Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
Sometimes we don't quote the Lord's prayer enough. We must take opportunities to teach each other to pray, to whom we pray, and the language of prayer. The Lord's prayer is an excellent opportunity to teach about and share our experiences with prayer. This week we will focus on prayer and the blessing of being "yoked" with Christ.
Joseph Smith: “The question arose from the saying of Jesus—‘Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ [Luke 7:28.] How is it that John was considered one of the greatest of prophets? His miracles could not have constituted his greatness. [See John 10:41.]
“First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.
“Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? …
“Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-6?lang=eng)
“The Seventy today support the Quorum of the Twelve and First Presidency in administering the Church throughout the world, serving as members of Area Presidencies, organizing stakes, and teaching Latter-day Saints in general and local conference settings.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/quorum-of-the-seventy?lang=eng)
President Boyd K. Packer: “The big blues were larger and stronger and better matched for size than the other team. But the little oxen had better teamwork and coordination. They hit the yoke together. Both animals jerked forward at exactly the same time and the force moved the load.
“One of the big blue oxen had lagged a second or pushed a second too soon—something like a football player being off side—and the force was spent in a glancing blow. The yoke then was twisted and the team jerked to one side and the sledge hardly moved.
If I were to moralize, I would begin in typical Book of Mormon language, “And thus we see” that size and strength are not enough. It takes teamwork as well.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teaching-seminary-preservice-readings-religion-370-471-and-475/equally-yoked-together?lang=eng)
Some Facts about Oxen
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following about the unpardonable sin: “What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it” (in History of the Church, 6:314).
President Spencer W. Kimball helped us understand what this means for most members of the Church: “The sin against the Holy Ghost requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and file to commit such a sin” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 123).
President Boyd K. Packer: “Save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the atonement of Christ.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1995/10/the-brilliant-morning-of-forgiveness?lang=eng)
President Spencer W. Kimball: “In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must make them. …
“… The things which engaged him and caught his fancy and occupied his thoughts are gone, and better substitutions have not yet filled the void. This is Satan’s opportunity” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 171–72).
Matthew identifies Isaiah 42:1-4 as referring to Christ
A reed is a marsh plant with tall, hollow stems. A bruised reed is one that is cracked, and therefore is weak. Symbolically, a bruised reed may be a mortal with physical weaknesses or bodily afflictions. A smoking flax is a wick made from flax for an oil lamp, whose flame wavers, about to go out. This may signify someone who is spiritually weak, whose light flickers and does not burn brightly. Jesus healed and cared for the physically infirm (bruised reed), and he taught and guided the spiritually weak (smoking flax).
Steven J. Lund: About a month ago, President Bonnie H. Cordon and I were asked to report to the First Presidency on the FSY program and how it rolled out this past summer in the United States and Canada. We finished our presentation and responded to a few thoughtful questions about our plans to make further improvements, and the meeting seemed to end. But as we started to move from our chairs, President Nelson leaned forward, and he said, “We must teach them to pray.” We immediately sat back down again. He said, “We must teach them to pray, to whom they pray, and the language of prayer.”
“And then he went on to say that he was concerned that we may be becoming too casual in the way that we address Heavenly Father. And then he repeated the phrase “We need to teach them to pray, to whom they pray, and the language of prayer.” So let’s teach them to pray. Every time we utter a prayer, we are inviting Heavenly Father to intervene in our lives. Every prayer is a prayer for a miracle. Even prayers of gratitude hope to deepen our relationships with the divine. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/s-and-i-training/2022/01/12lund?lang=eng)
Teaching Thoughts:
Joseph Smith: “The question arose from the saying of Jesus—‘Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ [Luke 7:28.] How is it that John was considered one of the greatest of prophets? His miracles could not have constituted his greatness. [See John 10:41.]
“First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.
“Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? …
“Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-6?lang=eng)
“The Seventy today support the Quorum of the Twelve and First Presidency in administering the Church throughout the world, serving as members of Area Presidencies, organizing stakes, and teaching Latter-day Saints in general and local conference settings.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/quorum-of-the-seventy?lang=eng)
President Boyd K. Packer: “The big blues were larger and stronger and better matched for size than the other team. But the little oxen had better teamwork and coordination. They hit the yoke together. Both animals jerked forward at exactly the same time and the force moved the load.
“One of the big blue oxen had lagged a second or pushed a second too soon—something like a football player being off side—and the force was spent in a glancing blow. The yoke then was twisted and the team jerked to one side and the sledge hardly moved.
If I were to moralize, I would begin in typical Book of Mormon language, “And thus we see” that size and strength are not enough. It takes teamwork as well.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teaching-seminary-preservice-readings-religion-370-471-and-475/equally-yoked-together?lang=eng)
Some Facts about Oxen
- An untrained ox weighs 1,500 to 3,000 pounds and pull an amount equal to or greater than their own weight.
- A trained ox can pull up to 5,000 pounds.
- Two animals work side by side in order to carry a load that one can’t do alone. If the load is not heavy, a yoke is not needed.
- A yoke makes independence impossible. You can’t go your own way.
- Typically a young, untrained ox is yoked with an older, trained ox. The younger learns from the older.
- If a trained ox can pull 5,000 pounds and an untrained ox can pull 2,000 pounds, together they can pull 10,000 pounds—much more than the sum of the two.
- Over time, the untrained ox becomes trained and the two begin to walk in-step with each other. Then they can pull 15,000 pounds. (Sources: https://www.lancasterfarming.com/oxen-no-has-beens-when-it-comes-to-hard-pulling/, http://www.janetpope.org/a-yoke-whats-that-all-about/)
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following about the unpardonable sin: “What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it” (in History of the Church, 6:314).
President Spencer W. Kimball helped us understand what this means for most members of the Church: “The sin against the Holy Ghost requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and file to commit such a sin” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 123).
President Boyd K. Packer: “Save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the atonement of Christ.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1995/10/the-brilliant-morning-of-forgiveness?lang=eng)
President Spencer W. Kimball: “In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must make them. …
“… The things which engaged him and caught his fancy and occupied his thoughts are gone, and better substitutions have not yet filled the void. This is Satan’s opportunity” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 171–72).
Matthew identifies Isaiah 42:1-4 as referring to Christ
A reed is a marsh plant with tall, hollow stems. A bruised reed is one that is cracked, and therefore is weak. Symbolically, a bruised reed may be a mortal with physical weaknesses or bodily afflictions. A smoking flax is a wick made from flax for an oil lamp, whose flame wavers, about to go out. This may signify someone who is spiritually weak, whose light flickers and does not burn brightly. Jesus healed and cared for the physically infirm (bruised reed), and he taught and guided the spiritually weak (smoking flax).
Steven J. Lund: About a month ago, President Bonnie H. Cordon and I were asked to report to the First Presidency on the FSY program and how it rolled out this past summer in the United States and Canada. We finished our presentation and responded to a few thoughtful questions about our plans to make further improvements, and the meeting seemed to end. But as we started to move from our chairs, President Nelson leaned forward, and he said, “We must teach them to pray.” We immediately sat back down again. He said, “We must teach them to pray, to whom they pray, and the language of prayer.”
“And then he went on to say that he was concerned that we may be becoming too casual in the way that we address Heavenly Father. And then he repeated the phrase “We need to teach them to pray, to whom they pray, and the language of prayer.” So let’s teach them to pray. Every time we utter a prayer, we are inviting Heavenly Father to intervene in our lives. Every prayer is a prayer for a miracle. Even prayers of gratitude hope to deepen our relationships with the divine. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/s-and-i-training/2022/01/12lund?lang=eng)
Teaching Thoughts:
- Teach them to pray,
- To whom they pray,
- And the language of prayer.
- The why of prayer.
- The experiences received with prayer.
- Being in the “yoke” with Christ.