

Death is a sorrow that will come to all of us. We lose our grandparents, our parents, sometimes a child. We may lose a spouse before we are ready to let them go. The human body is frail and can only remain with us for a short time. It’s hard to let go of someone we loved so dearly. However, there is hope and peace that comes through knowing and understanding the principle of life after death. We believe that when a person dies, they do not cease to exist, but that their spirit rises up to dwell with Heavenly … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Keystone of Our Religion

I apologize for being a bit behind with the lessons for this year – sickness has kept me from attending church regularly so now I’m playing a little bit of catch-up. Our area of study in Gospel Doctrine class this year is the Book of Mormon, and the first lesson for the year was entitled “The Keystone of Our Religion.” The scripture references for this lesson are: 1 Nephi 13:38—41, 19:23 2 Nephi 25:21—22, 27:22, 29:6—9 Mormon 8:26—41 Ether 5:2—4 Moroni 1:4, 10:3—5 Doctrine and Covenants 10:45—46, 20:8—12, 84:54—58 Introduction to the Book of Mormon We have been told that … Continue reading →

Putting Off the Natural Man

Last week, I posted a blog about Samson and Joshua to illustrate how their stories were perfect examples of acting on faith. Families.com blogger Mary Ann Romans left the following comment: What a great post! I’d love to see more on this topic, such as how to overcome the personality traits that might influence a lack of obedience or how to recognize the opportunities to be obedient. What a great suggestion. I’ve been thinking about this ever since, and I’m ready to tackle the first element of this question, which was how to overcome the personality traits that might keep … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Doubting Thomas

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Usually, when we think of those who did not walk in faith, our minds turn to the disciple Thomas. He proclaimed, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) However, as I reread the scriptures today, I saw other disciples who were equally doubtful – in fact, all of them! When Mary and the other women left the tomb, they ran to the apostles – to those who served most closely with Christ! … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Deathbed Repentance

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Perhaps one of the most misunderstood quotes in scripture comes in Luke 23:43. As Jesus hangs on the cross, a thief also hangs to his side, acknowledging that his punishment is just while the Savior has done no wrong. Jesus then answers, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” So many have taken to heart the possibility that a deathbed repentance will lead to eternal glory, but this is not so. According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the aforementioned phrase meant that the Savior and the thief would be in the world of spirits that very day. At … Continue reading →

Dinner Discussions 2007 Week 25

This week’s discussions are based on lesson twenty-five in the manual for Senior Primary and up. The Nursery and Junior Primary lessons are based on lesson twenty-four. You may need to adjust according to your ward’s schedule. Remember to keep the discussions upbeat and positive. You may want to have your children take turns asking questions. If you have a child in Nursery or Sunbeams he learned about caring for his brothers and sisters. The children learned the story of Hyrum helping Joseph when his leg was hurt. The children also learned about Miriam watching over Moses in the bulrushes … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Release Barabbas

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When Pontius told the Jews that he found no fault in Jesus, he sought to release the Savior as a free man. Instead, the angry mob insisted that the murderer, Barabbas, be instead released. When asked what to do with the Lord and Savior, the crowd cried out that He should be crucified. The Jewish people chose a man of the world over a man of God. When Pontius gave them a second chance, they cried out again for the convicted criminal rather than the man free of all sin. They embraced the world rather than the Lord. Repeatedly through … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Sorrow Turned to Joy

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As Christ prepares Himself to leave His disciples, He warns them of His impending death. He knows that they will view His crucifixion with pain and sorrow. And yet, he promises that “your sorrow shall be turned to joy” (John 16:20). Two thousand years later, we look at the atonement of Christ almost always from a joyful standpoint. After all, it was because He took our sins upon Him that we are able to return home. Similarly, we would not be able to be resurrected had He not first suffered death and then resurrection, and so we would not be … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Self-Justification and Repentance

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Integrity and honesty go hand in hand. Only when we are honest with our fellow men and with ourselves can we maintain integrity. Furthermore, when we become accustomed to deceiving or defrauding those we interact with, we can easily find ourselves drawn into attempting to deceive ourselves or our Heavenly Father. When we seek to justify our misbehavior, we make repentance impossible. According to President Kimball, almost all dishonesty stems from self-justification. When we strive to rationalize or make excuses for sin, it can be easy to break the commandments of God. “It’s just a little piece of candy in … Continue reading →