I was
reading the scriptures one night, and I found a gold nugget. If you are persistent, and faithful, they
eventually show themselves. This one was
in a story that I had read many times and talked about even more. It just goes to show, even in a familiar
scripture story that you have read and studied many times, deeper understanding
can be had to those that are open.
-Give a
small summary of the Brother of Jared story
-Three
things stood out to me in this story
1) Very specific instructions of hot to build the barges (Ether 2:17)
2) Brother of Jared needed help from
the Lord even after those instructions (A way to breathe and light)
3) The Lord had planned and
prepared against the winds, waves, and floods
Analogy and
Title of talk: Challenge and Blessing of
Raising Children
1)
Barges=physical bodies
The Lord gave explicit instructions to the brother of Jared
of how to build these boats, or barges. Likewise,
our bodies were so intricately created with so many wonderful faucets. Here are just some examples of how specific
our bodies were made:
Our nose can remember up to 50, 000 smells
2)
Seas=Journey back to live with our Heavenly
Father
-Purpose in life
-There are many challenges in life (Bills, disappointments, loss of
family or friend, unemployment, sickness, etc.) Winds and waves represent
challenges and the world is filled with these challenges.
-The Lord says about these challenges that he has planned and prepared
(Ether 2:24, 25)
-Key to overcoming challenges (Ether 6:3)
3)
Stones=Light (His Spirit)
-Brother of Jared had faith that the stones the Savior touched would be a
source of light for his people. So it is
with us. The Spirit lights our path
It gives me hope in raising children to know that He has planned and
prepared away, but also that he has given guides that light our path.
-It doesn’t stop the waves from coming
4)
Hole in the vessel=Shutting out the world
-Bask in the light in our vessels
-Primary answers (Prayer, scripture study, church and temple attendance,
FHE, seminary) All of those things recharge our lights and invites His Spirit
to be with us
-The
world needs that light-not meant to keep the hole shut. Some preparation involved.
The Joys of raising Children
-My greatest joy and my Parent’s greatest joy is that my
kids in through with their righteousness intact.
3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my
children walk in truth.”
How to accomplish this goal of having your child make
it: Prov. 22:6 “Train up a child in the
way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
-You can do this by having them reach milestones in the
gospel (Baby blessings, baptism, Duty to God award, Seminary Graduation,
Receiving Patriarchal blessing, YW recognition, Eagle Scout, Missionary
service, Endowments, sealing, Raising kids in the gospel)
-Keep the simplicity of the ordinance or covenant. You don’t need professional pictures, a huge
party afterward, or even presents.
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