Temple class
As Hubby and I have taught these lessons for the last almost six years, we have pondered and explored the principles with our 'students,' who have come from all sorts of backgrounds. Some of them have been converts, excited to continue forward in the blessings of the Kingdom. Some have come from long background in the Church, ready for their next natural step; some reactivated after drifting away and spending too many years in the wrong places. We have prepared missionaries and brides, couples and singles. In one instance, we had a brother whom we had known a long time who had not been to the temple for twenty years, and asked the bishop if he could have a refresher course before he went back. We don't choose our students, the bishop interviews them and decides, and then tells us to begin with such and such persons. The stewardship of evaluating is his, and the stewardship of teaching and preparing after he directs is ours.
The six lessons are like the missionary lessons in that they don't have to take a specified period of time, they rather have to cover the content at whatever pace is necessary. The first lesson, on the plan of salvation, is impossible to cover in one week. It only took two weeks, once, with the brother who just needed a review. The first group, where we had the advantage of meeting on Tuesday nights so that we had an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, we spent four weeks on the first lesson.
My husband declared at the first session that this was the opportunity to ask any question about the gospel that you ever wanted to ask. If we were unable to answer, we would find out more ourselves. He said that if anyone there had ever had something go right past them in Sunday School, for example, and didn't understand but didn't want to bring the group to a halt to ask something that everyone else apparently understood, this was now the chance. That first week, there was an immediate question: What was the Book of Abraham exactly? Since we were about to read several scriptures from that book, this was a good question, which we were able to answer and give a better understanding. That group of four had a lot of stop and ask this questions, which is one reason the first lesson took four weeks. That was what we were there for.
Since Hubby has a new calling, we suspect that when we finish the lessons with our current student, we will be released. He pretty much has to be, I think, now that he is ward clerk. We have one more lesson with our current student, who is a class of one, and then we tell the bishop he is done. He is a gentle, sweet, tender man, who just had the opportunity to baptize his eight-year-old son. Brother M. is a convert of a little over a year, and he just shines with the blessing of finding the gospel. Being baptized, and having a testimony of its importance was not the same as performing the ordinance for his child, exercising that priesthood for the first time. He felt it, he knew it, he almost trembled with it as new knowledge of the love and power and truth of that ordinance. At the same time, he is going forward with his desire to go to the temple even though his wife, who was baptized when he was, won't come now. It would be his greatest joy to do this together, but he is doing it alone. He will be made an elder soon.
The Spirit has been so strong in that little room every Sunday. Two teachers, one student, and the Holy Ghost. We asked gently if there was some particular reason that his wife has stopped coming, if someone hurt her feelings in some way. He says no, he's pretty sure not, he doesn't know how to explain, but he's hoping and praying that she will let herself have the hope and the joy of the gospel again. He said that walking in the door the first time, it was just immediately home, he knew that he had walked into the place he was meant to be, as if he had known it before and forgotten. I felt directed to tell him that I didn't know what his wife needed, and how to reach her and draw her back, but Heavenly Father did and he would find the spot, the crack in the door, and draw her into the awareness of His love. He knows how to heal whatever needs healing. It might be through the light David will bring home with him when he goes to the Lord's house, it might take time, but it will happen. And we will be praying for her help, however the Lord sees it. Join us in that prayer.
When we pray for the missionaries to be led to the honest in heart, they found one in this man. There is no guile, there is no hedging, and there is no question that he is prepared to open up his life to all that the Lord has for him. That's the way we should all be, daily, remembering and seeking.
The six lessons are like the missionary lessons in that they don't have to take a specified period of time, they rather have to cover the content at whatever pace is necessary. The first lesson, on the plan of salvation, is impossible to cover in one week. It only took two weeks, once, with the brother who just needed a review. The first group, where we had the advantage of meeting on Tuesday nights so that we had an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, we spent four weeks on the first lesson.
My husband declared at the first session that this was the opportunity to ask any question about the gospel that you ever wanted to ask. If we were unable to answer, we would find out more ourselves. He said that if anyone there had ever had something go right past them in Sunday School, for example, and didn't understand but didn't want to bring the group to a halt to ask something that everyone else apparently understood, this was now the chance. That first week, there was an immediate question: What was the Book of Abraham exactly? Since we were about to read several scriptures from that book, this was a good question, which we were able to answer and give a better understanding. That group of four had a lot of stop and ask this questions, which is one reason the first lesson took four weeks. That was what we were there for.
Since Hubby has a new calling, we suspect that when we finish the lessons with our current student, we will be released. He pretty much has to be, I think, now that he is ward clerk. We have one more lesson with our current student, who is a class of one, and then we tell the bishop he is done. He is a gentle, sweet, tender man, who just had the opportunity to baptize his eight-year-old son. Brother M. is a convert of a little over a year, and he just shines with the blessing of finding the gospel. Being baptized, and having a testimony of its importance was not the same as performing the ordinance for his child, exercising that priesthood for the first time. He felt it, he knew it, he almost trembled with it as new knowledge of the love and power and truth of that ordinance. At the same time, he is going forward with his desire to go to the temple even though his wife, who was baptized when he was, won't come now. It would be his greatest joy to do this together, but he is doing it alone. He will be made an elder soon.
The Spirit has been so strong in that little room every Sunday. Two teachers, one student, and the Holy Ghost. We asked gently if there was some particular reason that his wife has stopped coming, if someone hurt her feelings in some way. He says no, he's pretty sure not, he doesn't know how to explain, but he's hoping and praying that she will let herself have the hope and the joy of the gospel again. He said that walking in the door the first time, it was just immediately home, he knew that he had walked into the place he was meant to be, as if he had known it before and forgotten. I felt directed to tell him that I didn't know what his wife needed, and how to reach her and draw her back, but Heavenly Father did and he would find the spot, the crack in the door, and draw her into the awareness of His love. He knows how to heal whatever needs healing. It might be through the light David will bring home with him when he goes to the Lord's house, it might take time, but it will happen. And we will be praying for her help, however the Lord sees it. Join us in that prayer.
When we pray for the missionaries to be led to the honest in heart, they found one in this man. There is no guile, there is no hedging, and there is no question that he is prepared to open up his life to all that the Lord has for him. That's the way we should all be, daily, remembering and seeking.
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