Consider the Blessings

Kerry Hardy taught our Relief Society lesson today. It was based on President Monson's October 2012 General Conference address, "Consider the Blessings."

Kerry always makes amazing handouts for her lessons, and today was no exception. Ifyou really want an excellent summary of the lesson, click here to see her handout with some of the highlights of the lesson. I'm especially grateful for her handout today, since my duties had me leaving the classroom repeatedly, and it's hard to fully capture the spirit of the lesson--let alone take good notes--when you're not in the room.

Kerry said that from the very time that she heard which General Conference address she would use for her lesson, the song "Consider the Lilies of the Field" was in her head. Jolie Hill sang the song for us, and AnnaMarie Miller accompanied her on the piano. It is a beautiful song that captures so well how our Heavenly Father loves and cares for us. Jolie said that it was also a favorite song of hers and her husband's, especially during the time that he was serving as our ward's bishop. (You can see the lyrics on the handout or click here hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing the song. At the link, choose April 2009 and Saturday morning session from the drop-down menus. You can download a free MP3 file or listen online.)

President Monson encouraged everyone to "take an inventory of your life and look specifically for the blessings, large and small, you have received."

Terri suggested that you keep a journal of the promptings you receive, whether or not you acted upon the prompting, and what happened. If you do so, you will see that your life is so blessed. Kerry said that the Pontius family has been such an example to her. She felt their spirit and their strength when she visited their home. Kerry reminded us that the opportunity to be blessing to others often comes unexpectedly. Sometimes you think you're going to help someone, and they end up helping you even more.

Why are you here on this earth? Karen said it's so she can get everything from life that her Heavenly Father wants for her.

How do we get individual direction in our lives? Karen suggested prayer and the scriptures. She said the scriptures are "like a magical book" for her--different phrases or ideas just jump out at her when she needs them. Our patriarchal blessings are also a source of individual direction.

Tara said that one of her best family home evenings ever was when she taught her children about the pattern of the psalms using some of Neal A. Maxwell's teachings. Then each child wrote a psalm following the pattern of Nephi's psalm, which begins with a complaint but evolves to a prayer of gratitude. It meant so much to her to hear her children's thoughts and gratitude in such a poetic, spiritual way.

The Lord is in all of our lives. He loves us.

He wants to bless us. He wants us to seek his help.

As He guides us and directs us

and as He hears and answers our prayers,

we will find the happiness here and now

that He desires for us. --President Monson

Bringing Up Children in Light and Truth

Lisa Schoonover taught today's lesson. It was #22 from the George Albert Smith lesson manual, "Bringing Up Children in Light and Truth."

Parents teach their children by word and by example. When Edith Smith was a child, a streetcar conductor once missed collecting her fare. Young Edith was thrilled to keep her nickel and told her father about it. President George Albert Smith listened patiently but prompted young Edith to go back to the street corner and pay her fare when the streetcar returned. This lesson of honesty stuck with her all throughout her life.

How did President Smith handle this situation well?

• He didn't react with anger. He was patient instead of angry. ~Jana
• He called upon things Edith already knew; it was a reminder instead of a lecture. ~Marilyn

What have you learned about parents teaching their children?

• I was in the BYU Children's Choir as a child. I had a little change to buy some candy afterward. I only had enough money to buy one dollar mint. A man who was in line behind me bought me a whole bag of the chocolates. His example inspired me to want to do nice things for other people. ~Amara
• When one of my daughters was young, she was playing doctor with a friend, and I didn't handle it well when I found out. What I said hurt her feelings, and she carried a lot of guilt that she had to work through in counseling later. In retrospect, I wish I'd handled the situation better. We need to help our children build a postive self-image. ~Betsy
• Some farm boys in Idaho were throwing tomatoes at passing cars. A man whose car was hit went to tell their mother. The boys just knew they were in big trouble. Instead, the mother instructed her son to spank her "because I've failed as a mother to teach you the things that are important." The boy felt awful. Thinking about that experience made the boy choose more wisely in the future and made him a better man. ~Marquelle
• When my son was younger, sometimes I made him lunch and sometimes I gave him money to buy school lunch. He liked school lunch and decided to secure more meals for himself by swiping $50 from the place where I kept our family's grocery money. His teacher noticed the $50 bill and asked my son about it, and he told her I'd given it to him. She called to alert me to the situation. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy. I decided to go right over to the school and confront my son. I got to the playground, and my son noticed me coming. He ran up and said, "I know why you're here." I asked why, and he said, "You just came to see me play!" I looked at him, and he looked like such a little angel with his blond hair and his big, blue eyes. I just couldn't yell at him. I told him that yes! I had come to see him play. He was so happy that I'd come. I went home and prayed about what to do, and Heavenly Father helped me address the money situation in a kinder, gentle way. I was so grateful! ~Trena
• I went to the movies with a friend as a child. After the movie, my friend was instructed to call her mother and let the phone ring three times, then hang up & the mother would know that it was time to come pick her up. This practice bothered me because it was obviously a way to get around paying for the phone. We need to set a good example for our children. ~Cindy
• When my husband was a teenager, he had a great Scout leader who instructed him to read his scriptures every day and he would be protected and blessed. My husband followed his advice and has been so blessed by the scriptures. In May this year, my husband donated a kidney to his younger brother. He went without morphine because he was afraid it would make him too groggy to read his scriptures. ~Amanda

Do not leave the training of your children to the public schools. Do not leave their training to the Primary, to the Sunday School, or the [Church's youth organizations]. They will help you and make a fine contribution but remember what God himself has said, that parents who do not teach their children faith in God, repentance and baptism and the laying on of hands when eight years of age, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. See D&C 68:25-28. {Lesson manual, p. 235}

[I had to skedaddle the tithing settlement sign-up sheet down to the elders quorum at this point, so I missed a little bit.] Church auxiliaries build on what parents teach. They don't replace parents. Teresa commented that she and her husband had a son who drove them crazy. He wasn't a bad kid, but he was just hard for them. However, he had a Scout leaders who helped so much. Teresa feels they were instrumental in helping keep her son on the strait and narrow path. 

Lacey is closer in age to some of her nieces and nephews than she is to her siblings. Consequently, she gets to be the "cool aunt." She tries not to miss opportunities to teach her nieces and nephews about things like not dating before they are 16; sometimes the things she says go over better than the same things said by their parents.

A parent's example can lead a child to safety, righteousness, and happiness. ...Teach your sons and daughters how to live to be happy. Let our homes be sanctuaries of peace and hope and love. {Lesson manual, p. 238}

Love and teach your youth to safeguard them from evil. Study the gospel together as a family. Family Home Evening was instituted in 1915, and it's still a good idea.

Lisa concluded by saying that she is so grateful for her parents' teaching and also for her opportunity to be a parent--and now a grandparent. She hopes that her children, like those mentioned in the lesson, will say that she taught them well.