Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Quick reminder, if you don't have somewhere to go or someone to hang out with this week, call up any of the Bishopric or Ashley Gengler. You're more than welcome to spend some time with them. They love you and want you to be part of their families for the break. I would totally take them up on that offer.

Okay, here are the important announcements for this week:
1. Well, tithing settlements are going on all day today, but if you still haven't met with Bishop, call Austin 512-818-9695, Grant 817-707-1794, or Travis 603-729-6402 to set up an appointment. It literally only takes 5 minutes. And Bishop is awesome, so it's even better.
2. Tomorrow night @7pm is FHE. Groups might be small, so be excited to possibly combine groups.
3. Also tomorrow, @9:15pm is the run/walk/basketball activity at the Smith Fieldhouse.
4. Thursday is Thanksgiving, so refer to the top of this post if you don't have somewhere to be. Please drive safe and enjoy your break!
5. Sunday, December 1st is Fast Sunday.
6. No institute this week, but next Wednesday, December 4th @7pm in the JFSB.
7. Sunday, December 8th @6pm is the First Presidency Christmas Devotional!


Here's our lesson recap:
Jaden Harvier: Elder Holland April 2013 “Lord, I Believe”
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

Basically on part of the scriptures: On one occasion Jesus came upon a group arguing vehemently with His disciples. When the Savior inquired as to the cause of this contention, the father of an afflicted child stepped forward, saying he had approached Jesus’s disciples for a blessing for his son, but they were not able to provide it. With the boy still gnashing his teeth, foaming from the mouth, and thrashing on the ground in front of them, the father appealed to Jesus with what must have been last-resort desperation in his voice:
“If thou canst do any thing,” he said, “have compassion on us, and help us. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” “Straightway,” the scripture says—not slowly nor skeptically nor cynically but “straightway”—the father cries out in his unvarnished parental pain, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Gives 3 observations:
1. In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited.

Jaden’s dad was called to be Bishop recently after his conversion. Felt his faith wasn’t as strong as others’.
Examples of those who didn’t think they had enough faith?
Ginger: My mom converted when she was 19. When she got baptized her family kind of pulled away, then when she was sealed in the temple, her family completely disowned her. She is on fire and I know Heavenly Father can help us through our greatest trials.
Jackie: You learn about faith for yourself. I feel like I’m learning something about it every day. As I listen to promptings I know, okay I’m going in the right direction.
Brittany: I know I’m like that where I say , Lord, I believe, then I’m stuck figuring out where I am . I didn’t have a strong testimony of tithing. I was doing it because I had a testimony of other things that were true. When you have a testimony of the gospel, you at least know what direction you should be working in. When the prophet says one thing and I don’t have a testimony of it yet, I know he’s right and I can follow that direction and gain a testimony of it later.

You have faith in the truth you already know. I was reading a blog and this lady heard others say, “I know this” but she didn’t really know herself. I’m kind of the same way. I just kind of have faith but don’t always know. Last year I was having a hard time understanding some things. I’m the youngest of 5. Last year my oldest sister was having really hard problems. I didn’t really know her growing up because she was always in drugs and stuff. She got to the point where she would just leave her sons with her parents and take off. I remember praying to the Lord that he would help her. I remember a seminary lesson, “don’t question the Lord’s timing.” After that she started to change and now she’s home and sober. I had a hard time, but I always hoped she would come back and she did.

2nd observation: Be true to the faith you do have. In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.

Talk by Uchtdorf: what about my doubts?
I’ve always believed in the church but of course I’ve also had doubts. One of my biggest doubts, I asked my mom, even though I know families can be together forever, I don’t know how we’re going to be together one day. If God loves us how can he separate us because someone isn’t doing everything right? She said, it doesn’t make sense right now, but it will work out the way it needs to.

Ashley: The first time I heard this talk I thought about gospel principles. There are some controversial issues being addressed right now. The hardest times where I’ve doubted have been when I ask Lord, help my unbelief. I pray for help to get through it, and he always does. I know that these principles apply to both times. Whether you’re doubting a principle, or that things will work out, he really will help your unbelief in those areas.

Marren: I think something that’s useful, is there are people I trust in their gospel knowledge, and I go and ask them. It’s okay to doubt, and it’s okay to go ask about them. I know people who have left the church because they didn’t talk about it. Share your doubts.

Brittany: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with someone who has questions still. Alma 32 talks about how there are some that just have cause to believe. I haven’t physically seen the savior, but I believe in him. Faith begins where your comfort zone of knowledge ends. That’s how you plant the seed of faith and try something out. Heavenly Father has a really good batting average. Every time I step out of the circle and try something he says, it works out. It’s having trust in Heavenly Father that it will work out.

Evie: In August I feel like I was one one of the strongest spiritual highs of my life. Then September came, and I felt swallowed in darkness. Then all of a sudden I couldn’t remember what the peace and beauty of the temple felt like. When we exercise our faith, Satan also knows we’re exercising our faith. When those who saw the plates, 2 of them said I don’t have the courage to do this. It takes courage to continue when things don’t go the way we pictured. It takes courage to be here. It takes courage to be childlike and submissive. It’s hard to work through these things sometimes, but I have a deep testimony of this church. It takes courage to hold to this rod.

Amber: I’ve had times where I felt lie Peter, that I could step out of the boat, then I start sinking and the Savior helps me back to the boat saying good try. Next time I’ll help you get farther. He’s teaching us to not sink.

3. When doubt or difficulty come, do not be afraid to ask for help.
The only perfect person was Christ. You can always ask for help. You can ask other members of the Church or go straight to Heavenly Father.

Bro. Porter: I find it interesting that we’re talking about doubts, but I feel the Spirit. Isn’t it interesting how we can talk about doubts and the Spirit can be here testifying that it’s okay. We’re going to learn line upon line, precept upon precept. You don’t learn everything the first time you go to the temple. That’s the way heavenly father designed it. It’s all part of the plan. It’s how he teaches us.

Evie: In my work, I work in an office where we help people achieve their financial goals. We ask them to do hard things. Sometimes this is an intangible thing, these goals, but how we help these people stay committed to their goals is help them realize what their real goal is. Why are we here? What do we want to learn today? We can reach our eternal goals, but we have to know what it is and work for it.

How can we keep our testimony alive?
Ginger: I definitely see a correlation with how easy life is. I can wait tomorrow to read my scriptures. I can see the spiritual protection of scripture study. When I don’t maintain my study that’s when I have a hard time. I’m not saying that scripture study will force you to have a testimony, but it will protect you.

Brittany: Prayer. I feel like my testimony is strongest when I really on Heavenly Father. Any time we’re stepping outside our comfort zone, that’s when our testimonies are growing.

Ashley: I know the times when I’ve had doubts, I can look back. L like journal writing to look back and see the Lord’s hand in my life. Just trying to see where the Lord’s hand was in my life that day puts things back into perspective for me.

It’s okay to have questions and doubts, so how does that make you feel about your testimony?
Caitlin: Knowing that others have questions and doubts, it helps me know that there’s room to grow. Every year is one more year to be who Heavenly Father wants me to be.

Sarah: It’s natural because that helps us search the scriptures and conference talks. We can search things out by ourselves instead of having everything handed to us. We get blessing just from reading the scriptures every day. We’ll get blessings in our every day lives that we might not have seen.

Bro. Porter: Each day I get the chance to read from the BOM with my daughter before she goes to school. It strikes me that every time I open the BOM, the spirit always testifies to me that it is a true book of God. The spirit testifies to me every day. I think that’s critical! Our testimonies have to be based on the foundations of the gospel. It’s only through reading, studying, pondering, and praying. Everything else will come, but you should always have that foundation to fall back on. That is a great blessing to me in my life. I’ve seen others fall away because of their doubts, even when those things turned out to be false.

Marren: approaching mormon doctrine. Approach doctrine with our intellect and the spirit. So many things pop up on social media where we don’t know if it’s true or not, but we can find out for ourselves.

Jaden: we can always have doubts, but be strong enough to rely on the faith we do have. Heavenly Father will always answer our doubts. Don’t falter away because of a little doubt that you have.


Ashley: one thing that’s been on my mind lately is how aware of me and you god is. He loves you and is there for you. It doesn’t mean he won’t let you struggle a bit, because that’s where the growth comes from. You will make it. I have a really strong testimony of that principle that god is there.