Introducing: Create Joy

Introduction to the CREATE JOY

Spiritual Growth Program

Ever since I was called into the Relief Society presidency and realized that part of my stewardship is the literacy program, which includes gospel literacy, I knew that I needed to come up with a plan to help us – mostly myself – with spiritual growth. It has taken me six months, of praying, pondering and searching to be able to stand before you tonight and share with you this plan entitled ‘Create Joy’. It is my prayer that is will be acceptable to the Lord, and to each of you. I pray that the spirit might touch each of us here tonight as we discuss a plan and need for spiritual growth in our lives.

A blueprint is a plan or drawing which includes the many small details that it will take to complete a project. When a person builds a house he refers often to the blueprint of that home to make the building the correct height and width. Each room, window and door are planned and built to provide the maximum functionality for the occupants.  By following the blueprint precisely, the completed home is not only beautiful, but strong, with a solid foundation and protection from the elements that will surely beat upon it over the coming years.

In the Doctrine and Covenants we are taught that all things are created spiritually as well as temporally.

Doctrine and Covenants 29:31-32 and 34 read:

“For by the power of my Spirit created I them; yea, all things both spiritual and temporal –

“First spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work; and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work –

“Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam your father, whom I created.”

With that scripture in mind, let us consider the blueprint of a home to be its spiritual creation. Once it is planned in detail, a person can go ahead with the construction, and as they follow that plan, the outcome will be beautiful, sturdy, strong and a blessing of shelter on those who dwell there. However, if a blueprint is not followed, the result will be sloppy and weak and certainly not a desired place to dwell.

Just as a home needs a blueprint, or plan, we also to need to plan for our spirituality. As we put that plan into practice we draw closer to our Father in Heaven, develop a greater appreciation for the Atonement, and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives on a daily basis. As such we are prepared to bless our families with our faith and trust as we turn our lives over to our Father in Heaven in service to him. We do not want to fail in planning for our spiritual growth and have a weak outcomes.

I found it interesting that the Lord tells us in verse 32, that in the beginning he created all things spiritually then temporally. Then he says “and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work.” As I pondered this, I thought about how, because of the Fall, we are surrounded by temporal things. As we learn to listen to the Spirit and rely upon our Father in Heaven we are in a sense once again created spiritually as we become sensitive to spiritual things and involved in doing the will of God. This process takes a plan and the action of following it.

In a New Era Article by Rex W Allred in February of 1977 he says

“Many things in our lives are created ‘spiritually before physically.’ In other words they are thought out and planned before they are actually done.”

It is interesting that sin itself fits into this mold. For example Potiphar’s wife planned to ensnare Joseph in her wickedness; Lamanites planned to take the liberties of freedom, and family from the Nephites; and the Pharaoh planned to keep the Israelites captive. In fact, in the Saviors day, Judas planned to betray Him.

Too often we fail to plan our spirituality. Do we plan to have spiritual experiences on a regular basis or do we simply catch them when we can and try to profit by them?

Brother Allred says,

“Why shouldn’t spirituality, or spiritual experiences, or spiritual strength – why shouldn’t these things be planned and deliberate processes? The answer must be, ‘They should be planned and deliberate processes.’ The serious accomplishment of any important goal must be planned out and systematically pursued if results are expected. Every successful businessman operates this way in order to realize his increase – he plans and executes a deliberate approach to achieve his goal. So also must we plan our spiritual lives.

“ Our overall goal, of course, is to return to our Heavenly Father and live with him in exaltation. We have an understanding of many of the steps necessary to accomplish this – Church activity, abstaining from major sin, payment of tithing – but we seldom systematically pursue the requirements of spiritual power. Granted, a certain amount of spirituality is awarded to him who keeps the laws mentioned above. But to be eligible for exaltation, a person must grow in spiritual power and be sanctified to the point that he develops a powerful and personal relationship with the Savior. This is a requirement of spiritual strength far above our normal level.”

Tonight, we will hopefully present to you a plan for spiritual growth that will influence all aspects of your life. We hope that you will participate with us as we implement this plan and focus on our spiritual growth.  It will be a great blessing in our personal lives, the lives of our families and our ward family and it will extend into our communities and the lives of those we associate with because WE will be striving to do ALL things by the Spirit.

Let us introduce to you the blueprint or plan to help create joy in your lives through the spectrum of spiritual growth.

WOMAN WEARING RED:  My color represents Spiritual Strength. Nourishing myself daily with the word of God, is absolutely central to my well being. As my Spiritual Strength deepens I become more spiritually mature and gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the Atonement. My testimony increases and I know that I am a Daughter of God. Each day, as I take a quiet moment to consider my spirituality and develop it, I ask myself “What would Heavenly Father have me do today?” I commit myself through prayer to carry out the answer to that question. As I repeat this process daily, my ability to recognize the influence of the Spirit in my life grows and I am guided in the things I do.

WOMAN WEARING ORANGE: My color represents Self Care. In order to create Joy in my life and reach my full potential I strengthen myself by eating foods that support my body. I plan time for proper exercise and rest so that I have the energy I need to complete my goals. I look upon my life with gratitude and hope and reject negative thoughts. Each day, as I take a quiet moment to ponder the spiritual things I have learned, I ask myself “What am I grateful for today? How will I eat to nourish and strengthen my body and what will I do to get exercise today?” Once these questions are answered, I have a plan I can follow to strengthen myself physically and mentally each day.

WOMAN WEARING YELLOW:  My color represents my Eternal Family. Having grown spiritually and physically through the help of the Holy Ghost each day, I am now prepared to nurture and create joy for others. I sincerely want to see the needs of my family met and I want them to know that they are children of God. Each day as I ponder and meditate, I ask myself “How can I nourish and serve my family today?” I pass the name of each family member through my mind and take note of any special needs I am prompted to fill.

WOMAN WEARING GREEN: My color represents my Purpose. I was placed on earth at this time for a special reason. I have unique gifts and talents that I can offer to create joy in my life and the lives of others. My purpose may alter with each season of my life, but it is ever present. I have a contribution to make that no one but me can make. Each day I ask myself, “What is my purpose and how can I fulfill it?” As I ponder and mediate on this question daily, I am impressed to be an instrument in the hands of my God. My purpose becomes clear and I set goals to fulfill my mission in life.

WOMAN WEARING BLUE:  My color represents my Temporal Stewardship. Everything I have is a gift from my Creator. Even the air that I breathe is a blessing from God. Heavenly Father has asked me to be a good steward over the things with which he has blessed me. It is important to value the resources that flow into my life so I can use them to bless the lives of others as well as myself. Each day as I ponder and meditate, I ask myself, “What would Heavenly Father have me do with my temporal stewardship today?” This has helped me recognize my blessings more fully and the gratitude I feel to my Heavenly Father has deepened the Joy I feel in my life.

WOMAN WEARING PURPLE:  My color represents Service. Each color in the spectrum of Creating Joy in my life allows me to ponder and implement acts of service. I serve my family, my ward and my community and in so doing, I serve my God. The service I render is not always elaborate or extreme. I often build up those around me by offering kind words. I share my gratitude and joy as well as my testimony with friends and neighbors who are searching for joy and happiness in their own lives.

RED: I placed God at my center and found focus

ORANGE: With Christ as my Mentor I found self-worth

YELLOW: I found peace and serenity in my eternal family

GREEN: I discovered my true identity and purpose

BLUE: I prayed and searched the scriptures and felt love and compassion for others

PURPLE: I found living waters to fill empty pitchers with acts of service.

ALL: Living with the Influence of the Spirit has brought the gift of Joy into my life.

OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM

1. You don’t have to follow a specific reading schedule. We encourage you to carry on with any existing plan you have in your spiritual growth. If you are already reading a book of scripture, please continue from where you are in that book.
2. If you are not currently studying a book of scripture, please choose one to study from. This is a personal choice and will not be decided for you.
3. Each day as you study the word of the Lord, review the spectrum for Creating Joy through Spiritual Growth. Ask yourself the questions and prayerfully ponder the answers you receive. This spectrum allows us to receive and recognize spiritual impact in each area of our lives. It will help us be well balanced spiritually as well as physically.
4. We encourage you to use a scripture study notebook to record your thoughts and impressions in.
5. As visiting teachers, we ask that you encourage the sisters you visit to use the Create Joy spectrum every day. Share some of your own experiences with it as you are prompted to do so.
6. Once a month there is a class held at the church, which focuses on an area on the spectrum. As you read and study each day, ponder and watch for the monthly focus to be taught to you by the spirit. You can participate in this class by coming in person, or by visiting the blog. Be sure to leave a note, but do not share deeply spiritual feelings and experiences on the blog.

STEPS TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH – have a Relief Society Sister present each point or assign out each point to different sisters. Essentially what we want is experiences shared in each area of growth as well as thoughts and feelings for each point.

1)    Meditation – “Review with the Lord in quiet mediation your present situation and how you stand with him. Review in detail the covenants you’ve made and the stewardships you hold. This is a process of intensive analysis. It may last for a long period of time.” Please share an experience you have had with meditation on spiritual things with the Relief Society Sisters.

2)    Setting Goals – “Resolve. Mentally compile your conclusions and your intent. Make a promise to take action. This is a process of commitment.” Please share with the Relief Society sisters an experience where you have renewed your commitment to spiritual growth and how it has blessed your life.

3)    Journal – “Plan. Translate your intentions into plans that are specific and tangible. It is of great worth to write them down.” Please share with the Relief Society sisters how your scripture study journal or the notes you have taken have blessed and influenced your life.

4)    Prayer – “Pray mightily for the strength or results you desire. This is a process of requesting, of humbling, of cleansing, and of refining. It is the key to the entire process of spiritual growth.” Please share your thoughts and feelings about how prayer has influenced your spiritual growth.

5)     Fasting – “Join with prayer 24-hour periods of fasting. The law of the fast is extremely interesting. Physiologically you can’t explain exactly why fasting brings the results it does, but theologically you can. It is simply a key the Lord has given us – a key with a promise that it will bring us closer to God.” Please share with the Relief Society Sisters your thoughts and feelings or an experience you have had when fasting blessed you spiritually.

6)    Study – “Study the word of God in the scriptures on a daily basis. Often our answers will be found in the scriptures. At other times, this study will enlarge our vision and humility to the point that prayer can bring our answer.” Please share some tips and experiences you have had studying the scriptures and how it has blessed you spiritually.

7)    Gratitude – “Express gratitude to the Lord for the strength and answers that he gives.” Please share your testimony of the need for spiritual growth in your life. Tell us why you are grateful for it.

MUSICAL NUMBER – Hear and Hearken

Hand out Lesson for the February Create Joy - Spiritual Growth Class