Principles Week 12 - Final Week

Principle 1: Matthew 27:43 - If I trust in God, then he will deliver me from any trials and tribulations I am having if it is in His will.

Principle 2: Luke 23: 34 - Because Christ suffered for all of us, He told his Father to forgive those that crucified Him because "they know not what they do", beginning the Atonement and the everlasting forgiveness we receieve.

Principle 3: John 19:4 - If I live my life like Christ and emulate him, then I will have no faults. This can only happen AFTER we live on this earth where the temptations to sin are, not in the Celestial Kingdom.

Week 11: The Savior's instructions about the Holy Ghost

Choice 2: John 14:15–17, 26–27; 15:26–27; 16:7–8, 13–14. The Savior’s Instructions about the Holy Ghost

1. As you study the following verses, make a list of what the Savior taught about (1) what the Holy Ghost does and (2) what disciples must do to receive the Holy Ghost:
• John 14:15–17 - 1. abides with you forever, comforts you, testifies of truth
• John 14:26–27 - 1. teach you all things, make you remember the teachings of the Lord, gives you peace
• John 15:26–27 - 1. testify and bear witness of the Lord and Christ
• John 16:7–8 - 1. the Holy Ghost is a comforter when Christ is not with you
• John 16:13–14 - 1. guide you to truth, show you things to come, glorify Christ
•  2. Keep the commandments, follow Christ, love God, be receptive to the Holy Ghost
2. Review your list of what the Holy Ghost does. Then write responses to the following tasks:

• Describe how the Holy Ghost helped the Apostles fulfill their missions after the Savior’s death and resurrection. Even though the Savior was "gone" off this earth for a small time after his death, the Holy Ghost came in and comforted them and made them feel as if the Savior was there with them. I believe that is what the Holy Ghost is...not a "step in" as the Savior, but in order to feel the Savior's full love, the Holy Ghost prepares us for that by giving us the love we need before hand. I think that since the Apostles knew exactly who the Savior was, they were sad about what happened...thus...they needed to be guided to the truth as well as be comforted in their time of need. That made them more efficient and able to fulfill their missions here on this earth.
• Write a paragraph about a time when the Holy Ghost blessed you in one of the ways you listed above. Give an example of how the Holy Ghost has inspired you. It is so hard to choose just one incident where the Holy Ghost has bore witness to me and was a comforter. I think that the most prominent one that sticks out in my mind is just recently when my great grandmother passed away. I am living here in Maryland as a nanny and will be here for a couple more weeks and she passed away the week before Thanksgiving....I was SOOO close to coming home for Christmas break...but she didn't make it. She was very old...but it wasn't expected for her to die in a matter of a few days. She was a strong lady with a heart as big as this world. She wasn't afraid of dying, as so she mentioned to us great grandkids all the time, and also told us about how she wanted her funeral...as a PARTY! She was a wonderful woman and such a great example of a Latter Day Saint. Anyway, my family is all in Idaho, so when she passed...I was more than 2000 miles away and had no family around me to talk to or hug or cry with. I felt as if no one knew what was going on in my life...until just the smallest thing would make me cry. I prayed of having comfort since I was not surrounded by my family, and my prayer was answered. The love that a certain family showed me was more than enough!! They were there for me when I needed to talk, cry, or laugh. I don't want to say I wasn't sad about the passing of my grandmother, but I knew the plan of salvation and I knew I would see her again. I was just worried about myself and how I would handle this situation not being around those whom I loved. It sounds selfish but I don't think it was. I just needed the comfort then, prayed for it, and then felt it.

Principles Week 11

Principle 1: Matthew 26:41 - If I am watchful, prayerful, and follow the Spirit, then I can be free of temptations.

Principle 2: Mark 14:36 - If I ask the Lord, with a sincere heart, for help to get through a trial, then He will make it possible for me. 

Principle 3: John 17: 3 - If I follow Jesus Christ and believe that the Lord is the one and only true God, then I may gain eternal life.

Week 10: A New Commandment

1. According to John 13:34–35, how can others know if we are disciples of Jesus Christ? This was actually one of the principles that I had picked out for this week. I believe that people will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ if we love them and serve them to the best of our ability...even those people that we are not very fond of...serve and love them like Christ does and we will then be emulated with the light Christ spoke of in Matthew 5.
2. List some specific ways a disciple of Jesus Christ might respond in the following situations (in accordance with John 13:34–35):
• Someone you know is ridiculed or made fun of because of the way he or she dresses. To be honest, this is dependent upon what outfit the person is wearing to decide how I would act. If a person is being made fun of for dressing modestly and the clothes are just "ugly"...they I would tell the others to stop making fun of the person and to take them under our wing and help them be more accepted into our group of friends or school or where ever this was taking place. I then would offer the person to go on a "shopping" trip to either the mall or sometimes the DI/Goodwill has some nice things! I would also have a girls night (if the person they were making fun of was a girl) to do make up, hair, manicures/pedicures, stuff like that to show the person in an indirect way how to become more socially acceptable. NOW, if the person was wearing immodest clothing and people were making fun of them, I would join in! NAHHHH Just kidding. I would probably be the one to pull the person aside and tell them exactly why they are being made fun of. That is just how my personality is....I am honest with others. I want them to feel accepted but to let them know that it is not appropriate to be wearing that kind of attire. And even offer what clothing I have if that is the ONLY thing that they are able to wear.
• You see a new person at church. I have been this person before and now I know how to act to make someone feel more acceptable when being the "new" person at church. I felt so loved and accepted when members would actually take the time to get to know me instead of just introducing themselves and then walking away. Some of the families in my ward offered to have me over for meals and family home evenings and they do not even know how GRATEFUL I am for what they did. Since moving to Maryland, I had not known a single soul...until I went to church and I felt loved and just at home!! So I do what those kind members did for me when I see new people at church.
3. Ponder the question, “Do people know that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ by the way I treat them?” Select a family member, coworker, or neighbor and make a short list of things you can do during the coming week to show him or her the kind of love the Savior would show. Then follow through with what you wrote down. I am selecting a woman who has shown me the love of the Savior in my life! She has been so accepting of me into their family and I have been SO thankful for that. This week I will be spending a lot of time at her house with her family because they invited me over for Thanksgiving. Some things I could do for her is: 

*Offer to help pick up the house before guests arrive for Thanksgiving Dinner

*Offer my two hands for helping prepare the meal

*Do the dishes

*Say "Thank you"

*Give her a hug

*Leave her a note expressing how thankful I really am for her

*Compliment her and let her know how much I appreciate her cooking skills

Principles Week 10

Principle #1: Matthew 25:21 - If I am a good and faithful servant, then I can be made a ruler someday and live in the Lord's joy.

Principle #2: Luke 22:18-19 - If I partake of the sacrament and remember Christ, then I will gain a greater testimony of Him, that his body and blood were shed for me and save me from the sins that I have committed.

Principle #3: John 13:34-35 - If I love one another like Christ loves me, then I will become one of disciples.

Happy Thanksgiving this week!!!!!!

Week 9: Preparing for the Savior's Second Coming

1. Review Mark 13:5, 9, 23, 33, 35, 37 and identify the words take heed and watch in each verse. List at least three things from this chapter that believers could watch for in order to be prepared to meet the Lord.  1. Deceivers that claim to be Christ. 2. There will be no light. 3. Always be prepared because we don't know when He is going to come.

2. Explain in writing any other additional truths that are taught in the following references about how to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
• Doctrine and Covenants 87:8 - Stand in holy places
• Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:32 - The world will turn into a destructive place
• Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37 - The angels will come before Jesus and they will gather all the elect
• Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:46–50 - Be ready, faithful, wise for the coming of the Lord and we will be blessed and become a ruler.
• Doctrine and Covenants 33:17 - Be prepared always because we don't know when He is coming
• Doctrine and Covenants 45:56–57 - Let the Holy Spirit guide you

Principles Week 9

Principle #1: Matthew 23:11-12 - If I show true humility, then I will be exalted.

Principle #2: Mark 13:13 - If I endure to the end, then I will be saved in the last days. 

Principle #3: Luke 21:36 - If I watch and pray always to the Lord, then I will be able to escape from temptation.