Feast Upon the Word

Mission of the Twelve & Being an Ensign to the Nations

2011-04-07T12:43:00.000-05:00

To start off, Sis. Green quizzed us about the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency; questions like "How many apostles had X number of children?" or who was the oldest/youngest? She even asked us to name them in order. Though I knew, I also had a cheat sheet in front of me, and so remained silent. All the same, we got them all.

We talked about the role of the Twelve as special witnesses of Jesus Christ and how they preach their witness and knowledge of Christ and of His resurrection. They have received a testimony from the Holy Ghost, the most powerful testimony there is.

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven ^aunto men: but the ^bblasphemy against the HolyGhost shall ^cnot be forgiven unto men.

"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be ^aforgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." (Matthew 12:31-32, KJV)

And it's their privilege to collectively hold all the keys to the fulness of the gospel.

So how can people with such a powerful testimony turn away? In the early days of the Church, especially during the Kirtland period, so many people, from members of the First Presidency all the way down to the regular members, left the Church. Very likely, they lost sight of the true goal and let worldly things, big and small, get in the way. It's hard for anybody, but the Twelve and the Seventy travel all over the world frequently.

We listened to a few minutes of Elder Holland's talk this past General Conference. He told hte story of Pres. Brigham Young and a group of elders climbing up a peak that he had seen in vision when they were still in Nauvoo. He spoke of Isaiah's prophecy that "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it." (Isa. 2:2) Pres. Young proclaimed that the Valley of the Great Salt Lake was the fulfillment of that prophecy. That peak was named Ensign Peak. And today, General Conference is broadcast in 70 languages all over the world for members and non-members alike to watch, listen to, or read.

How are we an ensign to the world? We have General Conference that I just mentioned. People notice that we're different - there's a spirit that's both tangible and intangible that others see about us. We understand God's true nature. Ours is a proselytizing church, and our missionaries travel on their own dollar for an extended period of time. As I hear it, most other churches that send out missionaries send them for only a few weeks or so and pay their way. We have temples that we hold sacred; not just anybody can go inside. They're beautiful, showing their worth to us. A member of the class mentioned a time when someone asked them about the "gold people" on the top of the temple spires. (The angel Moroni.) We promote the family as a father and a mother joined in matrimony, and children. (See The Family: A Proclamation to the World for more details.) We believe in additional scripture, that God still speaks to mankind today. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, whose music appeals to a wide range of people. Love; look to Christ and the apostles for our example. The priesthood and being called by someone who is ordained and has the authority to ordain.

Even just being who we are, we can be an ensign to the world.

Temple and Trials

2011-03-16T10:45:00.001-05:00

The commandment to build a temple was first given in December 1832. As of June 1833 the Saints hadn’t tried diligently to obey this important commandment. The work had begun, but the Saints had come to Kirtland poor, and the work lagged. There hadn’t been a temple on earth for a long time. The Lord knew that the temple they were about to build wasn’t going to be theirs for long; so if they waited, kept delaying, there was no point. But He was adamant the temple be built. The revelation known as section 95 chastised the Saints for their lack of work on His temple. Missionaries had been out preaching the Gospel since the church was organized but the elders couldn’t “go forth in the power and authority which the Lord intended for them to possess until this Temple was built where he could restore keys and powers essential to the more complete preaching of the Gospel and the administering in its ordinances.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, pg. 225 D&C student manual) Four days later, the work was begun in earnest, and just days after the dedication, Joseph Smith received all the keys of the kingdom.

“For the preparation wherewith I design to prepare mine apostles to prune m vineyard for the last time, that I may bring to pass my strange act, that I may pour out my Spirit upon all flesh—“ (D&C 95:4) Is the Gospel “strange?” To the rest of the world, yes. Fresh ideas like this were not welcome in the world, but we had to have it. The old ideas didn’t give the power and keys of the kingdom to the people.

“They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noon-day.” (D&C 95:6) You’d have to actually close your eyes to “walk in darkness at noon-day.” They had to choose not to be ready for this. The Lord had called them for this glorious opportunity, but they were basically closing their eyes.

The people were very poor. Was it too much to ask? Where would the money come from? An act of faith was required to build this temple. Do we close our eyes to the hard things we’re asked to do, or do we open our eyes, exhale and start walking? Do we trust and have faith in him? We can do this with the Lord on our side.

The Lord gave us tools so we can keep walking in the “noon-day sun,” tools we can learn about in the scriptures (a tool within a tool). Gifts like repentance, prayer, agency, the plan of salvation, the Holy Ghost, the Atonement. The scriptures are what can help us get out of bed every morning and get things done, and can wield a powerful influence in our lives. Studying the scriptures is like brushing our teeth; once a week don’t do it. We need those scriptures. Every single day.

Sometimes, we receive trials that truly turn us inside out. What’s the difference between those who leave and those who remain faithful? A football comparison was given – before the season even starts, the team has two-a-day practices, and all they’re doing is just running, running, running. The method weeds out those who don’t really want it from those who keep on running, who keep their eyes open.

Satan tries to make us miserable, God to make us happy. We can’t really judge why we are allowed to go through these trials, or why God did or didn’t stop them. We don’t have the whole picture. He does. We have these experiences so we can learn. So what did the Saints learn after everything they went through? In the end, everyone knew who God was. Amid all trials and persecutions, we and the early Saints were and are commanded to give thanks in everything, to be patient in tribulation. The student manual says, “It is a relatively simple thing to pour out gratitude to God when the cup is full, the harvest plenteous, the peace secure; but it is much more challenging to have the faith to believe that even in adversity and persecution, even in times of darkness and devastation, the Lord’s hand is in it for the benefit of his children.” We go through the refiner’s fire, and the only way to get through it is to rely on God. Sometimes we have to hold his legs and close our eyes because we’re spinning like a top, but He will get us through. We can thank Him that He loves us enough to give us this trial. The gates of hell will not prevail.

Gifts of the Spirit

2010-11-13T12:56:00.000-06:00

What are characteristics of promptings of the Spirit? "And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit." (D&C 11:12) In leading to do good, it is a feeling to think about, to recognize whether the thought that came was truly from the Spirit, or was it from some other way? "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive." (D&C 11:13-14) The workings of the spirit – 1) our souls are filled with joy. “Joy” and “happiness” are often used synonymously, but happiness can come and go, while joy is deeper, stronger, more lasting. Then there are their opposites: sadness and despair. 2) Enlighten our minds. – to inspire, to give clarity of mind in a situation (an “ah-hah!” moment of understanding).

"He that speaketh, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and edifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinances." (D&C 52:16) A contrite spirit – sincere remorse, penitent. <- Being repentant, cleansed, recognizing our own place in life. Being teachable and obedient. “Obedient” is the key word that ties all the others together. If we are obedient, we learn to be humble, contrite, teachable, etc… and we receive blessings and instruction. It’s like the “pearls before swine” comparison; the Lord won’t give us something that we are not ready and prepared to receive. How can we receive it if we are not obedient, humble, teachable?

We are all blessed with gifts of the Spirit. (Many are listed in D&C 46:13-25.) These are not all the gifts God gives to mankind, but many. Some have a few gifts, while others have different gifts.

gift of knowledge that Christ is the Savior
faith to believe on their words
administration
discernment
word of wisdom – intellectual wisdom
knowledge
faith to be healed
faith to heal
working of miracles
prophesy
discerning of spirits
speaking in tongues
interpretation of tongues

Why does God give us these gifts? To help build His kingdom, yes, but also to ennoble our own souls and to serve others. Take the gift of tongues. Missionaries called to foreign missions must learn a new language and are blessed with the gift of tongues to do so. They still have to work and study the language to put that gift to use. And, yes, struggles still happen, but when something needs to be said, the Lord gives the ability to say what He sees fit in any given moment and language.

There are lots of kinds of miraculous things in the world. Some (hopefully most) are from God. But Satan can very easily deceive through miracles. Take Pharaoh’s priests copying the plagues God sent on the people of Egypt when Pharaoh wouldn’t free the Israelites. We can learn truth through many different ways and sources.

Sis. Green read from Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and said something that led her, and then myself, to one of those “ah-hah” moments. She read that if a man doesn’t have the discerning of spirits to understand, how is he to obtain this gift if there are no gifts of the Spirit? She then said, “I do not want to be one of those elect who are deceived.” Nor do I. So I need to pray for these gifts of the Spirit in order to protect myself from deception.

Take time to recognize how much Heavenly Father has blessed us, and blessed us with, in order that we might become more like Him.

There are Many Gifts - D&C 30-36, 39-40, 47

2010-10-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

As I was reading the assigned sections for this past week, I first thought that we might be focusing on missionary work. Was I mistaken.

Sections 35, 36, 39-40, and 47 spoke of four men and the callings they received. Sidney Rigdon was called as a scribe for, and to watch over and support Joseph Smith; perhaps to help pick up the slack in one area of the church duties so Joseph could concentrate on other areas. Edward Partridge was called as the first bishop of the church. James Covill has a bit of a sad story. He had not yet joined the church, but was willing to make covenants and offer his help. So on January 5, 1831, the Lord called him to go to Ohio with Oliver Cowdery and preach the gospel. He had been a Baptist preacher for forty years, so he had experience in speaking to people. But joining the church would have meant a complete break from his old life, giving up his profession as a preacher, his friends, his congregation. By the end of the month, he realized he just couldn’t do it, forsook the calling and went away. John Whitmer was called as a record keeper.

Do these callings require the exact same skills? They all had different skills. Formed together, what could they do? If they were chosen to be the first, it was likely that they were among the best. They probably set the founding examples of the church. Combined together, they created a pattern to follow.

We need everybody in this work. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 speaks of the body, and how it has many members. Each has its own purpose. But if all were the same – if all were the feet, where were the hearing; if all were sight, where were smell? – then where is the body? There are many different types of people with many different gifts. It doesn’t matter what position you’re in, as long as you recognize and remember that you are a part of the body, and that if you weren’t using your gift in that position, things wouldn’t function the same way. One important part of success in a team is that everybody needs to know and understand that each is vital to the success of the team.

Sis. Green asked us each to write down just five attributes or skills of ours that help or are important to the church. Then we read Doctrine & Covenants 46:11: “For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.” (Check out the next fifteen verses for examples of the gifts this verse is talking about.) After reading that, can a person sit down and say “I don’t have a talent to share”? No. We took turns sharing one attribute/talent/gift from our lists, and there were many different answers, including: being an example, positive, musical, willing, children’s’ teacher, spontaneity, diligent, orator, and charismatic. How can these different characteristics help a ward/branch, stake, the church? Are your talents needed/important in the ward/church? Have you ever seen the sign along the side of the highway that says “God don’t make mistakes”? It’s true.

If we don’t increase our gifts, we could lose them. How can we do that, as well as receive more gifts? We need to work for it, to seek it. Section 4 speaks of missionary work. He that has the desire to serve is called to the work. And what does the Lord what to have happen? He wants His gospel to be spread throughout the world. Do you have non-member friends or relatives that just aren’t interested in hearing the gospel? Does it mean that we just give up? Scriptures say that the laborer is worthy of his hire. We are rewarded according to the effort we give.

We are engaged in gathering Israel from the four quarters of the earth. The Lord has need of your skills. None of us are relieved of the responsibility of “thrust[ing] in [our] sickle with [our] might.” As we strive in our gifts and seek for other gifts, working diligently toward them, we may become aware of the fact that we have achieved still more gifts in the undertaking. Gifts that will help strengthen your own soul, others, and further the Lord’s work.

Think this week about a gift of the Spirit that you might desire. Are you willing to work toward it?

Sections 37-38, 42-44 for this Wednesday.

Armor of God

2010-10-18T16:25:00.001-05:00

Sorry this is so late. I’m really getting bad about this.

One Sunday in August 1830, Joseph Smith had set out to purchase wine for the sacrament. An angel stopped him on the way and said that it wasn’t necessary, warning him not to purchase wine from his enemies. “For behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.” (D&C 27:2) We are also told that Christ will one day partake of the “fruit of the vine” in sacrament with Joseph Smith and many other prophets and “divers angels”, such as: Moroni, John the Baptist, Elias, Elijah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph (of Egypt), the archangel Michael (also known as Adam and the Ancient of Days), Peter, James and John, and many others.

Most of the men listed here came to Joseph Smith in the dispensation of the fullness of times and gave to him the all of the keys of all dispensations. Sister Green got this list (and I had to look it up later, because I forgot to ask the name of the talk), from Bruce R. McConkie’s talk “This Final Glorious Gospel Dispensation.” I’m only going to include a short list; you’ll have to look up the rest for yourself.

Moroni – restored the “keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim” (D&C 27:5), the Book of Mormon
John the Baptist – restored the Aaronic priesthood, the authority to baptize
Peter, James and John – restored the Melchizedek priesthood
Moses – restored two keys: the gathering of Israel, and of the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north (D&C 110:11)
Elias – Elias is a title, meaning a preparer or restorer. This particular Elias “committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham.” (D&C 110:12) According to McConkie, that was “the great commission which… dealt with families, those of Abraham and his seed, who were and are promised continuance ‘in the world and out of the world… as innumerable as the stars.’ ” Celestial marriage and family.
Elijah – restored the sealing power

Again, this is just part of the list. All of the keys from all dispensations were restored to Joseph Smith and his associates. Can we just marvel at the power that we have on earth today for the blessing of people, to help and serve them today?

We got a little bit of a history lesson when we began talking about the armor of God. (Eph. 6:6-18) All over Europe, particularly in the British Isles/Wales, Germany and France, there are castles and fortresses all over the place, set on high hills. A people called the Cathars were around in the 12-13th centuries. Their way of belief put them at great odds with the Catholic church. I don't remember all the story shared (which for some reason I didn't copy down), but according to what Sis. Green learned, the Cathars had incurred the wrath of the Pope and the king of France. A group of 269 men, women and children of the Cathar belief took shelter in one of these fortresses in France, believed to be impenetrable. They thought their armor was strong. But there was a chink. They weren't as secure as they thought. This fortress was near the Pyreans mountains (did I spell that right?) and the people had to get supplies in for their survival. A people on the other side of those mountains called the Basques (sp?) were bribed to show soldiers the path to the fortress to overrun the Cathar people.

What's the lesson to be learned? No matter how well-protected or secure you are, Satan can always find a way in, find a way to weaken your armor. Not by big things, but by smaller things that might not seem too bad. That's why they're not called fiery arrows or cannonballs or stones, but the "fiery darts" of the adversary. How are you going to protect yourself? The body parts mentioned in the Ephesians reference to the armor of God are symbols. The loins that are to be girt with truth represent virtue and chastity. The heart, covered by the breastplate and also by the shield of faith, represents your conduct. The feet to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace represent your goals or objectives. And the head, covered with the helmet of salvation, represents your thoughts.

We see stories all through the scriptures of those who keep their armor intact to protect themselves against the adversary. We discussed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and their spiritual strengths to resist temptation. (See their stories in the book of Daniel.)

In Section 28, we learn of Hiram Page. He had a stone and claimed to be receiving revelations through it for the church. Many were deceived by these revelations, even Oliver Cowdery. Joseph didn't know what to do about this. The revelation now known as Section 28 is the Lord's answer, in which we learn that only Joseph Smith, the senior apostle at that time, was the only one on earth who had the authority to receive revelation for the Church. We have a prophet today with that same authority, who receives revelation for the direction of the Church.

"Remember" and "forget" are important words. As we go about our day, are we remembering, or forgetting? Do we remember to think of others? To serve them? To thank God for blessings? Or do we forget? We must remember our spiritual heritage, the gifts that we have. We have what we have today because of their gifts and persistence.

This week, think on making your armor solid and know that we can be prepared to withstand anything.

Moving forward the Cause of Zion in Mighty Power

2010-10-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

As soon as class began, we were separated into groups and given the task of skimming through sections 21-26 and choosing one line, or one phrase, which best described each section.

Section 21
The prophet receives the word of God, meaning he is the only man who can receive revelation and instruction for, and speak for the Lord to, the entire Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “There is never but one [man] on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred.” (part of D&C 132:7) And yet, how many of us, when we hear the prophet speak, disagree with what is said? Or perhaps hear and say something like, “Well, that’s a good idea, but… maybe later.”, “My life’s a little too busy.”, “It’s a good idea but I’m not so sure about it,” or the like? Or how many of us are like Naaman the leprous Syrian captain who, when given instruction from Elisha, who hadn’t even come out but had sent his servant instead, got angry and insulted? How many of us are obedient to the counsel of the prophet? We all know that sometimes it’s easy and sometimes hard, but he is the mouthpiece for God to us, His children.

We quickly went over the “14 Fundamentals of a Prophet” that were quoted in two General Conference talks this past weekend.

Not saying that a dead prophet isn’t important. The prophets of the scriptures are just as relevant for us today as the living prophet. But it is the living prophet today who speaks to us for God. Even if we didn’t have the scriptures, we receive new scripture during each General Conference when the prophet speaks to us. We still have the word of the Lord.

Through the apostasy, there were no prophets to interpret the scriptures and receive inspiration for the church. So the interpretation was left to men who frequently disagreed on the interpretations. We have the standard works because of living prophets. They were living at the time their words were written. *grin*

But how do we know we haven’t been brainwashed, some might wonder. We believe in personal revelation. We have the agency to seek and know for ourselves.

The prophet doesn’t have to be an expert in a certain field, or have certain knowledge to be a prophet. If he did, it’s likely that he would receive revelation only in that particular area.

A prophet is not limited by man’s reasoning.

We have a living prophet. It is what sets us apart from other churches, other religions.

Section 22
This section is speaking on those who wished to unite with the church without being rebaptized. After the death of Christ and the apostles, the true authority was lost and changed throughout the ages. The correct authority to baptize was restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in May 1829. To paraphrase verse 2, a man can be baptized a hundred times, but if it isn’t done by the right authority, then it’s worth nothing. It has to be done by a man who has been ordained to the priesthood. Being baptized by the right authority, we make our first covenant on the way to returning to heaven. It’s an outward symbol of an inward commitment. We testify that we take on us the name of Christ. We are accountable for that choice. We make a covenant, a two-way promise, between God and ourselves.

Section 26
The law of common consent. When someone is given a calling, their name and position is given to the church for their sustaining vote. When we raise our arms to sustain them, we make a covenant that we will support them in that position. How is this different from other churches? I believe the term is that ours is a lay ministry, meaning we don’t get paid for our work in the church. We have other jobs during the week. For other churches, their positions in the church is their job. Interpretation of the scriptures is anybody's guess, and you're free to leave and find another church every week if there's something you don't like or disagree with. Okay, that's probably an exaggeration, I'm not certain. We have covenanted and committed to support and follow our leaders.

Sections 23-24
These sections went to people who had a desire to know their duties regarding the church. And when you read these sections, you'll find that every man got much the same answer. Their duty was to the church, to preach repentance and to add to their joy and understanding. Talk about sections that can be applied to us too.

Section 25
The only section specifically written to a woman, the prophet's wife Emma Smith. An amazing, faithful woman who struggled just as any person, and just as likely had her doubts. Everything she did and had to endure, and yet she still stayed with Joseph, comforted him, loved him, never gave up. After Joseph's death, she cared for his mother Lucy. This section can also be a good help to women today. "Murmur not because of the things which thou hast not seen, for they are withheld from thee and from the world, which is wisdom in me in a time to come." "Walk in virtue before the Lord." "An elect lady." She was chosen to organize hymns for the church. "Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive."

The ladies in the class talked about talents we each had - painting or other art, music, crafts, reading, bond with animans, etc. We can use each of these talents to help move the cause of Zion forward.

We are encouraged to keep all of this in mind - all our gifts, all that we as a church have. What a blessing we really have in life.

Worth of Souls – D&C 18-20

2010-10-04T21:13:00.001-05:00

Sorry this is so late. There was so much to cover, and I got distracted by the wonderful Conference talks… among other things. But here you go.

To start off the class, we were asked to look up a scripture or passage of scripture that we felt showed our importance to Heavenly Father. There was a different answer for everyone in the room.

1 Nephi 11:26-33 – Nephi’s vision of Christ’s life & ministry. How great God’s love is that He prepared His Son to atone for the sins of those who repent.
2 Nephi 2:22-25 – man is that we might have joy (also knowledge)
Alma 26:37 – God is mindful of all, He knows who everyone is personally
1 Nephi 17:36 – the Lord created the world for His children to possess it
John 3:16 – made it possible for us to have everlasting life
D&C 18:10-13 – The worth of souls is great in God’s eyes, and a way is prepared for men to repent.
Ether 7:26 – spares and blesses the righteous and repentant
Isaiah 53:3-5 – Christ was wounded for us; lived a life of sacrifice
Abraham 3:22-23 – He has set aside a purpose and plan for each of us
Alma 24:14 – We have a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation
Moses 1:39 – His work and glory is the immortality and eternal life of man
Romans 8:35-39 – Nothing will separate us from God’s love.
Matthew 18:11 – Christ came to save us from our sins.

So many different scriptures. We each had something different that appealed to us, something different that was important to each of us.

But how do we know for sure? How do we know that it’s true? We can pray, and we can act on the knowledge in our own lives. “But what if I don’t feel like praying?” We’ve all felt like that at some point or another. Sister Green quoted Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, saying “If we do not feel like praying, then we should pray until we do feel like praying.”

Parents would move heaven and earth to protect their children. Heavenly Father had that power, and that chance to save His Son. But Jesus said that He would do it. Jesus was willing, and – because he was part god – able to go through the torment of the atonement in Gethsemane where he sweat blood, the mistreatment and mockery during his trial, and the agony of the crucifixion. So even though our Father had the power, and surely wanted to use it, He allowed His Son to go through it all. For us. Had we not had the atonement, the plan of salvation would have been void.

Sis. Green said that section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants is sometimes referred to as the “constitution of the Church.” I had never heard of such a thing, but after thinking about it, it made sense. Look at what it contains – duties and responsibilities of leaders and members of the church; ordinances of baptism; it records the responsibilities of members of the priesthood; the sacrament blessings; gives proof that God inspires men, that the holy scriptures are true, that Joseph Smith Jr. was called to be an elder of the Church, to lead it; and still more. Yes, it’s a lot to read, but surely this section can answer a question regarding something of the Church.

Reading assignment – Doctrine and Covenants 21-26

The Field is White (D&C 4, 7, 11-16)

2010-09-22T22:29:00.000-05:00

There was so much to cover tonight! How can I possibly talk about it all or even dare to leave something out? I don’t know about anyone else in the class, but, like Sis. Green, I had a few moments of “Whoa! I didn’t know that!”

We talked about the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood and about missionary work. I guess I knew, but I didn’t know, that John the Baptist was the only one who was the legal administrator of the ordinance of baptism. (What I also didn’t know, that Sis. Green shared tonight, was that John was ordained at 8 days old by an angel.)

During the translation of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery came across references of baptism and had questions regarding its authority and usage. They retired to the bank of the Susquehanna river and prayed for instruction. John the Baptist appeared to them and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon them, instructing them to baptize one another and ordain each other.

Why did John not baptize Joseph and Oliver himself? When God gives mankind the authority to do something, it now becomes man’s duty to do it. God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. But He and Christ will do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. Because of our agency to choose between good and evil, we will sometimes choose wrong. We are unable to lead a sinless life. We need Christ to go through the atonement to take away the sin. But we can repent! That is why the atonement occurred, to allow us the chance to repent of our sins, that we might be cleansed of them and continue on our ever-learning journey back to our Father in Heaven.

Doctrine and Covenants sections 11, 12 and 14 all begin with the same sentence: “A great and marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.” (Section 4 begins with “Now, behold”, but otherwise says the exact same thing.) That great and marvelous work, the full gospel of Jesus Christ and gathering of Israel, is happening now. The field is still white, ready to harvest. Some of the returned missionaries of the class talked a little about some of their experiences when they first arrived in their mission, how scary and different it felt from life back home, and how it had changed for them by the time they left to come back home. There are friends they made out in the field that they’ll keep for the rest of their lives. People that otherwise they wouldn’t normally have associated with.

We don’t know what doors are opened, what seeds are planted, when we associate with people. We don’t know what they really learn when they’re watching us as we go about our days. What do they see? Is it something to make them want to ask about what we believe that makes us what we are? One class member shared that the time spent in service on his mission, and in service in church in general, taught him to look people in the eyes. Makes sense to me. It’s there that you can see what a person is really like, rather than looking at what they wear or how they speak, etc., and judging them accordingly.

Then Sis. Green asked us “What do you love most about being a member of the Church?” The answers were varied, yet similar.

The knowledge that we’re not alone, that there are others who can help us get through and strengthen us.
We have a knowledge of life after death that brings peace. We will be with our loved ones again. Death is not forever.
The knowledge of where we came from, that there was a premortal existence, and the knowledge of why we’re here.
The simplicity of it all. Deep down, when you look at it, the gospel is simple. The world tends to complicate things.

We all know people – family, friends, colleagues, roommates, co-workers etc. - who don’t have an understanding of what we have. And since we have what we have, we have a duty to help others gain that understanding. “Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:81) We have been given the privilege to do this. We need to work toward meeting with people we interact with in our own “field” to “warn them.”

Granted, we don’t know if we’re going to be successful. But if we go forth knowing we will be guided and directed, we will be led to others that they may know the same sense of peace we have, the same knowledge of eternity.

Reading assignment for 9/29 – Doctrine and Covenants 18-20

Witnesses – Doctrine & Covenants 5,6,8,9,17

2010-09-19T15:46:00.001-05:00

We talked about the Law of the Witness this week.

God’s Witness
How many of us have actually realized what a terrible burden it was for Joseph Smith to be the only one who the truth and the existence of the gold plates? Yes, he told his family and others and they believed wholeheartedly, but Joseph was the only one who actually knew the truth of his vision, that God and Jesus Christ were two separate beings and had seen them with his own eyes, who knew of the existence of the plates and the mission that he was to fulfill.

For nine years Joseph carried that knowledge alone. Then in June 1829, the Lord decreed that there should be three witnesses who, by their faith, should obtain a view of the plates and testify to the world of their reality. Three men desired to be those special witnesses: Oliver Cowdery, the man who served as Joseph’s scribe in the translation of the plates after Martin Harris lost the 116 pages; David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. Up to this point, Martin is still having trouble humbling himself, still seeking for some concrete proof despite all that has happened up to now. When the day arrives, Joseph and the three head into the woods, kneel down and pray. But nothing happens. They try again and again, each man acting as voice, but still nothing. Finally, Martin realizes that he is the reason that nothing is happening. He is still not humble enough.

We can learn from his experience. Say we’re looking to the Lord for guidance. We’re not going to find it with an attitude of pride, of demanding to know. We must be humble, willing to do what it is He asks of us.

Martin leaves, and the others try once more. At last the prayer is answered. An angel comes, bringing the plates before their eyes. As the angel showed them, turning the leaves of the plates, they heard the voice of the Lord declaring that it was true, and commanding them to bear witness. When the angel leaves, Joseph goes to find Martin, who was finally willing to do what had to be done to make things right with the Lord, pleading with the Lord for forgiveness. Martin and Joseph pray together, and Martin is at last granted the same witness as Joseph, David and Oliver now have.

As stated in Lucy Mack Smith’s account, “When they returned, to the house, it was between three and four o’clock. Mrs. Whitmer, Mr. Smith, and myself were sitting in a bedroom, myself on a bedside. When Joseph came in, he threw himself down beside me and exclaimed, ‘Father! Mother! You do not know how happy I am. The Lord has caused the plates to be shown to three more besides me. They have also seen an angel and will have to testify to the truth of what I have said, for they know for themselves that I do not go about to deceive the people. I do feel as though I was relieved of a dreadful burden which was almost too much for me to endure. But they will now have to bear a part, and it does rejoice my soul that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world.’ “ The testimony of the three witnesses can be found at the beginning of the Book of Mormon, as can the testimony of eight more witnesses and Joseph Smith Jr.

Witness by the Spirit
During the translation of the Book of Mormon, Joseph and Oliver were working very closely together. At one point, Oliver had a desire to also translate. Joseph petitioned God, who gave His permission. If I understand correctly, Oliver did begin to translate a little, but went back to acting as scribe for Joseph. When he tried again, he found that he could not translate. Joseph received what is now section 9 of the Doctrine and Covenants in response. In verses 7-9, we see the means of study in order to understand for ourselves. We learn that we must 1) study it out in our minds, and then 2) ask God if it is right. We will receive a “burning in the bosom” if it is right, or a “stupor of thought”, causing us to forget the thing which is wrong, if it be wrong.

This was a learning experience for Oliver. Translation wasn’t as easy as perhaps it seemed.

This “burning in the bosom” isn’t the only way God speaks to us. When Oliver had first heard from Joseph’s family about the work he was doing, he called on God and asked if it was true. “Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:23)

How does the Lord speak to you? It’s different for me every time I seek his instruction. And now that witnesses are here, it is our job – as it was for those eleven men whose testimonies are written in the Book of Mormon - to bear witness of the glorious blessings of the knowledge we have of premortal life; of the fullness of the gospel; of the reality of God and Christ, two separate beings, one in purpose.

Pay attention this week to the times that God is with you.

God’s Wisdom is Greater

2010-09-12T17:06:00.001-05:00

Reading Assignment for next week: Doctrine and Covenants 5, 6, 8, 9 and 17.

This week we covered sections 1, 3 and 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Section one is known as the Lord's preface to the Doctrine and Covenants - a collection of revelations given by the Lord, to us, in our day, and given in our language. The Lord speaks to us in our weakness and language so that we might understand His word and know His will.

The very first word of the first verse of section one is “Hearken”. “Hearken” means to listen intently. The word of God is to be spoken to all the world and we are commanded to listen intently that we may not fear. And His words will go forth, “and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:5) We know, of course, that there are those who will not hear, but will reject the gospel. The prideful; the rebellious; those who walk “in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.” (ibid. 1:16) However, “the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people.” (ibid. verse 14)

When the Lord gives us revelation, our response ought to be to listen, to believe, to do. Listen to the words, believe and inquire of the truth of the words, and act on it. “[A]nd it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads.” (88:81-82)

We see references to “His arm” throughout the scriptures. To the righteous it is a symbol of protection for us if we allow Him to give it to us. But it is also a symbol of mighty power to those accept and those who reject him. And what are they doing to reject him? They are straying from His ordinances, breaking covenants, following after the worship of idols. In these days, an idol doesn’t have to be made of gold or silver or stone. It is anything – or anyone – that you put before the Lord.

What is it, then, that prevents you from doing what the Lord asks of you?

God’s work is never frustrated, but the work of man can be. When Joseph Smith was translating the golden plates and Martin Harris was scribe, Martin desired to take the 116 pages they had already completed to show his wife as proof of the work they were doing. When Joseph took the request to the Lord, the answer was no. But Martin persisted that Joseph try again. Again, the answer was no. A third time Martin begged for permission, again Joseph asked. This time, the answer was yes, but with the condition that he only show it to certain people that the Lord named. After giving an oath that he would do exactly as directed, Martin Harris left with the 116 pages. Those of us who know the story, know that Martin broke his oath and the pages were lost.

But!

“Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people. … Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words.” (1 Nephi 9:3, 5-6)

Those words were written, and the plates created, by Nephi between 600 and 592 B.C. The 116-page manuscript was lost in the year 1828 A.D. If I did the math right, that’s 2,400 years between the creation of the small set of plates and the loss of the manuscript.

Do you think the Lord knows the end from the beginning and has things prepared?

We see other such preparation through the scriptures – Joseph was sent to Egypt and ended up saving Egypt and his family from the famine that was coming. The Lord knew Jonah would shirk and try to run away when he had been called to Nineveh to preach, and a big fish was prepared to receive him.

“?But remember, God is merciful.” (D&C 3:9) The devil would have us believe that when such a mistake is made, all is lost, that we might as well just give up. The Lord’s vision for us is one of hope. He takes us at our lowest moment and says “I am here.” He calls us to repent, to come unto Him, and He will take us under His wing and help us on our upward journey.

2010-05-08T11:39:00.000-05:00

Well, Wednesday was the last class of Institute for the '09-'10 school year. I've missed the last month due to my job, but I don't doubt that each class was wonderful and spiritually fulfilling.

I've had a wonderful time doing the blog this year, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Next school year, the course of study will be Doctrine & Covenants and Church History.

Have an awesome summer!! ~ Mary

The End of the Nephites

2010-04-09T12:26:00.000-05:00

What a disheartening end to this once-great people. A nearly 1,000 year old civilization brought to utter destruction because of what? Pride, wickedness, secret combinations, murder… The Gadianton robbers are back and contribute to this. And it’s during this time of rampant wickedness that Ammaron, grandson of Nephi the disciple of Christ, approaches a ten-year-old boy named Mormon. Because he knows that Mormon was “a sober child, … quick to observe,” Ammaron gave him the charge that when he was 24 years old he would be responsible for the records of the Nephites and that he should remember what he witnesses throughout his life and record what happens among the Nephites.

Mormon wanted to preach to the people to repent of their sins, but his account says that he was forbidden. The people had willfully rebelled against God. In consequence, God had taken away his disciples, miracles and healings had ceased. There were no heavenly gifts, for the Holy Ghost had withdrawn from them.

Mormon was in his sixteenth year when the Nephites appointed him to be leader of their armies. My youngest brother is almost sixteen; to attempt to picture him as leader of an army… is daunting. I can’t imagine how Mormon must have felt. But he had been “visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus, (Mormon 1:15)” and thus knew that whatever happened, he was in God’s hands.

He needed that assurance, because it doesn’t get any better for the Nephite people. Battle after battle with the Lamanites, blood and carnage in every waking moment. No one could hold onto their treasures due to the thieves, robbers, murderers, and sorcery in the land. The people began to mourn but Mormon saw that it wasn’t unto repentance as he had hoped, “but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin. And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless, they would struggle with the sword for their lives.” (Mormon 2:13-14)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles noted (quoted in the institute manual on pg. 350), “It is at this moment in Nephite history—just under 950 years since it had begun and just over 300 years since they had been visited by the Son of God himself—that Mormon realized the story was finished. In perhaps the most chilling line he ever wrote, Mormon asserted simply, ‘I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually.’ His people had learned that most fateful of all lessons—that the Spirit of God will not always strive with man; that it is possible, collectively as well as individually, to have time run out. The day of repentance can pass, and it had passed for the Nephites. Their numbers were being ‘hewn down in open rebellion against their God,’ and in a metaphor almost too vivid in its moral commentary, they were being ‘heaped up as dung upon the face of the land’.”

The Nephites are granted a ten-year reprieve from battle and the Lord tells Mormon to cry one last time to the Nephites to repent and turn again to Christ and they will be spared. The call is in vain. The next two years they beat back the Lamanites in two battles. They begin to boast in their own strength and, to Mormon’s sure shock, they swear vengeance on the Lamanites for the blood of their brethren that had been killed. Mormon has been abridging the plates since he was about 24 and had been leading the people in battle approximately 35 years. He must have known the Nephite record front and back by now and had surely seen Captain Moroni’s and Helaman’s justifiable reasons to go to war – defending their lands, liberty, houses, wives and children, rights, privileges, and religion. A very stark contrast to what these Nephites, whom he had led and loved since he was a teenager, had just sworn to do, by all that had been forbidden them by Christ himself. It’s at this time that he’s had enough and “did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination (Mormon 3:11).” He would now “stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come.”

Mormon then writes to the Gentiles and the remnant of the house of Israel about the day of judgment and calls to all to believe in the gospel of Christ, to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. Now, I had not realized this until I read it in the Book of Mormon Institute manual, but the scriptures teach that there will be at least five sources who will take part on Judgment Day: ourselves (see Alma 41:7), our bishops (see D&C 58:14, 17-20), the scriptures (see Rev. 20:12; 2 Ne. 25:18; 29:11; 33:14; 3 Ne. 27:25-26), the apostles (see Matt. 19:27-30; 1 Ne. 12:9; 3 Ne. 27:27; Mormon 3:18; D&C 29:12), and Jesus Christ (see John 5:22; 3 Ne. 27:14). It bears the thought – when your name comes up, will you be ready?

The war and carnage and slaughter continue. Greater wickedness never seen in all Israel prevails, even to sacrificing women and children to idols. “And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.” (Mormon 4:11)

Mormon once more leads the Nephites, but knows that it’s without hope for them, for they wouldn’t repent of their iniquities. In 385 A.D., the Nephites, their numbers dwindling rapidly, gather to the land of Cumorah for the last battles. Mormon hides the Nephite records in the hill Cumorah, save for the gold plates on which he must write the last days of his people and has now entrusted to his son Moroni. The battle is dreadful, leaving 230,000 dead, leaving only 24 Nephites alive, not counting those who had gone over to the Lamanites. Mormon and Moroni are among those left and Mormon laments, “O ye fair ones, how could he have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss. O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen! But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring our return. … O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy. (Mormon 6:17-20, 22)”

Mormon chapter 7 contains his last writing. He writes to us, the people of the latter days. The Nephites and Lamanites have never seen this record. He calls to us to know that we are of the house of Israel, that we must repent or cannot be saved. To know that we must lay down our weapons of war, don’t delight in the shedding of blood, and take them up again only as God commands. Know that we must “come to the knowledge of [our] fathers,” and repent and believe in Christ, that he is the Son of God and that he was slain for the sins of the world. He has brought the resurrection of the dead and the redemption of the world. Mormon calls on us to repent and be baptized in the name of Christ and “lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record [the Book of Mormon], but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews [the Bible], which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you. For behold, this is written for the intent that you may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.” (Mormon 7:8-9)

Thus ends the life of a great man, Mormon. His son Moroni continues in his stead. Moroni is the only one left to write “the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not. Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.” (Mormon 8:3-4) Moroni has no idea when he’s going to die. According to Elder L. Tom Perry, “All he has is the faith that the Lord will preserve him long enough to complete the record and that someday it will be found by one chosen of the Lord. He realizes that the record will be a voice of warning to future generations of what occurs when nations like his own turn away from the teachings of the Lord. It is from the depths of his heart that Moroni cries out to those who will eventually receive the record. He wants to spare those who read his account the heartache and misery which comes from disobedience. He writes first to the members of the Church and then to those who have not embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ. Moroni’s last words to the members of the Church are written as a voice of warning. He writes as one who sees the history of his people repeating itself in the future.”

Yet he still lives long enough to finish his father’s record, abridge the Jaredite record, and add words of his own.

Read the first 10 chapters of Ether for next week.

I’m afraid this is the last time you’re going to be hearing from me on this blog this year. I’ve taken a job helping a sister in our branch take care of her husband. I’ve had experience helping my mom taking care of my own father before he died and this is an opportunity to provide a service to someone else and share the experience I’ve gleaned.

It’s been a wonderful year, all. Don’t you dare stop reading the Book of Mormon! Something new always stands out each time you read. If you don’t yet have a testimony yourself of the Book of Mormon, I share Moroni’s words: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:4-5)

The Church of Jesus Christ, a Zion People

2010-04-01T23:40:00.002-05:00

We’re reading the entire book of Mormon (chapters 1-9) for next week.)

If you were sitting at the Savior’s feet, what would you ask him?

Because of the contentions of some of the people of the church, the disciples prayed and asked Jesus what should be the name of the church. Christ responded, paraphrasing, “You have the scriptures. What do they tell you? If it be a man’s church, call it after his name. If it’s Moses’ church, then it’s called after his name. If it is my church, it is called after my name.” The Lord Himself gave revelation to Joseph Smith in 1838 stating that the name of the church is to be called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Being called “the Mormon church” or known as “Mormons” is just a nickname and doesn’t really say what we believe. But when we give the full, correct name, there can – hopefully – be no doubt. That’s why, on our missionaries’ nametags, the name of Jesus Christ is so large. It shows to the world that we are Christian, that we do worship the Savior. In verses 13-22 of 3 Nephi chapter 27, Christ explains to his disciples what his gospel is:
1) the Atonement (vv 13-14), so we could return to our Father. Heavenly Father wanted this so bad that he was willing to allow His Son to go through this enormous event.
2) Faith (v 19)
3) Repentance (vv. 16, 19-20)
4) Baptism by immersion (vv. 16, 20)
5) Receiving the Holy Ghost (v. 20)
6) Endure to the end (vv. 16-17) This is the hardest one. We can know and do all these things, but when life gets hard this is the one we must cling to. When you’re in the moment of the trial, it’s hard to look ahead, but Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us. And Christ did what he did for us so that, if we are obedient, we can be:
7) Lifted up at the last day (vv.14, 22) meaning resurrected, so that all man can be
8) Judged according to their works. (vv.14, 16)

Faith and repentance are an ongoing cycle, but take courage. We have the good news, the plan of happiness. And God’s desire is to share the blessing of exaltation with all of His children.
In chapter 28, Christ is about to leave for the last time and He asks the disciples what they would wish of Him before He left. Nine of the twelve desire to come to him speedily after their earthly ministry is over. However, three of the disciples wish to remain on earth until Christ comes again, like John the Beloved did. A change comes over their bodies and they will never taste of death, no mortal infirmities. They will have no pain or sorrow except for the sins of the world. And they have a sure promise of exaltation. They are protected so that Satan will have no power over them. They have become translated beings.

These men, with John the Beloved, are somewhere on the earth today, doing exactly as they desired, bringing souls to Christ. Having the fullness of the gospel in our own lives as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is our duty to help in the harvesting of souls to Christ. President Benson said “If we are to harvest souls, we must use the tool the Lord has provided – the Book of Mormon.”

The people of Christ lived in a Zion society for over 200 years. There was no contention “because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people (4 Nephi 1:15).” They had peace and all things in common. Marvelous works and miracles were worked among the people. They prospered and rebuilt many of the cities that had been destroyed, building new cities in other places and expanding over the whole land. They no longer followed the law of Moses – having been fulfilled in Christ – but they followed the new law that Christ had given them. They gathered often in fasting and prayer, small and simple things that kept them – and can keep us – focused on Christ as the center of our lives.

With pride building in the hearts of the people, around 200 A.D., there are some who break away and wish to distinguish themselves as Lamanites, to separate themselves from Christ. We see the path of pride the people are beginning to take, and it just gets worse in the next hundred+ years. Yet this path is their choice, and while we can choose our path, we can’t choose the consequences.

Sister Martindale challenged us to find out what we need to do in our lives to live the gospel of Christ. Is there anything we need to change? I’ve definitely got stuff I could do better on.

Happy Easter and General Conference!!!

Gathering Israel

2010-03-28T22:43:00.001-05:00

“As surely as this is the work of the Lord, there will be opposition.” – President Gordon B. Hinckley

After instituting the sacrament among the Nephites – miraculously providing bread and wine for it himself – the Savior commands the people to write the words he speaks to them, and to study the words of Isaiah. Among the things that prophet teaches, he speaks of the gathering of Israel in the latter days.

Sometimes we forget that we are of the house of Israel. Having chosen to be baptized, it is now our responsibility to honor the covenants we made and to share the same good news we received with the rest of the world (or at least with those we know). We’ve been gathered, and now we should help do the gathering. Quoted in the Institute manual, Elder Russell M. Nelson says, “The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign to the entire world that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill covenants He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We not only teach this doctrine, but we participate in it. We do so as we help to gather the elect of the Lord on both sides of the veil. The Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine of the gathering. It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur.”

What is the first thing missionaries give to people when they are introduced to the gospel? A Book of Mormon. If they receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon, they have a testimony of everything else; of the First Vision, of the Restoration. One can’t be true without the other.

In the early days of the Church, the people were instructed to gather to Zion. But after a time, the people were commanded to remain where they were to help establish Zion wherever they were. It makes sense; how could we share with others after our conversion if we left for Zion? There would be a spiritual vacuum left behind, where there was no mention of the Gospel. And have you noticed how technology has grown in leaps and bounds since the Restoration of the Gospel? God has a hand in moving this great work forward. The whole reason for these advances is to spread the gospel to the world. One reason this blog even exists is to help spread the gospel to the world, to those who don’t have the same opportunities to learn. General Conference is coming up next weekend, and throughout the world, the people have the opportunity to hear the words of the prophet and our leaders in their own language.

But we are not the only ones who have a role in the gathering of Israel. In 3 Nephi chapter 20, we see the roles of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Here are just a few:

Gather and establish the people in due time of the Lord (vv. 18,21, 29)
Turn the people away from their iniquities (v. 26)
Remember the covenant made with their fathers (v. 29)
Give the people the land of their inheritance (v. 29)
The people shall know the names of Heavenly Father and Christ (v. 39)

One of my fellow students shared that he sometimes wondered what Joseph Smith must have been thinking as he translated this marvelous work, in particular verses 9-10 of 3 Nephi 21:

“For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.

“But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.”

What was Joseph thinking when he translated this part and realized it was him the scripture was talking about? What did he think during the entire translation?

Christ taught the people the value and importance of the scriptures, commanded them to search the scriptures. There was some of the record of Isaiah that they didn’t have, since Lehi and his colony left during the time Isaiah was a prophet. Nor did they have the record of Malachi. They hadn’t even written down the prophecies of Samuel the Lamanite at that point, nor the fulfillment of his words. If a prophecy is not written down, how can we see its fulfillment in the future? We won’t know what to look for. After that, they were written.

They recorded the Savior quoting Malachi’s prophecy of the coming of Elijah to restore the sealing power, to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” Elijah was the last prophet to have the sealing keys. If he had not come to restore those keys, the whole earth would be wasted at the Savior’s coming. None would be linked together in eternal families.

Surely the people on the other side of the veil have been and are praying for this success, for the living to remember and live worthily to attend the temple to do vicarious work for the dead.

The Other Sheep

2010-03-18T01:23:00.001-05:00

I’m going to say this now so you don’t have to scroll through the post to find out – we are having Institute next week, even with it being spring break for some of us. So be sure to read 3 Nephi 20-26. And use those manuals if you have them, and bring them to class!

During Jesus’ mortal ministry, he taught: “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” – John 10:16

After his resurrection, he comes to the Promised Land and tells the people that “because of the stiffneckedness and unbelief they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them. But, verily, I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you.” – 3 Nephi 15:18-19

The Jews didn’t understand. Perhaps they thought that Jesus was referring to the Gentiles as the “other sheep,” but the Gentiles never see him or hear his voice during his mortal ministry; it is the apostles that take His word to the Gentiles, those who are not specifically of the house of Israel. But Jesus reveals to the Nephites that they are the other sheep he spoke of and that there are still others. Those of the lost tribes that were scattered, and some of the Nephite people that left and traveled north or sailed off in ships and were never heard of again (see Alma 63). “But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me.” (3 Ne. 15:24) This scattering always happens for a purpose, as we see throughout the scriptures – usually to save them from the destruction that would soon happen to the people/city they left. But the gathering has begun, the word is spreading throughout the world. God has a mighty hand in this great work.

Now, I missed last week because of the severe thunderstorms, but I can say that Jesus taught the Nephites the same things he taught during his mortal ministry: (3 Nephi 8-14 and compare the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7) the Beatitudes, be a light to the world that they may glorify the Father, the Lord’s prayer, seek first the kingdom of God, know a false prophet by their fruits… This week, He tells the people that the law of Moses has been fulfilled in Him.

Christ commands the people to write the things that He tells them so that “these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer. And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfil the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel.” (3 Ne. 16:4-5)

It’s nearing time for Jesus to leave. He realizes that what he has taught them is a lot to take in. So he tells them to go to their homes, “and ponder upon the things which [he] has said, and ask of the Father, in [his] name, that [they] may understand, and prepare [their] minds for the morrow, and [he would] come unto [them] again.” – 3 Nephi 17:3 But as he looks on the multitude, he “beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.” (v. 5) If the Savior of the world had just been teaching me and had to leave, yeah, I’d be feeling the same way. “Don’t go!” I would want to cry.

He puts aside his previous agenda and calls to them to bring the sick, the lame, the blind, halt, maimed, leprous, withered, deaf or afflicted in any way and He would heal them. The people had heard about the things that he performed at Jerusalem and desired to see the same, having faith “sufficient that I should heal you.”

Would you have gone up with the crowd? I sure would have.

After all have been healed, Jesus commanded the little children be brought to Him. He groans for the wickedness of the world, because when things go bad, it’s usually the children that get the bad end of it, isn’t it? As Elder Holland said, “Destructive influences are always around the innocent. Some days it seems a sea of temptation and transgression inundates them.” (A Prayer for the Children; May 2003 Ensign)

He blesses the children one by one, and then angels come down to minister to the children. That must have been a marvelous, beautiful sight to those 2,500 witnesses that day. With the things the angels must have told those children, it’s perhaps no wonder that the Nephites were righteous for 200+ years as the things they were taught were passed on to the succeeding generations.

And then the Savior taught them about the sacrament, telling them that the law of Moses has now been fulfilled in Him. “This shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto he Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.” (3 Ne. 18:7)

What sort of things do we do to focus on the sacrament and its meaning? Some review the sacrament hymn. Others pray. Some help the kids focus on the sacrament with pictures of Christ. I read my scriptures. What is the whole reason we take the sacrament? To remember Christ’s sacrifice for all of God’s creations. Some suggestions were offered to help us focus: Remember the grandeur of His birth to his mortal mother Mary. Christ called his followers – apostles, disciples – His friends. He received unkind treatment and suffered in the Garden. Because He loves us.

Remember in the New Testament on the night before Christ goes to Gethsemane, He warns Peter that Satan desires to have him that he may “sift [him] as wheat”. He warned the Nephites of the same thing. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, “In essence and thought content Jesus is saying, ‘Peter, Satan wants you in his harvest. He wants to harvest your soul, and bring you into his granary, into his garner, where he will have you as his disciple.’ It is the same figure that we use when we say that the field is white, already to harvest. And we go out and preach the gospel and harvest the souls of men.” Satan wanted Peter’s soul. He wants our souls in his granary. I’d had no idea that’s what that meant. But now that I understand, I can appreciate Jesus’ warning much more.

As President Monson said in the May 1997 New Era (of which we saw a clip in class tonight), “the sweetest feeling in mortality is to realize that God, our Heavenly Father, knows each one of us and generously permits us to see and to share His divine power to save.”

How important is the Holy Ghost in our lives? It testifies of truth, brings all things to our remembrance. It comforts, calms, guides, prompts. But it will only remain with us as long as we allow it and are obedient. It doesn’t go away unless we send it away. We received a handout tonight on ways the Holy Ghost blesses our lives and how to invite it into our lives.

Faithful study of the scriptures
Daily pleading in prayer
Obedience to Heavenly Father

Simple steps. But how often to we follow them?

As I said at the beginning of the post, next week we’re having Institute and studying 3 Nephi 20-26.

The Coming of Christ, a Call to Repentance

2010-03-07T22:34:00.001-06:00

Sister Martindale has returned! Yay! And a grateful "Thank you" to Brother Babcock for filling in for her, adding Institute to teaching early-morning seminary.

Sister Martindale began by asking us to think back on what life was like ten years ago. Where were we, and what were we doing? How old were we? It was the year 2000. Bill Clinton was in the last year of his presidency. I would have been in my first or second year of seminary and high school. Wow… was that really ten years ago? The very next year was memorable due to the September 11 attacks.

We were studying Helaman chapter 13 through 3 Nephi chapter 7 Wednesday night. We began by being split into two groups. Group one looked at Helaman 13:1-6 to find 1) how Samuel the Lamanite received the warning from the Lord and 2) what the people needed to do to heed the warning. Group two (which I was in) was to look at verses 7-11 and find 1) what the people would lose and suffer if they didn't heed the warning and repent and 2) what would happen if they heeded the warning.

Group One learned that Samuel received the Lord’s warning through the Spirit speaking to his heart. Destruction awaited the wicked Nephites if they didn’t repent and turn to the Lord and it was only because of the prayers of the few righteous within Zarahemla that the city hadn’t been destroyed already. So in order to heed the warning of the Lord, the people needed to repent. Group two found that if the Nephites didn’t repent, God would take away His word and Spirit. The hearts of their brethren would be hardened against them and within 400 years they would be smitten until their utter destruction. But if they heeded the warning, the Lord would turn away His anger.

Now, think back just over a decade ago in the Book of Mormon, starting around the 72nd year of the reign of the judges. The people had just suffered war after war. The Gadianton robbers were abundant. Nephi had prayed for a famine on the land, “to stir up [the people] in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn unto thee.” (Helaman 11:4) The famine lasted for three years before the people began to plead with Nephi to ask God to end the famine. The band of Gadianton had supposedly become extinct and the people have repented because of the famine, the pestilence and destruction. So in the 76th year, the Lord has mercy upon the people and turned away his anger, sending rain so the earth could bring forth fruit and grain. The people glorified God and rejoiced and esteemed Nephi as a prophet. For the next three years there was peace save for a little contention about points of doctrine near the end of the 78th year, which was soon straightened out thanks to Nephi, Lehi and others who knew the doctrine.

In the 80th year there were some dissenters who took the name of Lamanites and started a war with the Nephites, murdering, stealing, then escaping to their mountain retreats, secret places. They soon became a great band of robbers, finding the secret combinations of Gadianton. The righteous Nephites and Lamanites knew that this destruction should stop, so they banded together and sent out men to destroy the robbers. However, despite their best efforts, and though some of the robbers were destroyed, the Gadiantons continued to grow. From that point until we meet Samuel the Lamanite in the 86th year of the reign of the judges, the people of the Nephites begin to wax prideful and wicked and forget God while the Lamanites repent and become righteous.

Now surely some of this was still fresh in the minds of the Nephites as Samuel warned them of their impending destruction if they didn’t repent. How does all of this apply to us? We know that the Nephites were once a righteous and mighty nation, but are now teeming in iniquity. Each of us, thanks to the agency given each person on earth, has the opportunity to choose the one path or the other.

Helaman 12:7-8 – “O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth. For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.” Even the dust of the earth – the dirt – obeys every word of God. Would it be fair to say that we’re dumber than dirt sometimes when we choose to disobey the commandments of God?

After this first warning to repent, Samuel then gives the signs of the coming birth of Jesus Christ, and you can mark this in your scriptures:

• Five more years go by till the birth (Hel. 14:2)
• Great lights in heaven (v. 3)
• No darkness the night before his birth; two days and a night without darkness (v. 3-4), though they will see the sun go down
• A star will arise (v.5)

He also gives the signs of Christ's death, so that if the people didn't believe before, they would know now.

When we are tempted to sin, we ought to remember that we made the choice already in pre-mortality. We chose the Father's plan. We still have our free will, but we should remember that we still made that choice to follow the Father and Jesus. So when we disobey, we're choosing Satan's side, which we didn't want in the first place.

The Lord chastens because He loves. A little chastening is better than complete destruction in the end. He wants us back. When we obey, we joy. When we sin, we sorrow. "Even the Savior cannot save us in our sins. He will redeem us from our sins, but only upon condition of our repentance. We are responsible for our own spiritual survival or death." (Elder Nelson, May '92 Ensign) Our spiritual survival is up to us. The Lord loves all people but cannot tolerate sin.

Well, as Helaman 14:1 says, “Samuel, the Lamanite, did prophesy a great many more things which cannot be written.” Five years ago by, and the unbelievers set a date for the death of the believers if this sign doesn’t come. How would you act in that situation? Are you going to believe even in the face of death? Do you have that faith in Jesus Christ to do what he came to do?

It wasn't just the righteous that saw these prophesied signs. The unbelievers, the wicked, saw them too. It's the same in today's world. And why do the wicked sometimes see the signs, when scriptures say that "signs follow them that believe"? One, to vindicate the words the prophets have said, to prove that what they said was true. Also, to leave the wicked without excuse on judgment day. They have plenty of opportunity to repent. But will they?

Strange, but almost immediately after the sign of Christ’s birth, the people begin to fall into wickedness again, believing that what they’ve seen was just some vain thing. This wickedness even spreads among the rising generation of the Lamanites. The Gadianton robbers come out of hiding and in the sixteenth year from the coming of Christ, Lachoneus, the governor of the Nephites, receives an epistle, or letter, from Giddianhi, the leader of the Gadiantons, essentially saying that while Giddianhi admires Lachoneus and the Nephites and their determination to maintain “that which [they] suppose to be [their] right and liberty… as if [they] were supported by the hand of a god, … it seems a pity… that [they] should be so foolish and vain” to think that they can stand against the large numbers of the Gadianton robbers at Giddianhi’s command. (3 Nephi 3:2-3) The Gadiantons feel that they have been wronged by the Nephites and Lamanites and will come up to battle against them in a month unless the Nephites yield up their cities, lands, possessions etc., and join with the Gadiantons, “and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren that ye may be like unto us—not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance.” (v. 7)

Yeah. Right. Lachoneus is astonished at the brazen demands and threats. He calls all the people to gather all the food, the flocks, their belongings and families and gather together in one place for safety. He calls the m to repentance, telling them to cry unto the Lord or they won’t be delivered from the Gadianton robbers. “And so great and marvelous were the words and prophecies of Lachoneus that they did cause fear to come upon all the people; and they did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Lachoneus.” (3 Ne. 3:16) The people gather together everything they have in the land Zarahemla, and when the Gadiantons come, they find all the lands and cities around desolate.

We can compare Giddianhi to Satan, luring people in with promises, but in the end only dragging them down to bondage and abandoning them.

Those righteous also prepared for the time when the Gadiantons would come to battle against them. And because they repented of their sins and sought the Lord, they beat back the Gadiantons, slew Giddianhi and hanged his successor Zemnariah. The Nephites (meaning, all those righteous of the Nephites and Lamanites that had banded together and were not Gadiantons) praise God for the victory. Now they knew and didn’t doubt the words of the prophets. The robbers that weren’t slain in the battle were taken prisoner and had the word of God preached to them. Those who did not repent and enter into the covenant to not murder were “condemned and punished according to the law.” So by the 25th year the Gadiantons were destroyed, many “great and marvelous” things transpired that “cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of that which was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years.”

Mormon adds his testimony: “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life. And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which have been done—“(3 Nephi 5:13-14) What motivated Mormon to do this work? His forefathers.

Well, as you can expect, the pride cycle takes hold again not many years after this and it gets really bad. Secret combinations are back, the chief judge is murdered, the government overthrown and the people divide into tribes. But Nephi and his followers still work to preach repentance. Not many convert at first, but those who do, were truly converted and had the Spirit of God wrought upon them. President Marion G. Romney said “Converted means to turn from one belief or course of action to another. Conversion is a spiritual and moral change. Converted implies not merely mental acceptance of Jesus and his teachings but also a motivating faith in him and his gospel. A faith which works a transformation, an actual change in one’s understanding of life’s meaning and in his allegiance to God in interest, in thought, and in conduct. In one who is really wholly converted, desire for things contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ has actually died. And substituted therefore is a love of God, with a fixed and controlling determination to keep his commandments.”

Have you had a full conversion? When trials come your way, will you make the right choice? Are you one of those who listen to the prophet? Are you immovable? Or do you scoff? Do you maybe take the “easy” path?

2010-02-25T23:22:00.000-06:00

Due to vehicle troubles, I wasn't able to attend Institute last night. So I have no idea what went on, if we even had class.

Someone please let me know! Otherwise I'll just try to write up something from the manual and scriptures.

Part 2: The Gadianton Robbers, and What's in a Name?

2010-02-23T10:55:00.000-06:00

Well, the Book of Helaman doesn’t begin well. After the death of the governor Pahoran, three of his sons are contending for the judgment seat: Pahoran the second, Paanchi (pronounced, for those who are curious, as Pay-ahn-kai), and Pacumeni. The voice of the people chooses Pahoran the second. While Pacumeni united with the people when he realized that the judgment seat wouldn’t be his, Paanchi and those that wanted him to be governor – and to have the power that came with the position – were angry and tried to rise up in rebellion. But before this could happen, Paanchi was caught and condemned to death for seeking to destroy the liberty of the people.

His followers are angry and send Kishkumen to murder Pahoran. When Pahoran’s servants go after him, no one can find him. This group of followers has made secret oaths to protect Kishkumen, that they would tell no one that he had murdered Pahoran. Here we have the beginnings of secret oaths and combinations among the Nephites, the beginning of Gadianton’s robbers. “And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi. Behold I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written.” (Helaman 2:13-14) Remember, one purpose of the Book of Mormon is to expose the enemies of Christ, and with such accounts as the secret oaths of the Gadianton robbers and other incidents of secret combinations, signs and symbols against righteousness and freedom, we can learn what to beware of. When they get into power, they rule by fear. That’s why gangs are so prevalent; people are afraid of them.

After Pahoran is murdered, Pacumeni is given the judgment seat, but he is killed when the Lamanites attack. Helaman (son of Helaman) takes over the judgment seat and fills it “with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statues, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land.” (Helaman 3:20; underline added)

While Helaman is governor, the wars begin to cease; peace reigns, though the Gadianton robbers existed in secret. And even though there are many Nephites lifted up in pride, the majority of the people were humble, fasting and praying, becoming “firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.” To be sanctified means to become holy. What results have you seen from continually keeping the commandments?

We also meet Helaman’s two sons Nephi and Lehi, who he has named after their first fathers that came out of Jerusalem. The brothers were given those names that they might remember the righteousness of their first parents and follow their examples. Brother Babcock asked us: What have you done with your name? Have you done so that your ancestors can be proud to have you bear their name? Can you be proud of it? And not just the family name. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have taken upon us the name of Christ. What are we doing with His name? Is it something that we and the Savior can be proud of? In this world of changing values, we have to be ever vigilant and build our foundation upon the rock of Christ.

Helaman 5:12 – “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

Finish up the rest of the Book of Helaman for this Wednesday.

Sister Martindale will be returning in March! Yay!! A big, big, BIG thank you to Brother Babcock for filling in!

The Power of Covenants

2010-02-22T01:04:00.000-06:00

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted! Institute was canceled the first week of February and I missed the following week due to the roads out where I live still being in bad shape due to the snow/ice/sleet that week.

Thankfully, Brother Babcock led us through a review for those that missed it.

We were finishing up the book of Alma that week, the last twenty chapters focusing on the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites. We see amazing strategies by Captain Moroni both to defend the Nephite cities and to attack the Lamanites or cut them off from their places of retreat, the treachery and intrigue of Amalakiah, the king men trying to take over the reign of the Nephites, and the faithfulness of the 2,000 sons of Helaman, or the sons of the people of Ammon, also called the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.

Now remember these people of Ammon. They were once wicked Lamanites, but had been converted through the missionary efforts of Ammon and his brothers. After their conversion, the fathers made a covenant never to take up the sword again to shed blood of their brothers. When the wicked Lamanites came against them, these righteous fathers of the Lamanites went out and allowed themselves to be killed, knowing that they had kept their covenant and were going to their rest in God. The sons of these men were then raised by their mothers to know that if they never doubted, God would deliver them. These boys grew up understanding the power of a covenant, having seen their fathers keep their covenants to the end of their lives. When the Nephites are in need of help, these 2,000 sons step up and make a covenant themselves to defend their people, their country, their freedom, their religion. Their faith in God and the Savior is so strong that in their first battle against Ammoron and the Lamanites, not one of them is harmed. We can take our example from the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi in understanding, making and keeping covenants.

We begin to see a prosperity of the Nephite people (this includes the people of Ammon), and they remember that it is God who has delivered them from the Lamanites and has given them this prosperity. They spread all over the face of the land, some even building ships and going beyond the knowledge of the people to never be heard from again. This is, perhaps, a part of the scattering of Israel.

Unfortunately, this righteousness won’t last long.

Alma's Final Counsel

2010-01-31T11:30:00.000-06:00

If you knew that you were coming to the end of your life and wanted to give your children one last bit of advice, what counsel or warning would you give them? Some of the things listed in Institute on Wednesday were:

Give confidence (in self, in the Savior, in the future)
Tell them about the Savior, to look to Him, His atonement, etc.
Prepare for the future but don't worry needlessly
Keep focused - don't let the world distract you

Alma chapters 36-42 contain Alma the Younger's final counsel to his sons Helaman, Shiblon and Corianton.

Have your parents ever borne testimony to you? What did that feel like to you? Did you drink it in? Were you not fully paying attention but counting the seconds till you could get back to what were you doing? Was your conscience pricked and you realized that there are some things you need to repent of?

Our class president said that it's fortifying, hearing his dad bear his testimony. When that happens, he knows his dad isn't lying. I feel the same way when my mom bears her testimony to us, whether it's during FHE, family scripture reading, etc. She has shared her testimony with us often enough that I have no doubts that she knows, that she has a testimony.

How did they get that testimony? How does Alma know and have a testimony of the things he does?

Alma 36:4-5

"And I would not that ye think that I know of myself--not of the temporal, but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.

"Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself;"

Alma 38:6

"Now, my son, I would not that ye should think that I know these things of myself, but it is the Sprit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me; for if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things."

Alma is telling his sons that this isn't coming from him, that he learned it through the Spirit of God.

As Alma is telling the story of his conversion to his oldest son Helaman, he tells of the "three days and three nights" that he was "racked, even with the pains of a damned soul." (Alma 36:16) Essentially, his progress had stopped.

As Boyd K. Packer said, "The prophets chose very graphic words. Racked means 'tortured.' Anciently, a rack was a framework on which the victim was laid with each ankle and wrist tied to a spindle which could then be turned to cause unbearable pain. A harrow is a frame with spikes through it. When pulled across the ground, it rips and tears into the soil. The scriptures frequently speak of souls and minds being 'harrowed up' with guilt. Torment means 'to twist,' a means of torture so painful even the innocent would confess." (Packer, The Touch of the Master's Hand, Ensign, May 2001) (That part about torment I'd had no idea.)

But! As Alma "was thus racked with torment ... [and] was harrowed up by the memory of [his] many sins," something happened.

He remembered the words of his father, about the coming of Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of the world. (Alma 36:17)
His mind caught hold upon that thought and he cried out to Jesus for mercy (v. 18)
He could "remember [his] pains no more," joy and marvelous light, filled his soul. The joy was as exquisite as his pain had been, but the one was bitter and the other sweet.

What purpose does physical pain serve? It reminds us that we're mortal. We're not invincible. It keeps us from danger by letting us remember what caused the pain in the first place. It can humble us, teach us.

How might spiritual pain, then, serve the same purpose? In Sunday School this past week, the lesson was on Adam and Eve and how they rejoiced because of their transgression. Their eyes had been opened. They now knew of good and evil and the choices to make thereof. They were able to obey the second commandment they had been given, to "multiply and replenish the earth" and teach their children. Alma felt great pain before he repented and cried out for mercy. But after, he felt worthy. He felt clean. He felt joy. That suffering that Alma felt was, in a way, letting him know what he'd have to go through if he didn't repent of his sins.

We have the Spirit to warn us. And when we sin, it tells us that because we let the natural man take over, now the spirit has to suffer. Sometimes we may have to suffer the physical as well as the spiritual pain. But through the process of sincere repentance, that pain can be alleviated.

Tony told of a man he knew when he was in Boy Scouts whose hands were so calloused from his work that he could pick up a hot coal with his fingers and it didn’t bother him. (I think that’s how the story went, anyway.) That has some good spiritual connotations. We can become spiritually calloused through sin over time until it becomes hard for us to feel the Spirit when it speaks to us.

Brother Babcock sent us to the scriptures for some insights on receiving and following the words of Christ.

Alma 37:5-9 Small & simple things bring about great work, confound the wise – like things of the Spirit or anything that cannot be explained by logic or science – they enlarge memories, convince man of his errors, brings a knowledge of salvation

vv. 34-37 – Never be weary in good works. Be meek and lowly in heart. Keep the commandments. Cry to God for support and take counsel from him.

vv. 38-47 – The Liahona worked for the Lehi colony only according to their faith, which was a type and shadow of the words of Christ.

“And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.” (verse 45)

We’ll notice that verses 21-22 are a foreshadowing of things to come. Alma is warning Helaman to keep secret from the Nephites the works of darkness and the oaths and secret combinations that caused the destruction of the Jaredites.

After instructing and commending Helaman and Shiblon for their righteousness, Alma speaks to his youngest son Corianton. While on their mission to the Zoramites, Corianton had left the ministry and sought after harlots. “Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; year, most abominable above all sins save it bee the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?” (Alma 39:5)

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we learn that our bodies are not our own. We are told that our bodies are temples, dwelling places for the Spirit of God. Our bodies are not truly our own, for we are “bought with a price.” And when we dabble in sin, that temple becomes unclean, and the Spirit cannot dwell in unclean temples.

There are some who feel that they can just put off repentance until they’re dead and then someone else can do their temple work for them. While that’s certainly true that temple work can be done, has it really done that person any good? And what about those of us who battle with addictions? They’re that much harder to overcome in the spirit world because we don’t have a physical body to satisfy or overcome it with.

In closing, Alma’s words to Corianton, “Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.” (Alma 42:27)

Now we’re moving on to the “War chapters” of the Book of Mormon. Read the rest of the book of Alma for next week! Captain Moroni’s the man!!!

Faith, Prayer and Repentance

2010-01-23T19:38:00.001-06:00

Welcome back to Institute, everybody! Hope you had a good winter break.

Well, this week’s lesson ended up being pretty much a review of the last lesson before the break. But that turned out to be a good thing. I think that those of us who were there ended up getting more out of it this time. I know I did.

Alma and his companions are in Antionum attempting to cry repentance to the people, but aren’t having success among the wealthy people. One day as Alma is preaching to a group of the people, he is approached by a group of the poor who are seeking answers. Alma sees that their poverty and afflictions have humbled them, seeking repentance and a desire to hear the word.

“And now, as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” (Alma 32:21) Those who seek for a sign, claiming that they’ll believe after the sign, are they using faith? No. Seeking for a sign is like saying “Show me now!” The sign comes after “the trial of your faith.” So faith, then, is not having a sure knowledge of something, yet it’s true regardless.

Alma shares with the poor Zoramites, and with us, the experiment of faith, asking us to exercise “a particle of faith,” just a desire, and let that desire work in us. This seed of faith starts out small, so we have to work at it: nourish it, take care of it, let it grow. It takes an action on our part and soon the testimony grows until it becomes a perfect knowledge. How long does it take that seed of faith to grow into a tree of perfect knowledge? Well, that depends on us, on what we’re willing to do and how much effort we’re willing to put into that experiment. But the ultimate end is to taste of the fruit ourselves and share it with others. So we must keep trying.

“But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit hereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.” (Alma 32:41)

It seems that the poor were under the belief that they couldn’t worship because they weren’t allowed into the synagogue. Alma and Amulek quote Zenos and Zenock, two prophets whose words were written on the plates of brass. Yet, though those plates contain the five books of Moses, we don’t have the words of Zenos and Zenock in our Bible today due to the wickedness of men, mistranslations, careless omissions, and/or who knows what else.

Amulek speaks to the Zoramite poor about prayer. In Alma 34, verse 27, he says that “when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.” What does that mean, to have a continual, constant prayer? It was suggested in class that it might mean that as we look at others and their actions, to look at them the way Christ would, to pray for them. Perhaps they had a bad day. Perhaps they just need a prayer. It’s a constant communication with Christ.

In verses 18-26, we see the phrase “cry unto him” repeatedly used. What does that mean, to cry unto Him? It can mean urgency, sincerity, an S.O.S., pleading, or heartfelt. What are our prayers like? They don’t need to be flowery. They just need to be sincere, humble and heartfelt.

After the explanation on prayer comes the instruction on repentance. Brother Babcock quoted a general authority – he couldn’t remember who it was and I don’t know either – who said “Procrastination is the thief of eternal life.” We don’t know when our mortal probation will end, so the time to repent is now, so the arms of mercy and atonement of the Savior can have claim on us. Christ’s sacrifice allows Him to give us that mercy. He satisfied the demands of justice through his Atonement – the suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross and resurrection – so that we, if we use it, can have mercy. But we must use that gift he gave us and repent or else we need to meet the demands of justice ourselves.

Alma chapter 36 contains a Hebrew teaching method and form of poetry known as a chiasmus (kī-az-mus), also called an inverted parallelism. Ideas or words are arranged in a certain order, and then repeated in reverse order, and the main idea is located at the center of the chiasmus. The central message of Alma’s teaching to his son Helaman focused on the time in Alma’s life during his conversion when he was experiencing exquisite pain and sorrow and cried unto Jesus Christ for relief. He was in the “gall of bitterness”, “harrowed up by the memory of [his] many sins” and “racked with torment.” What’s a harrow? A farming tool. A rack, an instrument of torture. Knowing that, I can only barely imagine what Alma must have been going through. But then he remembers the teachings of his father about the coming of the Messiah and cries for relief.

Now, I had not known this beforehand, but Brother Babcock pointed out a few references throughout the scriptures of other instances of chiasmus. In the single verse of Matthew 10:39 is a chiasmus: “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” There’s one in Mosiah 5:10-12. Now that I know what to look for, I plan to search for other instances of chiasmus.

If we’re following the same study pattern, next week we’ll be studying Alma 37-42 next week.

Don't forget to keep Sister Martindale in your prayers.

Part 2: Plant the Seed and Pray Always

2009-12-22T16:48:00.001-06:00

Here's part 2 from last week -

After the death of Korihor, we read of Alma’s heart sickening for the iniquity of the people, in particular the apostate Zoramites in the land of Antionum. “And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.” (Alma 31:5) So, taking a group that included three of the sons of Mosiah, the younger two of his own sons, and Amulek and Zeezrom, Alma went to Antionum.

These Zoramites once had the word of God preached unto them, but had fallen into error. They were disobedient to the commandments of God, didn't observe the law of Moses; they had forsaken daily prayer; They had built synagogues to worship one day in the week, but never spoke of God again until the following day of worship. The poor were not allowed to enter these synagogues. In each synagogue, there was a tall stand called a Rameumptum that admitted only one person at a time to come up and offer the exact same prayer.

Alma is shocked not only at this, but also at their excessive display of wealth and exclusion of the poor from their synagogues. He prays for strength and the spirit of the Lord to be with him and those that have come with him that they can reclaim these apostate Nephites and convince them of their errors.

At first it seems as if they have no luck, but then Alma is approached by a group of the poor, “because of their poverty as to the things of the world (Alma 32:4). … [Alma] beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word (verse 6).” Now comes the wonderful lessons on faith and repentance in the Book of Mormon. Alma likens faith to a seed and challenges the Zoramite poor to experiment on faith, even if they have only the desire, to nurture it, to let it grow, to recognize it as a good seed and not cast it out. We find the steps to follow the experiment in Alma 32:27-43.

1) Desire
2) Plant the seed
3) Recognize if it is a good seed – we need to know what to look for, for the results
4) Nourish the seed
5) Don’t neglect it
6) Look forward to the harvest
7) Pick the fruit – reap the harvest

What is something that we can experiment with?

Alma also teaches them – and us, in turn – that it’s not only in church that we should worship, but in every place we are, in everything we do. “Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you (Alma 34:27).

“Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.” (Alma 34:39)

No more Institute till classes start back up again. If anyone knows a more exact date, either e-mail me at merg_15@yahoo.com or send me a message on Facebook.

Merry Christmas everybody!

False Teachings and Faith

2009-12-16T22:29:00.005-06:00

Sorry this one's later than usual. With it being the Christmas season, I hope you'll forgive me.
Mormon was inspired to give us the account of Korihor in the book of Alma. There are so many modern-day equivalents of what he taught that there can’t be any doubt of Mormon’s divine inspiration to include this account, and the accounts of Sherem and Nehor.

Elder Gerald N. Lund said, “Today, the world is permeated with philosophies similar to those taught by Korihor. We read them in books, see them championed in the movies and on television, and hear them taught in classrooms and sometimes in the churches of our time… We see clear evidence of Mormon’s inspiration to give us a full account of Korihor and his teachings. Korihor’s teachings are old doctrine, and yet they are ideas as modern as today’s high-speed printing presses and satellite dishes.” (“Countering Korihor’s Philosophy,” Ensign July 1992, 20)

“There was no law against a man’s belief,” so Korihor was able to go around and preach like he did on the grounds that it was his belief. But his beliefs were anti-Christ, against the prophecies about the coming of Christ. He insisted on a more “rational and scientific approach to all problems, anything else being but ‘the effect of a frenzied mind’ (Alma 30:13-16)… He preached a no-nonsense naturalism: ‘When a man was dead, that was the end thereof’ (Alma 30:18) and its corollary, which was a strict materialism: ‘Every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature.” (Institute manual, p. 214, Hugh Nibley quote) Every man prospered according to his own genius, conquered according to strength and whatsoever a man did was no crime. This point of view was appealing to many, “causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms.” (Alma 30:18)

This man had no effect on the people of Ammon in Jershon. These people had once led a similar lifestyle to what Korihor was preaching, and having repented, refuse to turn back to that life. So Ammon, the priest of Jershon, had him cast him out, where he then went to Gideon to try again. Once again he was brought before the high priest. After attempting to say how false and foolish the traditions and performances believed in were, he was sent to Alma in Zarahemla. Alma bore a powerful testimony to Korihor that everything denotes the existence of a God. In fact, according to the Institute manual, it’s easier to give evidence that God exists than to get evidence that He doesn’t. But Korihor still demanded a sign and was struck dumb. He revealed that the devil appeared to him as an angel of light and taught him what to say, and he taught it so convincingly that he believed it himself. He realized that he had taught in error, he knew there was a God. Though he desired it, the curse was not removed and Korihor was cast out. He wound up begging for his food, eventually went to the place where the Zoramites were and ended up being "run upon and trodden down, even until he was dead. And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell." (Alma 30:60, emphasis added)

Christ will never abandon those who follow him.

"And thus we see..."

2009-12-05T20:36:00.000-06:00

When all four of King Mosiah’s sons refused the kingdom, can you imagine his feelings when he learned that they wanted to serve a mission to the Lamanites? The Lamanites were a “wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands… a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols.” (Alma 17:14-15)

Yikes! Why in the world would Aaron, Ammon, Omner and Himni want to preach to these people? “That perhaps they might bring them to repentance; that perhaps they might bring them to know of the plan of redemption.” (Alma 17:16)

Ammon is the man, can we say that? In fact, when we read the description of Captain Moroni, he is compared to Ammon. “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.” (Alma 48:17-18) Wow.

When taken before King Lamoni, he offers to be a servant. Then comes the miraculous saving of the sheep and fellow servants from the wicked Lamanites who intend to scatter the king’s sheep and take them for their own. Ammon has the fellow servants circle the flock to keep them from scattering while he deals with the enemy Lamanites. With the power of God protecting Ammon, he kills six of them with stone and sling, but that doesn’t seem to repel the rest, who come at him with clubs. “But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that” – understatement of the Book of Mormon – “they began to be astonished, and began to flee before hi; yea, and they were not few in number; and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm.”

Well the rescue of his sheep in such an astonishing manner leaves Lamoni just flabbergasted and afraid – “Is Ammon the Great Spirit sent to punish us? Punish me for slaying the other servants who lost my sheep?” – that he can’t answer Ammon for an hour. But, again by the Spirit, Ammon discerns the king’s thoughts and asks “what is it, that thy marveling are so great? Behold, I am a man, and am thy servant; therefore, whatsoever thou desirest which is right, that will I do.”

It’s likely that the Lamanites have been prepared to hear what Ammon and his brothers have to teach. Remember that Alma and his people were once in bondage to the Lamanites? We also learn from Lamoni’s father that the priests of Noah and the Amalekites – who have joined the Lamanites - have been given permission to build synagogues and worship.

These chapters give a good example to follow when teaching others about the gospel. Both Ammon and Aaron find out from Lamoni and his father what their concept of God is, trying to get on a common ground of understanding and trust. Once they understand that God is the Great Spirit, the creator of heaven and earth, and the one that led their fathers out of Jerusalem around 510 years ago, Ammon unfolds the scriptures beginning at the creation, the fall of man, expounded the plan of redemption prepared from the foundation of the world and the coming of Christ. During this, both Lamoni and his father asked questions of Ammon and Aaron, a good way to know if the investigator is interested. They taught with clarity and simplicity.

Backing up a little to when Aaron, Muloki and Ammah were preaching in Middoni, the scriptures say that “it was their lot to have fallen into the hands of a more hardened and a more stiffnecked people; therefore they would not hearken unto their words, and they had cast them out.” What does it mean to be stiffnecked? It could mean that they can’t look at what someone else is trying to teach them, that they’re so focused on their own thing. Maybe it means stubborn, or ignorant. Even complacent, or content with what they have. The institute manual quotes Pres. Eyring on why we must still try to reach every soul: “Why should I speak to anyone about the gospel who seems content? What danger is there to them or to me if I do or say nothing? Well, the danger may be hard to see, but it is real, both for them and for us. For instance, at some moment in the world to come, everyone you will ever meet will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, was to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this earth. And they will know that you knew. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you.” (Ensign, Nov 1998)

Thousands of Lamanites in seven cities and lands were converted, “brought to the knowledge of the Lord… And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth… never did fall away. For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God anymore, neither against any of their brethren.” (Alma 23:5-7)

They buried their weapons of rebellion, had a complete change of lifestyle and name – the Anti-Nephi-Lehies – and became industrious. “They shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.” (Alma 26:6)

What are the weapons of rebellion that we can bury? Our sins. Our addictions. The sin of omission, like when we forget to study our scriptures and pray. I imagine the lists of what we each would bury might look very similar.

“And thus we see.” We see this phrase throughout the Book of Mormon. Whenever we see that phrase, Mormon is telling us that we are included in the understanding of the account just given. Thus we see, or thus we can learn from this account…

I have most of Alma 29 highlighted. “O, that I were an angel,” Alma cries. In this chapter we can feel Alma’s deep desire to share the gospel; strong enough to desire to be an angel to speak to the whole earth of the gospel of Christ. This chapter is for us. Is our desire like that? It’s likely easier than we think.

For next week – read Alma 30-35. And keep Sister Martindale in your prayers!

Part 1: A Witness No Bribe Can Change

2009-11-24T14:10:00.001-06:00

After preaching in Zarahemla, Gideon, Melek and other places, Alma comes to Ammonihah, a place of hard-hearted Nephites who refuse to hear his words and cast him out. A discouraged Alma was about to set his back to Ammonihah forever when an angel stopped him and told him to return and command the people to repent or be destroyed. Alma obeyed and “returned speedily.” When he reached Ammonihah by a different way, he found food, a place to stay and a missionary companion.

Amulek, a wealthy and prominent man in Ammonihah, had been about to visit some relatives in a nearby city when an angel told him to prepare to feed a holy man who had been fasting because of the wickedness of the people in this city. While not necessarily wicked, Amulek was perhaps a casual member. Elder Maxwell said, “While casual members are not unrighteous, they often avoid appearing to be too righteous by seeming less committed than they really are - an ironic form of hypocrisy. Casual members are usually with the cares and things of the world.”

During Alma’s stay at Amulek’s house, Amulek and his family are converted and blessed. Then the companions go out and preach, Amulek defending Alma and giving a second witness to the words he preaches when the people – thinking that there is only one witness – demand to know why he dares preach such things. Amulek reminds the people who he is and admits that he had indeed heard the calls to repentance, but never answered them, going about in his life as if he hadn’t heard at all. But he had heard, and so had the people.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:3 – “For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.”

They had the knowledge of the gospel, but refused to listen. The Lamanites, on the other hand, because of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers, were ignorant of the truth. Therefore it will be better for the Lamanites I the day of judgment than for the wicked people of Ammonihah who would not repent, having turned away from the truth. Remember what happened with the Amlicites who dissented from the Nephites and turned against the teachings of Christ? They became more hardened and hate-filled than the Lamanites, joining them and marking themselves as the Lamanites had.

We of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been blessed with the fullness of the gospel and will be judged according to what we do with that knowledge. We have more given to us, so more is required of us.

Along comes Zeezrom with his six onties of silver to bribe Amulek. Now, the institute manual doesn’t seem to say how the conclusion is reached that six onties equals 42 days’ wages, so I went to Skousen’s Treasures from the Book of Mormon for an explanation. The first nineteen verses of Alma 11 give a summary of the Nephite monetary system of the time. We also learn that a judge receives one senine of gold or one senum of silver – the same value: one measure of barley – for one day’s service. Since Zeezrom is offering silver, I’ll stick with the silver explanation. One senum of silver is equal to a measure of barley. One amnor equals two senums. One ezrom is the same as four senums. And an onti of silver was “as great as them all.” Assuming that means all added together, an onti is the same as 7 senums, or a week’s wages. So six onties of silver (7 senums per onti), equals 42 senums of silver.

For those who need a visual like I did to really get it, I made this:

Zeezrom is offering nearly a month and a half’s wages to Amulek if he will “deny the existence of a Supreme Being.” But Amulek, through the discerning power of the Spirit of the Lord, sees through the trap at once and doesn’t mince words upon confronting Zeezrom about it. “Now Amulek said: Oh thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yeildeth to no such temptation? Believeth thou that there is no God? I say unto you, Nay, thou knowest there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him.” (Alma 11: 23-24) Not only that, Amulek tells him that he knows that Zeezrom had no intention of paying the bribe, that it was only a ploy to get Amulek to say something that Zeezrom could then use against him in court. An interesting conversation follows in which Zeezrom questions Amulek, still trying to trip him up.

I'll be back with that in just a bit.

Priestcraft, Pride and Pure Testimony

2009-11-14T22:34:00.000-06:00

On page 411 of the Book of Mormon Institute manual we see a chart recording the Book of Mormon pages and time periods. The darker arrow depicts the time period covered in each book, while the gray arrow depicts the number of pages. The Book of Alma covers 39 years, but is covered in 161 pages, the most pages of any book. Makes you wonder – and ponder this one while you read – just why did Mormon feel impressed to include what he included in the Book of Mormon? With such an incredible record before us, we might want to improve our own record-keeping: journal-writing. How much do we forget when we don’t record it in our journals? Me, a lot!

We begin the Book of Alma, the first years of the reign of the judges. What emerges? Priestcraft! Nehor begins to introduce priestcraft among the church, and unfortunately, even his ignominious death didn’t stop its spreading among the people. We were split off into two groups, each given a set of scriptures and a task. Group one was to look up the definition and elements of priestcraft in the scriptures provided. Group two was to look for the motives and behaviors of priesthood leaders who honor the Lord.

Group 1 Group 2

Alma 1:2-6 Alma 1:26-27

Alma 1:16 Alma 13:6, 10-12

2 Ne. 26:29 Jacob 1:18-19

Group one discovered that Nehor was teaching that priests should be popular, that they shouldn’t have to support themselves but be supported by the people. He taught the love of vain things, and false doctrine for money, which they claim to be the word of God. The set themselves up to get gain and wordly praise, with no real care for Zion. Nehor was teaching that there was no need for repentance, excusing sin in the name of religion, rationalizing that “in the end, all men should have eternal life” (Alma 1:4). Well, if there was no need for repentance, then there would be no need of a Savior. No need of a Savior, then the plan of salvation would have been worth naught.

Brother Babcock was there on Wednesday and quoted Elder Bednar, saying something to the effect of - anything we do to draw attention us and away from an ordinance being performed, it’s a form of priestcraft. That was definitely food for thought. We read another quote from Elder Bednar from the manual: “Anything you or I do as an instructor that knowingly and intentionally draws attention to self—in the messages we present, in the methods we use, or in our personal demeanor—is a form of priestcraft that inhibits the teaching effectiveness of the Holy Ghost. ‘Doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? And if it be by some other way it is not of God’ (D&C 50:17-18).”

We should seek the Master in all things, whether as a teacher or as the learner.

Group two found that righteous priesthood leaders were ordained on condition of their exceeding faith and repentance. They took responsibility for imparting the word of God in righteousness to the people, answering the sins of the people upon their own heads if they did not. Such an amazingly direct contrast between the two. And unfortunately, priestcraft did not end with Nehor’s death, but put a rift in the unity of the people due to so many following Nehor’s teachings.

Sometime after that, along comes Amlici singing “I just can’t wait to be king”. But that worries Alma and the majority of the Nephite people, for they remember their recent bondage due to the wickedness of King Noah leading the people into sin. Nevertheless, all things are to be decided by the vote of the people. For a parallel to our time, we should not be afraid to speak up and give our voice on a topic. Don’t sick back and be silent if it’s against our moral standards.

The vote comes against Amlici, which makes him angry. He draws away the people that followed him to anger against the Nephites and brings battle to them. But thanks to mighty prayer and faith, the Nephite people beat back the Amlicites, who then fled and allied with the Lamanites, marking their foreheads with red like the Lamanites to distinguish themselves from the Nephites. They changed their appearance to follow the Lamanites. In the manual, Elder Ballard taught, specifically to young men who hold the priesthood, 'that wordly trends in dress and appearance will chase away the Spirit of the Lord:

"There is an entire subculture that celebrates contemporary gangs and their criminal conduct with music, clothing styles, language, attitudes, and behaviors. Many of you have watched as trendy friends have embraced the style as something that was 'fashionable' and 'cool,' only to be dragged into the subculture...

"I do not believe that you can stand for truth and right while wearing anything that is unbecoming one who holds the priesthood of God."'

Do the people who watch you know by the way you conduct yourself that you are Christian, a member of the Church?

With the pride and wickedness starting to spread among the people, Alma realizes that he needs to focus more on his role as head of the Church, so he hands the judgment seat to Nephihah and goes to preach. This is a time of prosperity and the people are beginning to take up in pride. Alma warns them against it. Then he bears his testimony. How often do we take opportunity to bear our testimony of how we feel about the gospel of Christ? Of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and the First Vision? The priesthood, the restoration, the Holy Ghost? The Savior and His Atonement?

If you do not yet know for yourself and have a testimony, go and find out! That testimony can guide you through your life. Bear testimony of what you know, no matter how simple it may seem. It was a pure and simple testimony from an uneducated man that brought Brigham Young to the waters of baptism.

Along with reading Alma 8-16 for next week, Sister Martindale suggested reading page 176 in the Institute manual, the section on Bearing Pure Testimony.

See you next week!

Conversion

2009-11-09T17:16:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone’s read this week’s assignment: Alma 1-7

Remember from last week that Alma had fled from King Noah, hidden himself and had written down the words of Abinadi? We briefly reviewed Abinadi’s prophecies about the people if they didn’t repent and about King Noah in Mosiah chapters 11:23-25 and 12:2-3, and saw their fulfillment in chapter 21:1-3, 13-15.

After Abinadi’s death, Alma began to teach the people in secret, and all that believed on his words were baptized. We went over the evidence that the people were prepared for baptism. They believed in Alma’s words and humbled themselves to repentance and faith on Christ. They were willing to go to the waters of Mormon to hear the word of God and to make a baptismal covenant – the covenant found in Mosiah 18:8-10 – to witness that they “entered into a covenant with him, that [they] will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon [them.] And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.” Imagine the feelings of a convert, their feeling of joy at finding such a wonderful gift of the fullness of the gospel, the chance to be washed clean of their sins.

Part of the blessing mentioned in verse nine is that they will “be numbered with those of the first resurrection.” I hadn’t realized this, and Sister Martindale pointed it out, but the morning of the first resurrection is before the Millennium. In the manual on page 154, there’s a chart showing the order of the Resurrection. If you have the book, look at the chart; it’s simple but fascinating.

Why does Alma baptize himself as well as Helam? According to Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith in the manual, “If he had authority to baptize that is evidence that he had been baptized. Therefore, when Alma baptized himself with Helam, that was not a case of Alma baptizing himself, but merely as a token to the Lord of his humility and full repentance.”

After the death of King Noah, both the people of his son Limhi and the people of Alma are in bondage to the Lamanites, Limhi’s people because of their lack of repentance when Abinadi preached it to them, Alma’s people because of the wicked priests of Noah who had formed an alliance with the Lamanites. Limhi’s people were forced to remember the Lord during their Lamanite bondage, or “compelled to be humble” until they repented of their sins. They became teachable, learned faith and prayer. Their Lamanite taskmasters were softened to place lesser burdens on them. Alma’s people repented after he taught them the words of Abinadi. While in bondage, the priests of Noah and the Lamanites forbade them to pray, so they carried a prayer in their hearts; and while God didn’t immediately deliver them, he did make their burdens easier to bear, and eventually guided them to freedom, through the voice of Alma, their prophet.

All learned prayer and humility. We pray to humble ourselves, to see that, as a child of God, He is there and will answer our prayers. It is through repentance that we begin to have a change of heart, to have a different view of self and of God. The Lord was slow to hear the cries of Limhi’s people in bondage, but He did hear them. Someone pointed out that the slower the Lord is in hearing our cries, the more in depth our repentance. That’s not to say that we should wait until He’s slow to hear us before we repent; we ought to repent immediately. But there is always something to learn during the repentance process, no matter how long it takes us.

Now, the rising generation – the ones that were probably too young to understand and take part in the covenant that their parents and older siblings understood and made when King Benjamin spoke to them for the last time – looks like we’re starting to see a bit of trouble with them. Remember when Zeniff led that group up to the land of Lehi-Nephi? It’s likely that the parents probably didn’t teach their children the best they could, especially thanks to King Noah once he took over. When one member of the flock goes astray, it could be generations before the truth is brought back to them.

Alma the younger and the four sons of Mosiah were such strays, “the very vilest of sinners,” going about attempting to destroy the Church, the very work their fathers were so faithful to. But because of the prayers, faith and fasting of their fathers and the righteous who had not been led astray, an angel was sent to stop them in the way.

When I study the Book of Mormon, I often use W. Cleon Skousen’s four-volume Treasures from the Book of Mormon as an aid along with the institute manual. In the third volume, in chapter 36 of Alma, Alma is recounting his repentance and conversion to his son Helaman. He knew his life had been very sinful. In this third manual, Skousen says, “however, if the whole truth were known it could no doubt be demonstrated that Alma, like Paul, had rendered such outstanding service in the spirit world that he had earned the blessing of having an angel stop him in the way and get him straightened out.” And these men had to be straightened out – they had great missions ahead of them. They became “new creatures” (Mosiah 27:26). Just see the rest of Mosiah and Alma for the results!!

“Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.” (Mosiah 27:28-29)

I don’t know about the rest of you, but those two verses are full of hope to me. No one is exempt from the mercy of God if they repent of their sins. And repentance is available to all, to become born of God and redeemed from sins.

You really do learn something new every time you read the Book of Mormon, with or without a study guide.

A Change of Heart

2009-10-29T17:38:00.001-05:00

Well, if you haven't read this past week's assignment, catch up! King Benjamin, King Noah, Abinadi and Alma!! How much better can you get? Oh, wait... read 3 Nephi for that answer. Haha!

In verses 9-30 of Mosiah 4, we read through and made a list of the attitudes or qualities of a true follower of Christ. It’s a considerable list, yet only a small part of what it could be. Check it out, make out the list for your own records.

Mosiah 5 talked about the mighty change of heart that the people had, and being given the name of Christ, covenanting to take his name upon them. In the manual, we read what Elder Oaks said about taking Christ’s name on us: “It is significant that when we partake of the sacrament we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. We witness that we are willing to do so. (Se D&C 20:77) The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the most important sense. … Our willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ affirms our commitment to do all that we can to be counted among those whom he will chose to stand at his right hand and be called by his name at the last day. In this sacred sense, our witness that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ constitutes our declaration of candidacy for exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Exaltation is eternal life, ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God’.”

Becoming Christ-like is not an immediate thing, it’s a lifetime of work, a step-by-step, steady and consistent work. And this change of heart is not just our behavior, but a change of who we are. Our very nature changes with “no more disposition to do evil”. That’s a goal worth working toward, don’t you think?

Remember back in the last few verses of Omni that a group of Nephites left Zarahemla to search for the land of Lehi-Nephi, the land of their first inheritance? Mosiah chapters 9-22 tell their story. Chapters 9-10 were written in Zeniff’s own hand without any abridgement from Mormon. I hadn’t realized that till Sister Martindale pointed it out last night.

The story of Abinadi and King Noah really is one great example of why we should heed the prophets when they speak to us and do what they say. Abinadi taught powerful words, among them calling King Noah and the people to repentance. But because of their hard-heartedness and the wickedness of the priests, they didn’t listen. At least, not until Alma, touched by Abinadi’s words before King Noah, defended him and had to run for his life. We’ll find out what happened to him in this week’s reading of Mosiah 18-29.

Noah is ready to sentence Abinadi to death. But when Abinadi prophesies of things to come, some of which would happen to Noah – who would suffer death the same way as Abinadi, as would many of the people – Noah starts to get a little worried and is ready to let him go free. But he listens to the priests who say that Abinadi has reviled against the king. Noah bends to peer pressure. Like Pilate, when he found nothing for Christ to be worthy of death, was ready to let him go. But the people cried for his crucifixion and Pilate – wanting to keep the people happy - washed his hands of it and turned Christ over to them to do as they would. When Martin Harris – who was a good friend and had been a big help to Joseph Smith - wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer when Joseph told him that he couldn’t take the 116 manuscript pages to show his wife, Joseph reluctantly bent and continued to petition God for his friend. Through Martin’s disobedience to the promise he had made to keep those pages safe, the manuscript was lost and Joseph lost his gift for a time.

How do the last lines of the last verse of “Follow the Prophet” go? We can get direction all along our way if we heed the prophets, follow what they say.

Happy Halloween everybody!

Led By The Spirit

2009-10-26T00:14:00.000-05:00

Well, Sister Martindale, even with forgetting your notes the class was great!! Now, if I can just read and make sense of my own notes....

Enos wasn't expecting the experience he would have when he went to hunt. He remembered the words that his father Jacob taught the people about eternal life, and his "soul hungered". "I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens." [Enos, verse 4] As Elder Hales says in the manual, it wasn't easy. "Faith did not come quickly. In fact, Enos charactereised his experience in prayer as a 'wrestle which [he] had before God' [verse 2]. But faith did come. By the power of the Holy Ghost, he did receive a witness for himself. We cannot find Enos-like faith without our own wrestle before God in prayer. I testify that the reward is worth the effort."

What do each of us have to do to find our own Enos-like faith? Enos pondered his father's words, and he poured everything he had to the Lord in prayer. He hungered for it, he needed it. When we're at the point when we need it, we'll wrestle. Our souls will hunger for His words. And as we feast upon His words, we'll grow to love Him more and desire to share it in some way - through service, through teaching/preaching...

In the book of Jarom, two hundred years had passed since Lehi left Jerusalem (making it 399 B.C. according to the record at the bottom of the page) and still the Nephites were battling the Lamanites, yet they were also righteous, observing the law of Moses, which they knew was a sign and shadow of Christ's atonement, "persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. .. And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them from being destroyed upon the face of hte land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance." [Jarom verses 11-12] 400 years before the coming of Christ and they were teaching of Christ as though he had already come. People can argue all they want about who Jesus really was, but there is a scripture proving just who He really is.

The book of Omni has multiple authors, but the message is just as important. It's here that we first learn king Benjamin's father Mosiah and his discovery of the people of Zarahemla, who left Jerusalem around the same time as Lehi's colony. But they had brought no records with them, so their language had become corrupted, they denied the being of their Creator. But after Mosiah had the people of Zarahemla learn the language of the Nephites, they were able to communicate and rejoice in learning that Mosiah and the people that followed him had brought the brass plates and other records. King Zarahemla gives an oral genealogy of his fathers to be written down, and Mosiah translates the large stone giving the account of Coriantumr (see the Book of Ether for further details). Then we begin to learn about King Benjamin, and the two groups of people (the first being unsuccessful) searching for the land of Nephi, "desirous to possess the land of their inheritance" (see Mosiah 9-22 to find out more!!).

Mosiah 1-3 we could call King Benjamin's last General Conference. And he speaks about service. In the manual, President Hunter says, "If our service is to be most efficacious, it must be accomplished for the love of God and the love of his children."

Mosiah 3: 21-22 "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls, yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
"And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you." (emphasis added)

Chapter 3, Sister Martindale said, is a wonderful, powerful testimony of Christ. She called this one of the Atonement chapters. After all the times I've read this chapter, particularly verse 7, I can understand why. And this was written 124 B.C. So long ago and people were still testifying of Christ!!

Sorry this entry is late like last week. :( Reading assignment Mosiah 4-17.

"O Be Wise, What Can I Say More?"

2009-10-19T21:58:00.000-05:00

Can you imagine how Jacob must have felt as he prayed to know what to say to the people? They had come up to hear "the pleasing word of God" yet Jacob spend the next two chapters apologizing for what he is about to say to them. He knows it will hard to bear and break the tender hearts of the wives and children of the men he is calling to repentance. Not just for the sins committed, but the ones contemplated. Matthew 5:28 - "But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Compare that to what we've been hearing from our leaders in General Conference the past several years about the pernicious, destructive evil of pornography. It's there, unfortunately available with just a click of a mouse or remote control, or the turning of a magazine or book page.

We could only briefly touch on the Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob chapter 5, but for anyone who wants to study more on it, it’s available in the manual and other Book of Mormon study books. I have to say, having a visual like that helps give a little better understanding of the allegory. I know there are people that are visual learners and need the chart provided. I’m reading over the manual myself just now and found something interesting. Jeffrey R. Holland quotes Truman Madsen, explaining “why Zenos’s use of the olive tree was a powerful symbol of God’s love for the house of Israel: …

“One Jewish legend identifies the tree of life as the olive tree, and with good reason. The olive tree is an evergreen, not a deciduous tree. Its leaves do not seasonally fade nor fall. Through scorching heat and winter cold they are continually rejuvenated. Without cultivation the olive is a wild, unruly, easily corrupted tree. Only after long, patient cultivating, usually eight to ten years, does it begin to yield fruit.” There’s more, but I realized from that last sentence that not only is the allegory a symbol of the world’s history, but also an example of God’s great love and patience for his children. I don’t think I’d have the patience to wait eight to ten years for something to bear fruit. I’m no gardener, so I’d likely kill it while it’s still sprouting, or end up ignoring it altogether. But God has that patience and that love indispensable for his olive trees to bear good fruit, to prune and dig and fertilize and transplant and graft back in when necessary. And he has called many to help him.

But even the chosen must be called to repentance. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.”

To sum it all up, Jacob says in verse 12 of chapter six: “O be wise; what can I say more?”
Remember to do the reading assignment of Enos through Mosiah chapter 3. Only seven chapters. We can do that!!

2009-10-08T20:15:00.003-05:00

This really is a powerful set of chapters, Nephi’s prophecies of the last days. As TJ remarked, chapter 28 is like a checklist of things you don’t want to find in a church. If you see any of these things in a church, is it a church you want to belong to?

Verse 10 – “And the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them.” Who is crying out? All those who we affect, whether knowingly or inadvertently throughout our lives. Our peers in the world are watching us as examples. Are we able and willing to share our beliefs with them when or if they ask? We have the tendency, when we sin, to mistakenly feel that we are the only ones affected by our sin. But what if that sin is one that prevents you from attending the temple to do work for the dead? Less work is done for our ancestors and we miss out on the promised blessings of such work. We may be the ones who were meant to do the work for that particular person, but because we are unworthy to attend the temple, we cannot do that work.

The devil is very subtle, very clever, in persuading of men. “And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
“And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.” (2 Ne 28: 21-22)

The manual quotes Marion G. Romney “A corollary to the pernicious falsehood that God is dead is the equally pernicious doctrine that there is no devil. Satan himself is the father of both of these lies. To believe them is to surrender to him. Such surrender has always led, is leading now, and will continue to lead men to destruction.” But we know there is a God, and we know there is a devil that has been leading men astray since the Fall of Adam and Eve.

But there is hope for the obedient!! “[B]lessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.” (28:30)

Which reminded someone in the class of Elder Scott’s talk in General Conference this past Saturday. He shared an experience from when he was attended a Spanish branch in Mexico City. As the instructor taught, Elder Scott “began to receive personal impressions as an extension of the principles taught by that humble instructor. … They came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn.” He wrote down each impression as it came, and in the process received precious truths he needed “to be a more effective servant of the Lord.” Then in Sunday School, strong impressions began to flow again. Again he wrote them down, but felt that they were so personal as to be inappropriate to record them in Sunday School. He sought a more private location and continued to write down what he was receiving. “After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.” Afterward he prayed, reviewing with God what he thought he had been taught by the Spirit. A feeling of peace came, and Elder Scott thanked him for the guidance given. He then felt impressed to ask “Was there yet more to be given?” There was, and the process was repeated. Again he felt prompted to ask if there were more he should know, with the same result. “When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance.” (To Acquire Spiritual Guidance; emphasis added) Elder Scott remarked that we “can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because [we] do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to [us].” Inspires me to want to listen better. Revelation comes to us in pieces, and we must be ready to receive it.

Sister Martindale gave us two questions to ask ourselves as we study. We’ve heard them before, but sometimes we need to hear them again.

1) Why did the Lord inspire the author to include this in his record?
2) What lesson can I learn from this scripture to help me live in this day and age?

In other words, how does what they wrote, there, in their day affect me, here, in my day? She also gave us three reasons for studying the Book of Mormon:

1) There are more nations than one who God communicates with
2) The testimony of two nations is better than one
3) The Lord will judge us out of the books that are written

We have the words of the Nephites (the Book of Mormon) and the words of the Jews (the Bible), but we don’t have the words of the lost tribes of Israel. Their books have yet to be revealed to us.

There was just so much to cover and, once again, not enough time to cover it. So we need to be studying for ourselves in our scriptures and the manuals that have been provided for us. Speaking of studying, our reading assignment is the entire book of Jacob. And to watch the YouTube video Sister Martindale was telling us about.

2009-09-30T23:50:00.000-05:00

"And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered." (2 Nephi 27:6)

They "which have slumbered" have certainly spoken to us through the Book of Mormon. We read of many prophecies of Nephi and Isaiah which had been fulfilled during the Restoration and are being fulfilled today; some which have yet to be fulfilled.

Now, I agree that Isaiah can be difficult to understand. Nephi explains, "Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy." (2 Ne. 25:4) Well, what's the spirit of prophecy? Revelation 19:10 "...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Then the more we pray for the Spirit as we study, the more we strengthen our testimony of the Savior as we learn of his gospel. The more we strengthen our testimony of the Savior, the more we have the Spirit with us and seek for it.

Nephi delighted in Isaiah because of the plainness of his writings, and he wrote them to teach his children and future generations. "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Ne 25:23) "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

A torn certificate of authenticity didn't stop Martin Harris from believing the truth.

We briefly touched on the difference between our church and other Christian denominations. What beliefs do we have that other denominations might not, that other people might not know about or believe? Someone pointed out tonight how we often don't understand just how blessed we are in our knowledge of the nature of God. Do you ever really think about just Who it is you're talking to when you pray? We believe that He really is our Heavenly Father, not just some vague being known as God to whom we direct our prayers. Some food for thought this week as we read 2 Nephi 28-33. Use those manuals too.

2009-09-26T14:25:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, can we say awesome lesson? We’re in the Isaiah chapters of 2nd Nephi, and Wednesday we were on the ones focusing on the Atonement. You want to get a discussion going, give a lesson from the Book of Mormon on the Atonement. I think we spent most of the class just on one or two chapters, even though we were supposed to be covering 2 Nephi 9-16. Haha!

Speaking of chapters, the reading assignment is 2 Nephi 17-27. Remember to read and come prepared to participate!! And use those manuals if you have one. If you don't have one, remember they're $6. That's not much at all, when you think about it.

2009-09-17T21:58:00.000-05:00

Well, hopefully it'll be rare that I forget to update the blog (oops!). We now have a full class presidency. As I said in an earlier post, Breck Story is the president, and now he's chosen Janeen McKinney as vice-president and Shandi Keith as secretary. If I spelled either name wrong, let me know.

We began our study of 2 Nephi on Wednesday. It was a good reminder that we are in the land of promise that was promised to Lehi and his descendants and all those who would be brought by the hand of God to this place. We looked at the blessings for the obedient and the cursings for the disobedient upon the land. It wasn't an accident that this nation was established, that Joseph Smith and his family were where they were so that the restoration of the gospel could happen. This nation was established by God, and it is He that will protect us and prosper us if we are obedient to his commandments.

Everyone remember that our reading assignment is 2 Nephi 9-16. Read the chapters, read the manual - and if you don't have one, Sister Martindale still has a few left for $6 apiece - and see you next week! Or Saturday; movie night at the Story's house, 2230 Windsor Park Drive. Feel free to call Sister Story if you need directions: 501-472-9751 Those who were there should have received the flyer about it.

Partaking of the Fruit

2009-09-04T21:25:00.001-05:00

And it came to pass on the second day of the ninth month of the first year of President Barack Obama, being two thousand and nine years since the birth of the Savior, that the institute class of Conway, Arkansas gathered together to partake of the fruit of the tree of life and learn of its interpretation.

Our second week of Institute and the evening went by way too fast. But it was very much fruit for thought. It hadn't occurred to me until then that there are four groups mentioned in Lehi's vision. The first group commenced in the path to the tree of life, but were blinded by the mists of darkness and lost their way. The second group took hold of the rod of iron, made it to the tree and partook of the fruit. But thanks to the mocking and pointing fingers of the people in the great and spacious building, they became ashamed and "wandered off into forbidden paths and were lost". The third group also clung to the rod of iron, pressing forward, likely neither looking to the right or left, but firmly setting their gaze on the tree, and came to partake of the fruit "sweet above all that is sweet". The fourth group wasn't even trying to make it toward the tree, but to the great and spacious building. They likely wanted nothing to do with the fruit of the tree, wanting only the supposed enjoyment that the people in the building seemed to have.

Where are we among those groups? Good food for thought.

After Lehi shared his vision, Nephi wanted to be able to understand it. So he actually did something about it. 1 Nephi 11:1 - "For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the Sprit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot."

Compare that to Laman and Lemuel in chapter 15 verses 8-9 "And I said unto them: Hve ye inquired of the Lord? And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." They just wallow in confusion, grieving Nephi for their hard hearts and the inevitable destruction of the people. He gave us a pattern to follow when we want to understand something in the scriptures.

I can't wait for next week.

Now for the announcements. Those who were there should have been given a flyer of the upcoming events for September, but here they are again.

On Sunday the 6th at 6 p.m. is the Break the Fast potluck at the Hurley's home at 1530 Haley Lane. If you need directions contact Brother Hurley at 501-514-2042. Casual dress.

On the 12th is a temple trip for the YSA's. The next day (Sunday the 13th) is a CES Broadcast. Elaine S. Dalton will be speaking. And then Monday the 14th is Family Home Evening at the Story's at 7 pm. Movie Night on the 19th at 7 pm , again at the Story's.
Everyone remember that our reading assignment for next Wednesday is to finish up the book of 1st Nephi, chapters 16-22.

Institute books are in!

2009-08-31T23:26:00.001-05:00

Sister Martindale just informed me today that the Institute books are in. Remember to bring $6 if you want one.

Are you reading the assignment? Remember it's 1 Nephi 6-15 and the witnesses of the Book of Mormon. I've updated the birthday section with birthdays for September and October, but not everyone filled out their birthdays. So if I'm missing anyone, either contact me on Facebook or e-mail me at merg_15@yahoo.com.

--Mary

And it came to pass...

2009-08-27T00:20:00.002-05:00

... on the evening of the 26th day of the 8th month of the first year of President Barack Obama, being two thousand and nine years since the birth of the Savior, that the institute class of Conway, Arkansas gathered together to feast upon the words of Christ taken from the gold plates.

...

Okay, in American: Institute started tonight! Whoo! We're studying the Book of Mormon this year and if tonight was any indication of how the rest of the year is going to be, I can't wait for next week. Makes me wish we had at least two hours instead of 1 1/2. There was so much to cover that we couldn't get to it all tonight. But the new and improved Book of Mormon Institute manuals are coming, $6 apiece, so we get to catch up on what we might have missed. And they look pretty cool too.

We're once again blessed to have Sister Martindale as our teacher. BIG thanks to her for all her hard work in the past and to come. She has also offered to purchase the new Gospel art picture kit at $3.50 each for anyone who might want one. It has the pictures of the old kit as well as some new ones, including a picture of President Monson added to the Church president pictures.

We also have a new class president, Breck Story. Congrats, Breck!

Shandi gave the devotional tonight. (Did I spell that right? Please correct me if I didn't so I can fix it.) She shared the first two verses of 2 Nephi chapter 7, saying also that this chapter can be a great comfort for those who would feel alone or might question whether or not the Lord is really there to answer prayers, really cares about us. This chapter gives answering comfort to such questions. Read it if you haven't yet.

Tonight we covered a little bit of history regarding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, as well as the title page and 1 Nephi chapters 1-5.

For those who were there - and those who weren't (where were you, anyway? We missed you.) - we have an assignment: Read 1 Nephi 6-15 for next week.

See you next week!