Hi all!
If you don't have much time this week to read, just read the bold parts and watch the Mormon message too if you have a few minutes to spare and you will still glean a lot from our lesson on Sunday.
Cassidy Tuttle gave the lesson. She talked about what it means to be anchored in Christ and shared an optimistic view of life and the gospel. I really appreciated it. I asked her to share some of the main points of the lesson and her thoughts about it:
"A strong testimony of Jesus Christ is truly the best way to maintain a constant source of happiness in our lives. I am the type of person that likes to have a plan and know what is going to happen in my life. When things are uncertain I tend to feel very stressed and worried, often causing me to be physically sick. About 2 years ago I decided to study more about Christ and the power of prayer as a means of providing peace and comfort in my life. I also focused on positive thinking and tried to find things about life that were good, despite the trials I was facing. I found that the more I relied on the Lord and trusted in his plan for me the less stress and worry I felt. Knowing that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have a plan for my life and that they know what is best for me has provided so much happiness and peace in my life. I'm not perfect in trusting their plan, but the more I rely on them and pray for help and guidance with the obstacles I'm facing the more I realize how much joy I can have despite hardships.
There is a quote by Richard G. Scott that perfectly describes this concept. It is from a talk called "The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness". He said, "True, enduring happiness, with the accompanying strength, courage, and capacity to overcome the greatest difficulties, will come as you center your life in Jesus Christ."
Another quote from this same talk that really hit home for me was this: "The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development. Your progress is accelerated when you willingly allow Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter, whether you welcome the experience or not. Trust in the Lord. Ask to be led by the Spirit to know His will. Be willing to accept it. You will then qualify for the greatest happiness and the heights of attainment from this mortal experience."
As I strive to center my life in Christ, through scripture study, prayer, obedience and repentance, I know that he will help me to achieve great things. He will be a source of strength and comfort throughout my life. Happiness truly come from following the example of Jesus Christ and centering our lives around him and his teachings." - Thanks Cassidy for the comments!!!
One comment I found insightful was about how an actual anchor works. In a storm you throw it over the edge of the boat and the anchor drags through the mud and junk until it hits a rock and latches on to it. The sister pointed out how Christ is the rock we need to set our anchor to set on. We may feel like we are being drug through the mud and gunk of life for a time, but if we focus on Christ, our anchor will surely find Him and we will find security and peace in
the storms of life!
I remember not too long ago my scripture study was getting really kind of drab. I wasn't getting into it. I was reading one verse a day. I'm not bashing on one verse a day - believe me! It's just that and I wasn't doing as well spiritually as when I read more like several verses or a chapter a day. It's hard for me to get into it if I don't read more verses than one. I am doing a better now. One thing I like doing is listening to chapters from the Book of Mormon while I'm getting ready for the day. Hey why not listen when you're doing your hair or makeup?! Anyhoo, it is more meaningful when I am listening to learn about a topic. IGoing along with this lesson, I will be listening to or reading verses about Christ as our rock. Here are links to gospel study aids with scriptures listed about Christ as our ROCK.
Now if you want a detailed out line of the lesson you will find it here:
Anchored in Christ
• Talks
- RICHARD G. SCOTT
• True, enduring happiness, with the accompanying strength, courage,
and capacity to overcome the greatest difficulties, will come as you
center your life in Jesus Christ.
*** = Cool Mormon Message on Anchoring in Christ - Rock Climbing Analogy!
• Obedience to His teachings provides a secure ***ascent in the journey of
life. That takes effort. While there is no guarantee of overnight results,
there is the assurance that, in the Lord’s time, solutions will come,
peace will prevail, and happiness will be yours.
• The Redeemer will safely lead you over the most difficult obstacles of
life. His laws are absolutely ***secure anchors of protection that dispel fear
and assure success in an otherwise dangerous world. Such a life will
certainly provide you peace and happiness.
• Sadness, heartache, and disappointment are events in life. It is not
intended that they be the substance of life. I do not minimize how hard
some of these events can be. When the lesson you are to learn is very
important, trials can extend over a long period of time, but they should
not be allowed to become the confining focus of everything you do.
- Your life can and should be wondrously rewarding.
• The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development. Your
progress is accelerated when you willingly allow Him to lead you
through every growth experience you encounter, whether you welcome
the experience or not. Trust in the Lord. Ask to be led by the Spirit
to know His will. Be willing to accept it. You will then qualify for the
greatest happiness and the ***heights of attainment from this mortal
experience.
- BISHOP DEAN M. DAVIES
• Faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring
to the end are part of the “blueprints” of life. They help to form the
appropriate building blocks that will anchor our lives to the Atonement
of Christ. These shape and frame the supporting structure of a person’s
life.
• Prayer is one of the most basic and important foundational building
blocks of our faith and character. Through prayer we are able to express
our gratitude, love, and devotion to God. Through prayer we can submit
our will to His and in return receive the strength to conform our lives to
His teachings. Prayer is the avenue we can follow to seek His influence
in our lives, even revelation.
• Sharing our thoughts, feelings, and desires with God through sincere
and heartfelt prayer should become to each of us as important and
natural as breathing and eating.
o Stand in Holy Places
- THOMAS S. MONSON
• …There is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace
to our souls than the Spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior
and keep the commandments.
• …Communication with our Father in Heaven—including our prayers to
Him and His inspiration to us—is necessary in order for us to weather
the storms and trials of life. The Lord invites us, “Draw near unto me
and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.”
As we do so, we will feel His Spirit in our lives, providing us the desire
and the courage to stand strong and firm in righteousness—to “stand …
in holy places, and be not moved.”
o The Mission and Ministry of Jesus Christ
- ELDER RUSSELL M. NELSON
• Love for family and friends, great as it may be, is much more profound
when anchored in the love of Jesus Christ. Parental love for children
has more meaning here and hereafter because of Him. All loving
relationships are elevated in Him. Love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ provides the illumination, inspiration, and motivation to love
others in a loftier way.
o Two Principles for Any Economy
- DIETER F. UCHTDORF
• Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway
to possibility.
• The Lord doesn’t expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn’t
(nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly
Father asks only that we do the best we can—that we work according to
our full capacity, however great or small that may be.
o By Faith All Things Are Fulfilled
- ELDER MARCUS B. NASH
• Brothers and sisters, the Lord will, according to our faith, fulfill His
promises and work with us to overcome every challenge… Because He is
a “God of miracles” and “changeth not,” He will … bless each of us with
hope, protection, and power according to our faith in Him. Steadfast
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will … anchor you and your loved ones to
“the rock of our Redeemer” and His matchless power to save.
• …Nurture a particle of faith and permit the hope it produces to be
• …Fear distracts from and undermines faith in the Savior… the Lord
an anchor to your soul—and to your reason. That is why we are
commanded to “seek learning … by study and also by faith.”
invites us to “look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”
- Scriptures
o Mosiah 2:41
o Ether 12:4
o 3 Nephi 18:20
"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy
state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are
blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to
the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God
in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things
are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world,
yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh
an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast,
always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
"And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing
that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."
- Principles that help us develop an anchor in Christ
• Scripture Study and attending church meetings
• Prayer
• Faith and hope
• Love and Charity
• Helps us learn more about Christ
• It’s hard to trust in someone you don’t know
• This helps us establish a relationship with Christ
• We can tell him our worries and fears
- The spirit will comfort and bring peace
•Trust and hope in his plan
•Rely on him in times of trial
•Brings joy and happiness through serving others
Rock Anchoring
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Hope this helps many! Keep sharing....