Just a thought on Setting and Keeping Goals

Eternal life in the kingdom of our Father is our goal. We should associate with those who, like us, are planning not for temporary convenience, shallow goals, or narrow ambition, but rather for those things that matter most—even eternal objectives. ~ Thomas S. Monson

FHE Lesson setting and keeping goals

This is and can be a discouragement in our lives especially if the goals are set too high or if we don't stay on track. I have found though that by setting goals we can stay on track in our physical and spiritual lives. There are many different ideas to help with our goals. I have found that, as I get a little better with the net, that there are many different places we can look to help us.

readthescriptures.com; This site has been a huge help to me as I try to stay on track with my scripture reading. This is not only a great site for the scriptures but also this site provides reading in the "Preach My Gospel" and other gospel areas. For the youth, there is reading goals for Seminary and the New Era. There is also reading goals for Sunday School, Priesthood, Relief Society, Church Magazines and Scripture Stories.

Another great site is goalforit.com. This site is good for setting and keeping goals in place. Here is a little cut that I just got today from them.

Our Habits & Daily Goals chart makes it simple to establish the positive habits & effective daily goals that bring greater success into everyday life. It's extremely easy to use, fun and it's fully customizable.

Our quick To Do List is the simple way to create and manage all types of lists and daily tasks so you can get organized fast & easy.
Our updated Goal Tracker application makes it even easier to set effective goals and action plans so you can achieve the desired results that make success happen.

Another proven method is to get out the note pad and pen and to set up your goals as you would like to see them.

This article I found on the LDS.org had some very good suggestions also.

M. Russell Ballard, “Go for It!,” New Era, Mar 2004, 4, From an address given to young adults in Salt Lake City on 18 October 1981.

The most important thing is to set your goals and stick with it. The great thing about goals is it's like repentance. If you mess it up, you can start over. There are very few things that make me feel better than to set a goal and accomplish it. Hope this will be a help for the year to come.

FHE SCRIPTURE: GOALS

1 Timothy 6: 12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on ^aeternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast ^bprofessed a good profession before many witnesses.

Scripture

Mathew 1:21-25

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his ^aname ^bJESUS: for he shall ^csave his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 ^aBehold, a ^bvirgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his ^cname ^dEmmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his ^awife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her ^afirstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

WITH US IS GOD

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,

All seated on the ground,

The angel of the Lord came down,

And glory shone around.

"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread

Had seized their troubled mind,

"Glad tidings of great joy I bring

To you and all mankind."

"To you, in David's town this day,

Is born of David's line

The Savior who is Christ the Lord,

And this shall be the sign:

The heavenly Babe you there shall find

To human view displayed,

All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,

And in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith

Appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God and thus

Addressed their joyful song:

"All glory be to God on high

And on the earth be peace,

Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men

Begin and never cease."

-Nahum Tate.

We recognize this time of year as the Christmas Season, and more importantly we praise and thank God our Eternal Father for sending his Son Jesus Christ to redeem mankind. The act of Christ coming to earth and performing the Atonement is known as the Condescension of Jesus Christ. Condescension means, “Voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in relations with an inferior,” and didn’t Christ Voluntarily descend from his throne above to bring us, his family, back to our Heavenly Family above? This was indeed his mission, and as surely as I live and breathe I bear witness that he has provided the way for us to return once again into the presence of our Glorious God.

My intent tonight is to briefly share with you one of the three pillars of the Condescension of Christ our Lord. The three pillars are as listed, the Pre-mortal Christ, the Mortal Christ, and the Post-Mortal Christ. These three each having different objectives continue to hold the same mission goal, that being “the immortality and eternal life of man,” for behold this is God’s work and Glory. You might be thinking because it’s Christmas I will be speaking on the Mortal Christ and focusing on the birth of our Savior but I will not. I would rather take this time to speak shortly on the Pre-Mortal Christ in relation to the prophecies of the Old Testament. Many of us are familiar with the New Testament record of the Birth of Christ but also many of us fail to notice that long before this event Christ’s Mission was unfolded to us. I would like to share a few of these with you tonight. I pray that of what I’m about to share with you will be beneficially rewarding to you spiritually.

As we ponder the story of the birth of Christ it is hard for us to imagine the excitement that was present during such a time. Holy prophets from Adam all the way to the birth of our Savior had testified and taught the principles of the Gospel with the Christ at the head thereof. Although these principles were taught and ordinances practice we must understand that they were done in similitude of Christ, for he hadn’t yet come, so they were done in hope that the Savior would indeed come and he did. Begin to envision how the saints of that time must have felt; The God who has come in the flesh to suffer and die so that we may once again live has come as a child to fulfill the words of the Prophets. What might you have said or thought if you had been a saint awaiting the coming of Jesus the Christ?

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah spoke concerning Jehovah by saying, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots,” What might be the meaning of the “rod” here? Could this mean the rod that was spoken of by the prophet Nephi, meaning the word of God? Or perhaps the rod is the Christ and his solid gospel? Furthermore in Micah 5:2 is states, “whose going forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” We must realize that before we began our Mortal journey we were taught in the pre-existence of what was to come. A fail proof plan was put into motion and as a result we have Adam and Eve created. From Adam and Eve the family of this earth would spring forth. With Adam and Eve, God’s plan was activated with the Fall of Adam and Eve thus resulting in the need for a Savior. And Jesus Christ was fore-ordained to this position, thus becoming our bridge back to our Loving Heavenly Father.

Once Christ, known pre-mortally as Jehovah, was given this responsibility he became the only hope for reconciliation. Again Isaiah speaks Messianically when he refers to Jehovah’s mighty calling, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace…and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom…and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”(Isaiah 9:6-7). Take note to the names of which Jehovah will be named how beautiful and colorful are these descriptions and meanings behind these names. And focus for a moment on the word “zeal,” in this reference. What does that word mean to you? In the topical guide of the LDS Edition of the Standard works it says see also Diligence, Earnest, Fervent, and Initiative. From of what we know and understand about the Christ it is apparent that he displayed all of these terms in his ministry. I would ask you, are you striving to be diligent, earnest, fervent and taking initiative in your life and anxiously engaged in a good cause? Jehovah was taught as to what was going to be asked of him, he very well knew the price at hand.

Lastly I want to share one more scripture about the coming forth of the child Christ. Lets look in Isaiah 7:14-16. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Immanuel is Hebrew for With us is God. Continuing on in verse 15, “Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” The footnote for “butter and honey” is “Curd and honey-the only foods available to the poor at times.” It is interesting to put these together. Jesus is going to be from a poor family and somehow because of that the scripture above says, “that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.” How might being “poor” help us to choose the good? Moving along, verse 16, “For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good…” Look at the footnote for 16a it says, “IE before he is mature.” Jesus is to learn to avoid the evil and choose good before he is mature… what attributes and qualities are need to be present for Jesus and attributes/qualities in his parents Joseph and Mary for Jesus to accomplish this? We can’t forget that because Jesus was fore-ordained to become our savior that he needed not to be taught in the same fashion that we are taught. It is vital that in our youth we are taught the gospel as Jesus was and that we slave every day to acquire Christ-like Attributes and Qualities. We do this so that when like the Savior we are tested, as he was tempted and tested in every fashion so that he can help us, we will choose good and not evil.

The whole reason we celebrate Christmas is to give glory and thanks to our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ for the Atonement. With out his perfect execution of the three pillars of the Condescension of Christ we would not have a hope of further increase and blessings from above. I so testify that Jesus is our Christ and the Christ of everyone you will ever meet. It is my hope that you will take what you have learned from this discussion and know that there is Hope in all things found worthy before God. This is to be on optimistic Gospel, with the knowledge and understanding of our Pre-Mortal, Mortal, and Post-Mortal Christ we can and will acquire an eye single to the glory of God. Let us this Christmas Season funnel our focus on the Three Pillars of the Condescension of Christ and recommit ourselves to live a Life of humility, diligence, ever learning, and a life of acting with the love of God in our Hearts and Minds. And to accomplish that we must first be living and applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ daily!

In closing I would like to recite the 113^th chapter of Psalms to you,

PRAISE YE THE LORD. PRAISE, O YE SERVANTS OF THE LORD, PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD FROM THIS TIME FORTH AND FOR EVERMORE.

FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN UNTO THE GOING DOWN OF THE SAME THE LORD’S NAME IS TO BE PRAISED.

THE LORD IS HIGH ABOVE ALL NATIONS, AND HIS GLORY ABOVE THE HEAVENS.

WHO IS LIKE UNTO THE LORD OUR GOD, WHO DWELLETH ON HIGH,

WHO HUMBLETH HIMSELF TO BEHOLD THE THINGS THAT ARE IN HEAVEN, AND IN THE EARTH!

HE RAISETH UP THE POOR OUT OF THE DUST, AND LIFTETH THE NEEDY OUT OF THE DUNGHILL;

THAT HE MAY SET HIM WITH PRINCES, EVEN WITH THE PRINCES OF HIS PROPLE.

HE MAKETH THE BARREN WOMAN TO KEEP HOUSE, AND TO BE A JOYFUL MOTHER OF CHILDREN. PRAISE YE THE LORD.

I bear you my witness that I know that of which I have spoken tonight is true, I Know my Father and My Savior live and continue to lead this great work. I know that Jesus is my Christ and your Christ. Amen.

Thought

"This is a glorious time of the year, simple in origin, deep in meaning, beautiful in tradition and custom, rich in memories, and charitable in spirit. It has an attraction to which our hearts are readily drawn. This joyful season brings to each of us a measure of happiness that corresponds to the degree in which we have turned our mind, feelings, and actions to the spirit of Christmas."

Thomas S. Monson, "What Is Christmas?" Ensign, Dec. 1998, 2

Moral Discipline

"Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service (see Mark 10:42–45)."

D. Todd Christofferson, "Moral Discipline," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 105

Guided by the Holy Ghost

"What can you do to enhance your capacity to be led to correct decisions in your life? What are the principles upon which spiritual communication depends? What are the potential barriers to such communication that you need to avoid?"President John Taylor wrote: 'Joseph Smith, upwards of forty years ago, said to me: "Brother Taylor, you have received the Holy Ghost. Now follow the influence of that Spirit, and it will lead you into all truth, until by and by, it will become in you a principle of revelation." Then he told me never to arise in the morning without bowing before the Lord, and dedicating myself to him during that day' (The Gospel Kingdom, ed. G. Homer Durham [1943], 43–44)."

Richard G. Scott, "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 6

Sorry so late!!!!

I have to apologise as that I had forgotten I had the lesson this week. Hopefully my 'canned' lesson from the ensign isn't too offensive!!! :P

Elder Oaks has a great talk entitled "The Great Plan of Happiness"

FHE Thought--Plan of Salvation

"The Book of Mormon is a book that teaches 'the great plan of happiness' (Alma 42:8; see also vv. 5, 13, 31; 2 Nephi 9). In profound yet understandable terms, the Book of Mormon teaches the purpose of life, from whence we came, and what happens when we die. We learn of faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice, of repentance, of the importance of baptism by immersion, and of the gift and power of the Holy Ghost. By studying and feasting upon the doctrines of the Book of Mormon, we gain 'a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men,' with a desire to 'endure to the end' that we may 'have eternal life' (2 Nephi 31:20)."

Craig C. Christensen, "A Book with a Promise," Ensign, May 2008, 107

Love, The Center of Everything

"Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 21

Thought from Dave

"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle." Phillips Brooks (1835 - 1893)

The Best of All Gifts...

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." ~Burton Hillis

FHE Scripture

Enos 1:4-6

4 And my soul ^ahungered; and I ^bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ^ccried unto him in mighty ^dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

5 And there came a ^avoice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are ^bforgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

6 And I, Enos, knew that God ^acould not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

FHE Lesson--from Kendall

Enos Prays
. Sing or read the words to “A Child’s Prayer” (Children’s Songbook, p. 12),“I Pray in Faith” (Children’s Songbook, p. 14), or “If with All Your Hearts” (Children’s Songbook, p. 15).
Attention Activity
Tell the following riddle:
I am not a person, place, or object.
I can be so quiet that no one else can hear, or loud enough that everyone in the room can hear.
I can be used when you are alone or in a group.
I am used any time, any place, under any circumstance.
I am used for gratitude, guidance, comfort, forgiveness, protection, help, good health, or for any other blessing you need for yourself or for someone else.
You use me to talk with Heavenly Father.
What am I? (Prayer)
Scripture Account
Read the account in the book of Enos.
• Why did Enos go to pray? (Enos 1:1–4.) Who had taught him about Jesus Christ? How have your parents helped you learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
• What is “mighty prayer and supplication”? How do you think this kind of prayer is different from other prayers? How did Heavenly Father answer Enos’s prayer? (Enos 1:5.)
• • How did Enos know his sins were forgiven? (Enos 1:5–6.)
• • Why did Heavenly Father say Enos was forgiven of his sins? (Enos 1:8.) Because Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, we can be forgiven if we repent.
• Who did Enos pray for after his sins were forgiven? (Enos 1:9.) What answer did the Lord give Enos about the Nephites? (Enos 1:10.)
• Why do you think Enos prayed for the Lamanites when they were the Nephites’ enemies? (Enos 1:11.) What blessings might you ask Heavenly Father to give someone who has been unkind to you? What did Enos desire for the Lamanites? (Enos 1:13.)
• Enos prayed for the safety of his people’s records. Why were these records so important? What did the Lord promise Enos? (Enos 1:15–18.) What does it mean to ask in faith?
• What promises were given to Enos? (Enos 1:8, 12, 15.) How can we receive the same promises?
• What effect did the Nephites’ teachings and efforts have on the Lamanites? (Enos 1:20.)
• What have you learned about prayer from the story of Enos?
• When you pray, how do you talk to Heavenly Father? How can we make our prayers more sincere?
• Enos heard the voice of the Lord in his mind in answer to his prayer. What are some other ways that we may receive answers to our prayers? (A feeling of peace; a feeling that something is not right; comfort; ideas that come into our minds; scriptures that bring understanding to a particular situation; counsel from Church leaders, parents, and others sent by the Lord; dreams or visions.) Invite others to share experiences they have had in receiving answers to prayer.
• Why might Heavenly Father answer “no” to our prayers? How can we tell if Heavenly Father’s answer is “no”?
• Why should we take the time to listen after we have prayed, just as Enos did?
• What did Enos learn about life after death? (Enos 1:27
Testimony
Share your testimony of the power of prayer in your life. You may want to relate an experience that has strengthened your faith and testimony of prayer. Invite others to share experiences they have had with prayer.

Doctrinal Purity

As we as Latter-day Saints draw closer to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ we are assuredly going to be faced with Doctrinal stands either from with in the church or outside the church. I have taken upon myself to bring this new addition to the Garden Tower, this "Doctrinal Purity" section will be a weekly posting. This new addition will require the Garden Tower's membership participation. I encourage you members to email me questions that you may have pertaining to the Doctrine of Christ(things of a False Nature that you may want more info on, or that you may need further explanation on The Churches Stand of Doctrine). The email in which you can reach me at is shizfdc@gmail.com please have all questions in by Thursday night, if done after that deadline they will be answered the following week. All questions will be answered in a timely manner. Thank you and I look forward to assisting you in your journey to draw nearer to the Doctrines of the Eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks, Shiz.

shizfdc@gmail.com