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Dear Madam:Due to your husband’s increasingly disruptive behavior, we are forced to ban both of you from our store for the time being. While this is an unusual step, our store manager has documented the following disturbing behaviors:

Aug 1st Went to service desk and tried to put a bag of M&M’s on layawayAug 4th Set all the alarm clocks in housewares to go off at 5 minute intervalsAug 6th Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers the s’mores would be ready in an hourAug 10th When the manager asked him if he needed assistance, he started to cry and

asked, “Why can’t you just leave me alone!”Aug 11th While in the gun department, asked the clerk where the antidepressants were…Aug 13th Darted around the store suspiciously humming the theme from “Mission

Impossible”.Aug 20th Hid in the women’s clothing rack and when people were browsing, yelled “Pick Me! Pick Me!”Aug 22nd When any announcement came over the loud speaker, he got into a fetal position and yelled, “No, No, it’s the voices again!

Mrs. Hinckley, tell Kevin the Cowboys are winning again and to please leave us alone. Please, please, please.

DISTURBING LETTER FROM WAL-MART

ELDER NEAL A. MAXWELL

Fundamental…was Laman and Lemuel's not understanding that a tutoring God may require difficult things of His children.

The role of adversity is noted in this stern but inspired insight: "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith" (Mosiah 23:21).

Their sad expectation of ease was evident in their bristling over getting the plates from Laban, enduring the harsh wilderness, building a ship, and crossing a vast ocean (see 1 Ne. 3 4).

Dulled and desensitized, Laman and Lemuel simply didn't share Nephi's confidence that the Lord would never command His children to do difficult things, except the Lord first prepares the way (see 1 Ne. 3:7).

QUESTION

How ‘easy’ is it for Latter Day Saints to get caught up in an expectation of ease?

How ‘easy’ it is for parents to teach their children to expect it?

ELDER HOLLANDWhen crisis comes in [their] lives—and they will—the philosophies of men interlaced with a few scriptures and poems just won’t do.

Are we really nurturing [those we teach] in a way that will sustain them when the stresses of life appear?

Or are we giving them a kind of theological Twinkie—spiritually empty calories? President John Taylor called such teaching ‘fried froth,’ the kind of thing you could eat all day and yet finish feeling totally unsatisfied. (“A Teacher Come from God,” Ensign, May 1998, 27)

MURMURING 101OUR PERCEPTIONS CREATE OUR REALITIES

Nephi 17And so great were the blessings of

the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them…

Laman and Lemuel…and we have wandered in the

wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things….

Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

TRIALS AND DIVINE INTERVENTIONS

CrisisDeath of

Ishmael1 Nephi 16:33-

35

L&L ResponseTry to kill

Nephi

Lord’s Intervention

1 Nephi 16:39Voice of the Lord

TRIALS AND DIVINE INTERVENTIONS

CrisisDeath of

Ishmael

Building the Boat

1 Nephi 17:23-45

L&L ResponseTry to kill

Nephi

Try to kill Nephi

Lord’s Intervention

1 Nephi 16:39Voice of the Lord1 Nephi 17:48,

53,54Shock and Awe

President Boyd K. Packer"We do not have the words (even the scriptures do not have words) which perfectly describe the Spirit. The scriptures usually use the word voice, which does not exactly fit.

These delicate, refined spiritual communications are not seen with our eyes nor heard with our ears. It is a voice that one feels more than one hears.

(New Mission President Seminar, 1991)

TRIALS AND DIVINE INTERVENTIONS

CrisisDeath of

Ishmael

Building the Boat

Prosperity at Sea

Death of Lehi

L&L ResponseTry to kill

Nephi

Try to kill Nephi

RebellionTry to kill

Nephi

RebellionTry to kill

Nephi

Lord’s Intervention

1 Nephi 16:39Voice of the Lord1 Nephi 17:48,

53,54Shock and Awe1 Nephi 18:13-21Natural

CalamitiesRighteous also

suffer2 Nephi 5:1-5Righteous are

separated out

Increasing Sin Increasing AngerAgainst the Prophets

PERSONAL QUESTIONS:

How do you personally respond to life’s trials?

How do you respond to trials of your own making (both sins and stupids)?