We can readily see the importance of taking care of our physical/natural body. We must feed it, rest it, wash it, exercise it.

Do we likewise take care of our spiritual body?

How do we feed, rest, wash and exercise our spiritual body?

We must feed it truth, learning, wisdom, and knowledge from books and other media. We must feed it good, uplifting, wholesome interactions with others.

We rest our spiritual body with meditation, prayer, mindfulness, positive self-talk.

We wash our spirit through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ’s atonement for our souls. We use his enabling power to overcome habits we don’t want with habits we do want. We rid our mind of impure thoughts, our bodies of hurtful actions. We clean our spirits by removing from our thoughts anything that is undesirable, that does not help us become what we want to be.

We exercise our spirits through doing things that are hard; hard work, new skills, healthy thinking patterns, etc. When we have to choose mind over matter. When we choose long term benefit and short term loss over short term gain and long term loss.

The Great Coming Battle – 5th Sunday lesson for combined Young Women and Young Men

Preparation
Read Elder Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32 and Boyd K. Packer, “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” fireside address given at Brigham Young University on 2 February 2003 (available here: http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=478)
Index cards with main quotes printed on them. Hide them on the underside of the chairs before class starts.
Two or three index cards with a picture of pottery (ie. a cup or bowl) on them.
A small container of clay for each student.
Read the following scriptures: 2 Nephi 2:25; 2 Nephi 28:7-8, 19-22; Alma 12:24; Alma 34:32-34; 3 Nephi 12:48; Ether 12:27; Moroni 7:16; D&C 88:14-22; D&C 89; D&C 93:27-34; D&C 138:17, 50;

Purpose
Each of us are in the midst of the greatest battle in the universe. Each of us are battling for the salvation of our soul. Satan is real and is trying new and different tactics than from when the Church was first established. He is now working on the Saints individually, and tempting us through the medium of our bodies, our natural desires. We have the power to choose who we listen to, Jesus or Satan. We can shape our lives however we want, but it is easier to change while we are young, therefore, this life is the time to repent (see Alma 34:32-34).

Object lesson
Our lives are like clay, easily molded when young, but increasingly harder to shape and change as time goes on. When we die, it is like the clay has been fired in a kiln, and it is almost impossible to change. We must be continually shaping ourselves to be in the form Jesus set forth. Repentance is the process of letting Jesus reshape our clay into the form He has in mind for us.
That certain people received index cards with pictures or words of instruction is symbolic of how God calls prophets to guide and instruct the people of the world through revelation.

Lesson and Discussion

You know the books and movies where some old prophecy tells about what is going to happen in the future, and then the story is about that prophecy coming true? Does that happen in real life?

A Prophesy of Our Time
In 1928, Elder Melvin J. Ballard, an Apostle (M. Russell Ballard’s paternal grandfather), gave a prophecy about YOU in this time!

“Two years ago I was laboring with Elders Wells and Pratt in South America, opening a mission for the Church. I had during that period of time opportunity to reflect and to study.
While in contemplation of the Church’s progress, its present position and the future that awaits it, there came to me very distinctly some impressions concerning a period that would come full of danger to many, and feeling an anxious desire for the well-being of the membership of the Church, and indeed for my fellowmen, I promised the Lord that if he would give me the wisdom and the strength, I would lift up my voice in warning to the children of men concerning a peril that was threatening them.
I see the evidence of approach of that period of danger. It was to come in the time of peace and prosperity
I have felt therefore very keenly that the whole world was approaching a period of its self-indulgence wherein a new order of things would arise, and I have seen most clearly that the Church itself would be affected by this new period through which we were to pass. I can see clearly, however, that it is not altogether the forces of men that are to be reckoned with, but there are powers influencing the hearts of men, moving them in the solution of these problems that are arising before us.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

It is important to keep in mind three truths.
We exist on this earth, we live as we do right now, so that we can have a physical body, and learn to “make it our servant” and become “master over it.”
We are supposed to be in the presence of the enemy, who is in the majority (A third part of all God’s spirit children – probably more than all the people on the earth right now.)
We chose to do this!

Satan wants the power and glory, and he stops at nothing to try to get God’s work to fail. But he only has as much power as we give him.  Joseph Smith said:

“We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. . . .
All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. [Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 181]”

Continual Battle Between Satan and God
Think of some times throughout history where Satan has tried to stop God’s work and Church from happening? All the time, especially from the time of Joseph Smith.

“So the process of conflict has ever been around the Church from the day of the Prophet’s first struggles. We have fought our way through under all sorts of adverse circumstances. Realizing that it was not possible to destroy it by the means that had been employed to check it—through mob violence, murder, persecution, bonds and imprisonment, disfranchisement, various woes and troubles—Satan is about to employ new methods. That is the point that I wish to emphasize, because I saw most clearly that the enemy was not satisfied, nor had he quit the field, but by new methods he would seek to destroy this work. For I want to say to you that he is vain enough to think, and he believes it confidently, that in the end he will be victorious and become king of this world.
The prophets of old foretold the time to come when this question would be settled. Some of them called the conflict Armageddon. Whatever the name is, there is coming a time when the question as to who has the right to rule and reign will be settled. Every righteous man, living and dead, will be interested and engaged in that conflict, and so will every wicked man, living and dead.
What will the end of the matter be? How soon it will come I do not know, but this I know: that evidences of the approaching conflict are speeding on, and come it will, and the days are being employed in preparation for it by such activity on both sides that we would be astonished if we knew that we are going to be the center of great interest in the universe, because we are approaching great and important and critical days in the history of this world.
Mighty forces are being arrayed on the one side and on the other for this approaching conflict that will settle the question of who shall rule and reign.” [Ballard]

Individual Testing Time
So there is a great battle and fight for your souls. Elder Ballard then describes how this battle will take place:

“I am not prepared to say who will be on his side or how many he will have, but I am as sure as I live, by the inspiration of the Almighty, that the end of the conflict is as certain as the result at the beginning. That he fell in the beginning and was routed from heaven is a fact, and it also is a truth that no matter how many he shall gather on his side nor how bitter the conflict, he shall be defeated and banished from the earth and cast out of his own place. Christ will come to claim his own, to rule and reign.

But in the meantime, it is not the outcome of the conflict that I am concerned about but rather whether I shall be on his side or on the Lord’s side. It surely is a good time for every man and woman to examine themselves and discover whether we are on the Lord’s side or not. I should like to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that all the assaults that the enemy of our souls will make to capture us will be through the flesh, because it is made up of the unredeemed earth, and he has power over the elements of the earth. The approach he makes to us will be through the lusts, the appetites, the ambitions of the flesh. All the help that comes to us from the Lord to aid us in this struggle will come to us through the spirit that dwells within this mortal body. So these two mighty forces are operating upon us through these two channels.

How is the battle going with you? How is it going with men and women in the world? That is a very important question. The greatest conflict that any man or woman will ever have (I care not how numerous their enemies may be) will be the battle that is had with self.” [Ballard]

Elder Packer said it this way:
“So you are the focus of two conflicting patterns trying to influence you in your life, trying to have you go this way or that way (see Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13; James 1:8). You are the one who makes the decision.

As the old man a generation ago said, “The Lord’s votin’ for me, and the devil’s votin’ against me, but it’s my vote that counts!” And that is good, solid doctrine.

You will have just what you want. On one hand, you have inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and, on the other hand, you have what President Ezra Taft Benson called “sinspiration” from the angels of the devil. They are with you all of the time.” [Packer]

“It is the individual testing time that I see approaching, so that it is well to know the forces and the powers that are arrayed against us, and their purposes, that we may close our ranks and fortify ourselves.” [Ballard]

Gospel Principles are Protection
“Being forewarned we should be forearmed, and I declare to you that every gospel principle which the Church has received is calculated in its very nature to steel and armour us against the assaults of the enemy of our souls. A man or woman who can keep the Word of Wisdom, for instance, will also be fortified in keeping himself clean and undefiled from the sins of this generation.” [Ballard]

What’s so important about the Word of Wisdom? Packer:

“The “Word of Wisdom [was] given for a principle with promise” (D&C 89:1, 3). But what is the promise? The promise, of course, is personal revelation.

Now, the Word of Wisdom is, I think, only incidentally to keep us healthy, if we will observe it.

The point is, if you want to move on spiritually and do as you ought to do in this life, the principle outlined in the Word of Wisdom shows you the requirements. You cannot just toy with it.

It is not that you are going to be a healthy athlete all of your life, and it is not that you are going to avoid old age. It is that you will have the key to revelation. When your body begins to deteriorate, the patterns of revelation will be augmented and magnified.”

Our bodies are like clay:
“This body is like clay, plastic and pliable, and when the clay is soft and pliable how easy it is to mold it, to alter it, to change it! Then when it becomes hard and set, how difficult this is! Similarly, men and women who go through their entire lives forming habits of viciousness, of wickedness, find it exceedingly difficult in old age to modify and change their course. And yet even for them it is easier to change their course of life in old age than it will be after death.
Some folks hope they may lose their sins in the grave. There is no hope that sins will be lost in the grave, for “as we lay our bodies down so shall we take them up again,” it is written.

What we will discover is this, that the spirit takes upon itself the habits of the body. There are many spirits that have come into mortality free, that have become enslaved through yielding to the cravings of the flesh. They will find when they come out of the body that they are tainted and tinctured with all the lust and desires of the body. Instead of being free to rise to glorious heights, they are more or less earthbound, craving the things that they have yielded to in the flesh, and they will discover too that after they have stepped out of this life they are separated from the body and have no power over that element, but the reformation will have to go forward in the spirit. They will also discover that every emotion and feeling will be intensified when they have passed out of mortality, so that it will be much more difficult to conquer and master and overcome when we go out of this life than here and now.

This is the one and only time most fitting and appropriate. Now is the time to repent.”

Show the pieces of pottery. Tell everyone that they should have made their clay look like one of the pieces of pottery. Have them imagine trying to change their clay to the correct shape at different stages of the pottery making process.

Ask:
How easy would it be to change the clay if you just barely started?
How easy would it be to change if you left it out overnight?
How easy would it be to change if you fired it in a kiln?
How is this like our lives and the example that Jesus has set?

Read
3 Nephi 12:48 “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”

Ask
What can we do to change our lives so that they resemble the example of Jesus?

Repentance is Possible
Packer:
“There are many things that cannot be understood or taught or explained unless it is in terms of the plan of redemption. Unless you understand the basic plan–the premortal existence, the purpose of life, the Fall, the Atonement, the Resurrection–unless you understand that, the unmarried, the abused, the handicapped, the abandoned, the addicted, the disappointed, those with gender disorientation, or the intellectuals will find no enduring comfort. You will not think life is fair unless you know the plan of redemption.

Some say they are born with some tendency. Whether you are born with them or you acquired them or you got them through over-medication, addiction, or any other way, what should you do? Resist them! You resist them and push them away. How long? As long as you live. There are some things that are a lifelong battle.”

If you make a mistake, if you find you need to make a correction to your clay, there is something you can do to fix it!

“Now, who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix. You have to decide. If some of you have made mistakes and you think you are broken and cannot be put together, you do not know the doctrine of the Church. You do not know what the Atonement was about and who the Lord is and what a power He is in your life.” [Packer]

“You young people, move ahead in your lives. It is a marvelous time to be alive. The world is not going to come to an end. You are going to have time to stand, as I stand now, talking about your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. You decide!” [Packer]

Discuss
Some of you had help by way of note cards with the correct picture on them or with words of guidance. How can this be compared to prophets and others who are good examples?

I used the following quotes for the index cards.

An Ancient Prophecy
In 1928, Elder Melvin J. Ballard (who is Elder M. Russell Ballard’s grandfather) prophesied:
“While in contemplation of the Church’s progress, its present position and the future that awaits it, there came to me very distinctly some impressions concerning a period that would come full of danger to many, and feeling an anxious desire for the well-being of the membership of the Church, and indeed for my fellowmen, I promised the Lord that if he would give me the wisdom and the strength, I would lift up my voice in warning to the children of men concerning a peril that was threatening them….
I see the evidence of approach of that period of danger. It was to come in the time of peace and prosperity….
I have felt therefore very keenly that the whole world was approaching a period of its self-indulgence wherein a new order of things would arise, and I have seen most clearly that the Church itself would be affected by this new period through which we were to pass. I can see clearly, however, that it is not altogether the forces of men that are to be reckoned with, but there are powers influencing the hearts of men, moving them in the solution of these problems that are arising before us.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

We Have Power Over The Enemy
“We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. . ..
All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. [Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 181]”

The Enemy’s Weapons
“I am not prepared to say who will be on his side or how many he will have, but I am as sure as I live, by the inspiration of the Almighty, that the end of the conflict is as certain as the result at the beginning….

But in the meantime, it is not the outcome of the conflict that I am concerned about but rather whether I shall be on his side or on the Lord’s side. It surely is a good time for every man and woman to examine themselves and discover whether we are on the Lord’s side or not. I should like to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that all the assaults that the enemy of our souls will make to capture us will be through the flesh, because it is made up of the unredeemed earth, and he has power over the elements of the earth. The approach he makes to us will be through the lusts, the appetites, the ambitions of the flesh. All the help that comes to us from the Lord to aid us in this struggle will come to us through the spirit that dwells within this mortal body. So these two mighty forces are operating upon us through these two channels.

How is the battle going with you? How is it going with men and women in the world? That is a very important question. The greatest conflict that any man or woman will ever have (I care not how numerous their enemies may be) will be the battle that is had with self.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

Our Weapon Against The Enemy
“Being forewarned we should be forearmed, and I declare to you that every gospel principle which the Church has received is calculated in its very nature to steel and armour us against the assaults of the enemy of our souls. A man or woman who can keep the Word of Wisdom, for instance, will also be fortified in keeping himself clean and undefiled from the sins of this generation.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

“The “Word of Wisdom [was] given for a principle with promise” (D&C 89:1, 3). But what is the promise? The promise, of course, is personal revelation….

It is not that you are going to be a healthy athlete all of your life, and it is not that you are going to avoid old age. It is that you will have the key to revelation. When your body begins to deteriorate, the patterns of revelation will be augmented and magnified.” [Boyd K. Packer, “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” fireside address given at Brigham Young University on 2 February 2003]

Jesus Christ Can Help Us Change
“Now, who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix. You have to decide. If some of you have made mistakes and you think you are broken and cannot be put together, you do not know the doctrine of the Church. You do not know what the Atonement was about and who the Lord is and what a power He is in your life….

You young people, move ahead in your lives. It is a marvelous time to be alive. The world is not going to come to an end. You are going to have time to stand, as I stand now, talking about your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. You decide!” [Boyd K. Packer, “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” fireside address given at Brigham Young University on 2 February 2003]

In this lesson, I hoped the students would:

• gain (or strengthen) a testimony of the resurrected Jesus
• commit to follow Jesus by “feeding” his “sheep”

Three Levels of Knowledge

John gives examples that show three levels of knowledge about our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ. These examples show what evidence was given to certain people in order that they might believe and know that Jesus was resurrected.

1. John 20: 1-10 – Certain apostles are confronted with an empty tomb. This is enough for them to realize and believe that Jesus is resurrected.
2. John 20: 11-18 – Jesus shows himself to Mary. She believes and knows Jesus is resurrected.
3. John 20: 19-29 – Jesus shows himself to the apostles and to Thomas. They touch him and feel that he is resurrected.

These examples show three different levels of knowledge and faith about the resurrection of Jesus. The first level need only a small sign, and quick prick of rememberance to believe. The second level need to see to believe. The third level need to feel and see.

John 20: 29 – Why is it better to believe without seeing or feeling? How will we approach trials and hard choices when we have a believing-while-not-seeing attidute?

Enthusiasm to Follow

John 21: 1-7 – Peter shows his great enthusiasm to follow the Savior by jumping from the boat and swimming ashore in order to reach Jesus more quickly. We should also cultivate such a desire to serve Jesus.

John 21: 3, 6 teach us that when we listen to and follow Jesus’ counsel we will be significantly more blessed than when we rely on our own strength.

John 21: 15-17 – What does Jesus mean by asking Peter to feed his sheep?

Why ask three times? Jesus refers to his children, his youth, and his adults.

What are some ways that we can feed his sheep?

John chaptes 14-17.

Two Comforters

Jesus speaks of two comforters. Who are they? John 14: 15-27 shows that they are the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ himself. Jesus gives the following promises in these verses.

1. v. 16 – Christ prays for us that he will be with us
2. v. 17 – Christ shall dwell with and in us
3. v. 18 – Christ will not leave us comfortless (This from the man who was left completely and entirely alone for a time as he completed the Atonement.)
4. v. 19 – Christ sees us and we live because of His Atonement.
5. v. 20 – We shall know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
6. v. 21 – We shall be loved of the Father and Jesus will show himself to us
7. v. 26 – The Holy Ghost will teach all things and bring all things to remembrance
8. v. 27 – We can have peace through Jesus Christ.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:

“These statements about the two Comforters climax and crown the teachings of the Son of God. We have no record of anything he ever said which can so completely withdraw the curtain of eternity and open to the faithful a vision of the glories of God. Based on love, born of obedience, Jesus promises the saints that they can have, here and now in this life, the following:

(1) The gift and constant companionship of the Holy Ghost; the comfort and peace which it is the function of that Holy Spirit to bestow; the revelation and the sanctifying power which alone will prepare men for the companionship of gods and angels hereafter;

(2) Personal visitations from the Second Comforter, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the resurrected and perfected being who dwells with his Father in the mansions on high; and

(3) God the Father… shall visit man in person, take up his abode with him, as it were, and reveal to  him all the hidden mysteries of his kingdom” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:735).

Jesus should be the source of our power.

How are we like the tool and the plant? The tool must be plugged in to work, the plant must have roots to grow. We must be “plugged in” to Jesus Christ in order to do the work we were made to do. We receive our nurishment through Jesus Christ.

John 15: 1-8. What do the following symbols represent?

• grapevine (v. 1)
• husbandmen (v. 1)
• branches (v. 2)
• fruit (v. 2)
• withered branches (v. 6)

What can we learn?

Jesus as Intercessor

• What is an advocate?
• In a court, what role do the following people play: defendant, prosecutor, defense attorney, judge, jury
• In life, who are those characters?

John 17. Jesus pleads to be our defense attorney.

• v. 11 – He asks to keep us in Heavenly Father’s name, be one with Jesus as he is with the Father
• v. 13 – He desires a fulfillment of our joy
• v. 15 – He seeks to keep us from evil
• v. 17 – He wishes to sanctify us through truth
• v. 21 – He asks that we may be one with him
• v. 22 – He wants us to receive his glory
• v. 23 – He prays that we may be made perfect through him
• v. 24 – He prays that we can be where he is, and with his glory
• v. 26 – He prays that we can receive Heavenly Father’s name and that his love will be in us.

John chapters 12-14

• importance of love
• putting Christ before our own selfish desires

(write on the board) “If you loved me, you would ____________ .” How might these people fill in the blank… a mother, a sister, Edward Collins, a father, a bad boyfriend, a good girlfriend

(read) John 14:15 How would Jesus respond.

• (ask) Why is obedience an expression of love?
• Here I shared a story of when I wanted my son to do something specific, like wash his hands and come to the table for dinner. He wanted to clean of the sink, and the mirror, and take a long time. I got frustrated and told him to hurry up. He said something about wanting to help, to clean. I said I don’t want you to do that, I just want you to obey. In that experience, I caught a glimpse of what Heavenly Father must feel as He asks us to do things, and we try to do all of these extra or other things instead. He doesn’t want us to clean or whatever, He just wants us to obey.

Forms of the word “love” are used 34 times in John chapters 13-17. Two great expressions of love found in John chapter 12 and 13.

John 12: 1-8 Mary annoints Jesus feet, using her hair to wash them. Think of the symbolism of using your hair to wash feet, the great love she must have had for him. Think of the Jewish tradition to wash a guest’s feet. They wore sandals at that time, walked everywhere on dirt streets which were shared with animals. A great show of love, and symbolic of the annointing of Jesus body after the crucifiction.

John 13: 1-7 Jesus washes the feet of his apostles. Jesus, himself, was the guest, but put himself in the position as the servant by doing this service for his followers. It showed great love and set the example that leaders are to serve those who follow, not to be domineering over them. (see also JST John 13:8-10)

A CHANGE IN LOVE

The old testament way of love is seen Leviticus 19: 18. We are commanded to love others the same way we love ourselves, which is admittedly imperfect, speckled with thoughts of pride.

Jesus updates the commandment to love in John 13: 34-35. Jesus commands us to love others as he loves us, unconditionally and absolutely.

• (ask) What’s the difference?

President Howard W. Hunter taught: “We need to be kinder with one another, more gentle and more forgiving. We need to be slower to anger and more prompt to help. We need to extend the hand of friendship and resist the hand of retribution [revenge]. In short, we need to love one another with the pure love of Christ, with genuine charity and compassion and, if necessary, shared suffering, for that is the way God loves us” (“Come to the God of All Truth,” Ensign, Sept. 1994, 72).

John 14: 16-27 Jesus gives us promises for loving him.

John chapter 11

Lesson: Understanding Jesus as the Savior through His signs and miracles.

Much of John is written around seven miracles and signs. Why? Read John 20: 30-31 for the answer.

Signs as role of Savior

1. John 2: 1-11 (changing water into wine) This event prefigures Jesus shedding His blood. It is symbolic of the sacrament.
2. John 4: 46-54 (healing the nobleman’s son) This event shows that Jesus is merciful and compasionate
3. John 5: 1-9 (healing the lame man) This event shows that Jesus is the source of living water, and he is the source of all life.
4. John 6: 1-14 (multiplying the bread and fish)  This event shows that Christ is the living bread. He is our spiritual food. He is our creator, he made and sustains us.
5. John 6: 15-21 (walking on water) This event shows that Jesus has power over nature. He has overcome nature and the natural man. This is important for us to realize and believe, for if he has power over nature and the natural man, then He has power to help us overcome the natural man as well.
6. John 9: 1-7 (healing the blind man) This event shows us who and how to become followers of Jesus. His sheep know his voice and follow him. Also, he makes up for what we lack.
7. John 11: 38-44 (raising Lazarus from death) Jesus has power over death. Jesus is resurrected and we will be too.

This lesson focused on Jesus raising Lazarus from death. The following two quotes show the importance of the miracle:

“Why this studied buildup, this centering of attention upon one of the mightiest miracles of his ministry? Two reasons in particular stand out. (1) As our Lord neared the climax of his mortal ministry, he was again bearing testimony, in a way that could not be refuted, of his Messiahship, of his divine Sonship, of the fact that he was in very deed the literal Son of God; and (2) He was setting the stage, so as to dramatize for all time, one of his greatest teachings: That he was the resurrection and the life, that immortality and eternal life came by him, and that those who believed and obeyed his words should never die spiritually” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:530-31)

“No question as to the actual death of Lazarus could be raised, for his demise had been witnessed, his body had been prepared and buried in the usual way, and he had lain in the grave four days. At the tomb, when he was called forth, there were many witnesses, some of them prominent Jews, many of whom were unfriendly to Jesus and who would have readily denied the miracle had they been able. God was glorified and the divinity of the Son of Man was vindicated in the result” (Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 496)

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

What comes first, signs or faith? Have a nice discussion about signs and faith, why it is important to have faith, and how signs support and uphold faith, rather than create it.

Discover and discuss the similarities between Lazarus and the last week of Jesus. [Similarities Handout]

Creation:
Genesis 1: 26-27.  We are created in God’s image.

Agency and Consequences:
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-19.

• Why did God command Adam and Eve to not partake of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge, when He knew it was part of the Eternal Plan? – Quote 1
• Why was Lucifer allowed into the Garden of Eden? – Quote 2
• What’s the difference between freedom and agency? – Quote 3

Fall:

These three are absolutely necessary for our eternal progression, and follow one after another, and are dependent upon one another.

5 fundamental principles to understand the Fall:

1. 2 Nephi 2:4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free. [There is a constant that outlives and exceeds this earth life and time frame.]
2. 2 Nephi 2:4 The Fall was planned for as a central part of the Plan.
3. 2 Nephi 2:4 Salvation is free. See 2 Nephi 9
4. 2 Nephi 2:5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever. [As descendants of Heavenly Father we all have the light of Christ in us. This means we all know right from wrong, good from evil.]
5. 2 Nephi 2:5 By the law no flesh is justified.  This statement sets forth the need for a Redeemer. Justified means, in a theological sense, to be right with, or in order with God. It means to represent righteousness, to represent no sin. The law of justification states that breaking a commandments requires a punishment, and obedience gives blessings. No one is saved by the law because if you break the law, you have sin, and “no unclean thing can dwell… in His presence.” (see Moses 6:57). So by the law, as soon as we sin, our salvation is lost.

With these fundamentals understood, there are two ways to reach the state our Father in Heaven has. 1) Fulfill all covenants and commandments and never sin during this phase in life. 2) Someone who has done number one pay the penalty for someone who has not.  Jesus Christ did the first, and IS the second for everyone else.

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For reasons that have not been revealed, this transition, or “fall,” could not happen without a transgression—an exercise of moral agency amounting to a willful breaking of a law (see Moses 6:59). This would be a planned offense, a formality to serve an eternal purpose. The Prophet Lehi explained that “if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen” (2 Ne. 2:22), but would have remained in the same state in which he was created.

“And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin” (2 Ne. 2:23).

But the Fall was planned, Lehi concludes, because “all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things” (2 Ne. 2:24).

It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. And thus Eve and “Adam fell that men might be” (2 Ne. 2:25).

Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall (see Bruce R. McConkie, “Eve and the Fall,” Woman, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, pp. 67–68). Joseph Smith taught that it was not a “sin,” because God had decreed it (see The Words of Joseph Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1980, p. 63). Brigham Young declared, “We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least” (in Journal of Discourses, 13:145). Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: “I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:114–15).

This suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (emphasis added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall.

Dallin H. Oaks, “The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign, Nov 1993,  72

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Lucifer in clever ways manipulates our choices, deceiving us about sin and consequences. He, and his angels with him, tempt us to be unworthy, even wicked. But he cannot, in all eternity he cannot, with all his power he cannot completely destroy us; not without our own consent. Had agency come to man without the Atonement, it would have been a fatal gift.

We are taught in Genesis, in Moses, in Abraham, in the Book of Mormon, and in the endowment that man’s mortal body was made in the image of God in a separate creation. Had the Creation come in a different way, there could have been no Fall.

If men were merely animals, then logic favors freedom without accountability.

How well I know that among learned men are those who look down at animals and stones to find the origin of man. They do not look inside themselves to find the spirit there. They train themselves to measure things by time, by thousands and by millions, and say these animals called men all came by chance. And this they are free to do, for agency is theirs.

But agency is ours as well. We look up, and in the universe we see the handiwork of God and measure things by epochs, by eons, by dispensations, by eternities. The many things we do not know we take on faith.

But this we know! It was all planned before the world was. Events from the Creation to the final, winding-up scene are not based on chance; they are based on choice! It was planned that way.

Humbly I lay claim upon the atonement of Christ. I find no shame in kneeling down in worship of our Father and His son. For agency is mine, and this I choose to do!

Boyd K. Packer, “Atonement, Agency, Accountability,” Ensign, May 1988,  69

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Seventh, we should be aware that some people are more susceptible to some addictions than other people. Perhaps such susceptibility is inborn, like the unnamed ailment the Apostle Paul called “a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). One person has a taste for nicotine and is easily addicted to smoking. Another person cannot take an occasional drink without being propelled into alcoholism. Another person samples gambling and becomes a compulsive gambler.

Perhaps these persons, as the saying goes, were “born that way.” But what does this mean? Does it mean that persons with susceptibilities or strong tendencies have no choice, no free agency in these matters? Our doctrine teaches us otherwise. Regardless of a person’s susceptibility or tendency, his will is unfettered. His free agency is unqualified. It is his freedom that is impaired. Other persons are more free; though they unwisely sample the temptations, they seem immune to the addiction. But regardless of the extent of our freedom, we are all responsible for the exercise of our free agency.

As Lehi taught, in mortality we are only free “according to the flesh” (2 Nephi 2:27). Most of us are born with thorns in the flesh–some more visible, some more serious than others. We all seem to have susceptibilities to one disorder or another, but whatever our susceptibilities, we have the will and the power to control our thoughts and our actions. This must be so. God has said that he holds us accountable for what we do and what we think, so these must be controllable by our agency. Once we have reached the age or condition of accountability, “I was born that way” does not excuse actions or thoughts that fail to conform to the commandments of God. We need to learn how to live so that a weakness that is mortal will not prevent us from achieving the goal that is eternal.

God has promised that he will consecrate our afflictions for our gain (see 2 Nephi 2:2). The efforts we expend in overcoming an inherited weakness build spiritual strength that will serve us throughout eternity. Thus, when Paul prayed thrice that his “thorn in the flesh” would depart from him, the Lord replied, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Obedient, Paul concluded,

Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. [2 Corinthians 12:9­10]

Whatever our susceptibilities or tendencies, they cannot subject us to eternal consequences unless we exercise our free agency to do or think the things forbidden by the commandments of God. For example, a susceptibility to alcoholism impairs its victim’s freedom to partake without addiction, but his free agency allows him to abstain and thus escape the physical debilitation of alcohol and the spiritual deterioration of addiction.

“Free Agency and Freedom,” Dallin H. Oaks was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this fireside address was given at Brigham Young University on 11 October 1987.

You’ll also notice the previous posts are missing. Well… I inadvertently deleted them while setting up missionjournal.org. And to make it worse, the posts for Mission Journal aren’t working either.

Anyhow, enjoy the lesson.

EQ Lesson: August 3, 2008

5 Be’s from Cody Stewart’s talk at Stake Priesthood Meeting, July 27, 2008.

1. Be Balanced
Jesus, as always, provides us a standard for us to measure ourselves against. In Luke 2:52 we read about the four major fields of a man’s activity that must be balanced; mental, physical, spiritual and social.
• How do you balance all of the aspects in your life?
• What can we learn from scriptures or words of prophets that counsel us to balance our lives?
• Mosiah 4: 27 – all things done in wisdom and order, but with diligence
• D&C 10: 4 – do not run faster than you have strength, but be diligent to the end
• Jacob 6: 12 – O be wise
• M. Russell Ballard, “O Be Wise,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 17-20.
• Focus on people and principles
• Be innovative
• Divide the work and delegate
• Eliminate guilt
• Thoughtfully allocate our resources of time, income, and energy through increasing their testimony and giving meaningful service.
• Help others become anchored in the Gospel

2. Be Aware
Being aware is all about communication, understanding others differences and working with others towards a common goal.
• In what ways does trying to understand others improve our communication with them?
• What can we learn from scriptures or words of prophets that counsel us to be aware and mindful of others?

3. Be Better Than Yourself
The world teaches us that the natural man is OK. It’s OK and proper to follow our natural desires and urges. It’s OK because that’s what we are and how we are made.
• What does the Gospel of Jesus Christ teach us about ourselves and the natural man?
• Mosiah 3: 19 – natural man is an enemy to God
• The whole purpose of our Earth life is to gain mastery over our carnal, temporal and natural selves.
• Bro. Holland talks about the temptations of Christ, and how they are examples of how he was inconvenienced by choosing the better part. Being asked to turn stones into bread is a similar temptation we face when asked to participate in immoral practices.

“No one man, however brilliant or well-informed, can come in one lifetime to such fullness of understanding as to safely judge and dismiss the customs or institutions of his society, for these are the wisdom of generations after centuries of experiment in the laboratory of history. A youth boiling with hormones will wonder why he should not give full freedom to his sexual desires; and if he is unchecked by custom, morals, or laws, he may ruin his life before he matures sufficiently to understand that sex is a river of fire that must be banked and cooled by a hundred restraints if it is not to consume in chaos both the individual and the group. [Will and Ariel Durant, The Lessons of History (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968), pp. 35-36]

“And we have purposes the Durants never dreamed of, “promises to keep, and miles to go before we sleep” (Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”). I plead with you not to yield to what one has called the “glandular stench” of our times. In your hours of temptation and vulnerability I ask you not, in your case, to turn bread into stone with that fire that has gone unbanked and uncooled. Those loaves will be millstones–bogus bread–weighted with heartache and despair and pain. Care more. It is too easy today with movies you can see and the magazines you can read. It is all tragically, painfully, cunningly convenient. In our time the only restraint left is self-restraint. I ask you to say of this highest, most intimate, most sacred physical expression, “Yes, but not this way.” I ask you to be inconvenienced until you’ve earned the right and paid the divine price to know the body and the soul of the one you love.” [The Inconvenient Messiah, Holland, Jeffrey R., BYU Devotional, February 15, 1982]

• “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.” [Dallin H. Oaks, “Good, Better, Best,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 104-8]

4. Be Helpful
We need to be more helpful to our family, especially those of us who are married.
• What is the benefit of letting your family (especially your children) know that you help around the house?
• Anecdote of grandpa who was totally uninvolved with a baby’s needs such as changing diapers, feeding, etc, and how things have changed in society now where that is accepted and encouraged.
• Pick a chore and own it! Pick a chore that will allow your spouse or someone in the family to have more free time. Decide what to do and do it for at least a month. Let your family know you appreciate and love them by being helpful!

• My Chore: ____________________________________________________________

5. Be a Man of the Spirit
• What is a sure mark that a man is successful?
• President Hinckley spoke about our truest mark of success: “You will know no greater happiness than that found in your home. You will have no more serious obligation than that which you face in your home. The truest mark of your success in life will be the quality of your marriage.” [Gordon B. Hinckley, “Living Worthy of the Girl You Will Someday Marry,” Ensign, May 1998, 49]
• How do we become a “Man of the Spirit?”
• One way, perhaps the best or only way is to follow the counsel given in JST Matthew 16: 27-29. “Break not my commandments for to save your lives; for whosoever will save his life in this world, shall lose it in the world to come. And whosoever will lose his life in this world, for my sake, shall find it in the world to come. Therefore, forsake the world, and save your soul; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
• How do we do that? How do we lose our life for Christ’s sake?
• 2 Nephi 9: 45-54
• Acknowledge we are guilty and need repentance
• Desire to prepare our souls
• Cultivate a thirst for righteousness (yes, but how?
• Don’t waste time and effort on frivolous things (which are?)
• Harken to counsel from God
• REMEMBER lessons and words you listen to
• Come and feast on the things of God (we fill our time and thoughts with something, let that be the things of God)
• Pray