Elder Johnson opened up his talk with sharing quotes that remind us of our identity as sons and daughters of God, and that endows us with divine power.
"All human beings - male and female - are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each as divine nature and destiny." - The Family: A Proclamation to the World
"We are "choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work." - D&C 138:53
"You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter during this latter part of these latter days. That teaching endures with you!" - President Russell M. Nelson
Elder Johnson said that this knowledge of who we are would be tested by the adversary in three main ways:
Deception
Distraction
Discouragement
Because I knew that we would not have time to cover the whole talk, I skipped going into detail about the three Ds and went to the end of his talk when Elder Johnson identified the tools we already have to overcome the three Ds. I also felt like talking about these tools first was more important because they are tools we should already be working on, and not wait until Satan is tempting us.
The first tool is the first great commandment: to love God. We read two scripture verses:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, y are only in the service of your God." - Mosiah 2:17
The sisters in my ward focused the discussion on viewing and loving others the way that God sees them. This will help us be more patient and understanding towards those who are different, and will ultimately lead us to actually loving them.
The second tool is to pray: "every day, every day, every day."
One sister shared an experience where she woke up suddenly at five in the morning and felt very strongly to get on her knees and pray for her son. Later that day, she was talking to him on the phone and he said that at that same time he had been driving and felt himself falling asleep at the wheel, and then he felt awake.Two other sisters shared how impressed they are with the kind of prayers their young children give. One said that her daughter without prompting will ask Heavenly Father to help her make good choices. Another shared that her daughter prays for her mom's health every time she prays, no matter what kind of prayer it is: bedtime, dinner, primary, etc.
I shared something a visiting teaching companion taught me several years ago: when you pray, pause throughout your prayer and listen to the Spirit, he might inspire you to say something more.
The third tool is to read The Book of Mormon: "every day, every day, every day."
Elder Johnson shared that when he reads The Book of Mormon, he has a question in his mind. I then asked the sisters in my ward to share their Book of Mormon study tips and habits.
A couple of sisters shared how they were already reading The Book of Mormon at the start of the new year, but they were inspired to start over and follow the Come, Follow Me schedule, because they believe it is important and helpful that the entire Church is essentially studying The Book of Mormon together.
Another sister - who is learning English - said that she gets double the study time because she reads one verse in Spanish and then the same verse in English; and it has really helped her study the gospel in her native language and in English as well. Things are worded differently in each language, and it has been a huge blessing for her to study both.
Another sister shared that she reads all of the additional scripture verses and talks that are suggested in the Come, Follow Me chapters for each section.
The fourth tool is to partake of the Sacrament: "every week, every week, every week."
I asked the sisters if they would be willing to share experiences where they can feel the affects and blessings of the Sacrament after they leave the church building and go about their week. Collectively we discussed that we really feel the difference when we don't partake of the Sacrament. Our week feels dark, we have less patience, inspiration and revelation is harder to come by. Many sisters testified of how important the Sacrament is.
We ended with self-reflection questions on the 3Ds:
Deception
"We are created in God's own image, and He has a work for us to do. The adversary attempts to deceive by having us forget who we are, then it is difficult to recognize who we can become."
What identity deceptions has Satan thrown at you?
How can/have you overcome those deceptions?
Distraction
"The adversary also attempts to distract us away from Christ and His covenant path...In our day, there are many distractions, including Twitter, Facebook, virtual reality games, and much more. These technological advances are amazing, but if we are not careful, they can distract us from fulfilling our divine potential. Using them appropriately can bring forth the power of heaven and allow us to witness miracles as we seek to gather scattered Israel on both sides of the veil."
Choose a distraction:
How can the above distraction be used appropriately and with divine purpose?
Discouragement
"Lastly, the adversary desires for us to become discouraged. We may get discouraged when we compare ourselves to others or feel we are not living up to expectations, including our own...please do not let anyone steal your happiness. Do not compare yourself to others. Please remember the loving words of the Savior: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'"
Think of a time you were discouraged. How did you overcome it? If you are currently discouraged, is there anything from today that can help you?
