Forgiving Others Cont.

After 3 days of stressing about his lesson and hours of preparation later...I think I finally put it all together and feel good about it.

Here is a quick summary for those of you that won't be there on Sunday:

This chapter focuses on 3 main topics:
1. Exercise the principle of mercy and forgive our brothers and sisters
Mercy: compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, enemy, or other person in one's power
Points to make: Our frame of mind has a lot to do with taking offense, truth is the cure to our negative emotions, selflessness helps us forgive and not take offense in the first place.

2. Forgiving restores unity of feeling
Points to make: The effects of kindness and tenderness, no one is perfect, avoid gossip.

3. By showing long-suffering, patience, and mercy to the repentant, we can help bring them into "the liberty of God's dear children"
Points to make: It does not show weakness to forgive quickly, follow Christ's example.

Alma 7

I have decided that on the weekends I will read, but just wait to post my readings on Monday...

This weekend I finished up chapter 5 and 6...In chapter 7 there are a couple points that I thought were interesting in my manual.

Alma 7:10: This verse has been one of the favorites for anti-mormon literature. It says that Jesus will be born in the land of Jerusalem. In my manual it talks a lot about the wording. Alma had no intention of declaring that Jesus would be born in the city of Jerusalem. He simply said he would be born "at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers." Here Jerusalem is not the city, it is the land. Christ was born about six miles from Jerusalem in the village of Bethlehem. So, technically it WAS in the land of Jerusalem. This makes sense to me, as I always tell people I am from Seattle, when I am actually from Maple Valley (but no one knows where that is) :)

The second point in this chapter is Alma 7:23-24 which lists requirements of a true follower of Christ.

1. Humble

2. Submissive

3. Gentle

4. Easy to be entreated

5. Full of Patience

6. Long-suffering

7. Temperate in all things

8. Diligent

9. Keep commandments

10. Asking for what we need (spiritual & temporal)

11. Returning thanks for those things

12. Faith

13. Hope

14. Charity

15. Good works

Talents...

I found some notes I had taken about Talents

Talents - responsibility/stewardship
1. Discover (try new things)
2. Willing to spend time & effort
3. Faith that the Lord will help us
4. Faith in ourselves
5. Learn skills necessary
6. Practice our talent
7. Share it

I also looked up some more scriptures:
Ether 12:35 - If Gentiles have not charity, the Lord will take away their talents
D&C 60:2 - the Lord is not pleased with those who hide talents
D&C 82:3 - of him who much is given, much is required
D&C 82:18 - saints to be equal, that every man may improve his talents and gain other talents

The Lord really does give us everything we have - even talents, and we should be looking for ways we can use them to help others, or just share them and lift others. I think that we can be utilizing the talents we already have while we are also gaining other talents. I think that part of sharing our talents is teaching others how to gain the talents we have too.