MATTHEW Take my yoke upon you

Write down the best compliment you’ve been given (or a compliment you receive most often).

Take my yoke upon you Matt 11:7-11 Why? How do we become ‘great’

Take my yoke upon you D&C 13

Take my yoke upon you “The holding of the Aaronic Priesthood, and the exercise of its power, is not a small or unimportant thing. The bestowal of these keys in this dispensation was one of the greatest and most significant things incident to the entire Restoration” (President Gordon B Hinckley, Conference Report, Apr. 1988, 56; or Ensign, May 1988, 46). D&C 13

Take my yoke upon you The Key of the Gospel of Repentance What difference can the way you prepare for the sacrament make in your daily life? How does a call to be a home teacher help an Aaronic Priesthood holder preach repentance? The Key of Baptism by Immersion for the Remission of Sins Have you ever baptized someone? The Key of the Ministering of Angels Since “most angelic communications are felt or heard rather than seen,” what gift does the ministering of angels remind you of? How do the Aaronic Priesthood ordinances of baptism and the sacrament open the way for a Church member to enjoy the ministering of angels?

Take my yoke upon you President Harold B. Lee also gave insight concerning the ministrations of those on the other side of the veil: "When we begin to understand that, beyond sight, as Brigham Young said, is the spirit world right here round about us. If our spiritual eyes could be open, we could see others visiting with us, directing us. And if we will learn not to be so sophisticated that we rule out that possibility of impressions from those who are beyond sight, then we too may have a dream that may direct us as a revelation.“ (Harold B. Lee, Divine Revelation, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 15 Oct pp )

Take my yoke upon you

Who’s got a busy schedule? How do you deal with the pressure and stress? Matt 11:28-30

What do you know about yokes? Mosiah 24:14-15

Brigham Young …the person that wears the yoke and bears his burden is the one who loves the cause of truth and righteousness more than all else. The person that wears the yoke of Jesus…has communication with the heavens, finds his yoke easy and his burden light; he is master of it. … … all that men can imagine and a million times more, God has in store for us. If we are faithful, all is ours. If we trample sin and iniquity under our feet, then we are the masters, which makes the yoke easy and the burden light.

REVIEW THIS: with-ease?lang=eng&clang=ase TIME PERMITTING, SHOW THIS 8min VIDEO: Mosiah 24:14-15 PRINCIPLES: together?lang=eng

“The Plan of Happiness” CS Lewis: “God made us as a man invents an engine. A car is designed to run on gasoline and it would not run properly on anything else. God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.”

Matt 11:28-30 What do you know about meekness?

President Kimball: ”Meekness is boldly denouncing evil, bravely advancing righteous works, courageously meeting every problem, becoming the master of himself and being near oblivious to personal credit. It is not weak, vacillating, nor servile submissivesness.” Meekness (Greek) = Controlled Strength Moroni: “None is acceptable before God, save the meek.” (Moroni 7:43–44) Mosiah 15:7: ”He shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.” Elder Maxwell: “Meekness is the subtraction of self.” “A meek man is like water, which when it meets an obstacle, rises slowly and patiently and ultimately runs over the obstruction and wears it away. The meek man is submissive only in the sense that he accepts the inevitable; because he submits to the will of God, he gains new strength, a new power.“ (Leland S. Monson, Look to the Mount)

What events in Christ’s life showed his meekness?

Elder Neal A. Maxwell This is a very special form of rest resulting from the shedding of certain needless burdens: fatiguing insincerity, exhausting hypocrisy, and the strength-sapping quest for recognition, praise, and power. Those of us who fall short, in one way or another, often do so because we carry such unnecessary and heavy baggage. Being overloaded, we sometimes stumble, and then we feel sorry for ourselves.” (The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book, ) Happily, the commandment ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart’ (Matt. 11:29) is a principle which carries an accompanying and compensating promise from Jesus: ‘and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

Sacred Commandments Let’s review Isaiah 58:13-14 “Our observance or nonobservance of _________________________ is an unerring measure of our attitude toward the Lord personally and toward his suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead” (Elder Mark E. Petersen). the Sabbath day Matthew 12:1-2 Matthew 12:8-14

SUNDAY 101 Discussion 1. What do you think the phrase “turn away thy foot … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day” means for us? 2. What blessings does the Lord promised for keeping the Sabbath day holy. 3. What can you do with your time on the Sabbath so you will not be doing your “own ways” or seeking your “own pleasure” 4. What activities have helped you to be able to “call the Sabbath a delight”? Isaiah 58:13-14

Take my yoke upon you TimeRememberObservance Old Testament New Testament After Jesus’ Death Latter Day

Take my yoke upon you TimeRememberObservance Old TestamentCreation Redemption from Egypt Prepare on the 6 th Day Remember on the Sabbath Day New Testament After Jesus’ Death Latter Day

Take my yoke upon you TimeRememberObservance Old TestamentCreation Redemption from Egypt Prepare on the 6 th Day Remember on the Sabbath Day New TestamentCreation Redemption from Egypt Prepare on the 6 th Day Rest from ALL labors After Jesus’ Death Latter Day

Take my yoke upon you TimeRememberObservance Old TestamentCreation Redemption from Egypt Prepare on the 6 th Day Remember on the Sabbath Day New TestamentCreation Redemption from Egypt Prepare on the 6 th Day Rest from ALL labors After Jesus’ DeathJesus’ death and resurrection Deliverance from Sin Prepare on Saturday Keep it holy by following Jesus’ example Latter Day

Take my yoke upon you TimeRememberObservance Old TestamentCreation Redemption from Egypt Prepare on the 6 th Day Remember on the Sabbath Day New TestamentCreation Redemption from Egypt Prepare on the 6 th Day Rest from ALL labors After Jesus’ DeathJesus’ death and resurrection Deliverance from Sin Prepare on Saturday Keep it holy by following Jesus’ example Latter DayChrist’s sacrifice?

Rules or principles? “Teachers should…not provide a list of dos and don’ts for keeping the Sabbath day holy. Once a teacher has taught the doctrine and the associated principles from the scriptures and the living prophets, such specific applications or rules are the responsibility of individuals.” Dallin H. Oaks Oct Gen. Conf.

Take my yoke upon you Sabbath Day What rules (personal? family? church?) govern your Sabbath?

4 Sabbath Day Principles Does it bring me closer to God? Is it unselfish? Does it keep me unspotted from the world? Does it stop someone else from keeping the Sabbath? WHAT DO YOU DO TO KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY?

The Sabbath of the Lord is becoming the play day of the people. It is a day of golf and football on television, of buying and selling in our stores and markets. Are we moving to mainstream America as some observers believe? In this I fear we are. What a telling thing it is to see the parking lots of the markets filled on Sunday in communities that are predominately LDS. Our strength for the future, our resolution to grow the Church across the world, will be weakened if we violate the will of the Lord in this important matter. He has so very clearly spoken anciently and again in modern revelation. We cannot disregard with impunity that which He has said. The Sabbath of the Lord is becoming the play day of the people. It is a day of golf and football on television, of buying and selling in our stores and markets. Are we moving to mainstream America as some observers believe? In this I fear we are. What a telling thing it is to see the parking lots of the markets filled on Sunday in communities that are predominately LDS. Our strength for the future, our resolution to grow the Church across the world, will be weakened if we violate the will of the Lord in this important matter. He has so very clearly spoken anciently and again in modern revelation. We cannot disregard with impunity that which He has said. Gordon B. Hinckley Oct Gen. Conf.

“Over a lifetime of observation, it is clear to me that the farmer who observes the Sabbath day seems to get more done on his farm than he would if he worked seven days. The mechanic will be able to turn out more and better products in six days than in seven. The doctor, the lawyer, the dentist, the scientist will accomplish more by trying to rest on the Sabbath than if he tries to utilize every day of the week for his professional work. I would counsel all students, if they can, to arrange their schedules so that they do not study on the Sabbath. If students and other seekers after truth will do this, their minds will be quickened and the infinite Spirit will lead them to the verities they wish to learn. This is because God has hallowed his day and blessed it as a perpetual covenant of faithfulness” (Ensign, Nov. 1991, 34). James E. Faust Do you have a testimony of this? Make a goal for one way you can improve your Sabbath Worship. Make a goal for one way you can improve your Sabbath Worship.

MATTHEW Take my yoke upon you