These, Our Little Ones

A vivid memory that the Robison Family shared just before Joelle got married and Justin left on his mission was our family participation in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Can any of us ever forget the 'assension scene?' Remember how you felt when the words of the resurrected Savior took little children in His arms and wept as He blessed them and said to the people: "Behold your little ones." (3 Nephi 17:23)

How well we remember the 5 J's when they were little and how we treasured them. How much we miss our ten grandchildren...these our little ones.

Christmas Message. President Hinckley made this his theme in the December 2007 Ensign. He is the living prophet and his words are living scripture. Each month we have the opportunity to study the words of the living prophets. This family home evening lesson is adapted from the December 2007 Ensign.

7.4 Earthquake in West Indies. This past week, the people in the Caribbean felt a very powerful earthquake. It lasted for about one minute and half, but seemed much longer. The walls shook and things fell off shelves, but very few buildings fell down. I wondered what the people would think about such an earthquake because severe storms, hurricaines, and earthquakes are prophesied as part of the last days. I hoped people would turn to Heavenly Father and seek His Church.

"When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn't stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart, and she puts it into the baby's mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest foreces in the world are babies." (E. T. Sullivan)

To this quote, President Hinckley clarified that these babies will become forces for good or ill, depending in large measure upon how they are raised?

"I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth." (D&C 93:40)

Can you think of something your parents taught you that has influenced your life and that you quote today? Today in Church a young father, whose father I committed to baptism last month, taught a lesson on friendship. During the lesson he told about how important it is to choose good friends and quoted his father in teaching him that he should choose his friends wisely because some will carry you but they will not carry you back. He meant that if you choose friends who do evil and you follow them, they will not rescue you when you get into trouble. I complimented the father, who told me that it was his mother who had taught him that lesson many years ago and that counsel had protected him often throughout his life.

President Hinckley gave us four imperatives in his message about children: 1) love them, 2) teach them, 3) respect them, and 4) pray with them and for them.

Love them - Look at the pictures of these ten beautiful children and think of the many, many ways their parents are loving them. Each have found that more important than material gifts is the time spent with each child.

Teach them - what is it that the grandchildren feel when they see the scriptures or when they are at Church?

Sylie says Jesus when Jeremy holds his scriptures.

On a humorous note, Julia as a three year old wanted to think about Jesus during the Sacrament, but kept thinking about Shrek (but that was the, not now.)

Respect them - Look on the Robisoncrew blog and see one idea about respect as taught by Emily on December 2nd. She knows about treating children like royalty.

Pray with them and for them - How powerful it is for the grandchildren to hear you pray using their name and to pray for their happiness. We also are grateful that they pray for us while serving a mission. We know they will not forget us for they pray for us.

True Story from Ancient Rome related by President Hinckley:

A group of women loved to show off their jewels to one another. Most of them were filled with vanity. Among the group was a lady named Cornelia, who had two sons. One of the women said to her: "Where are your jewels?" Cornelia replied by pointing to her sons and said "these are my jewels."

This fine woman taught her sons about the virtues they should develop in their own lives and they grew to become Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus - the Gracchi, as they were named--two of the most powerful and influencial reformers in Roman history. Whenever they are remembered and their achievements discussed, their wonderful mother who raised them after the manner of her own life is also remembered and spoken of with praise.

Brigham Young said: "Let it be your constant care that the children that God has so kindly given you are taught in their early youth the importance of the oracles of God, and the beauty of teh principles of our holy religion, that when they grow to the years of man and womanhood they may always cherish a tender regard for them and never forsake the truth."

We must respect our little ones: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye hall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

Most adults go through trials and make mistakes growing up. President Hinckley asks then if we are all alot like these words shared by Channing Pollock "Contemplating the adolescence through which we scorned the wrong, some of us must wish...that we could be born old, and grow younger, and cleaner and ever simpler and more innocent, until at last, with the white souls of little children, we lay us down to eternal sleep."

What does President Hinckley suggest we do to build spiritual strength in our children?

1. Pray with them, for them and listen to them pray.

2. Look upon them as our most precious assets.

3. Give them Priesthood blessings as often as it appropriate.

Activity questions for Home Evening Lesson

1. Show a picture of the Savior with little children. Read and discuss the scriptures there were given in this lesson. Tell how these scriptures have helped you.

2. Drop a small rock in a bowl of water and teach about the ripple effect. Read the four imperatives and share experiencs you have had with them.

3. Show the power of example by having each member of the family mimic one person. That one person could clap hands, take three steps, turn around and so forth. Remind them about what Grandpa learned in Church from the man whose father taught him about friends. Share the story about the Roman woman and her attitude towards children. Talk about how her example influenced her sons. Testify about the power of example.

4. Look at the ten grandchildren pictured in this lesson and ask them why grandpa and grandma love these little ones so much.

"Owning Your Personal Testimony"

Do it myself! What child doesn't say at one point or other to his or her parent, "Mommy, I want to do it myself." As parents it is hard to see a less that perfect paper turned in for school or a child with his shoes on the wrong feet. But perhaps there is much value to be learned in teaching children independence. Channeled properly, this desire to be self-reliant has long-lasting effects...particularly when it come to personal testimony..

Personal testimony. We need to experience the personal witness on our own. Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God. Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 6:50)

Drinking Upstream: Elder F. Burton Howard once related a lesson on the importance of getting your own testimony that he learned from a member of the First Presidency. "On one occasion I was with President Marion G. Romney. He spoke to a large gathering of young people. Afterwards, a returned missionary came up to shake his hand. As he did, he said, "President Romney, when I was a missionary I had a question that no one knew the answer to. Let me take advantage of your time for a moment and ask you." He then asked a rather complicated question, the answer to which could have been found in the scriptures.

President Romney listened attentively for a few moments and then replied, "That is a very good question. When you find the answer, let me know, will you please?" As we left the hall he commented to me, obviously referring to the young man and his question, "My father taught me as a boy that when I wanted a drink I should go to where the spring flowed out of the ground and not downstream where the cattle had been muddying the water. He'll be better off if he finds the answer for himself."

But how easy it is to find someone else with the answers to our questions. How many want to know the mysteries of God without studying the scriptures? How many ask the Lord to do things which they should do for themselves? They forget there is no spiritual attainment without effort. The attitudes we sometimes develop in the world can be spiritually fatal if applied to such things as repentance or eternal marriage or keeping the commandments. Think of the consequences, for example, of asking, "Must I serve a mission?" compared to asking, "Can I serve a mission?" (F Burton Howard)

The lesson of LET. President Harold B. Lee once gave a sermon on the word let. "Let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed in all diligence." (D&C 107:99) President Packer reminds us that missionaries have to want to thirst to learn. He observes that hundreds of times, it says "ask" in the scriptures. "Ask,and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Luke 11:9) The most important things a missionary must learn is learned alone. Some things that cannot be taught must be learned says President Packer. When he was in the military, he carried a Church-owned pocket-size Book of Mormon. It was khaki in color and he read it and became acquainted with hit. It was lonesome and he did not understand much. He is glad that he had to earn his knowledge of that great book. (A Call to Faith, June 27, 2007)

Church History Story: When the 23-year old HEber J. Grant was installed as president of the Tooele Stake, he told the Saints he believed the gospel was true. President Joseph F. Smith, a counselor in the First Presidency inquired, "Heber, you said you believe the gospel with all your heart, ...but you did not bear your testimony that you know it is true. Don't you know absolutely that this gospel is true?"

Heber answered, "I do not." Joseph F. Smith then turned to John Taylor, the President of the Church and said, "I am in favor of undoing this afternoon what we did this morning. I do not think any man should preside over a stake who has not a perfect and abiding knowledge of the divinity of this work." President Taylor replied, "Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, (Heber) knows it just as well as you do. The only thing that he does not know is that he does know it. "

Within a few weeks that testimony was realized, and young Heber J. Grant shed tears of gratitude for the perfect, abiding, and absolute testimony that came into his life. (Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards and Elder Callister General Conference October 2007 talk)

Family Experience: One day when Jenny was a little girl, she leaned over to her mother in Fast and Testimony meeting and asked "are you going to bury your testimony, Mommy?" What a great lesson from the mouth of a 4 year old...let's not bury our testimony, but let's share it often with our family and in our wards.

Questions:

1. How can you acquire your own testimony?

2. Why is it important to "own" your testimony?

3. What is the significance of the story told by President Romney about pure water upstream from where the cows drink?

4. Share your testimony in Family Home Evening. "A testimony is to be found in the bearing of a testimony (as taught by President Boyd K. Packer).

The Law of Tithing

The Law of Tithing: A great blessing of membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Doctrine: Our purpose here on earth is to gain eternal life. We belong to Heavenly Father's family and if we prove ourselves in this life, we can life with Him again.

Principle: "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 130:20-21)

Law: Tithing means one-tenth and the Lord has commanded us to give a tenth of our increase, which is understood to mean our income.

History of Tithing: An ancient law. For example, Abraham paid tithes of all he possessed. (Genesis 14:20, Alma 13:15) His grandson Jacob vowed to the Lord "Of all thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." (Genesis 28:22)

Biblical Applications: Elijah the Tishbite was instructed to arise and go to Zaraphath and there he would find a widow woman commanded to give him food and lodging. When he came to the gate of the city, he met her and asked for water to drink and as she was going to fetch it he called after her asking for a morsel of bread. She answered that she did not have a cake, but just a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse. She said she was going to bake that little bit for her and her son and then die. Elijah responded, "fear not; go and do as thou has said, but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son." He promised her that the barrel of meal would not waste and the cruse of oil would not fail until the day that the Lord sent rain. Some time later, her son fell sick and he died. The woman asked Elijah to save him and even rebuked him by asking if he had come to slay her son. Calling upon the Lord, the boy was healed. "And the woman said to Elijah, now by this I know that thou art a man of God and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth!"
(1 Kings 17)

This wonderful chapter can be compared to the story of Sariah in the Book of Mormon with her murmuring. (1 Nephi 5:1-8) The great lesson however is that we are to trust in the Lord and the blessings will be beyond what you expect. Is this not the great lesson of tithing.

Another great lesson about tithing is found in Mark 12:41-44.

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she three in two mites, which make a farthing.

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

Inspired question: Does this not teach you about what the Savior notices? He knows each of us. Our desires, our thoughts, our generosity, and our sacrifice.

Blessings of Tithing:

Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

Will a man rob God. Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that they may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:7-10)

Blessings of the temple: Tithing is one of commandments that qualifies us for temple worship. When asked whether members of the Church could be baptized for the dead if they had not paid their tithing, President John Taylor (third prophet of the Church) answered "A man who has not paid his tithing is unfit to be baptized for his dead...If a man has not faith enough to attend to these little things, he has not faith enough to save himself and his friends."

Like the pioneers, the obedient payment of tithing fortifies our faith and that faith sustains us through the trials, tribulations and sorrows in our life's journeys. (Elder Robert D. Hales)

Heavenly Father wants all His children to have the blessings of tithing. Far too often parents neglect to teach their children to live this law because their donation would only amount to pennies. Without a testimony of tithing, children become vulnerable to the distractions and temptations that come to today's teens. President Lorenzo Snow said: "Teach the children to pay tithing, so that it may be perpetually observed. If we observe this law, no matter what our enemies may do, the Lord will preserve us."

Missionary experience. Two missionaries visited a very poor family. It could have been in Guyana or any of the third world countries. The family's home was made of pressboard and sticks, with a dirt floor and no electricity or beds. Each evening the father, a farm laborer, spent his entire day's wages on groceries for dinner. Departing from their humble home, the senior companion thought to himself, "The law of tithing will surely be a stumbling block to this family. Perhaps we shouldn't bring it up for a while." Literally moments later, the junior companion, who had grown up in similar circumstances in his own country, voiced his own thoughts out loud. "I know the principle of tithing is not normally taught during our next lesson, buit can we please teach it the next time we visit? They need to know about tithing nwo because they need the help and the blessing of the Lord so much."

Personal Experience. As young married students in Chicago, Illinois in 1976, we learned that we were expecting our second child. We did not have any savings. We did not have an income. We did know that hospitals charged $1600 for normal deliveries in 1976. (Today it would be over $10,000). We also had faith. We knew the Lord would bless our efforts. Just that week, we received a one time government rebate for all poverty-level families in the U.S. of $160. We paid our tithing and then we opened up an account in a nearby bank. We secured jobs caring for children of working parents that travelled to the Caribbean for a vacation. Soon we had saved $1600 after having paid the tithing and then the housesitting jobs stopped. We had the needed funds for the birth of our baby. The rest of our substance was from student loans. This has always been a powerful lesson to us on the importance of paying tithing even when you could not see the end in sight.

Questions:

What are the blessings of paying tithing?

What is the great lesson to be learned from Elijah?

What do we learn from the story of the Savior and the widow's mite?

How do you calculate tithing?

What did grandpa and grandma learn about tithing when they lived in Chicago with Joelle and were awaiting the birth of Justin?

"The Nine Society" - Gratitude

Lesson on Gratitude

In the October 2002 General Conference, Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles taught about gratitude. He quoted the record in Luke where one day the Savior entered a village where there were ten lepers. Leprosy, that terrible....that dreaded disease....anciently, but not common today...was thought of like AIDS is in our day.

Ten lepers came to the Savior and said "Master, have mercy upon us who have that terrible ailment of leprosy."

The Savior replied: "Go visit your priest and he will take care of you." And they did. They went to see their priests and all ten were cleansed.

A short time later, one of them returned to the Savior and fell on his face and on his hands and knees, thanking the Savior for blessing him and making him well from that terrible disease.

And the Savior said to the one man, "were there not 10? What has happened to the other nine? Where are they?" (Luke 17:11-19).

Inspired question: Elder Haight then asked the poignant question - "How would you like to be part of the "nine society?" Wouldn't it be terrible to be numbered among those who failed to return and acknowledge the Savior for the blessings He had given them?

The Mystery of the Vanishing art. Grandma Polizzi often spoken of the vanishing art as the 5 J's were growing up. After much guessing and persistent pestering by the grandchildren, she finally would reveal what was the mysterious vanishing art - ironing. Young people today do not know how to iron.

Personal Thank you Notes. I personally feel that the vanishing art is that of writing "thank you" notes. We do not do this enough. While serving as bishop in Burlington, Ontario, I will never forget an experience one Sunday where Sister Linda Beatson approached me in tears following Sacrament meeting. She held in her hand a "thank you" note from Sister Jarvis, another sister in the Ward, who had been touched by the Sacrament meeting talk given by Amy Lawson, Sister Beatson's daughter. Sister Jarvis was thanking Sister Beatson for being the type of mother that would raise such a daughter.

Action Plan. Since that moment, it has been a frequent pitch of mine to students, missionaries and our own children to go and do likewise. Respond to the prompting to express gratitude for something someone does...this can be termed as random acts of kindness....when people are not expecting such a reaction, it becomes most memorable.

Example. One of our missionaries had as his trademark, the practice of leaving yellow stickie notes in bathrooms, on mirrors, on refrigerators, and on windshields with a little "thank you" note expressing appreciation for whatever the couple, the investigator, or member had done for him.

Activity:

1. Sit down and write a thank you note to a teacher, a speaker in Church, a relative or anyone who recently blessed your life.

2. Follow the counsel of President Eyring in General Conference and make a journal entry every day about some way the Lord has blessed your life.

3. Resolve today that you will not be part of the "nine society" but rather continually express gratitude to Heavenly Father for His countless blessings.

Checking Your Horse

Grandma (Hi Cutes) Robison loved horses when she was growing up. She still does. Her mom used to take her for riding lessons and she learned a type of riding called dressage. This is the finest form of horse performance. It demonstrates the communication between the rider and the horse.

The rider periodically pulls back (checks) on the reins which cause the bit in the horse's mouth to be uncomfortable to the horse. As the relationship between the rider and the horse becomes more aligned, the slightest pull or even the softest touch on the reins causes the horse to respond promptly. The result is an almost perfect posture of the horse and rider. The stature of the horse becomes magnificent.

Grandma's favorite horse was a big clydesdale named Camille. This horse could almost read her mind and would respond instantly to each command. Grandma was assigned to ride this big, clunky horse in contests. Can you imagine having a big horse often used to pull heavy wagons in a contest of grace and finess against fine quarter horses?

The relationship between horse and rider (Camille and Grandma) was so developed that they won big contests. In fact at the first dressage contest at the club where Grandma took lessons, Grandma and Camille won. Noted on the contest judges form was this comment: "hated the horse, but she did the best job."

What is the lesson that can be learned for each of us?

Can we learn to figuratively hold the bit in our mouths so that we feel the slightest little nudgings that come to us in our lives. Can we progress to the point where we are so sensitive to the Spirit that we feel the tiniest tugs that whisper to our soul and guide us in the paths we must follow?

The Weak and the Simple of the Church

Grandpa Robison's Experience Teaching Deacons

A number of years ago, just after moving to Provo, Utah, I was called to be the Deacons Quorum Advisor of the Sherwood Hills Ward. The month prior, I had been serving as the Bishop of the Burlington Ward in Ontario, Canada and then we moved to Utah.

Every Sunday, I would muster up my courage and go into that quorum of three boys and try to touch their hearts with something that would excite them about the gospel. I would follow the approved course of study, but sought for ways to reach the group, including our own son Jamie.

Each Sunday, the boys would lean back on their chairs, chew gum, and give me that "I dare you to teach me something I don't already know look." About six months later, I was called to be a Stake President. During my first week in that calling, I marveled at how the exact message I was giving to the high council and to the bishops of the Stake had been delivered to those deacons just a week prior. Only this time, rather than lean back on their chairs and chew gum, they leaned forward, took notes, and were reverently attentive. What a difference 40 more years makes added to the life of a deacon!

Well, those three boys all went on to serve valiant missions and it did not take 40 more years to produce wonderful servants of the Lord....it just took 7 more years (grin). This story came to my mind as I pondered the words of President Packer in the last General Conference. President Packer reminded us of these principles:

1) We sustain leaders and teachers in the Church whenever others are released. "It shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority, and it is know to the church that he has authority and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the church. "(D&C 42:11)

2) All positions to teach and to lead are filled by members of the Church. "Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him form heave, and gave him commandments...the weak things of teh world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones." (D&C 1:17, 19-24)

To Every Member of the Church:

President J. Rueben Clark taught that it does not matter where you serve in the Church, but how. He also taught that one neither seeks nor declines a calling. Everything that is done in the Church, is done by ordinary people, just like you and me, "the weak things of the world."

Once a person receives the Holy Ghost, He will teach and comfort them and then they are prepared to receive whatever guidance, teaching, instruction or assignment the Lord would have them receive.

So this is another principle that distinguishes us from all other Churches: "No one of us is to consider himself of more value than the other." (D&C 38:24-25)

Little Girl at Parade in Brigham City, Utah

The story was told about a young girl in Brigham City named Janie Steed. I had a friend at BYU named John Steed. This could be his great grandmother. Anyway, she kicked a rock in front of a wagon carrying the prophet Brigham Young, during a parade and muttered, "He ain't no better than my grandpa!" All of the other children had been tossing out flower petals in front of the wagon as it passed. Well, you can imagine the shock of everyone around her and the older people quickly tried to correct young Janie.

President Packer continued, however, by saying that he is sure that Brigham Young would agree had he heard the comment. He would never consider himself of more worth than anyone else.

Will a frog jump high? Picture it!

When President Packer was first called to be a general authority, one of his high school teachers said "That just proves that you can't tell by looking at a frog, how high he is going to jump!"
Think of this image in your mind, as President Packer did. Make sure you picture that in such a way that you would never feel better than someone else.

As a final lesson by President Packer, he related the experience of when after this call to be a general authority, the First Presidency of the Church invited him in their office and asked him to bear his testimony. He was overwhelmed. What should he say? Well, he just bore the same testimony that he would bear any Fast Sunday in his home ward....plain and simple...and in the same words. The Brethren were pleased and proceeded then to set him apart.

He learned that he had, as you and I have "an abiding testimony in his heart of the Restoration of the fullness of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith, that we have a Heavenly Father, and that Jesus Christ is our redeemer."

"It doesn't matter where you serve, but how"

This is what I knew when I taught those deacons and wondered if they were listening. These are the same words I used when a week later I counseled with bishops and stake presidents. It is the same message. None of us are more important in Heavenly Father eyes and as President J. Reuben Clark said "it doesn't matter where you serve, but how."

Good, Better, Best

Good, Better, Best

This is a reoccurring theme of Elder Oaks. It is one he considers of great importance. A number of years ago he spoke of choices as a law student and how to know when he had studied for a term paper that he had done enough research.

In this case, his counsel is as timely for us now as it was then.

He introduces this them by telling us the story of Martha and Mary. Remember when the Savior taught this principle in the home of Martha "while she was cumbered about much serving."(Luke 10:40) Her sister Mary, "sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word." When Martha complained that her sister had left her to serve alone, Jesus commended Martha for what she was doing, but taught her that "one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her." (verses 39-42). It was good for Martha to be "careful and troubled about many things" but it was better to learn the gospel from the Master. It was more "needful" as verse 41 says.

Consider the picture of Grandma Robison's pillows shown above. The bottom pillow is quite good, the middle pillow is better, but the top pillow is "down" and is best. In fact Grandma takes it on the plane in our suitcase whenever we travel because she needs it to get a good night's sleep. It costs more than other pillows, but for Grandma it is best because she gets a better rest.

Those people in sales are frequently plotting on graphs the comparison between good, better, and best. They know, as Elder Oaks taught, that it is not enough that something is good. Other products are better and still others are best. The most expensive ones often have great "features and capability" that make them the best selection.

Robison Family Vacation Memories
I remember a series of family vacations we took when the J's were growning up. We went to San Diego and saw Sea World, we went to Maui and swam in the ocean, we went to Florida and collected sea shells, we went to Petoskey in Northern Michigan and went water skiing. And we even went in a cramped motor home from Independence Missouri to Palmyra, New York. After those 5 wonderful trips, we asked each of the children what their favorite trip was. Each one of them answered that it was the trip in the cramped motor home. Super family trips are good for the family, but best is the family bonding on sacred sites.

Elder Oaks reminded us about a very important principle from a recent study. The number of families who report that the whole family usually eats dinner together has declined by 33%. This is alarming because studies also show that the time a family spends together eating meals at home is the strongest predictor of children's academic achievement and psychological adjustment. (Anderson and Dohert, Family Relations, 54:655). So there may be some important school activities or tennis, or golf events at the club, but the best thing we can do at dinner time is eat together.

Now, how does this apply to our Church service? First, remember that some uses of individual and family time are better, and others are best. We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families. (Elder Oaks)

Applications.

It is good to be a member of the Church, to keep all the commandments, and to fulfill all our assignments.
It is better to do things without being asked and anonymously.
It is best to do things with love and without any arrogance.

It is good to visit families to whom we have been assigned.
It is better to leave them with a message where you teach doctrine and principle during a brief visit.
It is best to make a difference in the lives of those we visit.

It is good to hold a meeting in the Church.
It is better to teach a principle.
It is best to actually improve lives as a result of the meeting.

Can you think of some good, better and best applications?

What about giving a talk?

It is good to prepare it yourself.
It is better to prepare it and include scriptures and quotes from living prophets.
It is best to teach it from the heart with very few notes.

What about teaching a lesson?

It is good to work on the lesson ahead of time.
It is better to have an outline and prepare much more material than you can cover.
It is best to think of the question that will improve lives and prepare to involve the student in the learning process.

Doctrine:

Heavenly Father, whose children everyone of us are, designed a plan for us to qualify for eternal life...the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7). Critical to this test are the choices we make between good, better, and best. As Elder Oaks once taught...it is not enough to be good, we must be good for something. We do that by making best choices.