Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
Sometimes God temporarily grants to women and men their unwise requests in order that they might learn from their own sad experiences. Some refer to this as the ‘Samuel principle.’ In our study this week, we will look at the Samuel principle as well as lessons on not judging too quickly. From the story of David and Goliath, we will apply five stones and the sling of faith to our lives and will conclude with a few thoughts on best friends.
President Ezra Taft Benson: “Sometimes [God] temporarily grants to men their unwise requests in order that they might learn from their own sad experiences. Some refer to this as the ‘Samuel principle.’ The children of Israel wanted a king like all the other nations. The prophet Samuel was displeased and prayed to the Lord about it. The Lord responded by saying, Samuel, ‘they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’ The Lord told Samuel to warn the people of the consequences if they had a king. Samuel gave them the warning. But they still insisted on their king. So God gave them a king and let them suffer. …
“Sometimes in our attempts to mimic the world, and contrary to the prophet’s counsel, we run after the world’s false educational, political, musical, and dress ideas. New worldly standards take over, a gradual breakdown occurs, and finally, after much suffering, a humble people are ready to be taught once again a higher law” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” New Era, May 1975, 17, 18).
President Spencer W. Kimball: "Samuel called the people together and explained to them that the people of the Lord should be different, with higher standards. 'We want to be like other peoples,' they demanded. 'We do not want to be different.' ...
"Not so different are we today! We want the glamor and frothiness of the world, not always realizing the penalties of our folly. ... Others ... indulge in their social drinking - 'we must also have a king like unto other nations!'
"Styles are created by the vulgar and money-mad and run from one extreme to the other to out-date present wardrobes and create business for merchants. We cannot be different. We would rather die than be 'not up to date.' If the dress is knee length we must go [a] little above the knee. If shorts are short we must have the shortest... [If] bathing suits are skimpy, we must have the skimpiest. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!'
"The Lord says he will have a peculiar people but we do not wish to be peculiar. ... If intimate fondling is the pattern of the crowd, we will fondle. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!' ...
"Others have hollywood marriages with finery and glitter and ostentatious pomposity. We also must have candles, gowns, best men and ladies in waiting, often dangerously near immodestly dressed. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!'
"When, oh when, will our Latter-day Saints stand firm on their own feet, establish their own standards, follow proper patterns and live their own glorious lives in accordance with Gospel inspired patterns. ... Certainly good times and happy lives and clean fun are not dependent upon the glamorous, the pompous, the extremes" ("Like All the Nations," Church News, 15 Oct. 1960, 14).
The Rise and Fall of Saul the King
The Rise
The Fall
Elder Robert D. Hales: “My brothers and sisters, are we hearkening with exactness to the voice of the Lord and His prophets? Or, like Saul, are we practicing selective obedience and fearing the judgments of men?” (“Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 26).
The Mistake of the President of Harvard
A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston and walked timidly without an appointment into the President of Harvard University outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn’t even deserve to be in Cambridge. She frowned at them.
“We want to see the president,” the man said softly.
“He’ll be busy all day,” the secretary snapped.
“We’ll wait,” the lady said humbly.
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and just go away. They didn’t. The secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted having to do.
“Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they will leave,” she told him. The president sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn’t have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office. The President, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple.
The lady told him, “We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here, but about a year ago he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him somewhere on campus.”
The president wasn’t touched. He was shocked.
“Madam,” he said gruffly, “we can not put a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery.”
“Oh no,” the lady explained quickly, “We don’t want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard.”
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, them exclaimed, “A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant here at Harvard alone.”
For a moment, the lady was silent.
The president was pleased. He could get ride of them now.
The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, “Is that how much it costs to start a university? Why don’t we start our own?”
Her husband nodded. The president’s face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where they established the university that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton: “We . . . tend to evaluate others on the basis of physical, outward appearance: their ‘good looks,’ their social status, their family pedigrees, their degrees, or their economic situations.
“The Lord, however, has a different standard by which he measures a person . . . (1 Samuel 16:7).
“When the Lord measures an individual . . . He measures the heart as an indicator of the person’s capacity and potential to bless others.
“Why the heart? Because the heart is a synonym for one’s entire make-up. . . .
“The measure of our hearts is the measure of our total performance. As used by the Lord, the ‘heart’ of a person describes his effort to better self, or others, or the conditions he confronts.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1988, 17; or Ensign, Nov. 1988, 15)
President Thomas S. Monson: “Is there a Goliath in your life? Is there one in mine? Does he stand between you and your desired happiness? Your Goliath may not carry a sword or insult you in public so that all may hear and force you to make a decision. He may not be three meters tall, but he likely will appear equally as formidable, and his silent challenge may shame and embarrass.
“Just as David went to the brook and deliberately selected five smooth stones, we must go to our source of supply—the Lord. What polished stones will you select to defeat the Goliath that is robbing you of your happiness by smothering your opportunities? May I offer suggestions?
And remember the "Sling of Faith"
“Above all else may we ever remember that we do not go forth alone to battle the Goliaths of our lives.
“But the battle must be fought. Victory cannot come by neglect. So it is in the battles of life. We will never see the details of our lives spread before us. We must anticipate the approaching divisions and turnings in the road. We cannot hope to reach our desired journey’s end if we do not focus on the goal. We must make our decisions purposefully. Our most significant opportunities for growth and development will be found in times of greatest difficulty. (“Meeting Your Goliath,” Tambuli, May 1987, 2)
President Gordon B. Hinckley: "There are Goliaths all around you, hulking giants with evil intent to destroy you. These are not nine foot tall men, but they are men and institutions that control attractive but evil things that may challenge and weaken and destroy you. Included in these are beer and other liquors and tobacco. Those who market these products would like to enslave you into their use. There are drugs of various kinds which, I am told, are relatively easy to obtain in many high schools. For those who peddle them, this is a multimillion dollar industry, a giant web of evil. There is pornography, seductive and interesting and inviting. It has become a giant industry, producing magazines, films, and other materials designed to take your money and lead you toward activities that would destroy you.
"The giants who are behind these efforts are formidable and skillful. They have gained vast experience in the war they are carrying on. They would like to ensnare you.
"It is almost impossible to entirely avoid exposure to their products. You see these materials on all sides. But you need not fear if you have the slingshot of truth in your hands. You have been counseled and taught and advised. You have the stones of virtue and honor and integrity to use against these enemies who would like to conquer you. Insofar as you are concerned, you can hit them 'between the eye,' to use a figurative expression.
“You can triumph over them by disciplining yourselves to avoid them. You can say to the whole lot of them as David said to Goliath, 'Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, who thou hast defied.'
"Victory will be yours.... You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground and hold your place, and you will be triumphant." (Ensign, May 1983, p46, 51)
Elder Marvin J. Ashton: "A friend is a person who will suggest and render the best for us regardless of the immediate consequences. . . .
"A friend is a person who is willing to take me the way I am but who is willing and able to leave me better than he found me." (in Conference Report, Oct. 1972, 33, 35; or Ensign, Jan. 1973, 41, 43).
Teaching Thoughts:
President Ezra Taft Benson: “Sometimes [God] temporarily grants to men their unwise requests in order that they might learn from their own sad experiences. Some refer to this as the ‘Samuel principle.’ The children of Israel wanted a king like all the other nations. The prophet Samuel was displeased and prayed to the Lord about it. The Lord responded by saying, Samuel, ‘they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’ The Lord told Samuel to warn the people of the consequences if they had a king. Samuel gave them the warning. But they still insisted on their king. So God gave them a king and let them suffer. …
“Sometimes in our attempts to mimic the world, and contrary to the prophet’s counsel, we run after the world’s false educational, political, musical, and dress ideas. New worldly standards take over, a gradual breakdown occurs, and finally, after much suffering, a humble people are ready to be taught once again a higher law” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” New Era, May 1975, 17, 18).
President Spencer W. Kimball: "Samuel called the people together and explained to them that the people of the Lord should be different, with higher standards. 'We want to be like other peoples,' they demanded. 'We do not want to be different.' ...
"Not so different are we today! We want the glamor and frothiness of the world, not always realizing the penalties of our folly. ... Others ... indulge in their social drinking - 'we must also have a king like unto other nations!'
"Styles are created by the vulgar and money-mad and run from one extreme to the other to out-date present wardrobes and create business for merchants. We cannot be different. We would rather die than be 'not up to date.' If the dress is knee length we must go [a] little above the knee. If shorts are short we must have the shortest... [If] bathing suits are skimpy, we must have the skimpiest. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!'
"The Lord says he will have a peculiar people but we do not wish to be peculiar. ... If intimate fondling is the pattern of the crowd, we will fondle. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!' ...
"Others have hollywood marriages with finery and glitter and ostentatious pomposity. We also must have candles, gowns, best men and ladies in waiting, often dangerously near immodestly dressed. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!'
"When, oh when, will our Latter-day Saints stand firm on their own feet, establish their own standards, follow proper patterns and live their own glorious lives in accordance with Gospel inspired patterns. ... Certainly good times and happy lives and clean fun are not dependent upon the glamorous, the pompous, the extremes" ("Like All the Nations," Church News, 15 Oct. 1960, 14).
The Rise and Fall of Saul the King
The Rise
- 1 Sam 9:2
- 1 Sam 9:15-17
- 1 Sam 9:20-21
- 1 Sam 10:1, 6, 9-10
- 1 Sam 11:15
The Fall
- 1 Sam 11:5-7, 12
- 1 Sam 13:1, 5-10
- 1 Sam 13:11-14
- 1 Sam 15:3, 8-11
- 1 Sam 15:13-21
- 1 Sam 15:22-23
- 1 Sam 15:24-26, 30
- 1 Sam 15:35
Elder Robert D. Hales: “My brothers and sisters, are we hearkening with exactness to the voice of the Lord and His prophets? Or, like Saul, are we practicing selective obedience and fearing the judgments of men?” (“Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 26).
The Mistake of the President of Harvard
A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston and walked timidly without an appointment into the President of Harvard University outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn’t even deserve to be in Cambridge. She frowned at them.
“We want to see the president,” the man said softly.
“He’ll be busy all day,” the secretary snapped.
“We’ll wait,” the lady said humbly.
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and just go away. They didn’t. The secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted having to do.
“Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they will leave,” she told him. The president sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn’t have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office. The President, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple.
The lady told him, “We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here, but about a year ago he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him somewhere on campus.”
The president wasn’t touched. He was shocked.
“Madam,” he said gruffly, “we can not put a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery.”
“Oh no,” the lady explained quickly, “We don’t want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard.”
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, them exclaimed, “A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant here at Harvard alone.”
For a moment, the lady was silent.
The president was pleased. He could get ride of them now.
The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, “Is that how much it costs to start a university? Why don’t we start our own?”
Her husband nodded. The president’s face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where they established the university that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton: “We . . . tend to evaluate others on the basis of physical, outward appearance: their ‘good looks,’ their social status, their family pedigrees, their degrees, or their economic situations.
“The Lord, however, has a different standard by which he measures a person . . . (1 Samuel 16:7).
“When the Lord measures an individual . . . He measures the heart as an indicator of the person’s capacity and potential to bless others.
“Why the heart? Because the heart is a synonym for one’s entire make-up. . . .
“The measure of our hearts is the measure of our total performance. As used by the Lord, the ‘heart’ of a person describes his effort to better self, or others, or the conditions he confronts.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1988, 17; or Ensign, Nov. 1988, 15)
President Thomas S. Monson: “Is there a Goliath in your life? Is there one in mine? Does he stand between you and your desired happiness? Your Goliath may not carry a sword or insult you in public so that all may hear and force you to make a decision. He may not be three meters tall, but he likely will appear equally as formidable, and his silent challenge may shame and embarrass.
“Just as David went to the brook and deliberately selected five smooth stones, we must go to our source of supply—the Lord. What polished stones will you select to defeat the Goliath that is robbing you of your happiness by smothering your opportunities? May I offer suggestions?
- Stone of Courage
- Stone of Effort
- Stone of Humility
- Stone of Prayer
- Stone of Love of Duty
And remember the "Sling of Faith"
“Above all else may we ever remember that we do not go forth alone to battle the Goliaths of our lives.
“But the battle must be fought. Victory cannot come by neglect. So it is in the battles of life. We will never see the details of our lives spread before us. We must anticipate the approaching divisions and turnings in the road. We cannot hope to reach our desired journey’s end if we do not focus on the goal. We must make our decisions purposefully. Our most significant opportunities for growth and development will be found in times of greatest difficulty. (“Meeting Your Goliath,” Tambuli, May 1987, 2)
President Gordon B. Hinckley: "There are Goliaths all around you, hulking giants with evil intent to destroy you. These are not nine foot tall men, but they are men and institutions that control attractive but evil things that may challenge and weaken and destroy you. Included in these are beer and other liquors and tobacco. Those who market these products would like to enslave you into their use. There are drugs of various kinds which, I am told, are relatively easy to obtain in many high schools. For those who peddle them, this is a multimillion dollar industry, a giant web of evil. There is pornography, seductive and interesting and inviting. It has become a giant industry, producing magazines, films, and other materials designed to take your money and lead you toward activities that would destroy you.
"The giants who are behind these efforts are formidable and skillful. They have gained vast experience in the war they are carrying on. They would like to ensnare you.
"It is almost impossible to entirely avoid exposure to their products. You see these materials on all sides. But you need not fear if you have the slingshot of truth in your hands. You have been counseled and taught and advised. You have the stones of virtue and honor and integrity to use against these enemies who would like to conquer you. Insofar as you are concerned, you can hit them 'between the eye,' to use a figurative expression.
“You can triumph over them by disciplining yourselves to avoid them. You can say to the whole lot of them as David said to Goliath, 'Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, who thou hast defied.'
"Victory will be yours.... You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground and hold your place, and you will be triumphant." (Ensign, May 1983, p46, 51)
Elder Marvin J. Ashton: "A friend is a person who will suggest and render the best for us regardless of the immediate consequences. . . .
"A friend is a person who is willing to take me the way I am but who is willing and able to leave me better than he found me." (in Conference Report, Oct. 1972, 33, 35; or Ensign, Jan. 1973, 41, 43).
Teaching Thoughts:
- The “Samuel Principle."
- Don’t be too quick to judge (outward appearance vs. the heart)
- What are comparable to the 5 smooth stones in our lives that can help us defeat the Goliaths in our lives?
- What kind of friend will you be today?