Tray, Towel, Picture of Christ, Mirror, Others, Map
Introduction
President Monson told the following story: “Let me share
with you the experience of a faithful home teacher and his companion in
what was then East Germany. Brother
Johann Denndorfer had been converted to the Church in Germany, and
following World War II he found himself virtually a prisoner in his own
land—the land of Hungary in the city of Debrecen. How he wanted to visit
the temple! How he desired to receive his spiritual blessings! Request
after request to journey to the temple in Switzerland had been denied,
and he almost despaired. Then his home teacher visited. Brother Walter
Krause went from the northeastern portion of Germany all the way to
Hungary. He had said to his home teaching companion, Would you like to
go home teaching with me this week? His companion said, ‘When will we leave? Tomorrow, replied Brother Krause. When will we come back?’ asked the companion. Oh, in about a week—if we get back then!
And
away they went to visit Brother Denndorfer. He had not had home
teachers since before the war. Now, when he saw the servants of the
Lord, he was overwhelmed. He did not shake hands with them; rather, he
went to his bedroom and took from a secret hiding place his tithing
that he had saved from the day he became a member of the Church and
returned to Hungary. He presented the tithing to his home teachers and
said: Now I am current with the Lord. Now I feel worthy to shake the
hands of servants of the Lord! Brother
Krause asked him about his desire to attend the temple in Switzerland.
Brother Denndorfer said: It’s no use. I have tried and tried. The
government has even confiscated my Church books, my greatest treasure. Brother
Krause, a patriarch, provided Brother Denndorfer with a patriarchal
blessing. At the conclusion of the blessing, he said to Brother
Denndorfer, ‘Approach the government again about going to Switzerland.’
And Brother Denndorfer submitted the request once again to the
authorities. This time approval came, and with joy Brother Denndorfer
went to the Swiss Temple and stayed a month. He received his own
endowment, his deceased wife was sealed to him, and he was able to
accomplish the work for hundreds of his ancestors. He returned to his
home renewed in body and in spirit."
President Monson shared that story should we feel an assignment too arduous or time-consuming. He also made the following statement to show how the Lord honors those who honor Him: “Some
of you may be shy by nature or consider yourselves inadequate to
respond affirmatively to a calling. Remember that this work is not yours
and mine alone. It is the Lord’s work, and when we are on the Lord’s
errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that whom the Lord
calls, the Lord qualifies.
Background
Hannah prayed for a son in the temple and promised to give him to the Lord. Eli the high priest in the temple comforted her.Chapter 2
The sons of Eli honor themselves above the Lord.
Hophni and Phinehas were sons of Eli, the high priest, and were priests themselves. However, they were wicked. When Israelites came to offer sacrifices at the tabernacle, Hophni and Phinehas forcibly took the flesh of the sacrificial animals before the fat portions had been burned on the altar. They also took some of the flesh that the offerer was boiling for the sacrificial meal. These were serious transgressions of God’s laws, equivalent to robbing God. Eli’s sons also committed the extremely serious sin of seducing women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle.
What effect did the actions of Eli’s sons have on other people in Israel? (v.17,24)
What do the actions of Eli’s sons suggest about whom they chose to honor? (uncover the mirror.)
*** In what areas of our lives do we sometimes honor and please ourselves rather than the Lord?
Entertainment, Sabbath observance, Dating and morality, Fasting, Church callings
*** Why do you think we sometimes choose to please ourselves rather than God?
*** What are the consequences of honoring ourselves more than God?
Eli honors his sons above the Lord.
What responsibility did Eli have when he learned of the wickedness of his sons?
What did he do? He reprimanded them
In what way had Eli honored his sons more than God? (uncover others)
Under the law of Moses, willful disobedience to parents was punishable by death, and the parents were obliged to see that the punishment was carried out. Hophni and Phinehas compounded their already serous sins by disobeying their father, and Eli failed in his parental responsibility as well as in his office as the presiding priest. Although he rebuked his sons, he took no action to see that the abomination in his family and at the tabernacle was corrected. Therefore, “a man of God” came to Eli and pronounced the Lord’s curse upon Eli’s house“[thou] honourest thy sons above me”
That is, Eli’s relationship with his sons was of more value to him than his relationship with God.
see (v.27-29)
*** In what ways do we sometimes honor other people more than God?
- We allow our peers to persuade us to do something we know is wrong.
- We act dishonestly because we are afraid of what other people might think of us.
- We fail to correct family members or friends in their wrongdoing because we want to maintain good relations with them.
President Joseph F. Smith taught: “There should [not] be any of us so unwisely indulgent, so thoughtless and so shallow in our affection for our children that we dare not check them in a wayward course, in wrong-doing and in their foolish love for the things of the world more than for the things of righteousness, for fear of offending them”
*** How can parents fulfill their responsibility toward wayward children in a spirit of love?
Chapter 3
Samuel honors the Lord.
Background (see v.1)
The word precious used here means scarce. The word of God was seldom heard in all the land. Elder Harold B. Lee explained why as follows: “There was no prophet upon the earth through whom the Lord could reveal his will, either by personal experience, or by revelation. And it came to pass that Eli was laid down in his place and his eyes were dim, and Samuel the boy also lay down to his sleep, and you remember through that night there came a call, ‘Samuel,’ and thinking that Eli had called him he went to Eli’s room to be told that Eli had not called him. And he lay down the second time again to be called, and yet the third time. And by this time Eli, sensing the fact that he was being spoken to by an unseen speaker, said, ‘The next time that you hear, then you shall answer, “Here I am Lord, speak to me.”’ And so the next time when the call came, Samuel answered as he had been directed. Now it says, ‘Samuel (up to this time) did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord revealed unto him.’ And after he had recognized the Lord and said, ‘Thy servant heareth,’ then he was told that the Lord was to proceed to ‘do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it, shall tingle.’ And then he explained the reason why Eli could not receive further messages from the Lord. ‘His sons make themselves vile, and he restrained them not,’ or in other words he allowed his sons to curse God and therefore were leading the people of Israel astray
How did Samuel learn it was the Lord calling? (v.8-9)
*** How does the Lord communicate with us?
*** How can we prepare ourselves to receive and understand communications from the Lord?
In what ways did Samuel honor the Lord? (uncover the picture of the Lord.)
- The Lord said Samuel would do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind (v2:35)
- The Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I (v.4)
- Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth (v.10)
The Lord promised to honor those who honored him (v.2:30)
How did the Lord honor Samuel? (v.19)
Chapter 8
Israelites honor the world.
What type of government did Israel have during Samuel’s ministry? Governed by judges
Why did the children of Israel want a king? (v.5,20)
In asking for a king, whom did the Israelites honor? (uncover the map)
In asking for a king “like all the nations,” whom did Israel reject? (v.7)
What did the Lord instruct Samuel to say about the problems of having a king? (v.9-18)
What was the response of the Israelites to Samuel’s warnings? (v.19-22) Still wanted a king
*** In what ways do we sometimes desire to be “like all the nations”?
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