Flipping the Switch between Spiritual / Inspirational and Humorous▣ Why I Belong and Why I Believe
Yesterday was the fifth Sunday, so as bishop I taught the lesson in the combined Relief Society/Priesthood hour. I chose as my topic "Why I Belong and Why I Believe." I borrowed this from a great latter-day saint named Clayton Christensen, who is a Harvard Business School professor.
Clayton was the zone leader in Pusan, Korea, when I arrived on my mission in late 1972. He left shortly thereafter. He probably doesn't know who I am, but as a new missionary, I quickly learned that all the missionaries looked up to him--and it wasn't just because he was 6 feet 8 inches tall.
Brother Christensen is often asked why he is a Mormon, and so he wrote a four-page explanation on his website. I borrowed the outline of this explanation, created a PowerPoint presentation, and used it for my lesson. (By the way, have you heard that "power corrupts and PowerPoint corrupts absolutely?")The first part is "Why I Belong." Brother Christensen shares excellent examples why a Mormon ward is the perfect forum for practicing Christian discipleship. Other faiths "outsource" the teaching and serving to trained professionals. But there are no paid clergy in the Mormon Church, so we share the duties of preaching, teaching, serving, and ministering. We are all givers--and at times we are all receivers. We are blessed by the wonderful fellow latter-day saints who help us raise our children. We learn and grow as Christians as we serve and interact with others, some who are like us and some who are not. We don't just associate with persons who are like us in temperament, education, and financial status. We have a broader spectrum of fellow saints to learn to love and serve.Sometimes, being a Mormon seems like hard work. But I like the way Brother Christensen looks at the duties to help others move, take meals to sick neighbors, and serve in the nursery. He looks at these, and other service opportunities, not as a burden, but as our Mormon ward giving us the opportunity to do what disciples of Jesus Christ just naturally ought to do.The second part is “Why I Believe.” Brother Christensen shares his conversion story which is remarkably similar to mine. It involves a sincere study of the Book of Mormon combined with heartfelt prayer and knowledge given by the Holy Ghost. He describes other powerful spiritual experiences he has had in his life, but concludes that the basis for his strong testimony is still his conversion through the Book of Mormon.It was a wonderful lesson—and not because I was the teacher. It was because the PowerPoint was based on such a wonderful document and because we had so many thoughtful comments from ward members.If you would like to read “Why I Belong and Why I Believe,” here is the URL: http://www.claytonchristensen.com/pdf/Why_I_Belong_and_Why_I_Believe.pdfI think it makes a great family home evening lesson. An oh, by the way, I’m grateful to be a Mormon.Comments
Jenny says:
Sounds like a wonderful lesson! A few weeks ago Trevor and I read "Why I belong, and why I believe" for FHE and we loved it. Thanks for sharing, Dad!
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:11 AM
Janet says:
You gave a great lesson, Rich. I enjoyed it a lot, and agree with everything you taught.
February 3rd, 2010 at 1:31 AM
Cenia Parsons says:
Very good, Rich, just like all your presentations. I am sure the ward enjoyed it and I know you added humor in as well.
February 1st, 2010 at 4:54 PM
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Richard Parsons says:
Thank you for bring this to our attention. You always provide great insight for your ward.
February 4th, 2010 at 8:20 AM