Gospel Doctrine OT c28: Still Small Voice

Gospel Doctrine OT c28 still small voice

1 Kings 17-19

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Think about something you possess that you love more than almost anything; something that is of monetary value, earned with hard work, prized possession.

Thomas S. Monson told this story:

Born in poverty but nurtured in faith, [Jose Garcia] prepared for a mission call. I was present the day his recommendation was received. There appeared the statement: ‘Brother Garcia will serve at great sacrifice to his family, for he is the means of much of the family support. He has but one possession – a treasured stamp collection – which he is willing to sell, if necessary, to help finance his mission.’

President [Spencer W.] Kimball listened attentively as this statement was read to him, and then he responded: ‘Have him sell his stamp collection. Such sacrifice will be to him a blessing.’

Take a minute to think about what that sacrifice would mean to him and his family. Translate that to something you possess that would be hard to give up and what it would mean to you. Keep this in mind throughout the lesson.

From the manual: “After Jeoboam led the kingdom of Israel into idolatry, he and his descendants were destroyed. They were followed by another succession of idolatrous kings. Of those rulers, Ahab was the king who ‘did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him’ (1Kings 16:33). He married Jezebel, adopted her practice of Baal worship, and encouraged his people to join him in the worship of this false god. The prophet Elijah delivered words of warning to Ahab and his kingdom.”

Elijah declared drought and famine on the land which lasted for 3 ½ years.

During that time, the Lord gave Elijah several instructions. Here is one. READ 1Kings 17:2-3, 5 (Elijah went dwelt by the brook Cherith) ?What stands out to you about Elijah’s response?? (he was afflicted by the drought a little too, he was obedient)

            ?What experiences have you had when the Lord has sustained you physically or spiritually?

Further instructions: READ 1Kings 17:8-9, 10 – (Elijah went to Zeraphath) ?Again, what stands out?? (he was afflicted by the drought, things weren’t turning out the way he expected, the Lord prepared a way for him to survive, he was obedient)

?How have you seen the Lord help those in need through the service of other people? What can we do to help others who are in need?

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Now the widow gets instructions : READ 1Kings 17:13, 15 – (Widow feeds Elijah) ?What pattern do we see? She was obedient.

?What can we learn from these responses? They gave something up.

?What do you give up? What do you have to give?   READ QUOTE THEN GET RESPONSES!

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: “I know we can each do something, however small that act may seem to be. We can pay an honest tithe and give our fast and freewill offerings. … And we can watch for other ways to help. To worthy causes and needy people, we can give time if we don’t have money, and we can give love when our time runs out. We can share the loaves we have and trust God that the cruse of oil will not fail.” (Ensign, May 1996).

‘Have you ever been deterred from giving because you had so little to give? This widow shows us that the attitude with which we give matters much more than the amount we are able to give. If we give all we have, it will always be enough. Remember the small boy with his loaves and fishes? “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? (John 6:9). The answer to the question, “what are they among so many?” will always be, Enough; enough to feed a multitude. When we give all we have, it will always be enough. (Ted L. Gibbons, LDS Living)

NOW GET RESPONSES!

?How are these two scriptures connected?

1Kings 17:24 – Elijah raises the son from the dead and that the word of the Lord in his mouth is truth

Alma 32:21  - “And now as I said concerning faith – faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”

Elder Holland said that the widow’s response when Elijah asked her for food was an ‘expression of faith – as great, under these circumstances, as any I know in the scriptures. … Perhaps uncertain what the cost of her faith would be … , she first took her small loaf to Elijah, obviously trusting that if there were not enough bread left over, at least she and her son would have died in an act of pure charity.” (Ensign, May 1996).

?What is the connection between the responses of Elijah and the widow  to faith? To your personal faith? We must be willing to give up our own will, our need of having concrete knowledge, our way or the highway mentality, and be submissive to God. That is faith, hoping and believing in things that are unseen and sometimes that requires action.

‘Still, the question arises: Why did the prophet require her to give her last morsel of food to him rather than to her own starving son? Because this kind of sacrifice is ultimately required of everyone who would come unto Christ to be perfected in Him: “He that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” This willingness to sacrifice all that we have is required of all who would receive the fullness of Christ, for the next verse reads, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.’ Matt 10:37-39 – (Breck England, Meridian Magazine)

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1King 18 – The battle between the Ahab and 850 false priests at Mount Carmel:

Priests and Elijah each have a bullock, cut it in pieces and lay it on wood, with no fire under it. The deal is to call on their God and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.

The priests called on Ball from morning until noon but there was no answer.  Elijah mocked them and encouraged them to cry louder. The priests cried louder and cut themselves with knives and lancets. They continued to cry to Baal until past the time of evening sacrifice and still no answer.

Elijah had to repair his alter, which had fallen into disrepair, and made a trench around the altar. He had other fill 4 barrels of water and pour it on the sacrifice and on the wood. He had them do it 3 times. He prayed 1Kings 18:36-37. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

That whole purpose of that experience is what Elijah asked them in the beginning, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” READ 1Kings 18:21

It appears to me that Elijah and the widow did not halt, much. Their faith demanded action, even though it didn’t make sense and they couldn’t see how the end would end well.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “The stirring words of various prophets … urge us to choose, to decide, and not to halt. … Elijah’s message has tremendous relevancy today, for all must finally choose between the gods of this world and the God of eternity.” (That My Family Should Partake [1974], 22)

‘Every day we are faced with choices – will we obey the Lord or not? Will we cheat, lie, steal, look at forbidden things? Will we pray and study His word as He has commanded us to do? Will we follow the “gods” of the world and forget the God we owe everything to? Will we “disagree” with the prophet of the Lord in our vanity, believing that somehow we know better? Will we drop a criticism here and there, postpone paying our tithing, neglect our Church callings, skip Family Home Evening? (Breck England, Meridian Magazine)

‘Of these choices, President Gordon B. Hinckley has said: “These are little things, but they are important things. They bring to mind the great contest between the prophet Elijah and the priests of Baal. Said Elijah on that occasion, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”’

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To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is all – consuming.

“The breadth, depth, and height of this love of God extend into every facet of one’s life. Our desires, be they spiritual or temporal, should be rooted in a love of the Lord. Our thoughts and affections should be centered on the Lord. “Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord,” said Alma, “yea, let the affection of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever” (Alma 37:36)

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.”

“Joseph {in Egypt} was put in prison because he put God first. If we were faced with a similar choice, where would we place our first loyalty? Can we put God ahead of security, peace, passions, wealth, and the honors of men? When Joseph was forced to choose, he was more anxious to please God than to please his employer’s wife. When we are required to choose, are we more anxious to please God than our boss, our teacher, our neighbor, or our date?”

“daily, constantly, we choose by our desires, our thoughts, and our actions whether, we want to be blessed or cursed, happy or miserable. One of the trials of life is that we do not usually receive immediately the full blessing for righteousness or the full cursing for wickedness. That it will come is certain, but ofttimes there is a waiting period that occurs, as was the case with Job and Joseph. “

PRES. BENSON – ENSIGN 1988 MAY?

The rest of Pres. Monson’s story:

Remember, President Kimball asked Jose to sell his stamp collection:

“Then, with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face, this loving prophet said, ‘Each month at Church headquarters we receive thousands of letters from all parts of the world. See that we save these stamps and provide them to Jose at the conclusion of his mission. He will have, without cost, the finest stamp collection of any young man in Mexico.” (Ensign, Nov 1978).

Gospel Doctrine OT c 26:Solomon

Gospel Doctrine OT c26 Solomon - 1 Kings 3-11

“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks (From an address given at a BYU 18-stake fireside on June 7, 1992)

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The lesson says: “Just before David died, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon as the new king. Solomon, who was a son of David and Bathsheba, received the following counsel from his father: “Be thou strong … , and shew thyself a man; and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, … that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest” (1 Kings 2:1-3)

Soon after Solomon became king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream. READ 1 Kings 3:3-9.

?What did Solomon ask for? 3:9.

?What does it mean to have an understanding heart? 3:28; 4:29.

?Have you ever offer a similar prayer? What is the value of an understanding heart?

READ Proverbs 4:7 – with all thy getting, get understanding.

Sister Julie B. Beck said: “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.” (Ensign, May 2010)

Solomon understood that. The knowledge we need to make the right choices comes only by revelation, and therefore is only spiritually discerned.

?Why should we seek it? What other spiritual gifts can we seek after? Moroni 10:8-18; D&C 46:11-26; 1Cor 12:4-12.

God’s response to Solomon’s request. He was granted extra blessings. He was also given a warning. READ 1 Kings 3:10-14.

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Solomon built a temple to the Lord. It took 7 years.

?How can temple attendance help us when we are weighed down with problems?

Pres. Ezra Taft Benson said: “In the peace of these lovely temples, sometimes we find solutions to the serious problems of life. Under the influence of the Spirit, sometimes pure knowledge flows to us there. Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways” (Ensign, Aug 1985)

After Solomon offered the dedicatory prayer, he counseled his people.

READ 1 Kings 8:61 “Let your heart … be perfect with the Lord our God”.

?What do you think it means to have a heart that is “Perfect with the Lord”? How can temple attendance help us perfect our hearts?

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Solomon did prosper and increased in wealth and honor. READ Jacob 2:18-19.

The problem is what King Solomon did with his increase. He used it to build up his own kingdom rather than God’s kingdom. 1Kings 10 tells of his riches. 1Kings 11:1-4. His heart turned away from God.

?How do you think the blessings of wisdom, riches, and honor contributed to Solomon’s downfall?

?How have you seen these strengths contribute to the downfall of people today?

?How can we ensure that our strengths do not become a downfall for us? Remember 1Kings 8:61.

Elder Dallin H Oaks said: “How … do we prevent our strengths from becoming our downfall? The quality we must cultivate is humility. Humility is the great protector. Humility is the antidote against pride. Humility is the catalyst for all learning, especially spiritual things. Through the prophet Moroni, the Lord gave us this great insight into the role of humility: ‘I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them’ (Ether 12:27).

“We might also say that if men and women humble themselves before God, he will help them prevent their strengths from becoming weaknesses that the adversary can exploit to destroy them. …

“… If we are humble and teachable, hearkening to the commandments of God, the counsel of his leaders, and the promptings of his Spirit, we can be guided in how to use our spiritual gifts, our accomplishments, and all of our other strengths for righteousness. And we can be guided in how to avoid Satan’s efforts to use our strengths to cause our downfall.

“In all of this, we should remember and rely on the Lord’s direction and promise: ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers’ (D&C 112:10)” (Ensign, Oct. 1994)

“If we are not wary, Satan can cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths as well as by exploiting our weaknesses.”

Cascade Falls or Bust

CASCADE FALLS or BUST

Heat waves assaulted our bodies as we made our way from the house to the mini-van. Five children scrambled over and around each other, trying to get the coveted seats, which were anything but the back bench.

“Turn on the A.C.!,” yelled Rachel. Being the fourth of five children and only six years old, she assumed her usual spot in the back.

“Where are we going?” Parker asked, making sure all the front vents were open and adjusted to blow directly on his face.

 “Cascade Springs,” I said. I felt a drop in the temperature just saying the words. “Do we have everything we need? Water, treats?”

I checked the rearview mirror and saw Sydney push her way through seatbelts to join Rachel on the back bench. Shotgun lost to her younger brother, again. I was confident once we got to our mountain destination all would be forgiven. I turned up the rear air conditioning for good measure.

Making our way to American Fork canyon was a breeze. The ranger at the pay station took our money and gave us a map in return.

“Here, Parker. Look for the Springs,” I said. I marveled at the majestic trees lining the road like sentries guarding a hidden treasure. The river rushed by on the left, alive and untamed. We pulled away from the station and I felt the shackles of suburban life fall off me. The road wove through the forest like a ribbon, playing peek-a-boo with the river. Twenty minutes into the canyon, the noise of the car muffled for a bit until my ears popped and I knew we had to be getting close.

“Look at the drop-off,” Sydney said from the back, her eyes glued to the window.

“Don’t remind me,” said Parker. His eyes focused straight ahead. “Are we going to be ok?”

“Of course,” I said, flexing my fingers on the steering wheel so the blood could flow again.

“Do you know where you’re going?” he ventured.

“Yep. We follow this road all the way to the Springs,” I said. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing, I’m a mom and I’m pretty much awesome all the time!” Parker rolled his eyes at the familiar phrase I repeated over and over, hoping to brainwash my children. I didn’t look behind me but I’m sure Parker wasn’t the only one rolling his eyes. I smiled, took a deep breath and glanced at my dashboard then looked again. Less than a quarter of a tank. Adrenaline shot through my veins like an earthquake.

I was pretty sure when we left it was closer to half a tank. But now I didn’t know. Did I even check? I had no freaking idea! I grasped the steering wheel with a death grip. Holy crap! I was in the middle of the mountains on a narrow road, riding the edge of a cliff like a dare-devil and I was approaching the summit. The summit-and we weren’t there yet! I didn’t know we had to cross the summit. How much further after the summit? Oh, my sweet children. Forgive me now.

How much gas did I start with? No idea.

How much further to the Springs? No idea

How much more gas will I need to get there AND get back? No freaking idea!

We’re screwed.

My breath came out in a stutter. I turned on the radio, static. I asked Parker to check my cellphone, no reception.

“Seriously, Mom. Do you really know where we are going?” Parker asked again. He was staring me down. Sweat trickled down my cleavage and I couldn’t look him in the eyes.

Against my better judgment, the words vomited out of my mouth, “Getting there isn’t the problem. I’m just praying we have enough gas to get back out!” My voice was hysterically high by the time I finished. I tried to cover up with an awkward laugh. It was acknowledged by complete silence.

“We don’t have enough gas?” Sydney said, her voice slow and penetrating, like a disappointed parent.

“I don’t know, I didn’t check, I’m hoping that…” I tried to explain.

“This is just great!” She folded her arms and sat back into the bench. The two middle girls sat silent, with big eyes and open mouths. Stunned, nervous, shocked, worried, scared. Check your thesaurus for terrified and that was it.

“We’ll be ok, girls,” I said and smiled in the rear-view mirror at their frozen faces. “We’ll get there just fine and then figure things out. There are plenty of nice people around these parts.”

“We’ve only seen one car this whole time,” Parker challenged.

“I’m sure there are other people at Cascade Springs.”

 “Yeah, sure, Mom,” he mumbled and turned away. He reclined his chair and closed his eyes, his lips working in silent, prayerful words.

I reluctantly pressed my foot on the gas pedal to climb another hill. What kind of mother does this to her children? A pretty much awesome one, I said to myself in my snarkiest inner voice. I dug deep and pulled out my awesome self and started talking about how beautiful the mountains were and how nice the water would feel when we got to the springs. At first I talked to myself but eventually everyone joined in the commentary. The first road sign I'd seen for miles gave me hope.

CASCADE SPRINGS: UPPER PARKING LOT

We rounded the corner and the lot was large. It was also empty. BING. The dummy light. Time to fill the tank, Mrs. Brown, the red light flashed. My heart sank below the fill line.

“Well, we’ll just keep going a little bit here,” I sang to no one in particular.

The next bend in the road revealed a smaller parking lot, covered with a canopy of leaves and a big sign: CASCADE SPRINGS. This lot had other cars. Parking the van, I released a deep breath as I pulled the key out of the ignition. That’s it. We find help here or we don’t. Two motorcyclists pulled in behind us. I wondered if they were camped nearby with a huge tank of extra gas for emergencies just like this. Maybe they had a tank with my name on it. I studied them as my children piled out of the car. The men were dirty and rough looking, like they were on an extended ride, not a day trip.

“Biker-dudes!” Bryce said and dashed into the parking, back around the car and into the forest. Four-year-old attention deficit at its finest. Chasing Bryce, I worked up my nerve to approach the “biker-dudes.”  When I looked back, they were gone. Awesome. I pulled Bryce back to the car, grabbed the backpack and locked the doors. I laughed. Even if someone stole the car, they wouldn’t get far.

My lungs swelled with sweet, pure air, perfumed by the towering pines. Quaking aspen whispered a fond greeting. Despite the unsettling situation we were in, I finally felt like I could breathe again. I followed my children on the dirt path to a pavilion which was occupied by an elderly couple and a park ranger. Angels sang faintly in the background as an aura of light descended around the ranger’s head. Surely she would know what to do.

I introduced my family and answered a few questions. Where are you from? Have you been here before? Are these children all yours? With the pleasantries behind us, I began to explain my predicament with a complete lack of volume control. I lectured myself silently even as I rattled on. Dial it down! Press the mute! Nothing worked.

“Gosh. What’re you going to do?” the young ranger responded and the angels sputtered and choked on the final chorus.

“We usually carry an extra gas can with us, but we don’t have it today,” offered the older gentleman. His wife nodded with a “tsk.”

“Let’s go look at the map and see if we can find the shortest road out of here,” the ranger said. She led me to a board covered in posters and maps. We both hmm’d and haw’d over it for a while. I wasn’t sure if she knew what she was looking at but I couldn’t make any sense out it. Stupid geographical mountain maps have too many lines. The older gentleman approached.

“We’re taking off. We could follow you out if you want to go now.” His wife nodded in the background. I paused. Did I seriously drive all this way only to turn around and go back? What stupid kind of awesome is that?

“I’ll be leaving in an hour,” the ranger piped in. “I could follow you out if you want to wait that long.”

“Let’s do that,” I said. We waved goodbye to the elderly couple and turned toward Cascade Springs.

Cold, mountain water tumbled over rocks, between bright yellow flowers and fragrant vegetation. The water sparkled, holding on to the light as bounced over the low, terraced falls. We started across a well-kept wooden walkway extended over the running water and I asked, “Can we play in the water or do we just follow the path?”

“Stay on the path and enjoy the scenery,” the ranger said. She pulled out her binoculars and turned her attention to more distant views. I turned to my children and pressed my fingers to my lips to silence the complaints I knew were coming. We were hot, the water was cold and staying on the path was boring. I didn’t need words to tell me that much.

I pointed out the signs for plants, animals and geological formations as a distraction. When we saw the sign for poison ivy, everyone nodded in the respectful fear only known by those with intimate experience. The sun beat on our bare necks and arms as we travelled back and forth across the paths over the enticing yet forbidden water.

We walked slowly, separating into small groups. Rachel stayed with me. The rest divided by gender. It was a quiet path disrupted only by the friendly babbling of the Springs and the occasional rustle of something hidden the brush.

“Bryce! Over here!” Parker stepped onto a rock urging his four-year-old brother to do the same. He looked at me with an unapologetic smile. “I’m not actually in the water,” he said. He shuffled his feet, splashing the water that ran around the rock. Bryce did not hesitate to follow him to the rocks, not caring a bit about getting his feet wet. As is true with children and with spoonfuls of ice cream, where one dares to tread, the rest are sure to follow. I let them frolic along the bank and mostly on the rocks. I made sure to pull them out before they were ready to leave though, to maintain my meanest-mom-on-the-block title.

We made it back to the pavilion early and waited for the ranger. The smell of the microwave popcorn snack I brought clashed with the pine scented trees. We sat in silence, jaws working over half-popped kernels. The peaceful walk around the Springs quickly dissipated as I considered the ominous drive before us.

“Maybe we should say a prayer,” Camille said.

“I already did,” said Parker, “twice.”

“I just want to look at something before we leave,” Sydney said and walked back down the path, her arms folded.

“We’re going to be just fine,” I said and forced the most comforting mommy smile I could pull out of the pit in my stomach.

When the ranger pulled out of the parking lot, we were in close pursuit. Each hill we climbed toward the summit seemed to suck gas like a wasted addict taking his last drag on an old cigarette. I pleaded to heaven for forgiveness. If I get out of this canyon, I will always check my gas tank before a trip. I will never yell at my innocent, patient, sweet little angels again. I will read scriptures every day and dedicate my life to good deeds forever. I will stop sneaking the kids’ candy from their hiding spots in their bedrooms. I promise, whatever it takes. Crossing over the summit, I put the car in neutral and started to coast where I could. I didn’t know if that even made a difference and I didn’t care.

Not daring to touch the gas and barely touching the brakes we finally birthed out of the mouth of the canyon like a bat out of hell, the ranger’s car always one car length in front. At this point, the car was practically floating on faith. From the backseat Bryce chanted, “I love Jesus, I love Jesus.”

 The children erupted in cheers as we pulled in next to the gas pump. The ranger, who parked at the pump in front of us, walked back, smiling at the raucous celebratory noise.

“I don’t know how but you made it,” she said.

“I’m pretty much awesome all the time. I’m cool like that,” I bragged.