The other night I received a visit from my Bishop, from the local Singles ward that I attend, and one of his counselors. They were concerned about my injury and wanted to see how I was holding up. After a nice visit we started discussing the ward, and I asked my Bishop what concerns they as a Bishopric had for the singles in our ward. He said that he had many, for we are often on his mind and heart.

However, one of his main concerns was church attendance. More specifically speaking he has become very concerned that many of the singles are not staying for the full three-hour Sunday block of church. Many are choosing to leave right after Sacrament.

My Bishop was concerned that by skipping out on these other two important meetings many of the young adults in our ward have been cheating themselves out of many of the blessings which our Father in Heaven has prepared for us. For as President Ezra Taft Benson the 13th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has said,

"Faithful attendance at Church meetings brings blessings you can receive in no other way." To the "Youth of the Noble Birthright,” May 1986 Ensign, President Ezra Taft Benson

Sacrament meeting is the most important part of church; for it is there that we are able to renew our baptismal covenants by partaking of the sacrament. This renewal of our covenants is vital for us to receive a remission of our sins, and be worthy and able to have the gift of the companionship of the Holy Spirit with us in our lives. Yet, even so, the Lord instituted Sunday school, and then Relief Society and Priesthood meetings on Sunday, also for a wise purpose.

In Sunday school, we come together as brothers and sisters in the church to teach, learn and discuss the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a time to increase our knowledge and understanding of the gospel, and to strengthen our testimonies.

For the last block of our Sunday church meetings we separate. The men attend their Priesthood, and the women attend Relief Society. Here we all study the teachings of the prophets, and delve into the teachings of Christ. By separating, we are able to focus more directly upon how these teachings apply to us more specifically as men or women in the church. Here we also grow close as a brotherhood or sisterhood, and gain strength from one another which we can then draw upon throughout our lives.

These important church meetings were designed and instituted by a loving Heavenly Father to help us to come unto Christ, and be able to face the world we live in. They are created to teach, edify, and bless. I know that when I have to miss any or all of these meetings (which usually only happens when I am sick or injured) that I feel the loss of them in my life. My week is not the same.

I love the scriptures. Some days they are the only things that brings me peace. I particularly enjoy the Old Testament, as odd as that sounds. Even though it is a loooong book of scripture, the stories within it are rich and instructive.

Generally speaking, the first five books of the Old Testament are sometimes known as "the law" or the books of Moses. These books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They address the Creation of the world all the way through Moses' instruction to the Israelites after they fled Pharaoh in Egypt.

The next section of the Old Testament is often known as "the history" portion of the Old Testament. These books are Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. In fact, if you want to read the Old Testament quickly, simply read 1 & 2 Chronicles. This is a concise summary of the history of the ancient Israelites boiled down into two summary books called 1 and 2 Chronicles.

The next section has been sometimes called "the wisdom literature" of the Old Testament. These are the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The rest of the Old Testament (other than Song of Solomon) are records of specific prophets that are not in any chronological order, but are from different historical parts of ancient Israelites' experiences: Isaiah, Jeremiah (and his book of Lamentations), Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

All of this creates a pathway or a map for us to follow. And it is an important map for our children to be familiar with, for what befell the Israelites befalls all people who forget their God and leave His protecting care and insist on living dangerous lifestyles (did you know that the ancient Israelites turned to killing their infants during pagan ceremonies? No wonder the Lord decreed certain consequences for their behavior!).

Today I was reading in Obadiah. The Lord gave him a vision and a direct message for the ancient Israelites who insisted on going after false gods and false practices. Here are the Lord's words given through His prophet Obadiah to the Israelites:

"The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou...whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? (Obadiah 1:3)." The Lord soon enough did bring them down to the ground, for their sakes, to attempt to keep them from self-destructing.

So often as I see other peoples' choices in today's world, rather than judge them, I sorrow and I wonder about myself. Are there any dangerous pieces of pride within me leading me on, as Obadiah mentions? For truly we learn from his clear "map" that pride leads us into paths where we can be deceived and wherein we deceive ourselves.

Obadiah also mentions many other mistakes on the part of these ancient Israelites; for example, they cold-heartedly looked on--without helping other Israelites--during the demise of those in Jerusalem. The Lord noted their many grievous choices and simply said, "...As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee" (Obadiah 1:15).

Indeed, there are many rich stories amongst the Old Testament that create a sure and steady map or pathway for me to help teach my own children the way to peace and the way to God Himself. If you would like to explore the Old Testament yourself, feel free to explore these free online scriptures!

We talk so often about the sweet blessings of discipleship it sometimes seems easy to ignore the cost. In fact depending on how you look at it, the cost of not following the Savior is much higher than that of becoming a disciple. While this is true, it doesn’t mean discipleship is an easy path. It only means that the end result is definitely worth the cost. Often, this cost is more immediate and greater than many feel willing to pay. Even among His disciples, there will be many who try to “short-change” the Savior, never realizing that they’re only cheating themselves not Him.

What does the disciple pay for the Savior’s promised blessings? I think it’s different for each of us and some may actually think the price is negotiable. Different it may be, but the information on the price tag asks the same thing of everyone. He asks for our all. He asks us to turn over all that we are so that He can mold those things into something much more beautiful than any value we might have placed on the original price.

In the words of James E. Faust:

“Our true claim as disciples comes when we can say with certainty that His ways have become our ways.” James E. Faust, “Discipleship,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 20–23

Part of our purpose in life is to be tried and tested. Not just in a few things, but in all things that are necessary for our eternal salvation. He, and we, need to know the measure of our faith and patience for the things of the Lord. He tests not only our faith in the moment, but also over time. Can we still say, “Thy will be done” when that answer is not forthcoming on our own timetable?

The goal of the disciple is to become as close to Christ’s perfect example as our imperfect lives will allow. Following the Savior’s example requires us to embrace the mission of our own lives, overcome the world and finish the work we have been given to do. Even as Christ did, we need to learn to let our will be “swallowed up in the will of the Father”. We need to learn to embrace the process of change and refinement. While we have been granted the wonderful gift of agency, the best gift we can give back to the Lord in gratitude is the will of our hearts. We can offer that agency back to the Lord with humble sincerity in order to find out what choices He would have us make. That is the time we will truly find out about His love and our own divine potential. The more we are willing to “give up” of ourselves, the more room there is for the Savior in our lives.

“The more we know of Jesus, the more we will love Him. The more we know of Jesus, the more we will trust Him. The more we know of Jesus, the more we will want to be like Him and to be with Him by becoming the manner of men and women that He wishes us to be (see 3 Ne. 27:27), while living now “after the manner of happiness” (2 Ne. 5:27). Neal A. Maxwell, “‘Plow in Hope’,” Ensign, May 2001, 59

Walking as a disciple of Christ is a lifelong journey and because the journey can be rough there will be those who will chose to leave His path. Fortunately, whether we turn away completely, or simply stumble on the path, the Savior’s atonement is always there as a way back. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can live for and with Him. Discipleship requires a full commitment to the Lord’s way, where ever it may take us, for the duration of our lives. This is the price we pay for His welcoming arms and words of comfort, love and pride at that end of life. That is the price we pay for His guiding and steadying hand every day until then. It’s definitely worth the price.

If you’ve mentioned to others you are investigating the church, or have recently joined it, you may have had someone tell you that you are no longer a Christian. This is, of course, completely false. Why, the very name of your church has the Savior’s name in it: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon is only a nickname, not the real name of the church.

Naturally, you’ll want to try to correct misconceptions, explaining that the Book of Mormon doesn’t replace the Bible, but is, instead additional testimony of the reality and divinity of the Savior. You might show them your LDS edition of the King James Bible. You’ll probably try to answer any questions they might have.

However, the most important way to counter their misconceptions is to live a Christ-like life. Your virtuous life, coupled with the pictures of the Savior on the walls of your home and your public, but not overbearing recognition of His role in your life, will do more to convince your friends that you are a true Christian than any argument you might offer. You’ve not lost your Christianity—you’ve expanded it.

In the April 1998 General Conference, Bishop Richard C. Edgley, who was the First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, suggested that we can turn to Alma 5:14 to find out how to live a Christ-like life: And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?” He suggested we continue through the questions Alma asks. These questions, along with others he added, create a checklist of some of the ways we must live in order to be Christ-like.

Bishop Edgley said,

“Yes, the question is, do our outward devotions translate into a Christlike life? It is not enough that we just talk of Christ, preach of Christ, or even prophesy of Christ (see 2 Ne. 25:26). We must live of Christ, for it is by our own personal, everyday living that the Savior will determine whether we are one of His true disciples, a friend.”

People are far more likely to believe your actions than your words. It’s difficult to convince others a person isn’t a real Christian when that person lives a Christ-like life and speaks of the Savior with love. Live as the Savior lived, and as He’s asked you to live, and your friends will soon come to understand your Christianity.

Are you surprised when your small children—even those who can’t read yet—are asked to bring their scriptures to Primary? Your new religion considers scripture literacy very important, and the best way to help children understand and value the scriptures is to begin reading them to your children long before they can understand what they mean. Even when they appear to be playing, they are often quietly listening. One small boy, asked what was in the scriptures, said enthusiastically, “And it came to pass!” Although he was only three, he had heard and remembered that often repeated phrase from the Book of Mormon his parents had read to him since he was born.

The language of the scriptures may seem hard to you, but a child who is raised hearing them will consider those unusual words very ordinary. When he begins to read, teach him to read scriptural words, since they aren’t taught in public schools.

In the meantime, you can begin with the very smallest children to help them become familiar with the scriptures. When you do your family scripture reading, be sure every child is in the room. Small children might want to hold a doll, but can sit quietly for a few minutes while you read. When they are playing quietly with blocks or other quiet toys, read softly. Read scriptures to help toddlers fall asleep. All of these methods help children learn how the scriptures sound and to associate them with peaceful, loving times.

To help your children learn the meanings of these scriptures, use a combination of the real scriptures and the scripture readers, which were created for children and have many pictures. Read a verse or two and explain what it means. Explain unfamiliar words. You may not have time to do this with all the scriptures you read, but choose at least a chapter or a few verses, depending on the ages of the children to explain.

Consider having children memorize a scripture each week. Recite it before breakfast and bedtime, in the car, and in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Make sure they know what it means.

Help children learn the stories in the scriptures. The Friend has many flannel board stories about scriptures and you can make these available for Sunday play. You might also want to create a simple puppet theater by turning a coffee table on its side or putting a blanket over a table. Let the children make their own puppets and act out the stories. If you keep a dress-up box of scripture-type clothing, they can put on simple plays based on the stories.

Find out what stories your children are reading in Primary and review those during the week. Help them to understand the message the lesson was teaching.

Learning the scriptures can be fun for even the smallest child. President Hinckley taught:

"Read to your children. Read the story of the Son of God. Read to them from the New Testament. Read to them from the Book of Mormon. It will take time, and you are very busy, but it will prove to be a great blessing in your lives as well as in their lives. And there will grow in their hearts a great love for the Savior of the world, the only perfect man who walked the earth. He will become to them a very real living being, and His great atoning sacrifice as they grow to manhood and womanhood, will take on a new and more glorious meaning in their lives" (quoted in Church News, 6 Dec. 1997, 2).”