Class #3 Teaching Your Children To Feel The Spirit (Follow Up)

In the syllabus there is an equation that looks like this....
T-->F-->A-->H-->C-->
It means:  Thoughts = Feelings = Actions = Habits = Celestial Character


What you think determines what you feel.  Those feelings then determine the actions you do.  The actions over time become habits and those habits overtime become your Celestial Character.

• We will never act out a sin we haven't thought about.
• Negative thoughts always create negative feelings.
• Positive thoughts always create positive feelings.
• You can't force positive actions while you are thinking negative thoughts.
• We jump right into changing actions, but you can't start in the middle of the formula.  
• Change your thoughts in prayer.  Ask for the capacity to have a new open heart.  
• Focus on the questions "What can I do?  How can I help?
• This creates feelings of charity.

There is a scripture that goes with this.  
Mosiah 4:30  But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

1. Watch yourselves = take inventory of what you are thinking
2. Watch your thought = are they positive, negative, faith-filled, hope-filled, charity-filled, or filled with self-pity
3. Watch your words = these come from the feelings your thoughts create
4. Watch your deeds = these are your actions
5. Observe the commandments of God = STOP-TURN-ACT, put yourself in line with all the commandments
6. Continue in faith = these are your habits
7. Perish = means we lose the reward we seek.

When there is truth there is also a warning.  You need to stop and look at yourself and figure out what you do and why you do it, but don't use that to justify yourself and wallow in self-pity.  Use that information to move forward and make the changes you need to make.  Satan takes that truth and tweaks it so you wallow instead of moving forward through it.