Lesson on Luke 2:52

Mackay and Andrew Dolphin’s Lesson

Luke 2:52

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Intro:

This scripture outlines four important fields for us to strive to strengthen:

mental

physical

spiritual

social. 

Wisdom (Mental):

Every one of us has been blessed with the marvelous instrument that sits on top of our shoulders. How we use our heads is up to each of us to determine. 

Quotes:

President Ezra Taft Benson:

We must imitate him in our mental growth as we search for truth. Let us never fear truth, but only its misuse. On the contrary, let us love truth above all else—for God himself is truth.

Scripture:

Proverbs 4:7

“wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding”

D&C 6:7

Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

D&C 130:18-19

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the  resurrection.

And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

2 Nephi 9:29

“to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God”

Apply to Us: 

School: 

- Don’t Care about school work.  We know that a C is a passing grade and will get us the same diploma as the A and B students when we graduate. 

We don’t work as hard as we should. 

Don’t Need College...Intellectual pride leads one to think he is self- sufficient in matters of mind and of spirit.

Temptations/ “Touching the Fire”: 

Experimenting with things that have already been proven. YOLO, “Just try it once”, “Everyone is doing it.”

Conclude: President Ezra Taft Benson challenge:

“Advance unafraid! Meet the challenge of a modern world! ...  Yes, be intelligent. Intelligence is wise...Continue to grow mentally—to grow in wisdom—to grow in truth. Desire it! Pray for it! Study it! Practice it!

Physical (Stature):

Jesus increased in stature, he was perfecting his physical body to house his eternal spirit. The physical body is something special to be cared for, watched over, and nourished.

Quotes:

President Ezra Taft Benson:

Your physical well-being is a priceless blessing to yourself. With good health, all other activities of life are greatly enhanced. A clean mind in a healthy body will enable you to render far more effective service to others. It will help you provide more vigorous leadership. It will give your every experience in life more zest and meaning. Good health is a noble and worthwhile attainment.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are

Apply to Us:

Take care of your body. 

Spiritual (Favor with God):

Quotes:

Ezra Taft Benson:

"We increase in favor with God as we do the will of God. Let us be faithful in the work he gives us, whatever it may be, and whatever our station in life. Let our desires be in harmony with God’s will as it is revealed to us—keeping his work in our hearts conquering selfish desires..."

“Favor with God gives necessary incentive and perspective to life. It gives man real purpose for living and achieving.”

Scripture:

Mark 8:36

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Matt 6:33

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”

Mosiah 4:9

Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

Apply to Us:

Learn about Him!

Develop a Relationship with Him! (prayer)

Obedience to His Commandments!!

Conclusion: Ezra Taft Benson

“Be not ashamed to believe and proclaim that God lives; that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world; that the resurrection is a reality; he is the Father of our spirits; ... Blessed are you if you have a testimony of these things

Social (Favor with Man):

Quotes:

President Ezra Taft Benson:

"To serve others willingly and unselfishly should be one of our greatest virtues. It is not even a matter of choice. It is an obligation, a sacred command." 

Scripture:

Matt 7:12 (Golden Rule)

“Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them”

Mosiah 6:16-17

I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

John 13:34

“A new commandment I give unto you,” he said, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another”

Apply to Us:

Friends/Quorum/Scout Camp

Jobs

Sports

Conclusion: L Tom Perry:

The challenge I issue to you today is to develop a heart big enough to show real compassion to all of your fellowmen.

Sunday School Lesson

What is the role of agency in learning the gospel?

Intro:

Read: 2 Nephi 2:26

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.. 

Heavenly Father created us as people who have the freedom to choose for ourselves... Good or bad it is our choice.  

Learning the Gospel is again OUR CHOICE. No one can learn it for us. Learning the gospel is meant to be an active experience, meaning we must act on the lessons we learn and the knowledge we gain  And when we do this, the Lord blesses us with increased light and knowledge.

1. Object lesson

Light Bulb: We are all at school right now learning the things we need to know.

House: It is now time to go home.

Pathway: So we start to head Home.

Flood #1: It begins to rain and the waters rise.

We find we are stranded and can’t get home.

Bridge #1: A man appears and sees our problem and offers to build us a bridge. 

We offer to pay the man but he says he will provide this bridge for FREE.

We thank him and are one our way.

Flood #2: Again it begins to rain and the waters rise.

We again are trapped and stranded and can’t get home.

Bridge #2: The same man appears and tells us he will build us another bridge but this time it isn’t free.  

We must pay FIVE dollars.

Dollar #1-#5: We pay the man and he builds us a bridge.

We arrive home.

1. Object lesson meaning

Flip pictures over as you tell the story again.

Light Bulb/Earth Life: 

We are all on earth to gain knowledge.  

We are here to be tested and to learn the things we need to know.

House/Live with HF: 

Our goal is to one day return to live with our Heavenly Father. 

Pathway: Our earth life is our journey Home.

Flood #1/Death:

Each one of us will die.  

Our bodies will grow old and they will die.

In order to live with God again, we need to overcome PHYSICAL death.

Bridge #1/Resurrection:

Because Christ was Resurrected all mankind will be Resurrected.

It doesn’t matter our choices - Good or Evil -.

It is a FREE gift from our Savior Jesus Christ.

We will all overcome PHYSICAL DEATH

Flood #2/Sin:

No one is perfect.  Each one of us will make mistakes and sin.

We know that no unclean thing can enter into the presence of God.

Because of our sins, we will all fall short and will be stuck without help.

We need help to overcome SPIRITUAL death

Bridge #2/Atonement:

Again, Christ is there to help us over come sin.

Because of the Atonement, we can overcome SPIRITUAL death. 

But this time it isn’t free.  

We must pay FIVE dollars or DO our part.

This is the part of the lesson that I want to focus on.

III. Our part

We are required to do our part.  Like the scripture we read we are required to act for ourselves!

Once we have learned the things we need to do.  We must act.

Read: James 1:22

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Dollar #1: Faith 

Read D&C 88:118

118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

Dollar #2: Repentance

Read: Helaman 15:7

7 And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them—

Dollar #3: Baptism

Read: 2 Nephi 31:14

14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

Dollar #4: Holy Ghost

Read: 3 Nephi 19:13 

13 And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

Read: Acts 8:17 

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Dollar #5: Obedience

Although we must continually have FAITH and REPENT

We are only BAPTIZED and receive the HOLY GHOST once.

So this is where we are now.  

        Basically now is when we MUST CHOOSE to endure to the end showing OBEDIENCE to the gospel.  

        Obedience to the things we learn in church, at home, thru scripture study and prayer.

Heavenly Father has promised us a great blessing if we do this.

Read: D&C 50:24

24 That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

I know that as we strive to be obedient and as we strive to gain more knowledge and then share the knowledge we have gained, that we will have JOY in this earth life and one day - that PERFECT DAY - we will live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. amen.

Mother's Day Lesson

Mother's Day Lesson

Intro: 

With it being Mother's Day, I decided to do a lesson on moms.  A mother's job requires a lot and is a very important position. 

A while back the first presidency said : 

"Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels." 

Ask: what does this quote mean? 

It a pretty important job. I'm sure sometimes our moms feel overwhelmed with their responsibilities.

1. A Mother Teaches

Think for a minute of everything your mom has taught you. 

If I asked you to make a list of everything your mom has taught you, it would take too long.  You would never be able to finish the list. I have a questionnaire that I want you all to fill out.  Try to give specific examples to answer each question.

Questionnaire: A Mother Teaches

My mother taught me the mechanics of life by…

My mom taught me the difference between right and wrong by...

My mom taught me the value of education by...

My mom taught me to share my talents by…

My mom taught me the importance of work by…

My mom encouraged a relationship with my heavenly father by…

1. Scriptures

There are a lot of examples of mothers in the Scriptures. 

Ask: Can you name a few?

    Eve, Mary, Mary (John the Baptist mom), Sariah (Nephi's mom)

There is a story in Alma about Two Thousand Young Warriors 

Watch: Heleman’s Stripling Warriors Chapter 2 (Living Scriptures)

  

Read: Alma 56:47-48

"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  

And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." (Alma 56: 47--48)

Ask: What can we learn from this story about the role of a mom?

1. Moms Make Us Better

A mom’s job isn't easy. They are expected to teach us so many things. Sometimes they nag us and boss us around. And sometimes they teach us things that we don't think are important. 

Ask: Why do you think they nag us, boss us around, and teach us things that we don’t think are important?

Because they love us and they want to prepare us for when we get older. 

Personal Experience: My Grandma Kathy died. I watched my mom be really sad. She loved and depended on her mom for a lot of things. The thing I remember most is that my grandma loved to tell us her favorite scripture. 

Read: 3 John 1:4 

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth". 

Our moms would do anything for us. When we listen to them and make good choices, it makes them happy. We are special to them and they love us. They are here to help us become better. 

Abraham Lincoln said; "all that I am and all that I hope to be i owe to my angel mother."

Conclusion: Letter to Mom

I think the best gift we can give to our moms is a letter thanking her for all she is done.  I think she’d love to see how she has taught each of us.  So on the back of the paper with the questions will you write a letter to your mom?

I will turn on this video to watch as your writing your letter and when you are finished you can just watch the video.  

Watch: Stripling Warriors - Russ Biehn

Priesthood Lesson - Commandments

What are Commandments?

The Ten Commandments are eternal gospel principles that are necessary for our exaltation. The Ten Commandments are a vital part of the gospel. Obedience to these commandments is important.

The Lord revealed them to Moses in ancient times (see Exodus 20:1–17), 

Story of the 10 commandments:

What are the 10 commandments?

Use your hands to remember them. 

1- one (one god in heaven)

2- bull (not worship false idols)

3. Cover mouth with 3 fingers (not use the lords name in vain)

4. Church steeple (keep sabbath day holy)

5. Nanu (honor father & mother)

6. Guns (don't kill)

7. Family nanu with scissors (no adultery it cuts up the family)

8. Face in jail (don't steal you'll go to jail)

9. Talking hand to stop (don't bear false witness)

10. Gathering hands. (Shall not covet)

Ask: what happens when we obey?

Blessings

Video on president Monson

Testimony

ONE FINGER

1. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). We should do “all things with an eye single to the glory of God” (D&C 82:19). We should love and serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength (see Deuteronomy 6:5; D&C 59:5).

ROCK ON/BULL

2. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” (Exodus 20:4). In this commandment, the Lord condemns the worship of idols. Idolatry may take many forms. Some people do not bow before graven images or statues but instead replace the living God with other idols, such as money, material possessions, ideas, or prestige. In their lives, “their treasure is their god”—a god that “shall perish with them” (2 Nephi 9:30).

COVER MOUTH WITH 3 FINGERS

3. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

MAKE CHURCH BUILDING

4. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

NANU (father/mother/child)

5. “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). This commandment remains binding throughout our lives and can be understood in several ways: We should honor our fathers and our mothers who are our ancestors; we should be grateful to the father and mother who provided our earthly bodies; we should honor those who raised us in the knowledge of the truth. Above all, we should honor our Heavenly Parents. The way we honor all these fathers and mothers is by keeping the commandments.

2GUNS

6. “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).

NANU & SCISSORS

7. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). In a latter-day revelation, the Lord condemned not only adultery, but “anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). Fornication, homosexuality, and other sexual sins are violations of the seventh commandment.

JAIL AROUND FACE

8. “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). Stealing is a form of dishonesty.

TALKING HAND TO STOP HAND

9. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). Bearing false witness is another form of dishonesty.

GATHERING HANDS

10. “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Coveting, or envying something that belongs to another, is damaging to the soul. It can consume our thoughts and plague us with constant unhappiness and dissatisfaction. It often leads to other sins and to financial indebtedness.