ELDERS QUORUM LESSON – 22 May 2022
Brothers AND Sisters,
This week’s
Elder’s Quorum lesson will be based on the same lesson topic that will be
taught in Relief Society – Elder Adrian Ochoa’s talk from the last General
Conference – “Is the Plan Working?”.
Our Elder’s
Quorum instructor will be Mark Gerber. The Relief Society lesson will be
taught by Andrea Pyle.
A reminder again about our
next Ward Temple Night on Wednesday, May 25th at 7pm in the IF
Temple. The 7pm Session is full now, however, we do have some slots available
for those that would like to take them. Please contact Bro. Randy Berkheimer to
get your name on the list.
Going forward, we will try
and have a Ward Temple Night every month on the 4th Wednesday of
each month – at 7pm. For the near term we will attend the IF Temple until the
Rexburg Temple is available in July.
Our June Temple night will
be June 22nd. It is now possible to go online and make reservations
for the 7pm Endowment Session. Hurry – they go fast!
Here is Elder Ochoa’s talk.
Is thePlan Working?
I testify that the plan of happiness
works. It was created by your Heavenly Father, who loves you.
Is the plan working?
Recently I had a
conversation with a young adult who served a mission several years ago and was
now involved in his professional work. In some ways, his life was going well.
But his faith was in decline. He was sinking into a sea of doubt about the
Savior and His Church. He explained that he wasn’t receiving the blessings he
expected from the restored gospel. He didn’t feel that the plan of happiness
was working in his life.
My message today is for all those
who might have similar feelings. I speak to those who at one time “felt to sing
the song of redeeming love” but do not “feel so now.”
Our Heavenly Father has
prepared a wonderful plan for our eternal happiness. But when life does not
unfold the way we hoped, it might seem that the plan is not working.
Perhaps we feel the way Jesus’s
disciples felt when they were in a ship “in the midst of the sea, tossed with
waves: for the wind was contrary.”
Then, very early in the
morning:
“Jesus went unto them,
walking on the sea.
“And when the disciples
saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, … and they cried out for fear.
“But straightway Jesus
spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
“And Peter answered him
and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
“And he said, Come. And
when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to
Jesus.
“But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, … Lord, save me.
“And immediately Jesus stretched
forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith,
wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Could I share with you
three principles I learn from Peter? I pray that these principles might help
anyone who feels that the plan of happiness isn’t working in their lives.
First, act in faith in Jesus
Christ.
I am in awe of Peter’s faith. At
Jesus’s simple invitation to “come,” he left his storm-tossed ship. He seemed
to know that if Jesus Christ invited him to do something, he could do
it. Peter trusted the Savior more than he trusted his boat. And that faith
gave him power to act with courage during a stressful, frightening situation.
Peter’s faith reminds me
of an experience that I heard from Elder José L. Alonso. Shortly after
Elder Alonso’s son passed away, leaving a family with young children, Elder
Alonso overheard the children talking.
“What are we going to do?”
they asked.
A nine-year-old daughter
answered, “Daddy is OK. He is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Like Peter, this little
girl saw beyond her challenges and trusted in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Faith in the Savior brings peace and the strength to move forward.
If you look back on your life, I
believe you will see that you have exercised faith many times. Joining the
Church is an act of faith. Speaking with Heavenly Father in prayer is an act of
faith. Reading the scriptures is an act of faith. Listening to my message in
this general conference is an act of faith. As President Russell M. Nelson
has said, “Do not minimize the faith you already have.”
Another lesson I learn
from Peter is this:
In times of trouble, turn to
Jesus Christ right away.
As he walked toward the
Savior, Peter was frightened by the wind and began to sink. But when Peter
realized what was happening, he did not try to tread water on his own or swim
back to the ship. Rather than let go of his faith in Christ, he held on more
tightly, crying, “Lord, save me.”
“And immediately Jesus stretched
forth his hand, and caught him.”
All of us face boisterous winds
that can shake our faith and cause us to sink. When this happens, please
remember that Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness has another name—the plan of
redemption. The plan was not for us to glide easily through life, never
stumbling, never sinking, with a smile always on our face. Heavenly Father knew
that we would need to be redeemed. This is why He prepared the plan of
redemption. This is why He sent a Redeemer.
When we struggle—for any
reason—that does not mean the plan isn’t working. That is when we need the plan
the most!
In those moments, follow
the example of Peter. Turn to the Savior right away.
“Now is the time and the day of
your salvation. … Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.”
No matter where we are and
where we have been, repentance is the way forward. President Nelson has taught:
“Nothing is more
liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than
is a regular, daily focus on repentance. …
“Whether you are diligently moving
along the covenant path, have slipped or stepped from the covenant path, or
can’t even see the path from where you are now, I plead with you to repent.
Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a
little better each day.”
Coming unto Christ means
more than just thinking about Him or talking about Him or even loving Him. It
means following Him. It means living the way He teaches us to live. And for all
of us, that means repenting, without delay.
One of my daughters used
to work at the missionary training center. She told me of an elder she taught
who confided in her that he wasn’t sure the Book of Mormon was true. He had
prayed and prayed for a spiritual witness, but he received no answer.
My daughter prayed to know
what she should do to help this missionary. The impression she received was
that the scriptures were not given only so we can read them and obtain a
testimony; they were given also to teach us to keep the commandments of God. My
daughter shared this thought with the missionary.
Later, she saw this missionary
again, looking much happier. He told her that he had finally received a
testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. He knew that this witness came
because he was making a greater effort to do what
the Book of Mormon teaches.
Let us follow Peter’s
example of turning to the Savior during times of trouble. Follow Jesus Christ
instead of relying on your own wisdom and strength. No matter how long you’ve
been trying to tread water without Him, it’s never too late to reach out to
Him. The plan works!
A third principle I learn
from Peter and his experience is this:
Humble yourself before the
Lord, and He will lift you up to greater things.
Peter had shown faith, both in
walking on the water and in reaching out to the Savior when he needed help.
Even so, the Savior saw in Peter the potential for so much more. “O thou of
little faith,” He said, “wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Peter could have resented
this rebuke. But he accepted it humbly. He continued to seek greater faith in
Jesus Christ. Through many additional faith-building experiences—some of them
very, very difficult—Peter eventually became the rock-solid leader the Lord
needed him to be. He accomplished great things in the Lord’s service.
What great things does the
Lord want you to accomplish? In His Church and kingdom, there are many
opportunities to serve and minister to others as the Savior did. He wants you
to be part of His great work. Never will the plan of happiness become more real
to you than when you are helping others to live it.
In building my own faith, these
words of Alma were life-changing: “Blessed are they who humble themselves
without being compelled to be humble.” Let us humbly put ourselves in a
position where Jesus can lift us, lead us, and make the most of our abilities.
I testify that the plan of
happiness works. It was created by your Heavenly Father, who loves you. It
works because Jesus Christ overcame sin and death through His Atonement. Come
unto Him, follow Him, and “immediately shall the great plan of redemption be
brought about unto you.”
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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