Ben gave a really wonderful talk yesterday in Church on how to have a Christ-centered home. He might be a little mad but it was so good I just had to share it! :) So here it is...
* * * In 2011 Richard J. Maynes of the Seventy testified: “We understand and believe in the eternal nature of the family. This understanding and belief should inspire us to do everything in our power to establish a Christ-centered home.” The Family: A Proclamation to the World states “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Elder Richard G. Scott spoke on centering the home on Christ in his conference address of April 2013. He began by saying: “Many voices from the world in which we live tell us we should live at a frantic pace. There is always more to do and more to accomplish. Yet deep inside each of us is a need to have a place of refuge where peace and serenity prevail, a place where we can reset, regroup, and reenergize to prepare for future pressures. “The ideal place for that peace is within the walls of our own homes, where we have done all we can to make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece.” The bible dictionary says that only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness… So how do we achieve that? We do as Richard G. Scott says and make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece of our homes. He goes on to say: “I’m sure you can identify the fundamental principles that center your home on the Savior. The prophetic counsel to have daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home evening are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a Christ-centered home. Without these regular practices it will be difficult to find the desired and much-needed peace and refuge from the world.” While it seems like those things may be simple, I love a quote from Sister Shirley R. Klein, a professor at BYU. She says, “Prove faithful in the little things, and the bigger things will be added on.” The ways we can center our home on Christ are simple: daily scripture study, daily prayer, and family home evening. Since the day my wife and I got married, we have not missed a day of family scripture study and prayer. I testify that it has brought the spirit into our relationship and we have felt the blessings in our home. While we lived in Idaho for school, our home there became a refuge away from the world, and from work. Now, here in New York, our apartment has become the place I love to go to get away from the stresses of work, and pressures of the world. Elder Scott explains one of the blessings of centering your home on Christ by explaining: “As you center your home on the Savior, it will naturally become a refuge not only to your own family but also to friends who live in more difficult circumstances. They will be drawn to the serenity they feel there. Welcome such friends into your home. They will blossom in that Christ-centered environment. Become friends with your children’s friends. Be a worthy example to them.” My mother was an incredible example of this. She always strove to create a welcoming, Christ centered environment and I saw the impact it had on my friends. Elder Scott testifies that “living an obedient life, firmly rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, provides the greatest assurance for peace and refuge in our homes. There will still be plenty of challenges or heartaches, but even in the midst of turmoil, we can enjoy inner peace and profound happiness.” In 2015 Elder Maynes said that “Centering our lives in Jesus Christ and His gospel will bring stability and happiness to our lives.” And when we focus our lives on Christ, it is only natural that our homes become focused on Christ. One way to make Christ the center of our lives and homes is to study Him, to get to know Him. This past April during general conference, President Nelson issued an invitation to everyone listening to come to know Christ through study. He said: “How can you increase in your discipleship? I have an invitation for you that will help—it’s an assignment, actually—if you choose to accept it. Commence tonight to consecrate a portion of your time each week to studying everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the Old Testament, for He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. Study His laws as recorded in the New Testament, for He is its Christ. Study His doctrine as recorded in the Book of Mormon, for there is no book of scripture in which His mission and His ministry are more clearly revealed. And study His words as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, for He continues to teach His people in this dispensation. This may seem like a large assignment, but I encourage you to accept it. If you proceed to learn all you can about Jesus Christ:
He said of his experience: “I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide. When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”” My wife and I have since been working our way through each reference of Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide and have felt the blessings of a concentrated study of our Savior and an increase of His spirit in our home. I bear my testimony that if you will take this challenge as well, and build upon the small and simple things that the prophets have taught; prayer, family home evening, scripture study, that you will receive the blessings that come with having a home centered on Christ.
1 Comment
Dad
5/29/2017 09:56:04 pm
Excellent talk!
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AuthorI'm R and he's B. We've been in love since we were teenagers, and now we're married. We're Mormons, students, and Californians at heart. This is our daily love story. Archives
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