BUT THAT DOESN’T

MATTER RIGHT

NOW, DOES IT?

How the gospel can help you TODAY.

Boys v. Girls Competition

GAME

Boys and girls each need to pick one representative.

The representative will come to the front and will have one minute to beat their opponent.

WHO WON?

Alma 24:14

2 Nephi 25:25-27

The Great Plan of Happiness

Family

Faith, Hope, Peace

School

Hope, Kindness, Prayer

Friends

Charity, Kindness, Prayer

Church

Faith, Charity, Peace

Conclusion

Faith

Hope

Charity

Kindness

Prayer

Peace

Applying Hope at School

Scriptures:

Ether 12:4-6

Luke 12:22-32

Question:

How does

understanding the

principle of hope help

us improve our

schoolwork even if we

normally struggle?

Quote:

The first is that of a young man who served in the Bolivia

Cochabamba Mission. He lives with his faithful mother and

nieces in a poor neighborhood. Their little home has a

concrete floor, one lightbulb, the roof leaks, and the window

is broken. He was a successful missionary. He says: ―My

mission was the best thing that I have been able to do in my

life. I learned to be obedient to the commandments and to

be patient in my afflictions. I also learned some English and

to manage my money, my time, and my skills better.

―Then, when I finished my mission, going home was difficult.

My American companions went back to a university. But

there is a lot of poverty in our country. It is very difficult to

get an education. My mother does her best, but she can’t

help us. She has suffered so much, and I am her hope.

―When I learned of the Perpetual Education Fund, I felt so

happy. The prophet recognized our efforts. I was filled with

joy. … There was a possibility I could study, become self-

reliant, have a family, help my mother. ―I will study

accounting at a local school where I can study and work. It

is a short course, just three years long. I have to keep

working as a janitor, but that is OK. Once I graduate and get

a job in accounting, I will work toward higher education in

international business. ―This is our opportunity, and we

cannot fail. The Lord trusts us. I have read many times in

the Book of Mormon the words the Lord told the

prophets, that as we keep the commandments, we would

prosper in the land. This is being fulfilled. I am so grateful to

God for this great opportunity to receive what my brothers

and sisters did not have, to help my family, to accomplish

my goals. And I am excited to repay the loan to see others

be so blessed. I Know the Lord will bless me as I do it.‖

Now, isn’t that wonderful?

Gordon B. Hinckley, ―Reaching Down to Lift

Applying Hope at School

Story:

Moving to California from Minnesota-―Headlines on my forehead‖

Question:

How can having an eternal hope help us succeed at school?

Back

Applying Kindness at School

Scriptures:

Ephesians 4:32

3 Nephi 22:6-10 and

Isaiah 54:6-10

Question:

What does the

Savior’s Atonement

teach us about

kindness?

Quote:

Kate and Laura were best friends. The two of them also included others in their circle of friends. This group of girls planned a party, inviting all in the group except Kate. Laura, after becoming aware of what had happened, simply told the others that she would not be able to accept their invitation unless Kate was included. The kind, loyal act of a friend who followed God’s plan prevented pain and sorrow.

We are made kind by being kind. Sophocles, a great philosopher, said, ―Kindness is ever the begetter of kindness.‖ I remember some simple mottoes of kindness from my youth, such as ―I will always try to do and say the kindest things in the kindest way.‖ A dear friend of mine shared a verse with me that has helped her to act kindly:

I have wept in the nightFor the shortness of sightThat to somebody’s need made me blind;But I never have yetFelt a tinge of regretFor being a little too kind.

Betty Jo Jepsen, ―Kindness—A Part of God’s Plan,‖ Ensign, Nov 1990, 91

Applying Kindness at School

Conference Clip:

Joseph B. Wirthlin, ―The Virtue of Kindness,‖

Ensign, May 2005, 26

Why is it so

important for us to be

kind?

Back

Applying Prayer at School

Scriptures:

Alma 34:17-27

Doctrine and

Covenants 10:4-5

Question:

How can prayer help

us focus on what we

need to study at

school?

Quote:

Joseph Smith told us to watch for answers by paying attention to the thoughts and feelings that come into our minds. Over time we will learn to recognize these as promptings.

He said: ―A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.‖12

Developing this capacity helps us gain testimonies and becomes the means for obtaining additional inspiration in the future.

While testimonies can come as dramatic manifestations, they usually do not. Sometimes people think they need to have an experience like Joseph Smith’s vision before they gain testimonies. If we have unrealistic expectations of how, when, or where answers come, we risk missing the answers which come as quiet, reassuring feelings and thoughts that most often come after our prayers, while we are doing something else. These answers can be equally convincing and powerful.

Over time we will receive answers and learn how inspiration comes. This is something each person learns for himself.

Next, asking for a testimony of truth opens the window of inspiration. Prayer is the most common and powerful way to invite inspiration. Merely asking a question,13 even in our minds, will start to open the window. The scriptures teach, ―Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.‖

Allan F. Packer, ―Finding Strength in Challenging Times!,‖ Ensign, May 2009

Applying Prayer at School

Song:

―Hymn to the Prophet‖, Joseph Smith: the Prophet, Rob Gardner

What principles of prayer do we learn from Joseph Smith can we apply specifically while at school?

Back

Applying Faith at Church

Scriptures:

Alma 32:21, 27

Hebrews 10:35-39

Question:

How have you seen

your faith increase

throughout your life?

Quote:

Since last October I have reflected repeatedly upon the phrase "the tender mercies of the Lord." Through personal study, observation, pondering, and prayer, I believe I have come to better understand that the Lord's tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits "his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men" (D&C 46:15).

Recall how the Savior instructed His Apostles that He would not leave them comfortless. Not only would He send "another Comforter" (John 14:16), even the Holy Ghost, but the Savior said that He would come to them (see John 14:18). Let me suggest that one of the ways whereby the Savior comes to each of us is through His abundant and tender mercies. For instance, as you and I face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. Repentance and forgiveness of sins and peace of conscience are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. And the persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord.

David A. Bednar, ―The Tender Mercies of the Lord,‖ Liahona, May 2005

Applying Faith at Church

―Watchmen on the Tower‖ – Doctrine and Covenants Video

Back

Applying Charity at Church

Scriptures:

Moroni 7:45-48

1 Corinthians 13:1-

13

Question:

Why is Charity the

―greatest‖?

Quote:

What are the words of the Lord pertaining to such an act? ―Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury. … She of her want did cast in all that she had.‖

It was President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., who in 1936 declared: ―The real long term objective of the Welfare Plan is the building of character in the members of the Church, givers and receivers, rescuing all that is finest down deep inside of them, and bringing to flower and fruitage the latent richness of the spirit, which after all is the mission and purpose and reason for being of this Church.‖

―Am I my brother’s keeper?‖ This ageless question has been answered! From the psalm of David comes the precious promise:

―Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

―The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

―The Lord will strengthen him.‖

Thomas S. Monson, ―My Brother’s Keeper,‖ Ensign, Nov 1994

Applying Charity at Church

Activity: In your group-

Look up charity in the Bible dictionary and the topical guide

What part of charity most impressed you as you researched?

How can you use charity in the work you are doing in your ward tomorrow?

Who do you know at church that needs to feel charity in their life?

How can you help other youth feel charity as they attend their church meetings?

Who do you know that is missing out on those opportunities to feel that charity that comes with being with the Saints?

Write down some names and what you are going to do to help them feel charity. BE SPECIFIC!

Back

Applying Peace at Church

Scriptures:

Doctrine and

Covenants 121:7-8

Ephesians 2:13-14

Question:

Why is peace a

good indicator of

how well we are

worshipping?

Quote:

You would have felt alarm as I did. We have seen the life-

destroying effects of such tragic conflict. You and I know

people who left the fellowship of the Saints over injured

pride.

Happily I am seeing more and more skillful peacemakers

who calm troubled waters before harm is done. You could be

one of those peacemakers, whether you are in the conflict or

an observer.

One way I have seen it done is to search for anything on

which we agree. To be that peacemaker, you need to have

the simple faith that as children of God, with all our

differences, it is likely that in a strong position we take, there

will be elements of truth. The great peacemaker, the restorer

of unity, is the one who finds a way to help people see the

truth they share. That truth they share is always greater and

more important to them than their differences. You can help

yourself and others to see that common ground if you ask for

help from God and then act. He will answer your prayer to

help restore peace, as He has mine.

That same principle applies as we build unity with people

who are from vastly different backgrounds. The children of

God have more in common than they have differences. And

even the differences can be seen as an opportunity. God will

help us see a difference in someone else not as a source of

irritation but as a contribution. The Lord can help you see

and value what another person brings which you lack. More

than once the Lord has helped me see His kindness in giving

me association with someone whose difference from me was

just the help I needed. That has been the Lord’s way of

adding something I lacked to serve Him better.

Henry B. Eyring, ―Our Hearts Knit as One,‖

Applying Peace at Church

Song:

―Redeemer of Israel‖

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

How does listening to hymns help us feel peace at church?

Back

Applying Faith in my Family

Scriptures:

1 Nephi 8:12-18, 36-38

Ruth 1:8-18

Question: Why can faith

universally bless our families, regardles of our circumstances?

Quote:

Wilford Woodruff rejoiced in the knowledge that his family could be eternal. This truth gave him strength to endure the difficulties of life. He said, ―I have thought many a time that if I labored until I was as old as Methuselah and by that means could have my family dwell with me in glory in the eternal worlds, it would pay me for all the pain and suffering I could endure in this world.‖The promise of an eternal family influenced his actions toward his family members. In a letter to his daughter Blanche, he observed: ―We are all expecting to live together forever after death. I think we all as parents and children ought to take all the pains we can to make each other happy as long as we live that we may have nothing to regret.‖

―Chapter 16: Marriage and Parenthood: Preparing Our Families for Eternal Life,‖ Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 161

Applying Faith in my Family

Video:

Back

Applying Hope in my Family

Scriptures:

Ether 12:4-6

Alma 56:44-48

Question:

How is the gospel

definition of hope

different from the

way the world views

it?

Hypothetical-

You recently started

learning about the

Church and want to

be baptized. You

want your family to

participate as

well, but they are not

interested… How

can hope help you?

Applying Hope in my Family

Story:

Toward the end of World War II, my father was drafted into the German army and sent to the western front, leaving my mother alone to care for our family. Though I was only three years old, I can still remember this time of fear and hunger. We lived in Czechoslovakia, and with every passing day, the war came nearer and the danger grew greater.

Finally, during the cold winter of 1944, my mother decided to flee to Germany, where her parents were living. She bundled us up and somehow managed to get us on one of the last refugee trains heading west. Traveling during that time was dangerous. Everywhere we went, the sound of explosions, the stressed faces, and ever-present hunger reminded us that we were in a war zone.

Along the way the train stopped occasionally to get supplies. One night during one of these stops, my mother hurried out of the train to search for some food for her four children. When she returned, to her great horror, the train and her children were gone!

She was weighed down with worry; desperate prayers filled her heart. She frantically searched the large and dark train station, urgently crisscrossing the numerous tracks while hoping against hope that the train had not already departed.

Perhaps I will never know all that went through my mother’s heart and mind on that black night as she searched through a grim railroad station for her lost children. That she was terrified, I have no doubt. I am certain it crossed her mind that if she did not find this train, she might never see her children again. I know with certainty: her faith overcame her fear, and her hope overcame her despair. She was not a woman who would sit and bemoan tragedy. She moved. She put her faith and hope into action.

And so she ran from track to track and from train to train until she finally found our train. It had been moved to a remote area of the station. There, at last, she found her children again.

I have often thought about that night and what my mother must have endured. If I could go back in time and sit by her side, I would ask her how she managed to go on in the face of her fears. I would ask about faith and hope and how she overcame despair.

While that is impossible, perhaps today I could sit by your side and by the side of any who might feel discouraged, worried, or lonely. Today I would like to speak with you about the infinite power of hope.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, ―The Infinite Power of Hope,‖ Liahona, Nov 2008

Back

Applying Peace in my Family

Scriptures:

Doctrine and

Covenants 121:7-8

Ephesians 2:13-14

Question:

Why should we strive to

be better peacemakers in

our families?

“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

Applying Peace in my Family

Song:

Kenneth Cope, “Going Home”

Question:

What specific thing will we all do this coming week so that there is more peace in our families?

Back

Applying Charity with My

Friends

Scriptures:

Moroni 7:45-48

1 Corinthians 13:1-

13

Question:

Why is it important

for our friends to

know that we love

them?

Quote:

―Let us understand

the tenderness of

God’s love‖

Mother Teresa Quote

from book

Applying Charity with My

Friends

Song:

―I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus‖ –Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Question:

Why do our friends need to know we are ―trying to be like Jesus‖?

Back

Applying Kindness with My

Friends

Scriptures:

Ephesians 4:32

3 Nephi 22:6-10 and

Isaiah 54:6-10

Question:

What does kindness

mean to you?

Quote:

Jesus, our Savior, was the epitome of kindness and compassion. He healed the sick. He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many. He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many. He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him. He was kind to all who had sinned, condemning only the sin, not the sinner. He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet. Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice, thus freeing all from the effects of death, and all from the effects of sin, on conditions of repentance.

Joseph B. Wirthlin, ―The Virtue of Kindness,‖ Ensign, May 2005

Applying Kindness with My

Friends Activity: Each person in your

group needs a piece of paper and a pen.

Think of a friend that has done something kind for you recently or has lifted you when you felt down.

Think about how specifically they have made you life better by being in it.

Take 5 minutes to quietly write them a note to express gratitude for the blessing that they are in your life.

Commit to yourself to give that note to them the next time you see them.

Back

Applying Prayer with My

Friends

Scriptures:

2 Nephi 32:8-9

2 Kings 6:15-17

Question:

How can we make

sure that our prayers

for others are

meaningful?

Quote:

Joseph’s questions focused not just on what he needed to

know but also on what was to be done! His prayer was not

simply, ―Which church is right?‖ His question was, ―Which

church should I join?‖ Joseph went to the grove to ask in

faith, and he was determined to act.

True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and

always leads to righteous action. The Prophet Joseph Smith

taught that ―faith [is] the first principle in revealed religion, and

the foundation of all righteousness‖ and that it is also ―the

principle of action in all intelligent beings‖ (Lectures on Faith

[1985], 1). Action alone is not faith in the Savior, but acting in

accordance with correct principles is a central component of

faith. Thus, ―faith without works is dead‖ (James 2:20).

The Prophet Joseph further explained that ―faith is not only the

principle of action, but of power also, in all intelligent

beings, whether in heaven or on earth‖ (Lectures on Faith, 3).

Thus, faith in Christ leads to righteous action, which increases

our spiritual capacity and power. Understanding that faith is a

principle of action and of power inspires us to exercise our

moral agency in compliance with gospel truth, invites the

redeeming and strengthening powers of the Savior’s

Atonement into our lives, and enlarges the power within us

whereby we are agents unto ourselves (see D&C 58:28).

I long have been impressed with the truth that meaningful

prayer requires both holy communication and consecrated

work. Blessings require some effort on our part before we can

obtain them, and prayer, as ―a form of work, … is an appointed

means for obtaining the highest of all blessings‖ (Bible

Dictionary, ―Prayer,‖ 753). We press forward and persevere in

the consecrated work of prayer, after we say ―amen,‖ by acting

upon the things we have expressed to Heavenly Father.

David A. Bednar, ―Ask in Faith,‖ Ensign, May 2008

Applying Prayer with My

Friends

Hypothetical

You have several friends that are not member of the Church.

You want to share the gospel with those friends, but want to know who you should share the gospel with and how you can help them know what you know.

In your group, come up with 4 specific ways (with details) you can use prayer to help solve this problem that you will share with everyone else.

Back

Conclusion

―However Long it Takes‖

Story by Brad Wilcox

Young Priest Blessing the Sacrament

REMEMBER:

Know the Plan of Salvation

Learn how to succeed

Know that we love you