Sunday Lessons

It has been so nice to have Scott and Jordan back from Scout Camp. It is nice to be a complete family again. Sitting in Sacrament Meeting was nice too. Not much fighting....all the kids were glued to their dad who had been away all week. So I actually got to listen to the fabulous talks.

I was especially in tune today, or sentimental, or something. I had accidentally offended someone (a friend) and it made my heart break. My tears were near the surface all meeting long....until I could go and apologize. So, listening to the talks I could really feel the Spirit as my heart had already been humbled.

One talk was about the choices we make...how we have agency AND accountability for them. Every day we make decisions....in EVERY thing we do. I have been talking to my children a lot about their choices...about how they can choose to be happy or sad, mad or not, etc. My mind has been on this topic a lot since awhile back we read in Alma 62 as a family. One scripture (verse 41)

But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their ^aafflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.

really struck me. The SAME WAR (same experience) produced two totally opposite reactions or behaviors or lessons. Some hardened their hearts and some softened them. It is OUR choice. So...it has been a topic of conversation in the Demers' home lately. And the talk today touched a chord in me. Who knows if it caught a little chord in my family's.

The next talk that touched me was about communication AND choice/accountability. He spoke of how to have a happier family life with your spouse and children. I think I can apply these lessons to every relationship I have. He spoke of RESPECT and FORGIVENESS. Heavily quoting from Pres Hinckley's talk about the cornerstones of a happy home (a pamphlet put out by the church in 1984), the thoughts were profound. He said something that perked my ears up and I spent some time thinking out the thought. It is hard to have a conversation without mutual purpose and mutual respect. Sometimes I struggle to have a conversation with Scott. I either am busily trying to do something else or not engaged at all. The other times I struggle is when our mutual respect is lacking. It seems to me, as the speaker said also, that when I am in a more respectful frame of mind our happiness together is much more likely to happen. He also brought up a tried and true principle that when we focus our attention on the negative things .... THAT is all we seem to see - the negative! And it gets worse and worse until we decide to focus our attention on the things done well, the things they CAN do, the things we have learned from them, they have helped us with,etc. He told us to go home and think of at least 3 things our spouse and EACH child does GREAT and then TELL THEM!!!!

Sunday School was about Zions Camp. So very many lessons can be learned from the sacrifice made by the men in Zions Camp back in the early days of the church. A few come to mind...obedience, learning to listen to the Spirit, learning something good and beneficial from something completely opposite from what you THOUGHT you were to do-or from a difficult situation. I felt the Spirit a lot in both meetings.

In Young Women I taught about resisting evil/sin. I let them listen to our prophet speak about the maka-feke's in life....those temptations of Satan, those "so-called maka-fekes [he uses]with which to ensnare unsuspecting persons and take possession of their destinies." Having them read along as President Monson spoke was good. I think they actually listened. Of course, we touched upon Achilles in Greek Mythology.....who was dipped in the River Styx in order to protect his body from harm. In the tenth year of the Trojan War, Paris shot an arrow into his ONE VULNERABLE SPOT...his heel (his mom, Thetis, had to hold him somewhere when she dipped him in the River Styx as an infant). As I thought about my vulnerable spots I prayed in my heart to be strengthened in them. I thought about the absolute necessity to put on the Armor of God at ALL TIMES!

It was a great day at church. Despite finding out THIS MORNING that our Camp Director won't be able to make it, I had a great time. I know all will work out. I will just have to make some more calls this week and exhibit A LOT of faith in the miracles of God!