Paul's Cousel to Members

The scriptures we are going to look at this week are:
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13; 4:1-12, 5:1-22
2 Thessalonians 3:1-6,11.

Let's compile a short list of attributes Paul asks of the members:

• Abound in love
• walk and please God
• Know the commandments
• Live the law of Chastity
• Love one another
• Study
• Work
• Be Honest
• Children of Light
• Watch and be sober
• Peace
• Rejoice
• Pray
• Abstain from all appearance of evil

Now that we have a list we need to pick a few that we can work on:

1. Walk and Please God
• Sometimes I find it hard to remember Christ throughout the day, so that is one thing that I will work on is to try and walk and please God all day.
2. Peace
• I need to have a little more peace in my life. I have a very busy schedule, so I need to find time to relax and find some peace.
3. Abstain from all appearance of evil
• I need to be an example in all things and I need to go though and do an inventory on things that may be considered and appearance of evil.

Gospel Principles Chapter 6

"The Fall of Adam and Eve"

The Fall. This one is always a little tricky. There's so many different views on what actually took place and if it was symbolism or not. The way I like to look at it is that this record is an account, or in other words, what actually took place; also that everything can be taken as a symbol--especially for our day. So we can take out of this event is both literally what happened and that there is going to be some application for our day. So back to what happened. In a nutshell, God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and gave them two commandments. One, multiply and replenish the earth aka have kids, and two, don't eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They knew the consequence of eating the fruit and that was if they ate they would die, and be cast out of the garden. One day a serpent, Satan, came and tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit. He told them that if they ate they would "be as gods, knowing good and evil," and that they wouldn't die, which is where the lie came in because God said that they would and he doesn't go against his word. Anyway, they decided to eat of the fruit and they were both cast out. This brought in two types of death, physical and spiritual. Physical is pretty self-explanatory, and spiritual death is the separation of us and God. Many people think that this was a bad thing, that they transgressed the law and partook of the fruit, but like all things great things happen when we make mistakes. And this mistake was needed for all of us to be able to come here to the earth. The prophet Lehi explains in 2 Nephi 2:22-25,
             "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the Garden of Eden. And all thigs which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created. ...
             "And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.
           " But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
       "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."
I love this explanation of why it was necessary for the Fall. So many other great blessings have happened because of this one act. It was truly a great blessing.

Our Words Mean More Than We Think...

They say that "our actions speak louder than words," but sometimes I think that our words are what really mean the most to people. One of my favorite hymns says,

"Let us oft speak kinds words to each other At home or where'er we may be; Like the warblings of birds on the heather, The tones will be welcome and free. They'll gladden the heart that's repining, Give courage and hope from above, And where the dark clouds hide the shining, Let in the bright sunlight of love. Oh, the kinds words we give shall in memory live And sunshine forever impart. Let us oft speak kind words to each other; Kind words are sweet tones of the heart. Like the sunbeams of morn on the mountains, The soul they awake to good cheer; Like the murmur of cool, pleasant fountains, They fall in sweet cadences near. Let's oft, then, in kindly toned voices, Our mutual friendship renew, Till heart meets with heart and rejoices In friendship that ever is true. Oh, the kind words we give shall in memory live And sunshine forever impart. Let us oft speak kind words to each other; Kind words are sweet tones of the heart."

The words we speak greatly influence the way that we can feel of the Spirit of God. It says in the Doctrine and Covenants 52:16, "He that speakth, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and edifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinances." God says that we need to watch out language. It also says in the 10 Commandments, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain....Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neightbour." The Lord gives us direct commandments to watch what we say. It is something that everyone can continue to work on in their lives.