Pray Always

This weeks lesson was #2, Pray Always.

President Benson followed this counsel in every aspect of his life. When he was appointed to serve as the United States secretary of agriculture, he “prayerfully and carefully” selected a group of men to work with him, “asking God to give [him] a spirit of discernment.”² At their first meeting, he asked “if anyone objected to opening their meetings with prayer. No one dissented. And so began a practice that [he] perpetuated for eight years. He invited each staff member to take turns offering the invocation.”³ His associates came to appreciate this practice, even though they may have been uncomfortable with it at first. One staff member later admitted that some of the men had not prayed aloud since they were children. “We stumbled and fumbled for words,” he said. “But the Boss [President Benson] never let on that he noticed. And after a few trials everybody was at ease. Has it helped? Well, I’d say that when you start a meeting that way, people aren’t stuck up with the pride of their opinions. You pretty quickly come to an agreement as to what ought to be done in any situation.”

Reasons We Pray:
Gratitude

Sacrament

Overcome Temptation

Assistance, Learning

Sick or Afflicted

Church Leaders, Politicians and People of influence

Food

Discernment - Understanding

Protection - comfort, peace

Family

Gospel, charity, service

 

Sister Rigby showed us some videos, First was the video of the Sermon on the Mount: the Beatitudes.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-032-sermon-on-the-mount-the-beatitudes?lang=eng

 

Matthew 5:13

 

 

Salt looses its savor by contamination. We need to keep our savor by avoiding contamination.

 

The next video was The Sermon on the Mount: The Higher Law.

 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-033-sermon-on-the-mount-the-higher-law?lang=eng

 

Sister Rigby posed the question: Do we save our best selves for only those we know/care for or do we serve and do our best for anyone?

 

Perfection is translated from greek to mean complete.
To be perfect means to be complete. We are not here to be perfect, but to become complete.

 

The 3rd and last video was: The Sermon on the Mount: The Lord's Prayer.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-034-sermon-on-the-mount-the-lords-prayer?lang=eng

 

Doctrine and Covenants 112:10

 

When you don't feel like praying, pray until you do!

We need to make our prayers meaningful and not repetitious.

 

How often do our prayers involve someone else? Prayers are often/usually for others.

President and Sister Benson taught their children to pray for personal guidance and strength and also to pray for one another. A friend of the family once observed the influence of those teachings when she attended a session of general conference with the Bensons. She wrote:

“On an April day … , I discovered one source of a General Authority’s strength.

“I was seated with the six children of Elder Ezra Taft Benson, one of whom was my college roommate. My interest heightened when President [David O.] McKay arose and announced the next speaker. I watched respectfully as Elder Benson, whom I had not yet met, walked toward the microphone. He was a big man, well over six feet tall. He was … a man internationally known as the United States Secretary of Agriculture and a special witness of the Lord, a man who seemed serene and sure, one who had addressed audiences throughout the world. Suddenly a hand touched my arm. A little girl leaned toward me and whispered urgently, ‘Pray for Dad.’

“Somewhat startled, I thought, ‘This message is being passed down the row, and I am to pass it on. Shall I say, “Pray for Elder Benson”? Shall I say, “You’re supposed to say a prayer for your father”?’ Sensing the immediate need to act, I leaned over and whispered simply, ‘Pray for Dad.’

“I watched that whisper move along the row to where Sister Benson sat, her head already bowed. …

“As years have passed, general conferences have come and gone, and each time President Benson has stood to speak, I have thought, ‘His children, who are scattered across the continent, are united now in prayer for their father.’”