Lesson given in Elders Quorum on November 6th 2016
AGENCY AND RESPONSIBILITY
1. Understanding
Responsibility
·
Synonyms: __________________, __________________, __________________.
·
What article of faith talks about responsibility for our own actions?
·
What %?
·
Surveys show that
most people take credit for success for themselves, but blame failures on
external forces.
i. Why do people want choice but avoid responsibility? __________________.
·
What are some of
the things people say or do to try to avoid responsibility?
·
Famous excuses:
ii. Other excuses: __________________, __________________.
·
Excuses do not
correct mistakes. They do not = __________________.
·
What is the
difference between an excuse and a reason? __________________
2. The
power of Responsibility
·
Responsibility is
a willingness to confront fears, guilt and embarrassment
i. It is a willingness to see and accept
yourself as the one in control of your life, then to seize control of
the conditions that produce your success and happiness and allow dreams (faith
& hope) to be realized.
ii. Three traits necessary for high effectiveness:
1.
Confidence: Hebrews 10: 35-39, D&C 121: 45, 1 John 3: 18-22 (Cognitive Dissonance). Segue—Faith and Humility— Helaman 3: 35
2.
Humility: 2 Nephi 9: 42, Ether 12: 39 (Humility of Christ), Culture—People of Limhi (Mosiah 21)
vs. People of Alma (Mosiah 24),
Proverbs 18: 12
3.
Impulse Control: Mosiah 3:19
(Natural Man); Ether 12: 27, Jacob 4: 7,
Stanford and Rochester Marshmallow
Tests
iii. Power to turn
the other cheek & Forgive
iv. Power to seek
guidance
v. Power to confess
and repent
3. Being
Responsible / Taking control “If it is to be, It’s up to me.”
·
Assuming
responsibility increases our __________________ & __________________,
while blaming, making excuses, self-justifying, and self-pity limit our options
and control. If others are at fault and have to change before further progress
is made then others are in __________________ of the outcome or desired
results.
·
Agency and
responsibility are inseparable and interdependent principles—you cannot avoid
one without also __________________ the other.
·
“The Courageous man finds a way, the other
man finds an excuse.” Elder David B. Haight. (1 Nephi 3: 13-15 — Nephi vs. Laman & Lemuel).
·
“Acknowledging that you are responsible for
messing up your own life gives you the power to change things.” (How
Could You Do That: The Abdication of Character, Courage, and Conscience,
Dr. Laura Schlessinger)
4. Responsibility
and repentance—primary gifts & keys
·
Primary Gifts
of the Gospel—Agency & Responsibility
·
Primary Keys
of the Gospel—Remember (Faith) & Repent
i. Keys unlock the power
of the Gospel and open opportunities
for growth.
“Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is
God’s greatest gift to man. … Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than
any possession earth can give” (David O. McKay; in Conference Report, Apr.
1950, p. 32).
i. Justice requires that we take 100% responsibility.
1.
Does the
atonement absolve us of responsibility for our sins? __________________.
2.
Is this
absolution free/unconditional/automatic? __________________.
3.
What is our
responsibility? __________________.
ii. Mercy allows us the opportunity to progress by
providing us a mechanism to correct mistakes and address weaknesses.
iii. Faith is the dynamic driving force of recognition,
correction, and progression. Avoid obvious, large sins through obedience and
correct small sins/transgressions through repentance.
“In order to have
success, you must increase your failure rate.” – Thomas Watson, Founder of IBM
·
Faith requires
that our desire for success is greater than our fear
of failure—never let fear dominate our decisions or actions. (Life
Choices—Anxiety and confidence).
·
What is the first
step in the repentance process? __________________
·
What does
responsibility have to do with this first step? __________________
·
Is spiritual
growth possible without recognizing sin in our life? __________________
“The greatest of all
faults is to be conscious of none. – Thomas Carlyle, quoted in The Miracle
of Forgiveness Ch. 3
·
What does the
Gift of Confession have to do with 100% responsibility? __________________
The Anti-Christ Doctrine: men are not responsible for their own actions.
2 Nephi 28: 8-9– “justify us in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little…”
D&C 93: 39 – 2 ways of the adversary: 1) Disobedience, 2) Cultural Tradition
5. JUSTIFICATION
·
Self – Justification
Trying to pay the law
of Justice with an excuse (rationalization)
Trying to become our
own savior with an excuse
“The Enemy of Repentance is self-justification” Spencer W. Kimball
Justification: to
receive a remission of sins and be declared free of the responsibility of sin.
Man becomes justified
through the grace of the Savior as a result of faith exercised in Him. That
faith is demonstrated through repentance and obedience to the commandments and
ordinances of the gospel. The atonement of Jesus Christ makes repentance and
justification possible for all mankind. Thus justified, he is forgiven the
consequences that he would otherwise receive.
If we take 100%
responsibility, the Savior with pay for our sins.
·
When we excuse,
procrastinate, hide, or blame our sins on outside forces, what are we denying?
(Alma 42: 30). __________________
When we
aren’t responsible to God, we lose control to Satan
6.
How does our father in heaven feel about personal
responsibilty?
________________________________________________________________________
vs.
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vs.
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vs.
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vs.
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·
What about those
who are lukewarm? __________________
·
What about those
who are not lazy and say they have a willing heart, but are too busy, or they
don’t have the time? Where are they in the spectrum? __________________
7.
Responsibility for / to others (Am I
my brother’s keeper?)
Love our Spouse and
Family:
·
It is a
commandment: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” [Matt. 22:37, 39].
This is a command that requires a decision.
·
“Ye will teach
them [your children] to love one another, and to serve one another” (Mosiah 4:15).
How can something be taught that cannot be learned? __________________
·
Command to love
our spouse: “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto
her and none else” (D&C 42:22).
·
“A new commandment
I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that
ye also love one another” (John 13:34;
emphasis added). Loving as He loved is a higher form of love than loving “as
thyself.” It is a pure love that puts another higher than self.
·
This pure love is
the same love that should exist between husbands and wives. In Ephesians. 5:25,
the Apostle Paul exhorts, “Husbands, love your wives, [How?] even
as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” How, then, did
Christ love the Church? __________________
Acknowledgement: Parts of this lesson owe much of their material that was derived from articles, and talks given by Stephen Covey and Elder Lynn G. Robbins.
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