Prayer—A Commandment and a Blessing from October 19th

Prayer--A Commandment and a Blessing  

(Joseph Fielding Smith chapter 22)

Taught by Kristi Jeppson


Sister Jeppson started her lesson by asking all the sisters to think about how prayer has effected our own lives. She also shared that when she was planning this lesson, she decided to look on the internet for more stories involving prayer, but right when she signed on the internet went completely down. She took that to mean she should just teach right out of the Joseph Fielding Smith manual.

Sister Jeppson continued her lesson by sharing a person story about a serious boyfriend she had years ago. She knew that this wasn't a healthy relationship and that her parents were extremely worried but she was very torn because of her strong feelings. She was in such turmoil that she finally found herself on her knees praying, "Please help me to stop loving this boy." It was after this humble prayer that she was finally able to clearly see why they shouldn't be together and the relationship ended. This time in her life really helped her testimony of prayer.

She then shared the following from Joseph Fielding Smith:

President Smith’s son Joseph Jr. told of a memorable prayer President Smith offered when the two of them were on their way home to Salt Lake City after a trip n eastern Utah. They “became engulfed in a heavy rain storm and took a wrong turn,” ending up in a place called Indian Canyon. “The storm became heavier and the road very muddy and slippery, so much so that it was not only dangerous but impossible to travel farther. The heavy mist shrouded the deep chasm off the one-lane dirt road, and young Joseph Jr. and Dr. David E. Smith who were passengers attempted to push and steady the car for fear of its sliding into the deep canyon below. The wheels began to spin in the mud, and eventually the car came to a standstill. … Joseph recall[ed] that his father said, ‘We have done all we can. We will call upon the Lord.’ He bowed his head in prayer, calling upon the Lord to prepare the way that he might right his mistake and get out of the dangerous canyon and proceed on the journey home. He told the Lord that he had important commitments that needed his attention the next day, and that it was imperative that he be back in Salt Lake City. Miraculously, the storm abated,a wind came up, drying off the road sufficiently that they were able to …eventually get back onto a highway. No sooner had they reached low ground than the storm settled in again, stalling traffic in the immediate area for several hours.As they proceeded down Provo Canyon headed for Salt Lake City, after many hours of extra travel, they were stopped by a highway patrolman who asked where they had come from. When informed that they had come through Indian Canyon the officer said, ‘That’s impossible! It’s reported that all the bridges in that area have been washed out.’ To their surprise the headlines of the next day’s paper reported 200 cars stranded in the area from which they had escaped.”

She then asked for the sister's to share their own experiences with prayer.

Then from the manual she shared, "President Smith’s prayers revealed the depth of his testimony and his love for his Father in Heaven and his Savior. President Boyd K. Packer, who was called to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when Joseph Fielding Smith was President of the Church, said: “It was an experience to hear President Joseph Fielding Smith pray. Even when he was past ninety he would pray that he would‘keep his covenants and obligations and endure to the end.’”

Sister Jeppson asked the sisters, "Why do we pray?" She followed it up with her thoughts on the fact that praying isn't for our Heavenly Father, but for us and that is why it is commanded. She also emphasized that Joseph Fielding Smith told us that it is the duty of parents to teach their children to pray. From the manual she shared:

Let them form the habit of approaching their Father in heaven, and with the understanding of the reason for prayer. If this habit is formed in childhood, it may remain through mature years, and the man or woman who has earnestly sought the Lord and thanked him for blessings, may expect that the Lord will not forsake them in the hour of  need."

Sister Jeppson told of her own experiences of being busy and tired and not always perfect on prayer...but that we do need to get in the right mindset going into prayer and realize that He is our advocate and our lifeline.

She read another quote about how we can learn with the spirit of prayer and talked about how if we are praying and being aware, then we can have that light bulb moment, and it won't just go over our heads.

The next lesson header from the manual was, "The Season for Prayer is Always." Sister Jeppson talked about how much she liked that header and how Heavenly Father wants us to pray to Him about anything and everything.

She shared a touching story about a foreign missionary who was loss while traveling to the MTC. Through divine intervention this missionary had a man sitting next to her who had a friend that spoke the missionaries native language. He called his friend and put him on the phone with the missionary. This friend turned out to be the person who had helped to convert the missionary in her native land. Sister Jeppson shared this story showing how in tune Heavenly Father is with our lives and the power of prayer.

In closing she bore her testimony about prayer and shared, "I know it works. I know it strengthens us."