November 30, 2015

December 2015 Visiting Teaching Message

Visiting Teaching Message:

Follow the Light

After Jesus was born, Wise Men brought Him gifts. They followed a new, bright star in the sky to find Him.

Follow the path to get to Jesus. What gifts could you bring Him?

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring divine attributes of the Savior. “In the scriptures, compassion means literally ‘to suffer with.’ It also means to show sympathy, pity, and mercy for another.”¹

“Jesus provided us many examples of compassionate concern,” said PresidentThomas S. Monson. “The crippled man at the pool of Bethesda; the woman taken in adultery; the woman at Jacob’s well; the daughter of Jairus; Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha—each represented a casualty on the Jericho road. Each needed help.

“To the cripple at Bethesda, Jesus said, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ To the sinful woman came the counsel, ‘Go, and sin no more.’ To help her who came to draw water, He provided a well of water ‘springing up into everlasting life.’ To the dead daughter of Jairus came the command, ‘Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.’ To the entombed Lazarus, ‘Come forth.’

“The Savior has always shown unlimited capacity for compassion. … Let us open the door of our hearts, that He—the living example of true compassion—may enter.”²

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 145:8; Zechariah 7:9; 1 Peter 3:8; Mosiah 15:1, 9;3 Nephi 17:5–7

From the Scriptures

“My husband and I knelt by the side of our 17-year-old daughter and pleaded for her life,” said Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency. “The answer was no, but … we have come to know … that … [the Savior] feels compassion for us in our sorrows.”³

“One of my favorite stories from the Savior’s life is the story of Lazarus. The scriptures tell us that ‘Jesus loved Martha, … her sister [Mary], and [their brother] Lazarus.’”⁴ When Lazarus became ill, word was sent to Jesus, but when He arrived Lazarus had already died. Mary ran to Jesus, fell down at His feet, and wept. When Jesus saw Mary weeping, “he groaned in the spirit, and … wept” (John 11:33, 35).

“That is our charge. We must feel and see for ourselves and then help all of Heavenly Father’s children to feel and see and know that our Savior has taken upon Himself not only all our sins but also our pains and our suffering and afflictions so that He can know what we feel and how to comfort us.”⁵

Consider This

Who could be blessed by your compassion?

“A Time of Giving”

cji

12/1/15

Every day and every season

there’s a need for one giving

love, sharing time, and gifts

compassionate service for all

food, clothing, babysitting

cleaning floors – washing dishes

taking time for others in need

thus at Christmas time noticed

more feel to enjoin themselves

being creative in their thinking

maybe once a month to do

some small act of love/service

to last the whole year round

every day and every season!

December 2015 Home Teaching Message

FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Make Time for the Savior

By President Thomas S. Monson

Another Christmas season is upon us and with it the dawning of a new year. It seems as though only yesterday we were celebrating the Savior’s birth and making resolutions.

Among our resolutions for this year, did we resolve to make time in our lives and room in our hearts for the Savior? No matter how successful we may have been thus far with such a resolution, I am confident we all wish to do better. This Christmas season is the perfect time to examine and renew our efforts.

In our busy lives, with ever so many other things competing for our attention, it is essential that we make a conscious, committed effort to bring Christ into our lives and into our homes. And it is vital that we, like the Wise Men from the East, remain fixed upon His star and “come to worship him.”¹

Down through the generations of time, the message from Jesus has been the same. To Peter and Andrew by the shores of Galilee, He said, “Follow me.”² To Philip came the call, “Follow me.”³ To the Levite who sat at receipt of customs came the instruction, “Follow me.”⁴And to you and to me, if we but listen, will come that same beckoning invitation: “Follow me.”⁵

As we follow in His footsteps today and as we emulate His example, we will have opportunities to bless the lives of others. Jesus invites us to give of ourselves: “Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.”⁶

Is there someone for whom you should provide service this Christmas? Is there one who awaits your visit?

Years ago I paid a Christmas call at the home of an elderly widow. While I was there, the doorbell rang. There at the door stood a very busy and prominent physician. He had not been summoned; rather, he had just felt a prompting to pay a visit to a patient who was lonely.

During this season, the hearts of those who are confined reach out and yearn for a Christmas visit. One Christmas while visiting a care center, I sat and talked with five elderly ladies, the oldest of whom was 101. She was blind, yet she recognized my voice.

“Bishop, you are a little late this year!” she said. “I thought you would never come.”

We had a wonderful time together. One patient, however, looked longingly out the window and repeated over and over, “I know my boy will come to see me today.” I wondered if he would, for there had been other Christmas seasons when he had never called.

There is yet time this year to extend the helping hand, the loving heart, and the willing spirit—in other words, to follow the example set by our Savior and to serve as He would have us serve. As we serve Him, we will not forfeit our opportunity, as did the innkeeper of old,⁷ to make time for Him in our lives and room for Him in our hearts.

Can we comprehend the magnificent promise contained in the message of the angel given to the shepherds abiding in the field: “I bring you good tidings of great joy. … For unto you is born this day … a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”?⁸

As we exchange gifts at Christmas, may we remember, appreciate, and receive that greatest gift of all gifts—the gift of our Savior and Redeemer, that we might have eternal life.

“For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.”⁹

May we follow Him, serve Him, honor Him, and receive in our lives His gifts to us, that we might be, in the words of Father Lehi, “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.”¹⁰

Teaching from This Message

President Monson calls on us to “make a conscious, committed effort to bring Christ into our lives and into our homes.” Consider discussing with those you teach how they can make this conscious effort individually and as a family. You might consider asking them to think of a specific person or family whom they could visit or serve this Christmas. “There is yet time this year to extend the helping hand, the loving heart, and the willing spirit.”

Youth

Ways to Serve at Christmastime

President Monson takes the time to visit the elderly and those in care centers, especially at Christmastime. He noted that there are those who are happy because they’ve received visitors, while others only hope for visitors who never come. There are people waiting for somebody—maybe this Christmas, you can be that somebody.

The following is a list of just a few ways you can help make sure no one feels alone this Christmas. Feel free to think of more ways you can reach out in your community this season. “Is there one who awaits your visit?”

· Make Christmas cards to send to the missionaries and the single and elderly members of your ward or branch.

· Volunteer with a local community organization.

· Give copies of the Book of Mormon as Christmas gifts to your friends and neighbors.

· Visit elderly people in your ward or family.

· Make treats to deliver to your neighbors.

For more ideas on how you can serve in your community, go to lds.org/topics/humanitarian-service/help.

Children

“Making Time”

cji

12/1/15

Making time for others

especially the Savior

for He gave his all

that each of us might

have eternal life as one

enjoining our families

while his sacrifice infinite

ours requires obedience

what betting time of year

to recommit to our Father

our love, time, even our all

in his service our all

doing his will not ours

until they become one!

November 29, 2015

"Conclusions"

“Conclusions”

cji

11/30/15

Skipping to the end of time

what matters most of all

obedience, love of God

works of good and virtue

avoiding all evil at all times

seeking out service sacred

remembering who we are

why we were sent here

passing mortal probations

conclusions easy to discern

what matters most of all

skipping to the end of time!

13 ¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

November 28, 2015

"Watching Over"

“Watching Over”

cji

11/29/15

Sometimes we feel all alone

yet never such is the case

all of Father’s creatures see

watching over this earth

theirs and ours to share

while sometimes forgetting

we’re never here so alone

as to not have another near

thus on this Sabbath Day

remember always someone

animal, person or angel

is watching over us all

reporting back to our Father

our actions good or bad

justice will not be mocked

while mercy will be served

such is always the case

never for us to feel alone!

November 27, 2015

"In Need of Goads"

“In Need of Goads”

cji

11/28/15

Once they used cattle prods

but now political correctness

forbidding use of forcefulness

we may go back to the goads

only with questions/answers

allowing those in need willing

pushing and pulling themselves

for the guilt of evil and envy

despising and ridiculing all

seemingly comes around

but we wait in obedience

bearing no ill will at any

knowing to judge is wrong

however knowing in the end

they’ll wish it were cattle prods!

November 26, 2015

"Left Off" (message on gator)

“Left Off”

cji

11/26/15

The train has left the station

ships have all gone to sea

planes are grounded by fog

much confusion all around

many complaining of tickets

as now most are no longer

too late to find out left off

going to the wrong counters

paying good money for what

a big home for some and more

yet lessons only to justify

mixing rhetoric with philosophy

very little to do with literal truth

thus standing on the dock

the platform overflowing too

too many looking lost away

having been tricked by wiles

bitten into the wrong fruit

the fog engulfing all in awe

no ships to see to board

and trains left the stations!

November 25, 2015

"No Longer Needed"

“No Longer Needed”

cji

11/26/15

Process of elimination

never ending in war

using then abusing

allies then enemies

no longer needed

msm unable to learn

bleeding liberals too

being used for power

slavery alive and well

just different names

places even masters

when not needed

first to be eliminated!

"Beyond Counting Skills"

“Beyond Counting Skills”

cji

11/26/15

How often the deceivers

lose count of their lies

misplacing any reason

glorying in their frauds

beyond counting skills

media and politicians

working hand in hand

creating diversions awe

casting shadows confused

taking awe to new levels

the unbelievable sane

having lost their real

leading other to the same

the deceivers pro-create!

"Giving"

“Giving”

cji

11/26/15

Forgotten such a word

replaced by just taking

pushing aside traditions

while some will observe

most ridicule and laugh

history forgotten useless

there is no past learning

everything is just today

giving a sense of zero

meaningless life’s lived

yet some do remember

yet some still do pray

and yes some give

sharing and caring

loving and obedient

many rushing thoughts

unable to release

incapable to reach

those who need much

common sense/reason

replaced by just taking

all else is forgotten!