Sunday School Lesson Notes from Ward Conference

The counselor in our stake presidency gave the lesson in our Sunday School today.  I always enjoy his talks and discussions.  Despite the fact that I feel so overwhelmed at the fact of how much I yet lack, when listening to him, I still feel animated to go and do.

However, this hodge-podge lesson he gave, fell a bit flat.  But there were some gems.

He started off by asking what the themes were in Sacrament Meeting when the stake president spoke along with the bishop.
- strengthen the family
- rescue
- youth attendance to meetings
- missionary tours of the buildings
- faith in Christ
- make and keep covenants
- act, don't wait
- gain a testimony

He spoke that these 'meetings' are not meetings; but they are revelatory sessions.

Boys have been called as missionaries.  We need more of them and we need them to be better prepared missionaries.

We need to strengthen the Melchizedek Priesthood base ... it is about the fathers of the boys.

Come unto Christ; rejoice in Christ.

Pay attention to the media - make sure it is not consuming your home.

Study the scriptures thirty minutes a day.  Part of that should be in the Book of Mormon.

Read the first chapter in the new Handbook of Instructions.
- actions, desires of heart and kind of person you've become - these are the basis of your judgement.

Then he shared a story of John Robinson who wrote a letter to the people on the Mayflower.  (Somehow he was a descendant of someone in the Mayflower or even John Robinson himself .. and he learned this while do Family History work.)  He advised them to repent daily.  If they did not, they would be swallowed by the dangers of others.

His counsel to us is: think of unrepented sins; think of repented sins.

Spiritual Vertigo Video

This is a great video - I loved seeing the P-51s.  The lesson from vertigo is excellent.

Enduring to the End

Endure is an interesting word.  It has been on my mind the last couple of weeks.  I continue to mull over it.

Thus far, I've learned two things that are certain:

1) Enduring is about expanding our capacity ... our capacity to deal with adversity, life's challenges, stress, day to day minutiae - everything.  It deals with how much we can handle.

2) Enduring is about strengthening - being hardened - holding ground on the battle's we've already won.  It deals with how we can hold on to the gains we've made.

Combining these two thoughts, I liken enduring to battle.  We must fight the battles before us ... we must take ground (capacity) and then hold it (strength).  The cycle then continues - we move on to the next battle - confront the next challenge, deal with it, learn from it and hold on to it.  This cycle continues all through our life.

Here are the articles I've been reading, annotating and re-reading again.

Neal A. Maxwell, "“Endure It Well”", Ensign, May 1990, 33
Neal A. Maxwell, "Enduring Well", Ensign, Apr. 1997, 7
Russell M. Nelson, "Endure and Be Lifted Up", Ensign, May 1997, 70
Robert D. Hales, "“Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure”", Ensign, May 1998, 75
Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Press On", Ensign, Nov. 2004, 101–4
Emma Petty Addams, "Enduring Well", Ensign, Mar. 2010, 34–37

I've several more articles that I'm reading now too.  Although these deal more specifically with adversity.  But I think the lessons from enduring well and dealing with adversity are the same.