Obedience to God's Prophets and Commandments

I loved this video, I think it helps understand more about if we follow the teachings of the Prophets and the commandments of the Lord, then out life will truly be blessed. What great joy could we have in our life if we following thee. One thing that I have always noticed was that there has always been one consistent message throughout the Book of Mormon and that is obedience to God. I loved one of the quotes in the study guide this week. It said, 

"Obedience to God is not the popular virtue in the world today. People regularly seek to excuse or rationalize their sins. Moral relativism, the belief that right and wrong is solely determined by individuals, in gaining in popularity." 

I love that, because I see this every day. My daughter is a teenager and will be leaving for college soon. And I have seen some strong kids within the church make poor choices because it is what everyone is doing. Such a smoking a Juul. That is a huge popular thing that right with the kids and has also hurt a lot of people. We need to be very careful with the temptations that are out there. It is more important now then ever to following the commandments and teachings of the Prophet and Jesus.

  

Overcoming the Effects of Mortality

I love the statement in the study guide this week, it says:

"Some people question whether there is life after death. They wonder if their lives have any meaning or whether being good or bad makes any difference. The Book of Mormon teaches that all will be resurrected because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It affirms that we will be judged by out thoughts, words, and works by the perfect judge who is Jesus Christ."

In a recent conversation with my sister-in-law who is an Atheist, we talked about this very topic. She asks a lot of questions about what we believe will happen to us after we die. And this is exactly what I have explained to her. She is still trying to understand it all, she is not sure if she believes that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father exist. But I was able to find some really good scriptures this week to share with her.

In the May 2000 Ensign, there was an article called Resurrection. In there it said, "The assurance of resurrection gives us the strength and perspective to endure to the moral challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical. mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life. Because of the resurrection. we know that these mortal deficiencies are only temporary."  My sister-in-law has faced a lot of these mental and physical challenges in her life. And one thing that we have tried to explain to her is that when we are resurrected we will not have any physical or mental illnesses. Our bodies will be as one and those challenges we faced while on earth before death will not follow us. She was really excited about this part. Her eyes light up and you could tell that she wanted to hear more.

Repentance is a very important part of the Atonement. When they day comes that we face Jesus Christ and answer for our words, thoughts and works, will we have repented of all of our sins?
I loved the scripture in Helaman 14:18, it says,

Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hew down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.

To think about what will  happen to us if we do not repent, is kind of scary. We will cast into the fire? It makes me sad to think about this. Explaining it to my sister-in-law was difficult. It was hard to show and tell her the importance of repentance.

The last scripture I shared with her was 1 Nephi 10:20-21, it is when Nephi is telling all mankind that we will be judged on all our doings. The scripture says,

20. Therefore, remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgement.
21. Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgement-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.

I found that awesome thing online that talks about repentance. It was called the ABC Repentance! I shared this with my sister-in-law and it helped her understand what repentance is and then I shared a quote I found from Elder Cook.

The Doctrine of Christ: Faith

Recently I read a talk called The Doctrine of Christ. It was given by Brian Ashton who is the second counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency. At the start of his talk he said,

"The scriptures define the doctrine of Christ as exercising faith i Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repenting, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, an enduring to the end."

As we have mentioned before, there is an order of things. First we have to understand the Creation, then we have to understand the Fall of Adam and lastly, we have to understand the Atonement. Well whats so important in learning about the Atonement is living by it. Just as Brother Ashton said, we have to be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end. And in order to do that and understand that we have to have faith.

What is faith? The best way I know how to describe it is from the lyrics of a primary song.

Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day.
Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray.
Faith is like a little seed:
If planted, it will grow.
Faith is a swelling within my heart.
When I do right, I know.

Faith is knowing I lived with God before my mortal birth.
Faith is knowing I can return when my life ends on earth.
Faith is trust in God above:
In Christ, who showed the way. Faith is strengthened: I feel it gown
Whenever I obey.

I love this song and I feel at peace when I hear it and sing it. In our reading this week, we read story after school about faith.  For example, when Nephi was given the Liahona that only worked according to their faith and obedience. This story is one of my favorites. It can be found in 1 Nephi 16:10, 28-29.

10 And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed to the way whither we should go into the wilderness. 

28 And it came to pass that I , Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. 

29 And there was also written up on them a new writing, which was plain to the read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changes fro time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things. 

I have struggled with my own faith at times. There was one topic that my faith strayed from time to time and that was regarding tithing. Something that has hugely blessed my life. But I have a hard time leaving it up to the Lord to provide. I try and try so hard to be a good parent and give my daughter everything she wants. But 10 years ago, I was in a totally different place in my life. I had  little faith that I would be able to make ends meet. I had to learn very valuable lessons on what it means to have faith in the Lord and trust that He will take care of you. To this day I struggle at times. But not as much as I used to. Now my faith is tried in other ways. But I am so grateful that I have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in my life and that as long as I am following the teachings of the gospel, my life will forever be blessed.

W05 Insight Sharing: Online Discussion

How has understanding the Creation and the Fall helped you better understand and rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

I know that as we come to understand the creation and the fall of Adam, we can develop a great desire to fulfill the purpose of our creation. I remember a talk that Sister Julie Beck gave back in March 2011.  I love how she laid out why the Creation, the Fall and the Atonement are important and why we need to understand all aspects in order to fulfill the plan of salvation. Here is a quote from the talk. 

“In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have a theology of the family that is based on the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. The Creation of the earth provided a place where families could live. God created a man and a woman who were the two essential halves of a family. It was part of Heavenly Father’s plan that Adam and Eve be sealed and form an eternal family.

“The Fall provided a way for the family to grow. Adam and Eve were family leaders who chose to have a mortal experience. The Fall made it possible for them to have sons and daughters.

“The Atonement allows for the family to be sealed together eternally. It allows for families to have eternal growth and perfection. The plan of happiness, also called the plan of salvation, was a plan created for families. The rising generation need to understand that the main pillars of our theology are centered in the family” (Julie B. Beck, “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family,” Ensign,
Mar. 2011, 12).

Creation, Fall of Adam and Eve, and the Natural Man

One of the things I love most about going to the temple is the knowledge that I gain each time I go about the Creation and the Fall of Adam. It has always been one of my favorite topics. Each time I go, I learn something new and I am grateful for that. Here are some of my favorite scriptures of the week.

I found a video that I loved called First Principles and Ordinances. It gave a great account of the Fall of Adam and Eve. The Book of Mormon teaches that because of the Fall, all mankind are subject to both physical and spiritual death. The Lord affirms through the Prophet Isaiah that he will never forget the House of Israel because they are graven upon the palms of His hands. 

Isaiah 49:14-16 

14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not. 

15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. 

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

FIRST PRINCIPLES AND ORDINANCES

The Fall of Adam and Eve 

We learn in the Book of Mormon that Jesus Christ is the Creator of the world and that man was created in the image of God. Elder Russell M. Nelson narrated a great video called God's Greatest Creation. I love how he talks about all aspects of the Creation. In Mosiah 7:27, Limhi recounts Abinadi's teaching that man was created after the image of God. 

GOD'S GREATEST CREATION 

"As children of God, we are His greatest creation. "Anyone who studies the workings of the human body has surely seen God moving in His majesty and power."  - Elder Russell M. Nelson 

Elder Russell M. Nelson gave a great talk called Pillars of God's Plan. Where he states that in order to understand the Atonement, we must understand the Fall of Adam. And in order to understand the Fall of Adam, we must understand the Creation. I never really thought about it that way. I mean, it all flows together, but in order to really comprehend the Atonement we have to know and understand why we were given the Atonement. The Fall of Adam and Eve is vital to the Plan of Salvation. We must come to earth, gain a physical body and have a spiritual death.  In Alma 12:16-24, Alma teaches that physical and spiritual death are a result of the Fall. 

PILLARS OF GOD'S PLAN 

2 Nephi 2:14-29 

Elder Russell M. Nelson 

I am forever grateful to have a Heavenly Father who loves me. I know that Heavenly Father created all things and created us in His own image. I know that Heavenly Father provided us with a Savior. I know that because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, were are able to gain a physical body  that allows the Savior to atone for our sins. I love this church and the principles we learn. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and the teachings we learn.

TRUTHS I'VE LEARNED FROM THE BOOK OF MORMON

The Book of Mormon has taught me many truths. And I have seen my testimony grow each time I read it.  I am grateful that Joseph Smith following the Lord and translated the plates so we may learn many and wonderful things. Here is a list of my favorite truths. 

Joseph Smith was a prophet in the last days. We learn in the Introduction to the Book of Mormon what his role was and how he restore the true church to the earth. Whenever I am in doubt of the church or of Joseph Smith, I always turn to the Joseph Smith history. It restores my true testimony of the gospel. 

Trust God and you will be blessed.  Nephi followed all the God commandments fully. And the blessings that Nephi and his family received were so great and powerful. I love this scripture about Nephi and the plates. 

1 Nephi 9:3, 5-6

3. Nevertheless, i have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the specifically purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people. 

5. Wherefore, the Lord has commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. 

6. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works amount the children of men; for behold, he hath all power until the fulfilling of his words. And thus it is. Amen. 

The purpose of the Book of Mormon is to persuade all to believe in Jesus Christ. There are countess stories from Nephi, Alma, Jacob and many others that prove this. Each were tasked with teaching the people about Jesus Christ. They lead by example and by the spirit of the Holy Ghost. 

2 Nephi 25: For we labor diligently to write, to persuade out children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by the grace that we are saved, after all we can do. 

The Spirit teaches us to pray. Being able to pray to my Heavenly Father daily is truly a blessing. He knows and loves each of us. We must pray with pure intent and listen to the spirit as we pray and seek out those answer for which we are looking for. 

2 Nephi 32:3

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefores, i said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. 

We receive blessings by keeping the commandments. I have been taught since an early age that is we follow the commandments of the Lord then we shall be greatly blessed.  I know and have seen the happiness that I have had in my life from following the commandments. If we follow the commandments of the Lord, we shall live with Him again one day. What a huge blessing that is. And thanks to Jesus, when we make a mistake we can repent of our sins and wash them away so that we may return to Him one day. 

Mosiah 2:41

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy stat of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true for the Lord God has spoken it. 

The main purpose of the Book of Mormon is to establishing truth.

I have never paid a lot of attention to the Introduction and Witness section of the Book of Mormon. I always just opened it and turned to 1 Nephi and began to read.  This week I had the opportunity to spend time studying these first sections and I loved them. Here are some of the main points that I learned. 

• The Book of Mormon is "written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation." 
• The Book of Mormon was written to convince the Jews and Gentiles that "Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself until all nations."

Nephi is a great example to me. He followed the Lord's commandments and instructions without fight, questioning, and was always willing do the the Lord's work. The Book of Mormon is written by many of our olden day prophets. Many of those prophet taught to the Jews and Gentiles about the Lord and the great things to come one day. I love the fact that the Book of Mormon was written to those who do not believe, so they may learn the truth for themselves. 

Joseph Smith said: "The Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, then any other book." I have had many conversations with those who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints about this topic. They do not understand why we focus more on the Boom of Mormon then we do the Bible. Even though we read the Bible and Book of Mormon hand in hand, we do spend more time focusing on the Book of Mormon. I explain to them that this is how I knew the truth of the Church and how i gained my own testimony of the Gospel. Then I ask them to read it for themselves. 

THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES

Reading the testimony of Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris is just another example of why the Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ. They speak of the truth of the plates, and power of God. 

"We also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man."

I think this is important for people to understand, that Joseph Smith didn't just go around teaching of these truths. They actually witnessed them for themselves. I love the end of their testimony, it was my favorite part. They said:

"We know that if we are faithful i Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and we shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God." 

THE TESTIMONY OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH 

The testimony of Joseph Smith is one of the many reasons I am a member of the church. His testimony has touched me in ways that I never knew existed. I had never felt the spirit so strongly before. I remember being in high school and having a conversation with my grandma. I had told her that I was not sure if the church was true, and that I don't believe I had a testimony of God. That is when she told me to go open the Book of Mormon and read The Joseph Smith History. I read it several times and once I was done, I went to the Lord in prayer and asked to know the things I had read were true. And that is when I began having my own testimony of God. It was the most powerful lesson I have ever learned. And every time I questions myself or the church, I go back and read it again. 

What is the role of the Book of Mormon in my life? 

As my header says, the main role of the Book of Mormon is to establish truth. To learn of the blessings I am promised if I study the Book of Mormon. 

"The teachings in the Book of Mormon are of great worth to us today because the writers were aware of the problems we would face." 

How has Christ made it possible for me to be exalted? 

I know that Christ has overcome spiritual and physical obstacles for each and every person on earth and in heaven. If we live our day to day life to show others that we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, then we will be rewarded in the end. 

"As we come unto Christ and keep the commandments, we will become more like Him and our Father in Heaven, and we will be saved."