Praying to recognize those in need

"Before attending her sacrament meetings, Sister Bednar frequently prays for the spiritual eyes to see those who have a need. Often as she observes the brothers and sisters and children in the congregation, she will feel a spiritual nudge to visit with or make a phone call to a particular person. And when Sister Bednar receives such an impression, she promptly responds and obeys. It often is the case that as soon as the “amen” is spoken in the benediction, she will talk with a teenager or hug a sister or, upon returning home, immediately pick up the phone and make a call. As long as I have known Sister Bednar, people have marveled at her capacity to discern and respond to their needs. Often they will ask her, “How did you know?” The spiritual gift of being quick to observe has enabled her to see and to act promptly and has been a great blessing in the lives of many people."

Elder David A. Bednar, "Quick to Observe", December Ensign, 2006

Watching with All Perserverance

The premise of Elder Bednar's talk is profound-- that our childrens' responses to our gospel discussions, scripture study, & testimony bearing are an indicator of their spiritual condition, and serve as early warning signals.

Here are my favorite tidbits:

• "And the questions a child asks, the observations a child shares, and the discussions that occur provide crucial spiritual early warning signals. Importantly, such conversations can help parents to discern what their children are learning, thinking, and feeling about the truths contained in this sacred volume of scripture, as well as the difficulties they may be facing." Ah, there is a spiritual-ometer for our kids.
• ". . .discussions about the doctrines and principles in the Book of Mormon provide opportunities for parents to observe their children, to listen to them, to learn from them, and to teach them." I like the concept that parents can learn from the children.
• "Children may not understand all of the words and stories, but they certainly can feel the “familiar spirit” described by Isaiah" Love this. My kids don't understand most of what we read, but they love scripture study time because it's family time & they feel the spirit (okay, not every time, it's true). Family scripture study blesses my family.
  
• "Parents should be vigilant and spiritually attentive to spontaneously occurring opportunities to bear testimony to their children. Such occasions need not be programmed, scheduled, or scripted. In fact, the less regimented such testimony sharing is, the greater the likelihood for edification and lasting impact. “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man” (D&C 84:85)." I'm trying to get better at these everyday teaching & testifying moments.
• ". . .the best family home evenings are not necessarily the product of pre-prepared, purchased, or downloaded packets of outlines and visual aids." Simplify, simplify, simplify. The magic of family home evening is in the heart to heart teaching discussions, not elaborate preparations.
• "Are you and I helping our children become agents who act and seek learning by study and by faith, or have we trained our children to wait to be taught and acted upon?" Probably the latter. Glad to see where to focus.
• "The spiritual discernment and inspiration you will receive from the combination of these three holy habits will enable you to stand as watchmen on the tower for your families—“watching . . . with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18)—to the blessing of your immediate family and your future posterity." It was so clear to me as I read this, that it's not just about our immediate families. We are indeed leaving a legacy for generations and generations that will follow. Do we underestimate our circle of influence?

Up next: Our Duty to God: The Mission of Parents and Leaders to the Rising Generation by Elder Robert D. Hales

More Diligent and Concerned at Home

I love listening to Elder Bednar. He speaks so that he cannot be misunderstood. I love this quote from his talk: "As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better." Did you notice that he repeated himself?

To me, quotes like this sum up the purpose of life so well. It reminds me of one of my all time favorite conference talks, Elder Oaks' talk, The Challenge to Become. In it, Elder Oaks teaches, "In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.", Then after referencing some scriptures about the final judgement he says, "From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."

I like the concept that it's not what we do, how efficiently we do it, or how grand our acts are that really matter, it's what happens to our hearts in the process. I'm not expected to be more or do more than the Lord knows I am capable of; to run faster than I have strength. I am expected to let the things I do every day gradually and consistently change my nature until the Lord helps me achieve a celestial condition.

My thoughts on Elder Bednar's 3 points:

1. Expressing and Showing Love- One of my family members pointed out recently that I wasn't expressing love often enough. I was genuinely surprised; I hadn't even realized. In contrast, I felt like that family member expressed love sometimes without showing it. Both require an constant and consistent effort.

2. Bearing Testimony & Living It- I feel like I live true to my testimony, but I don't adequately verbalize my testimony to my family. To be honest, I'm not sure how to tie brief and frequent testimony moments into family life. I'm going to ponder this more.

3. Be Consistent- This section made me feel like I'm doing something right. Although our Family Home Evening, Family Scripture Study, & Family Prayer are often lacking in quality, we are consistent at doing them. Elder Bednar's talk made me feel like that consistency may do more good than I know. He said, "The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson-- a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time." and ". . .our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. 'Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.' (D&C 64:33) A consistent childhood is the foundation of a great life, isn't it?

And for final encouragement, "[Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son] love us and know our circumstances, and They will help us to become more diligent and concerned at home."

Up next: Stewardship a Sacred Trust by Elder Quentin L Cook