Arms of Mercy

All of us have had, are having, or will yet have a Peter-like “sinking” experience in some way and will at some time (probably many times) cry out, “Lord, save me.” Even Peter’s strong fisherman arms were not strong enough to save him. He needed the rescuing arms of Christ, and so do we. Can you imagine Peter—choking, his head bobbing beneath the surface of the water—saying as the Savior extends His arms: “No, thank you. I will swim to shore. I sank myself, so I must save myself”? Of course not. How ridiculous! Yet we sometimes do just that....

The Savior’s perfect and infinite arms of love give us the strength to endure heartache and hardship, the power to resist temptation, and the courage to keep the commandments even as we are being mocked and scorned by those in the “great and spacious building” (1 Nephi 11:36). ...

Alma reminded his people that Christ “sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them” (Alma 5:33; emphasis added). Think of what that invitation really means. Think of what His arms of mercy can do for you. When you are embraced in His arms of mercy, you will come to know the peace and joy of being clean—forgiven of your sins through His atoning mercy. You will see the world and all eternity with new eyes through the companionship of the Holy Ghost. You will feel more profoundly and love more deeply because He will, as the prophet Ezekiel declared, “take away the stony heart out of your flesh” and give you “a new heart” and “a new spirit” that will “cause you to walk in [His] statutes … and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

• APRIL 2012

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The Loving Arms of Christ

By Brent L. Top

From a devotional address delivered at BYU–Idaho on September 29, 2009. For the full text, visit web.byui.edu/devotionalsandspeeches/speeches.aspx.

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Sin- resistant Children

A Sin-Resistant Generation

By Joy D. Jones

Primary General President

We must help them know without question that they are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and that He has divine expectations of them.

Second, understanding the doctrine of repentance is essential for becoming resistant to sin. Being sin-resistant doesn’t mean being sinless, but it does imply being continually repentant, vigilant, and valiant. 

So a third key to helping children become sin-resistant is to begin at very early ages to lovingly infuse them with basic gospel doctrines and principles—from the scriptures, the Articles of Faith, the For the Strength of Youth booklet, Primary songs, hymns, and our own personal testimonies—that will lead children to the Savior.

Helping children understand, make, and keep sacred covenants is another key in creating a sin-resistant generation.

Teaching children to keep simple promises when they are young will empower them to keep holy covenants later in life.

Brothers and sisters, hold your little ones close—so close that they see your daily religious behavior and watch you keeping your promises and covenants.

Study the Book of Mormon Every Day

What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so.

I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. 

The Power of the Book of Mormon

By President Thomas S. Monson

Teaching the Proclamation to Children Part 4

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.”

How to Explain This to Children

Before we were born on earth, we lived with Heavenly Father as His spirit daughters and His spirit sons. Heavenly Father told us He had a plan for us. In this plan we would get a body by being born on earth. We would have experiences that would help us grow. We could choose to learn and become more like our Heavenly Parents. One day we would return to Them. We loved Heavenly Father and accepted this plan.

Activity Idea

Review the plan of salvation by labeling different places in your house as different parts of the plan (for example, pre-earth life, life on earth, spirit world, eternal life). As you move from place to place, talk about why that part of the plan is important. If possible, find a picture of Jesus Christ to take with you. At each stop, talk about why Jesus is important to that part of the plan and how He can help us get to the next place successfully. Talk about why Heavenly Father’s plan is sometimes called the “plan of happiness.”

Find other teaching tips and a copy of the family proclamation at ProclamationKids.lds.org.

Teaching the Proclamation to Children Part 3

“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

How to Explain This to Children

Every single person on earth is an important child of Heavenly Parents. We can grow up to be like Them! Each person here on earth was created as a girl or a boy even before they were born. They are here as a girl or a boy for a reason. And after this life, they will continue to be a girl or a boy.

Activity Idea

Give each child a piece of paper and invite them to fill it with a collage of pictures and words showing what makes them unique. They could cut pictures out of magazines, draw their own, or print pictures from online. Talk about how wonderful it is that people have different talents and interests. Point to two different tools that were used to create your collages—a pair of scissors and a bottle of glue, for example. Although these tools look different and do different things, they worked together to create something beautiful. Explain that boys and girls are created to be different, but neither one is better than the other. Men and women work together to create beautiful families.

Find other teaching tips and a copy of the familyproclamation at ProclamationKids.lds.org.

Teaching the Proclamation to Children Part 2

“We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”

How to Explain This to Children

This proclamation was written to the world by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It teaches what Heavenly Father wants us to know about families. Heavenly Father wants men and women to be married and create families because families are one of the most important parts of the plan of salvation. Families help us reach our “eternal destiny,” which is to learn and grow to become more like our Heavenly Parents.

Activity Idea

Show your children pictures of your wedding or the wedding of grandparents or other couples in your family history. Tell your children the story of how you and your spouse met, or share other stories from family and friends. Invite your children to draw pictures of what they imagine their wedding and family will be like someday. Testify of the blessings that have come into your life because of marriage.

Find other teaching tips and a copy of the family proclamation at ProclamationKids.lds.org.

Teaching the Proclamation to Children Part 1

Read out loud the full title of the proclamation: “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

How to Explain This to Children

A “proclamation” is a very important announcement. Sometimes kings and queens make proclamations to the people in their land. This proclamation wasn’t written by a king or a queen—it was written by the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles! It teaches us important things that Heavenly Father wants us to know about families. It warns us about actions that will hurt our families or our communities. It also teaches us how we can stay safe and happy in this life. These teachings are so important that we want everyone in the entire world to hear this message. President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), who was the prophet before President Monson, first read this proclamation at a general Relief Society meeting in September 1995.

Activity Idea

Imagine your family had the chance to share a message when the entire world was watching. What would you say? Create your own proclamation by writing or drawing your testimonies onto a large paper or poster board. Take turns standing on a chair and reading the statements of testimony out loud in a bold way, as if you were making an announcement. How does sharing your testimony make you feel? Why would it be important to listen to the proclamations and testimonies of the First Presidency and the Apostles?

Find other teaching tips and a copy of the family proclamation at ProclamationKids.lds.org.