A Chance to Feel the Spirit...

Thursday evening Claude and I were invited to participate in special training focusing on Counseling in Councils. The leaders for the training were Elder Robert Hymas and Elder Erick Kopischke.

Elder Hymas was our Stake President and I served as Stake Relief Society President under his direction. I have a huge amount of respect for Elder Hymas who was called to serve as a Seventy in the Church after his release as a Stake President.

Claude is a High Councilor and my calling is Primary President.  Each of the callings to serve in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives us an opportunity to sit on the Ward (local congregation) or Stake Council. In these councils we have an opportunity to look at the needs of the members in our congregations of groups of congregations and detemine how best to serve and meet these needs. This training was to help us fill these rolls better.

Claude and I both found this particular training to be especially helpful, direct and worthy of every second we attended. It is always good to come out of a meeting feeling like your time was well spent and you have fuel and desire to continue to serve. This was definitely one of those meetings.

In my haste to be a Gramma during the day Thursday, I forgot to take a little notebook to take notes in Thursday evening. Claude handed me some paper and I took notes. This morning I transcribed those to my laptop for future use and reference. For this Blog entry, I want to share some of the insights that particularly struck me as important to me and my service in Primary.

• You can only teach what you know
• You can only learn what you are ready to receive
• Joseph Smith was always questioning...not doubting...but questioning.

We were asked to think of good questions found in the scriptures. After several were given and we pondered the lessons from these questions, we were asked to spend the rest of our training time this evening asking those 'good' questions we needed answers to as we served in the Church. This was a great springboard and we covered five different questions in the hour we had for training. This made the training personal and what we needed. The answers were given by Elder Kopischke, Elder Hymas and Pres. Woodbury, the Kentucky Louisville Mission president.

Question 1 had reference to how we can each do better:

• Doctrine & Covenants 88:72-73 the Lord states:
  I will take care of your flocks
  I will raise up elders (laborers) and send them
  I will hasten my work in its time
• Doctrine & Covenants 88:74-76 tells how this will be done
  Institutionally by assembling, organizing and preparing
  Personally by sanctifying, purifying our hearts and cleansing our hands

Question 2 had reference to training youth so there was no apathy:

• Elder Kopischke referenced a quote by Elder Russell M. Nelson during a meeting in Amsterdam. Elder Nelson gave a nine item list of things parents should teach their children:
       They are sons and daughters of God
       They should pray morning and evening and more
       An understanding of the Atonement
       About prophets and dispensations
       About angels and heavenly messengers and restoration
       The role of father and mother
       The importance of missionary work
       Payment of tithing and living the Word of Wisdom
       Have a picture of the temple in each child's room
• Elder Kopischke also quoted from an August 4, 2009 broadcast talk to Seminary and Institute teachers by Julie B. Beck who was then the General Relief Society President:
       Motherhood and fatherhood are eternal roles
       Each carries the responsibility for either the male or the female half of the plan
       A man cannot become a 'father of many nations' without being sealed to his wife. Likewise, Abraham could not hold the right belonging to the fathers without a wife who had the right belonging to the mothers.
       The story of Isaac and Rebekah is an example of the man, who has the keys, and the woman, who has the influence, working together to ensure the fulfillment of their blessings.
        A gift is given to women to lead as Christ led.
• Elder Kopischke said it is a simple thing to just 'live the Gospel'.

Question 3 focused on the role of parents and leaders in raising righteous children:

• Quote 1 was from Joseph Smith:  "I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves."
• Quote 2 was from Elder Boyd K. Packer:  "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."

Question 4 focused on missionary work:

• Doctrine & Covenants 88:81  "I will send you out to testify and warn the people" could also be stated as "I will send you out to testify and invite the people"
• The Lord of the harvest is the Savior.

Questions 5 dealt with inspiring us to do better:

• Teach true doctrine and the importance of that doctrine.
• Help them to feel the Holy Ghost.

In his testimony at the end Elder Kopischke stated:  Jesus Christ is the Author (beginner) of our faith and the Finisher of our faith.

It was a wonderful way to end our day. Claude and I are both so grateful we were able to sit and listen and learn from these great men.  We did hear pure, clear, true doctrine.  I left once again feeling so very grateful I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The gospel is such an important part of me and my life.  How grateful I am that my life is directed by these teachings and my belief in them.