Lisa Schoonover taught today's lesson, #18 from the George Albert Smith lesson manual, "Stay on the Lord's Side of the Line."
George Albert Smith often repeated the counsel his grandfather used to give to his family: “There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s territory. If you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line you will be under his influence and will have no desire to do wrong; but if you cross to the devil’s side of that line one inch you are in the tempter’s power and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly because you will have lost the Spirit of the Lord.”
Lisa said if you're wondering if something is right, you can ask yourself what you would do if the Lord were beside you.
Moroni 7:15-17 also gives us good insight about making righteous judgment.
How do you know if you're on the right side of the line?
We feel it. ~Lacey (Lisa shared a story about feeling really bad when she moved a neighbor's papers from the porch to their window wells.)
If you're always out on the ledge, pushing the limits, sooner or later you're going to fall off. ~Shelly
If you're influencing people to do good things, you're on the right side of the line. ~Amara
How can you influence people to stay on the Lord's side of the line?
Have courage to stand up for what's right. ~Julie
Teach children to stay off "ledges." ~Trena
When Adam & Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were commanded to not even touch the forbidden fruit. We shouldn't get near or touch things that aren't right. ~Teresa
Teach children that there are consequences for their actions & that those consequences affect other people. ~Sue
Lisa commented that she has a friend from high school who frequently challenged her parents. Now she's an adult, and she's happy that she's finally free of all her parents' restrictive rules. However, she has lost her family's support, and she doesn't see how her choices affect her two boys. It's not really an enviable life that she has, after all.
Melinda commented that, for example, tank tops and bikinis aren't a real problem. It's more that avoiding wearing them is a form of protection from making more serious mistakes. In California, there was a winding road above the beach. So many teenagers died there because they were too close to the edge, going too fast. We need to stay away from the edges of whatever could get us into trouble.
Real happiness results from strict obedience to the commandments.
All safety, all righteousness, all happiness are on the Lord’s side of the line. If you are keeping the commandments of God by observing the Sabbath day, you are on the Lord’s side of the line. If you attend to your secret prayers and your family prayers, you are on the Lord’s side of the line. If you are grateful for food and express that to God, you are on the Lord’s side of the line. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you are on the Lord’s side of the line. If you are honest in your dealing with your fellow men, you are on the Lord’s side of the line. If you observe the Word of Wisdom, you are on the Lord’s side of the line. And so I might go on through the Ten Commandments and the other commandments that God has given for our guidance and say again, all that enriches our lives and makes us happy and prepares us for eternal joy is on the Lord’s side of the line. Finding fault with the things that God has given to us for our guidance is not on the Lord’s side of the line. [p. 192]
Lacey commented that we need to consider the higher law, the spirit of the law.
A person with the spirit of the Lord won't say that small sins are no big deal.
President Smith said regarding commandments "that which at one time seemed to bear the harsh name of law to me is now the loving and tender advice of an all-wise Heavenly Father." He said obeying the commandments doesn't mean we'll always "lead lives of ease and comfort," but the pay-off is happiness in this life and eternal life with our Heavenly Father.
How can you create a place where you feel and follow good influences?
Betsy commented that she used to get together with the other teachers and say a prayer for guidance on the first day of school. They felt doing so really helped them teach and create a good environment at the school.
Pat N. learned respect and good manners by following her father's example. He wasn't a member of our faith--or even a religious person--but he set a good example, and Pat turned out to be a wonderful person by following what he taught and demonstrated.
Stay on the right side of the line.
President Smith said, "I pray that we examine ourselves and find out which side of the line we are on; and if we are on the Lord’s side, stay there, because that means eternal happiness in the companionship of the best men and women that have lived upon the earth.
"If we have slipped in any way, if we have been careless; if we have listened to the tempter and gone across the line to partake of those things that the world thinks are so desirable and the Lord has said are not good for us, let us as quickly as possible get back on the other side, ask the Lord to forgive us our foolishness, and then with his help go on living the life that means eternal happiness." [p. 199]
