Sister Joy first talked about how Elder Oaks told in his talk that we should make sure that we get our information from verified sources in this day and age and not just take everything that we are given information wise as the truth. We are surrounded by so much false information and half-truths, as well as those things that are true. So we need to be sure.
She then wanted to focus on the truths that we have been given in regards to the Plan of Salvation. She had a board set up and I didn't get a picture of the board without her notes on it, but I think you will get the picture.
As she put up the truths that she talked about and noted she wanted the sisters to think about what we had been taught from the time we were little up until now.
She talked about how there are so many people in the world that are not members of the Church and they haven't had the opportunity to learn and understand the Plan of Salvation and the basic truths that let us know why we are here and what we need to be doing.
These are some of the things that Elder Oaks talked about:
- That there is a God and He is the loving father of our Spirits.
- It is important to understand that gender is eternal. We lived as male and female spirits in the presence of God.
- God created this earth where his spirit children would receive physical bodies and have the opportunity for eternal progression.
- We need to be able to make meaningful choices between good and evil. Satan was allowed to tempt Heavenly Father's children.
- Mortal experiences will allow us to choose eternal life.
- We will be soiled by sin as we yield to temptations of Satan.
- We trusted the plan. A Savior would come and rescue us from sin.
- We trusted the plan that God would provide a Savior to rescue us from death.
- The plan has conditions: Faith in Christ, Repentance, Baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Ordinances performed by priesthood authorities.
- Through the atonement we can be transformed into new creatures in Christ.
- God's plan is the perfect balance between eternal justice and mercy.
- Gender is an essential characteristic of individual pre-mortal, mortal and eternal identity. She said that Elder Oaks must have really wanted to make this point because he talked about it a couple of times in his talk. Gender is so important to Heavenly Father's plan.
- We will eventually die.
- There will be post-mortal growth in the Spirit world for us. There will be a lot of growth there for those who have accepted His plan.
- All of God's children will have the opportunity to hear and accept the plan. Proxy work will be done for them.
- Those few who deliberately become son's of perdition have no kingdom of glory.
- For those that do not desire or qualify for exaltation, he has provided the lesser kingdoms of glory.
- The mission of the restored church of Jesus Christ is to help God's children achieve exaltation in the Celestial kingdom.
She then asked any of the sisters to share an opportunity that perhaps they have had to understand and know this plan.
Sister Bonnie Clark thanked Sister Joy for giving this lesson. Sister Clark told of how her daughter isn't a member of the church, but that through this lesson she has been given hope after this life. It gives her knowledge that even in the spirit world there will be more knowledge than what we have here to help us become who we are.
She also said she loves how in the temple there is no question we are male and female.
Sister Joy said she appreciated how Elder Oaks talk helps us decipher through all of the things that are going on in our world and all of the false information and we are able to know and understand God's plan. In essence, Elder Oaks said, now that you understand the plan, now you can understand why we believe how we believe and why we need to stay strong in the values that we believe.
Elder Oaks talked about five things that she wanted us to break into groups to discuss. These are points that she wanted to discuss. She said some of the questions don't apply to everyone but it gives us a way to talk about those things that are important.
Group One: Individual Agency ~ We honor individual agency. The questions were: Why is this principle important to us?
It was brought out that we need this to prove ourselves. In their group they talked about how Alma and Amulek were burdened to watch others being persecuted and killed and Amulek asked, why cannot we stop this from happening? Alma said, They needed to be able to choose so that their judgment was just. What came to those that were persecuting the righteous was just.
We want our judgment to be just in getting to the Celestial kingdom and that we are worthy to be there. God knows whether we're worthy to be there right now, but we need to prove to ourselves if we are worthy or not.
How can we defend this eternal truth? We want to see everyone as a child of God. Let everyone learn and grow so that they can use the atonement themselves and by example.
What attacks does Satan use to lessen the importance of this eternal truth? The evil of social media. Pressure that people have to go certain places and be accepted by others. And just what Vaughn Hess talked about in sacrament - not hunting on Sunday and making decisions ahead of time such as dressing modestly. As youth being married in the temple. Making decisions ahead of time can really help us. But Satan comes out in criticism against truth and honor and he likes to lead us by little steps so we need to aware of those little temptations.
To help someone, we need to keep the commandments. We need to keep our covenants and know his plan for us so that we can be close and lead by the Spirit.
Group Two: Mortal life is sacred. Mortal life is sacred to us. Our commitment to God's plan requires us to oppose abortion and euthanasia.
Why is this eternal principal important to God's plan? Life is sacred to our Heavenly Father. He is the one that gives life to us and no one but him should be able to take that away. We do not have the right to do this.
How can we defend this eternal truth? This group talked about how we need to express our views to others lovingly and now with anger and spite. And pray for those that are making the laws and decisions that will effect this.
How can we promote this eternal truth? Again, pray for those who do not have our understanding. Try to help them understand our stance and try to understand why they are doing what they are doing. We always need to pray.
What attacks does Satan use to lessen this important eternal truth? We talked about how in the media they really stress how important animals are and how we need to protect them. But so many are so willing to kill these innocent children. Animals have more rights that these tiny children. Sister Coombs talked about how Satan it like a cornered animal. He is desperate. He is stirring the pot as fast and as hard as he can to cause problems that go against Heavenly Father's plan. This is one way he is doing that.
We then talked about euthanasia. Sister Pinborough talked about her father and how he had a brain tumor. He suffered, but Kathy was able to enjoy what time she had with him. To her he was a hero. And even though there are those that we love that are so ill, it is sometimes about what we need to learn. They have often learned all they need to, but those of us that will remain here sometimes need to learn other truths from them. It isn't our job to take their lives.
This group like how Elder Oaks said, "We are going forward despite the opposition" and also how he cheered us on to "Keep on the covenant path."
Group Three: Missionaries. We are a missionary people. We are sometimes asked why we send missionaries to so many nations even amongst christian populations. We receive the same question about why we give many millions of dollars of humanitarian aide to persons who are not members of our church and why we do not link this aide to our missionary service. We do this because we esteem all mortals as children of God our brothers and sisters and want to share our Spiritual and temporal abundance to everyone.
Why is this eternal principal important to God's plan? They talked about how we are all brothers and sisters and that is basically what we should all be doing, helping on this earth, even those that aren't members of the church. And helping those that are struggling in other areas of the world.
How can we defend this eternal truth and how can we promote this eternal truth? They talked about how most people are grateful for humanitarian service, but that some people are more than happy to complain about missionaries at their doors. We want to be able to find those that are interested and are seeking the truth of the Gospel.
What attacks does Satan use to lessen the importance of this eternal truth as part of God's plan? They talked about how the world really emphasizes selfishness. How it is all about you and it doesn't matter what you do for anyone else as long as you are happy. So missionary work and service is thinking outside of ourselves and doing things for other people.
If we know someone that is struggling with God's plan how can we love and help them and still defend God's truth? It all comes down to being a friend and caring about them and serving them and not have that be determined by someone that is investigating the church. We need to be sincere in our friendships and caring and not base it on church association. We need to include everyone.
Group Four: Children. We have a distinct perspective on Children. We look on the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God's plan and a joyful and sacred duty of those that given the power to participate in it. In our view the ultimate treasures in heaven and on earth are our children and our posterity. Therefore we must teach and contend for principles and practices that provide the best conditions for the development and happiness of children.
Why is this eternal principle important to God's plan? Families are the essential unit in God's plan to help us make it through to the Celestial kingdom and children are essential to this.
How can we defend and promote this eternal truth? We need to stand fast and strong and have a voice. Especially in the political climate that we are living in.
What attacks does Satan use to lessen the importance of this eternal truth as part of God's plan? They talked about how Satan attacks to lessen the importance of children on the earth. The world is now promoting how you shouldn't have very many children or no children and that money is more important. And how children are too expensive and how easy it is to have an abortion. Our world is becoming so selfish and discourages having children. We need to stand strong and have a voice against Satan and against those views that discourage having children. We need to vote for those that help promote our views and our beliefs. The minority is too vocal and we are too non-confrontational. We need to change this.
If we know someone that is struggling with God's plan how can we love and help them and still defend God's truth? We need to love them and be an example. We also talked about voting leaders in the support family values and finally we talked about teaching our families first before the world influences what our children are learning. We also talked about making sure we check our sources on learning. We need to make sure that we are teaching true Gospel principles.
Group Five: Marriage. Some are troubled by some of our churches positions on marriage and children. Our knowledge of God's revealed plan of salvation requires us to oppose current social and legal pressures to retreat from traditional marriage and to make changes that confuse or alter gender or homogenize the differences between men and women. We know that the relationships, identities and functions of men and women are essential to accomplish God's great plan.
Why is this eternal principal essential to God's plan? They discussed how you need both a man and a woman to replenish the earth. We are here to help provide bodies for the Spirits that need to come and return to our Heavenly Father.
How do we defend this eternal truth? By standing up for what we believe and defending it. We can do this without being argumentative and confrontational. We should stand up for our spouse and not dwell on the negative and hard times in marriage. Look for the positive things in marriage.
How do we promote this eternal truth? It starts in the home. Teaching our children and our grandchildren. Teaching others that you may have an influence on.
What attacks does Satan use to lessen the importance of Marriage of God's plan? He really tries to focus on the differences between men and women and that it is hard to get along. Yes there are differences, but not in that way. Sometimes it may feel like the Grand Canyon, but again we need to not dwell on the negative and focus on the positive. Another idea that was given was to compliment your spouse in front of your children so that they can see how much you love and appreciate them as an example. Also you can compliment your spouse in front of peers and those that you do things with so that they also see your commitment and love for your spouse. Stay away from jokes that are demeaning and cut down your spouse.
If we know someone that struggles with God's plan how can we love and help them and still defend truth? Be friends with them, love them. They are people and still need that love and support. Show by example and encourage them to live God's plan.
Sister Joy talked about how ten or fifteen years ago we probably didn't really know what we would be facing today in our world. Somethings we probably wouldn't have dreamed that we would be needing to talk about that we have to talk about. Things are changing so rapidly. It is essential that we need to make those covenants to obey and follow God's plan. This makes it to where all of us are working to make that plan succeed while we are here on earth.
Another thing that Elder Oaks brought out is that "we are beloved children of a Heavenly Father, who has taught us that maleness and femaleness, marriage between a man and a woman, and the bearing and nurturing of children are all essential to His great plan of happiness. Our positions on these fundamentals frequently provoke opposition to the Church. We consider that inevitable. Opposition is part of the plan, and Satan’s most strenuous opposition is directed at whatever is most important to God’s plan. He seeks to destroy God’s work. His prime methods are to discredit the Savior and His divine authority, to erase the effects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, to discourage repentance, to counterfeit revelation, and to contradict individual accountability. He also seeks to confuse gender, to distort marriage, and to discourage childbearing—especially by parents who will raise children in truth."
Then Sister Joy read some quotes that she found in this talk that meant a great deal to her. They are:
Elder Neal A. Maxwell urged, don’t be among those “who would rather try to change the Church than to change themselves.
Elder Holland said, “Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. …
“… In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know.
Exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the first principle of the gospel.
President Nelson said, "Keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.”
Sister Joy then asked if anyone had any further comments.
Sister Alsop said she liked the word homogenize. She said that she thinks we tend to do that with the truth. We tend to think that it is more politically correct to say it is okay, we are just different and that it is fine. We need to have a conscience. If the people around us don't know that there is a real right and a wrong. Sometimes there is a gray area, but everything isn't a gray area. We need to say that that is not truthful if it isn't. It makes you realize and it will stick with you in your old age what is truth. Those things sometimes come from our parents. Make sure that you stand up for the truth.
Sister Joy agreed and said that in a world where we just tend to let things slide and go, we need to stand strong in what we believe.
Sister Joy then bore her testimony that the Plan of Salvation is a blessing for us. That we have all these truths that so many people do not understand and it makes life so confusing for them. We have the to draw on for strength. We have prophets that guide and direct us and that continue to give us revelation while we are living in such a challenging world. She said she hoped that we could all be strong and live God's plan and promote it in our homes and communities.
What a beautiful lesson. Thank you Sister Joy.
