Tag Archives: serve

Gospel Doctrine: Do As I Have Done To You

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In John 13:1-17, the Savior shows His love for His disciples by washing their feet, an act of service. He then teaches them, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” The Lord is teaching His disciples service, yet again. Reading this, it occurred to me that the Savior washed the feet of the disciples just before He left their presence. Logic dictates that He would spend those last few hours reminding them of what was most important – and He taught them again of love and service. He showed them … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Render to Caeser the Things Which Are Caeser’s

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When the Pharisees sought to lay a trap for Jesus, they asked Him whether they should pay taxes to the Romans. If He said yes, they would claim that He supported the much-hated Romans who domineered the nation; if He said no, they could report Him to the authorities as stirring up rebellion. Christ replied instead that we should “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” In the course of the lesson He taught, Jesus displayed a Roman penny, which bore the head of Caesar upon it. He used this … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Physical and Spiritual Blindness

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As I studied the rest of John 9 tonight, I pondered the wonderful illustration of the faith of the blind man healed by the Savior. This man does not start with a testimony that Jesus is the Savior of mankind, but despite tremendous pressure from those around him – including the weakness of his parents – he insists that Jesus came from God. Because he stood by his developing faith, he was privileged to learn more about the divine nature of Christ. Unlike many who followed the Savior, the blind man in this chapter did not ask to be healed. … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “Give ye them to eat”

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Circumstances did not allow for posting these lessons the weeks they were completed. However, it is my hope that you will still be able to take something from them. Today’s posts address lesson 12, “I Am the Bread of Life.” As I studied the miracle of the loaves and fishes for this week’s Sunday school lesson, I was touched by one important factor: who distributed the meal. Although most lessons seem to focus on the miracle itself, or the relationship to the Savior as the bread of life, I confess that this small technical detail intrigued me. Turn with me … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Testifying of Christ

As I studied Luke 2:15-39 this morning, I was touched by the number of witnesses proclaimed the divinity of the infant Christ. I examined the actions of the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna, all of whom recognized in the babe His true identity. I then pondered how I could and should be like them. The shepherds were the first group I encountered in today’s scripture study. Having been persuaded by the visitation of the Heavenly Host, they decided to go to Bethlehem immediately to see these things for themselves. I love the way the scriptures describe their actions – “they came … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: The Time to Prepare to Meet God

Throughout eternity, the prophets have encouraged us to not procrastinate the day of our repentance. We ought not put off such an important thing; we ought not decide to wait until tomorrow when we could more easily accomplish our task today. As I studied Alma 34:30-41, as referenced in the lesson from President Kimball, I came again to recognize the importance of changing and improving our lives now, rather than later. You most likely remember this section. Alma and his brethren have come to preach to the Zoramites, who have broken off from the Nephites and perverted the ways of … Continue reading →

Top 10 Reasons to Be Glad Your Neighbors Are Mormon

Sure, everyone runs and hides when the missionaries come knocking, but you know there are times when you’re glad your neighbors are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1. You mention in the morning that you have the sniffles and a slight cough. Your neighbor shows up the door that night with three course dinner and a smile. 2. You get lots of free movies. Sure, they are religious movies, but who knows when they will come in handy? It seems like every time the church magazine mails out a new one, your neighbor brings it … Continue reading →

Slow to Offense

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It was a beautiful Relief Society lesson. Despite being pressed to fill in at the last minute, the teacher had obviously prepared, and spoke from the heart. The Spirit was strong. One sister raised her hand to comment on the underlying message given. A second and third sister shared similar testimonies. I felt sure that the Lord was prompting us as a class to grow together, that this message was one we needed to hear. And then it happened. Another sister went back to the surface issue being discussed. It was as if we were discussing the underlying ramifications of … Continue reading →