Week 13 - Looking Back

Since our stake conference was last weekend, we reviewed the Sunday session on Monday. I enjoyed hearing a few of the things that stood out to each of you. It seems that Pres. Caten’s remarks about video games caught all of your attention and that generated a lot of comments. “Auntie Gretchen’s” talk did, too. Sis. Gretchen Solomon’s (stake primary president) spoke about how small things can produce great results. As her example she talked about a dogwood tree that her mom wanted planted in the middle of the summer. She said that her dad, Bro. Hale, agreed because - "He would do anything for my mom." She explained how he planted the tree, drilled a small hole in a bucket and placed it beside the tree. Several times during the day he would fill the bucket so that the water could trickle down slowly to nurture the roots. She said she questioned him about it because she thought it was ridiculous for him to go to that much trouble. He then taught her that he did it because he knew that if he only gave water in abundance to the struggling dogwood every now and then, it would never make it. It was important that the roots receive constant moisture. She then went on to teach us about the importance of daily scripture study so that our spiritual roots can receive the constant nourishment that they need.

I shared something from the Saturday night session that really struck me with the vivid imagery that it evoked. Pres. Meredith, who is a master teacher, spoke to parents on Saturday night about our responsibilities to teach and protect our children. His youngest is 18 months old. He said that the toddler has started throwing everything he can into the toilet. As soon as he thinks he can get away with it, to the toilet he'll go. Pres. M then went a little deeper. He said that not only does the little boy throw random things in the toilet, he also throws things he really loves in there, too. His pacifier. His blankie, etc. The point he wanted to teach became very clear. We have to be careful ourselves - and then help our children and others - to be very careful that we don't throw things that really matter into the toilet.

We then covered some of the material included in a PowerPoint presentation by Bro.Halverson about how we can have greater success F-E-A-S-T-I-N-G on the word. Each of you had a section from Abinadi’s teachings to FEAST on and then teach. Some of you found the same principle taught by Abinadi in different ways. Here is the list you formed as you taught:

· The need for repentance

· Choices determine eternal outcome

· Temptations will come / Yield not to temptation

· Resist being offended when corrected

· Obedience

· Christ is our light

· The need for a prophet

· God will be with us and help us be successful as we strive to live His will

· Our disobedience prevents God from being able to bless us in the ways that both He and we want

We then finished the week with a day of me sharing what I had found to feast upon in the teachings of Abinadi. Abinadi was sent by the Lord to the people in the land of Lehi-Nephi at the time of King Noah. He was not welcomed, though, because he brought the message, “Repent.” To say he was not well received would be an understatement. When it became apparent that he would be killed for declaring such a message, he retreated to return two years later wearing a disguise. At first he was not recognized, but eventually, he was. This time, he not only brought the message of repentance, but also that of the Savior’s atonement. Again, his message stirred up the anger of the people and King Noah wanted him killed. With great courage and with a depth of understanding that perhaps we can hardly grasp, he declared that he would not be taken until he had said what he was sent to say. The priests in the king’s court questioned him and asked questions that were designed to convince Abinadi that they new concerning the scriptures. Unflinchingly, Abinadi declared to them that they didn’t just not understand the words of the prophets, they could hardly even claim that they followed them, even in the smallest degree. When he really wanted to drive his point home, he even quoted Isaiah – a prophet that they claimed to know. What exactly was that? Isaiah 53, one of the great Messianic passages.

So, we’re left to ask ourselves:

· If the Lord sent me on an “impossible mission”, would I go?

· When the heat really got turned up, would I stay?

· If I knew that my days were numbered, what would I want to declare to my family and friends and neighbors?

· Would I stay true to my message even when I knew I’d be killed if I didn’t retract it?

And lastly, we feasted on Mosiah 15:10-13 and the following comments by Elder Merrill J. Bateman on that passage of scripture:

“The Savior, as a member of the Godhead, knows each of us personally. Isaiah and the prophet Abinadi said that when Christ would ‘make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed’ (Isaiah 53:10; compare Mosiah 15:10). Abinadi explains that ‘his seed’ are the righteous, those who follow the prophets. In the garden and on the cross, Jesus saw each of us and not only bore our sins but also experienced our deepest feelings so he would know how to comfort and strengthen us.”