Important Dates
Aug 2014 Lesson Schedule
- Aug 2: YM/YW Choir Rehearsal for Stake Conference
- Aug 6: Boy Scout Court of Honor, 7pm
- Aug 9: Tri-Stake youth dance, 7pm
- Aug 10: YM/YW Choir Rehearsal for Stake Conference
- Aug 15: Stake Single Adult BBQ, 7pm
- Aug 17: YM/YW Choir Rehearsal for Stake Conference
- Aug 23-24: Stake Conference
Aug 2014 Lesson Schedule
- Aug 3: Presidency Lesson
- Aug 10: Chapter 15: Eternal Marriage
- Aug 17: Chapter 16: Bringing Up Children in Light and Truth
- Aug 24: Stake Conference
- Aug 31: Fifth Sunday Lesson
Lesson Review
President Uchtdorf said, “Sooner or later, I believe that all of us experience times when the very fabric of our world tears at the seams, leaving us feeling alone, frustrated, and adrift....It can happen to anyone. No one is immune.”
Nevertheless, President Uchtdorf counsels us that we can be grateful. He explains:
“It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God. But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding.
“As disciples of Christ, we are commanded to ‘thank the Lord [our] God in all things,’to ‘sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving,’ and to “let [our] heart be full of thanks unto God.”
“Why does God command us to be grateful?
“All of His commandments are given to make blessings available to us. Commandments are opportunities to exercise our agency and to receive blessings. Our loving Heavenly Father knows that choosing to develop a spirit of gratitude will bring us true joy and great happiness.”
While this counsel may seem difficult, President Uchtdorf clarifies this by saying, “Perhaps focusing on what we are grateful for is the wrong approach. It is difficult to develop a spirit of gratitude if our thankfulness is only proportional to the number of blessings we can count. True, it is important to frequently “count our blessings”—and anyone who has tried this knows there are many—but I don’t believe the Lord expects us to be less thankful in times of trial than in times of abundance and ease. In fact, most of the scriptural references do not speak of gratitude for things but rather suggest an overall spirit or attitude of gratitude....It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going our way. But what then of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out of reach?...Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be.”
President Uchtdorf explains that, “Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges....This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind.”
Points to ponder: He further explains that gratitude is an act of faith, and an expression of hope and testimony. What does he mean by that? How do we exercise faith when we show our gratitude to the Lord in times of trial? How does this build our testimony? What are our greatest blessings in spite of our earthly burdens?
President Uchtdorf reminds us that we are not made for endings. He said, “...we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endlessand who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny....The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.”
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