5 short object lessons on freedom to choose and adam and eve's choice.

5 short object lessons on freedom to choose and adam and eve's choice.   
our relief society pres gave the lesson this week and had some great object lessons.   thought i would share.

sit someone at a table with a can of peaches and an apple.   they may sit and eat peaches as long as they want, it will never run out.   they must stay there though and can't share it with anyone else.   they can choose to eat the apple but then they must leave the table and never return.  but, if they choose the apple, it will benefit billions of other people.  
i missed the scripture for that but obviously the choice that adam and eve made.   a friend of mine explained that any woman who wanted a baby but was not able to have children would understand why eve made the decision to eat.   a mother's instinct and drive to have children would be enough for her, even in her naive and childlike state, to take steps to be a mother.

tell someone they will receive a large reward if they only choose the right / make good decisions all day long.   can they do that?   there are no rules, just choose the right.  
if there are no rules, how can you choose the right?   there are no rules so not defined right, therefore it is impossible to choose the right.   2 nephi 2 : 11-13

show someone an empty table and tell them they may choose any one thing from the table to keep.  there is no choice.

2 nephi 2:16

lay a few of the same exact thing on the table and and offer them any one of them they want.   when they choose, pull out a different option and ask why they didn't take that one.   (she used plain granola bars and then pulled out a chocolate bar)

you can't choose something you don't know.   relates to the first one about choosing the tree of knowledge.  
2 nephi 2:16 (i think. i am translating and numbers still mess me up sometimes)   helaman 14:30-31

place two things on a table.   tell them to choose one.   as they go to choose, take it yourself or swipe it off the table.   this worked the first time but she got it the second time.    they ended up with the other thing flying off the table too.    it was pretty funny.
2 nephi 2:27   again, you can't choose if someone takes your choice from you, satan's plan.  

she also made the point that if there was no choice, there would be no need for a savior.   without choice, there is no sin so no salvation would be needed.  
if there was no savior, the choice wouldn't matter because no matter our choice, we cannot achieve salvation on our own.   

alma 39 - 41

alma 39 - 41

in chapt 39, alma talks to his son corianton about his sins and what effect they had not only on himself but on those around him. this conversation has always felt so personal and such a precious conversation between father and son to me. it is a good model of how we should speak to our children and ourselves. 

1-3 he points out the sin but then in 4 he tells him that although many were doing it, "he knew better" what others were doing was no excuse. 

in 5-6 he tells him why its a problem. there is great kindness in his words. 

7-9 he says that he wished his son had not committed so great a crime but now that its done, he should not try to hide it but instead that he needs to turn to God for repentance. i love the caring and genuine concern that can still be heard in his words to his son.

 in 11 he tells his son to not suffer himself to be led away. he tells him to guide himself and not allow others to lead him. 

in 10 he tells him to look to his brothers and counsel with his brothers but ultimately, he is told to guide himself and not just follow others. 

this is a pretty important lesson for today. we are led unconsciously. the wickedness surrounding us every day dulls the senses into "everyone else is doing it" to the point that we don't realize that we are doing it. it is important that we counsel with those who are aiming for the same things we are. i find that likening the scriptures is a great way to counsel with some of the greatest examples and big brothers we could ever have. look for your counselors, choose them wisely. in the end, guide yourself and don't allow others to take the lead.

alma 29 - o that i were an angel

alma 29:1-2

i have always loved this scripture. sometimes i wish i could just fly over the world calling people to the truth with such power as it could not be denied. 
3-9 people must have the chance and choice though. i have the opportunity to do missionary work right where i am. it is slow and often i feel inefficient, but i just have to keep going. little steps. planting seeds that i may never see the fruit of, but just keep planting. everything is in the hands of the Lord