What Is Grace?

Grace is divine help and strength that we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through grace, we are saved from sin and death. In addition, grace is an enabling power that strengthens us from day to day and helps us endure to the end. Effort is required on our part to receive the fullness of the Lord’s grace.

More importantly, why is grace important to ME?

Paul wrote the Ephesians, telling them that we can only be saved by grace through faith, not just with works. This grace is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Well if grace is required for our salvation, then it is obviously important. Interesting that he says it is through faith and a gift from God. That is because grace is a direct result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, a gift from God because he loves us, for those of us who believe in Christ (see John 3:16). Paul also expressed that we were not saved by our works. This is so important and often misunderstood. Even if we have the very best possible works, we cannot under any circumstances be saved without the grace of God which is possible through the Atonement. This does not mean works are unimportant, but it does mean they are insufficient alone.

Another famous scripture regarding grace was written by Nephi, who taught that "it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). This indicates that our works are still very important, but once again, we are saved by grace and not our works. Interesting that the word "all" is used, meaning we must really do everything we can - make every effort - in order for grace to save us.

These scriptures help us understand why grace is important - we can't be saved without it, and they help us understand that grace is a gift from God that was made possible through the Atonement. But on a practical, daily level, what does this mean to ME?

Jacob taught that "the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace" that we have power to do great things (Jacob 4:6-7). Similarly, Paul wrote to the Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). So the grace of God gives us strength to help overcome our weaknesses. Again this is a direct result of the Atonement.

One of the best scriptures on "grace" was written in Moroni at the conclusion of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:32-33). He wrote:

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

You can look at this as a triple if/then statement. First he says IF you deny yourself of all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, THEN his grace will be sufficient to make you perfect through the Atonement. And IF you are made perfect through the Atonement as a result of God's grace, THEN you can not deny God's power. And, lastly, IF ye are made perfect through the Atonement and cannot deny God's power, THEN you are sanctified and forgiven of all your sins. 

Obviously we all sin, so we all need grace in our lives. Grace is the power of the Atonement to make up the difference when we've given it our all. Grace is power to cleanse us from our sins, to sanctify us through the Atonement when we have fully repented - something we cannot do for ourselves. Grace is not something that happens at the end of our lives; rather, it should be a power that strengthens us daily. But we must love God, put him first, and deny ourselves anything that is contrary to God's will in order to qualify for this grace.

A Parable to Illustrate the PrincipleJesus taught a parable that illustrates the principle of "grace" in John 15:1-11. This parable goes as follows:

 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

In this parable, bearing fruit is equivalent to our good works, or the "all we can do" portion that pertains to us. If we do not bear fruit, then we're behaving wickedly and will be cast off. If we bear fruit (remember, good works), then God will help us bear even more fruit by making us even better than we were before. This is the grace of God in our daily lives. Please note though that there is a step in between where He "purges" us. How do we get stronger, more faithful, more righteous, more obedient, etc? Through trials and overcoming them. Grace does not mean an easy life, but it means that as we overcome, we get closer to perfection, become better people. 

Verse three talks about how we'll be sanctified through His grace. In verse four we again see that we cannot improve ourselves and become better without the Savior's help, he is the vine. It is through the enabling power of the Atonement and God's grace that we work towards perfection. As this process repeats over and over in our lives, we'll get to a point where our will is so aligned to God's will that we'll get whatever we ask. Lastly, God is glorified when we take advantage of the Atonement to make ourselves better, when we use the grace he offers us. This is how we show Him that we are disciples, and this is the best way to glorify God.

Scriptures Teaching the Plan of Salvation

Why is it important to know the scriptures that support our beliefs? This is one of the reasons we encourage memorizing scriptures, especially in Seminary. But it is even more important to learn where they are so we can reference them, even if we can't recite them word for word.

Pre-mortal Life
Did we exist before we were born?
God is the father of our spirits (Hebrews 12:9)
God knew Jeremiah before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5)

We shouted for joy at the creation of the earth (Job 38:4-7)
The spirit shall return to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
Chosen of God before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)
Poetically teaches we were with God before the creation (Proverbs 8:22-31)

What happend in the pre-mortal life?
Abraham saw the pre-mortal life in vision, including the "war in heaven" (Abraham 3:21-28)
War in heaven (Revelations 12:7-9)
Reference to the angels that kept not first estate (Jude 1:6)
Learning "first lessons" and preparation (D&C 138:56)
We were given callings and purpose (2 Timothy 1:9)

Creation
God tells Moses it was his Only Begotten that created all things (Moses 2:1)
Abraham's vision of the Son saying, "we will go down...and we will make an earth" (Abraham 3:24)
Jesus created all things (John 1:1-3) - The JST changes this quite a bit, but both ways are pretty clear that it was Jesus that created. Verse 14 clarifies that The Word = Jesus.

Fall
The fall of Adam was a necessary and foreseen part of the plan (2 Ne 2:22-25).
Without the Fall we could have never come to earth (2 Ne 2:22-25).
Alma 12:22-34 - Because of the fall, we are also fallen, meaning we sin (22). Physical death is a result of the fall (24). Because of the Fall we have the Atonement (33-34)

Earth Life (What is the Purpose of Life?)
This is the time for man to perform his labor, improve himself, repent and prepare for eternity (Alma 32:32-33)

Mosiah 3:19 - We must put off the natural man

This is a probationary state (Alma 12:24)

Alma teaches his son that this is a time to prepare to meet God, to repent and serve Him, a probationary state, so that they can overcome the Spiritual Death introduced by the fall (Alma 42:4,9-10)
But we have our choice on earth (agency) to choose the way to Eternal Life or captivity and death (2 Ne 2:27)
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
No unclean thing can enter into God's kingdom (3 Ne 27:19)
We kept our first estate by bringing our Spirit in subjection to God's will. We must keep our second estate by also bringing our physical body in subjection to God's will (overcoming the natural man). See Abraham 3:25-26 and Mosiah 3:19.

Atonement
The Fall brought both Spiritual Death (sin) and Physical Death into the world. Both must be overcome to dwell with God. Because of justice - and the fact that no unclean thing can dwell in God's presence - any sin would prevent us from ever being with Him again, for we all sin. And because of the Fall we would all die, losing our physical bodies that we came to earth to gain. All of this was part of God's plan, which is why Jesus was chosen before the world was even created to be our Savior. Jesus came to the earth to atone for our sins (pay the price for us so that we could be cleansed from our sins) and also to over come death through the resurrection which makes it possible for all of us to also be resurrected. He doesn't just make up the distance for us, he makes all the difference for us.

Death
All men die because of the fall (1 Cor 15:20-22)

Spirit World
The righteous go to a paradise where they rest in a state of happiness and peace (Alma 40:11-14)
The wicked will be in darkness and fear as they receive the just wrath of God, suffering for their own sins, until the resurrection (Alma 40:11-14)
The same spirit that you have now will be yours then (Alma 34:34)
Spirit returns to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
Gospel preached to the dead - 1 Peter 3:19-20 & 1 Peter 4:6
Read D&C 138!

Resurrection
All men will be resurrected because of Christ (1 Cor 15:20-22)
Just and the wicked to be resurrected (John 5:28-29)
Our resurrection will make us perfect (no corruption) (Alma 5:15)
Resurrection is because of Christ and brings us to the bar of God for judgment (Jacob 6:9)
Resurrection is before judgment (2 Ne 9:15)

Judgment
All men will be judged (both good and bad) by their works as recorded in the Book of Life (Rev 20:12-13)
The resurrection comes to all so that they can then be judged according to their deeds (Alma 5:15)
Every man will be judged and receive his own dominion/mansion/reward according to his own works (D&C 76:111)
Mercy versus Justice - Alma 42:13-15
Alma calls on introspection in teaching about the judgment and preparation for that time (Alma 5:15-21)
No man comes unto the Father but by Jesus (DC 132:12)
Father does not judge, but by the Son (John 5:22)
All men judged according to works and desires of their hearts (DC 137:9)

Heaven (Degrees of Glory)
Everyone who does not go to outer darkness (99.9999% of us) will be redeemed through the "triumph and glory" of Jesus Christ (D&C 76:38-39).
The Bible talks about three degrees of glory (even clearer in the JST): 1 Corinthians 15:40-42

Celestial = Those who had faith, repented, were baptized, kept commandments, had temple ordinances,  overcome adversity with faith, members of Christ's church, Priesthood bearers (or married to one) (D&C 76:50-70)
Those who die without the gospel that would have accepted it given the chance, will receive this glory because they'll have a chance in the Spirit World to receive it (D&C 137:7-10).
Those who die before the age of 8 will also inherit the Celestial kingdom (D&C 137:7-10).

Terrestrial = Those who died without law, honorable men who were blinded by world, had the gospel but did not live valiantly (D&C 76:71-80)

Telestial = Those who receive not the gospel or a testimony of Jesus - even this level of glory "surpasses all understanding" (D&C 76:81-89) and includes liars, sorcerers, adulterers (D&C 76:103-105)

Outer Darkness
Only suffered by those who "deny the Holy Ghost" and "crucify" Christ (figuratively). Better for them to have never been born. Includes the 1/3 that followed Lucifer in pre-mortal world. (D&C 76:30-37)

Exaltation (highest degree of Celestial Kingdom)
The requirements for Celestial glory are high, but insufficient for Exaltation, which is the highest degree of glory possible - that which allows us an eternal increase. (DC 131:1-4)

Remember the New Covenant, Even the Book of Mormon

Scripture Chain: What the Doctrine and Covenants Teaches about the Book of Mormon

D&C 1:29 Takeaway: This book was TRANSLATED by the power of God. Not a religious book written by a modern day church leader. Not an ancient book translated by linguists. This was translated by God's power, so the translation is perfect.	D&C 20:8–15 Takeaway: The words of the Book of Mormon were given to prophets through inspiration of God. As we read these words, they are confirmed to us by the same power, here described as the "ministering of angels." The Spirit not only proves to our hearts that the Book of Mormon is true, but it also proves to our hearts that Joseph Smith (translator) was a prophet of God, inspired by God and called to his holy work in this dispensation. God never changes and has always spoken to his people through living prophets as well as scripture - why wouldn't he do so now? This book that we've been given will witness for our against us at the judgment day, so receive it with faith and work righteousness so that you can receive your celestial crown!
D&C 3:18–20 Takeaway: Another purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convert the descendants of the Lamanites, who are the house of Manasseh. I believe this can be applied to all those throughout the world that are yet to have His true gospel.	D&C 33:16 Takeaway: One of the purposes of the book is to be instructed by God through reading it. Not just by the words that are written by but the Spirit which instructs.
D&C 17:6 Takeaway: Testimony from God that the Book of Mormon is true. Also alludes to the fact that some of the book has yet to be translated. More to come!	D&C 42:12 Takeaway: The Book of Mormon with the Bible contains the FULNESS of the gospel, so it should be used in our teaching.
D&C 19:26–27 Takeaway: Martin Harris isn't the only one that should sacrifice for the Book of Mormon. Our sacrifice will not likely be financial, but we should dedicate our time to studying it.	D&C 84:54–58 Takeaway: Vanity and unbelief have resulted from treating lightly the Book of Mormon (not studying it). If we are not willing to receive the word of God as he gives it to us, it will be to our own condemnation.

So why is reading the Book of Mormon so important? To list a few reasons:
(1) It strengthens our faith and testimony because of the Spirit we feel
(2) It allows us to be taught by God (both through the text and the Spirit)
(3) It was inspired by God for us
(4) It will help us achieve our goal of Eternal Life for it contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
(5) God wants us to read it (in large part for the reasons mentioned)

What does the account of the lost manuscript pages teach about the Lord’s power?

What does the account of the lost manuscript pages teach about the Lord’s power?

D&C 1:1-3: 

1 The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.

 2 For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.
 3 Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;

D&C 10: 14,43:
 14 Verily, I say unto you, that I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing. 43 I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

1 Nephi 9:6:6 But the Lord ^aknoweth 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 ^bpower unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

2 Nephi 3:14
14 And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise;

We can learn a lot about the Lord's power from this account. First off, I think it's obvious that the Lord knew well in advance (thousands of years in advance) that Satan would try to hinder the work by inspiring men to steal the manuscript. Even Joseph (of Egypt) foretold of wicked men trying to confound Joseph Smith and that the Lord would confound them.

We also learn that the Lord doesn't just know about events like this beforehand, he also prepares for them so that his work will not be hindered. How did he prepare in this case? He simply asked Nephi to make his own account, even though Lehi was writing one. So when the wicked men stole Lehi's account (the manuscript), we still had Nephi's account and the valuable scripture therein. 

The work moved forward without the manuscript to the frustration of those who worked so hard to steal it, change it, and create evil schemes to defraud the prophet. 

Why does this matter to us today? 

The same adversary that sought to thwart the printing of the Book of Mormon also seeks to destroy us. He constantly barrages us with his schemes to try to make us think, say or do something we ought not or to keep us from thinking, saying or doing things we should. We can be assured that the Lord knows beforehand what Satan is scheming up. The Lord is also willing to intervene by giving us guidance and helping us see the pitfalls and avoid them. Why wouldn't we pray for that divine help when it is so freely given? Remember the promise penned by Paul "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13". So, pray always that you may conquer Satan (D&C 10:5)! The Lord is always stronger than Satan, and so are you if you're on the Lord's side.

 

Knowing God Is Eternal Life

These scriptures read together help teach an eternally essential truth:

John 17:3 - "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

1 John 2:3-5 - "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

1 John 4:7-8 - "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

John 14:15 - "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

They also helped clarify why the greatest commandments are the greatest:


Matthew 22:35-40 -

"35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

In studying these scriptures, it seems clear to me that knowing God is essential for Eternal Life. We can only know Him by keeping his commandments and loving (loving both him and others). Because God wants us to qualify for exaltation and return to him, he has given us the two greatest commandments, which if followed will lead us to eternal life. If knowing God is loving others and Him and keeping his commandments, I ask you this question: "Do you know God?"

To take this one step further, King Benjamin taught: "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served,and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" (Mosiah 5:13). In the same address he also taught that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17).

So, if serving our fellowman is how we best serve God, and we can't know God without serving him, I again ask you this question: "Do you know God?"

Those who know God must fit a certain profile, which in this world will make them stand out among their peers. Some of the attributes in this profile would be service oriented, obedient to God's commandments, puts God first, loves everyone. Sounds a lot like the attributes of the Savior, which may be why he taught: "what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27).

As we follow the example of the Savior, we will come to know God and thus be prepared to receive eternal life. This is why he beacons, "Come, Follow Me."

Who am I, and who can I become? What does this mean to me?

Lesson
https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/ap/godhead/become?lang=eng

Agenda
Lion King Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maARmxjj3f0

What do you know about God? (list?)

Bible teaches us: Psalms 82:6, Hebrews 12:9, Acts 17: 28-29

What does it mean to be sons of God? Why is it significant that he is our Father and not our "owner" or just our "creator" only? What's the difference between us being his sons and not merely his pets or servants?

Chase - Lost Sheep parable, Rory - prodigal son parable, Joseph - Moses' Vision

Oath and Covenant - D&C 84:33-39

Uchtdorf's parable and 3 points.


Ask the young men to share what they learned today. What feelings or impressions do they have? Do they understand who they are and who they can become? Additional questions?

Invite to act: How will you use this understanding this week? What will you do about it? We will be following up!


Teacher Notes
Who am I?

• The Psalmist wrote that we are gods and children of God (Psalms 82:6). What does that mean that we are gods? Perhaps he was discussing our likeness to God, how he created us in his own image. Or maybe he was referring to a future state - that we are gods in embryo? 
• Paul clearly writes in Acts 17:28-29 that we are God's offspring.
• Paul describes God as the Father of our spirits, which supports our belief that we existed prior to this life with God as his spirit children (Hebrews 12:9).
• The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that the inhabitants of the earth are God's sons and daughters (D&C 76:23).
• God said to Moses: "And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands...And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; (Moses 1:4,6)" 

Who can I become?

• The Parable of the Talents helps us realize that God has given us so much, including a great potential to be like Him. If we bury that potential, we'll lose it. If we do what we can to live up to it by improving ourselves during this life, we will be richly rewarded.
• Ever wonder why the Good Shepherd would leave the 99 to go after the 1 (Luke 15:4-7)? Or why there would be such rejoicing over the return of that 1 or over 1 soul that repents? There must be more to us than we think, we must be of greater worth than we can imagine. Perhaps our worth is determined by our potential, so if it's worthwhile for God to go to great effort to "rescue" our soul, we must have a great potential. Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; (D&C 18:10)
• It doesn't matter what mistakes we have made or how far we have strayed, God is our father and eagerly awaits our return. When we repent and return, the feast is no less grand than it was for the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).
• If further evidence is required to convince you that God's love is infinitely great for you, think of the fact that God gave his only-begotten son as a sacrifice for you. (John 3:16)
• According to the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood in D&C 84, our potential as Priesthood holders is to "become the sons of Moses and of Aarons and the see of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God." Becoming the sons of these past prophets means that we receive the same covenant that they received and the same blessings for faithfulness. The promise gets better when the Lord promises us "all that [God] hath shall be given unto [us]" (verse 38).

What does this mean to me?

• The knowledge that he was God's son was critical for Moses to overcome Satan who subsequently came to him to tempt Moses. Moses was able to use the knowledge that he was a son of God with great potential to resist Satan's temptation. Moses said: "Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten...Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; (Moses 1:13,15)"Knowing he was a son of God put everything into perspective for Moses and helped him to clearly judge between good and evil. This also gave him confidence to stand up to Satan and call upon God to command Satan to depart from him.

What's Different in the Come, Follow Me Curriculum?

The Church has release a new way of teaching the youth entitled "Come, Follow Me." This is replacing the manuals that were used in past years for Sunday School, Aaronic Priesthood and Young Womens lessons. Details about the new Come, Follow Me program can be found on the Church's website at https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/.

I wanted to describe some of the key areas of focus for the new program. Some of these are going to be completely different than the old style of teaching but the doctrine and some of the techniques will remain the same.

Why do we have this new program?
The purpose of this new program is to better help us fulfill our callings as teachers and leaders of the youth. We are called to help the young men and young women become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The youth are smart, and they are eager to learn. This program will help them participate in the learning experience like never before. Conversion comes by doing not by hearing only.

Why is it called Come, Follow Me?
The curriculum's name is from the call often made by the Savior to the people to come, follow him and be his disciples. Not only are we inviting the youth to follow Him, but we are also striving to teach them the way that the Savior would have taught them, the way he did teach during his mortal ministry. When asked questions, Jesus often responded with questions of his own or scriptures and parables to help the inquirer learn the answer to his own question. The Savior knew the needs of and loved each person he taught, whether it was a one-on-one lesson or a multitude of thousands. As with Peter, the Savior gave opportunities for his disciples to testify, to preach, to act in faith on his teachings. That's the type of teacher we need to be in order to most effective help the youth in becoming converted. We don't do the converting, but we can play a critical role in creating an environment in which true conversion can occur.

From the lds.org website listed above:
"This, then, is your sacred calling—to teach as the Savior taught. As you do, the youth will give place in their hearts for the seed of the gospel to be planted, to swell, and to grow. This will lead to conversion—the ultimate goal of your teaching. As you help youth become converted, you help them prepare to follow the Savior throughout their lives—to worthily attend the temple, receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, serve missions, make sacred covenants, raise righteous families, and build God’s kingdom in all the world. How great will be your joy! "

Outlines are replacing Manuals 
Instead of following a step-by-step lesson flow from a manual, instructors will have an outline that gives them the doctrine and some ideas for teaching it. The outlines are intentionally very open-ended so that the instructor may be led by the spirit and tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the youth. There is tremendous flexibility in teaching the lessons and one lesson may cover multiple weeks as needed.

So Now What?
These are some of the basic steps needed now for a lesson using Come, Follow Me:
(1) Prepare for the lesson
     (a) Study the scriptures and other resources provided in the outline to become familiar with the topic and the doctrine.
     (b) Review the activity ideas provided in the outline
     (c) Invite one or more YM to help lead part of the lesson or be prepared to share something (optional but encouraged)
     (d) If possible, invite all of the YM prepare in some way for the lesson (e.g., read a talk or some scriptures)
(2) Give the lesson
     (a) Follow-up on last week's lesson and challenge
     (b) Lead a discussion about the topic - ideally with the YM speaking more than you
     (c) Invite the YM to act on what they've been taught (some kind of challenge for them)

This new teaching technique has great potential if done right. It will allow us to involve the YM to a greater extent in teaching as well as in better discussions during the lesson. This is what the YM need at this time in their lives. This is how we can help them develop their own testimonies.

Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You.

In Elder Nelson's talk, Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You, he describes the many ways that missionaries can help. He says, "All missionaries, younger and older, serve with the sole hope of making life better for other people."

But what if a young man doesn't feel the desire to serve? Elder Nelson explains that "A desire to serve is a natural outcome of one’s conversion, worthiness, and preparation." So if we do not feel the desire, we need to work on one or many of those areas: Conversion, worthiness or preparation.

To those who are not members of the Church: "As you learn more about us, you will find that we share many of the same values. We encourage you to keep all that is good and true and then see if we can add more."

Missionaries serve throughout the world today on the same charge that Jesus gave his disciples two millennia ago: "“go … and teach all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”"

His talk goes through and lists many of the things for which people could and should stop the missionaries to ask them questions such as returning to church, life after death, family history, the purpose of life, etc...

This also means we need well prepared missionaries!!

The Holy Ghost: An Unspeakable Gift from God

An Unspeakable Gift from God by Elder Christensen of they 70: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/an-unspeakable-gift-from-god?lang=eng

Elder Christensen states:

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, and, as such, likeGod the Father and Jesus Christ, He knows our thoughts and the intents of our hearts.³ The Holy Ghost loves us and wants us to be happy. Since He knows the challenges we will face, He can guide us and teach us all things we must do to return and live with our Heavenly Father once again.⁴

Through the gift of the Holy Ghost, we receive added capacity and spiritual gifts, increased revelation and protection, steady guidance and direction, and the promised blessings of sanctification and exaltation in the celestial kingdom. All of these blessings are given as a result of our personal desire to receive them and come as we align our lives with the will of God and seek His constant direction.

How incredible that we can have a member of the Godhead with us to give us divine guidance and teaching throughout our life?! There are not many gifts that compare with this one given to us from our loving Heavenly Father. With this guidance we will not fail. The key is to seek out the Holy Ghost and retain him with us at all times. 

The Holy Ghost's entire mission is to help us return and live with our Heavenly Father once again. Elder Christensen teaches:

The Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, fulfilling many important roles and distinct responsibilities. The primary purpose of the Holy Ghost is to bear witness of God the Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ,⁷ and to teach us the truth of all things.⁸ A sure witness from the Holy Ghost carries far more certainty than a witness from any other source.

Elder Christensen explains how the Holy Ghost speaks to us:

We all have experiences with the Holy Ghost, even though we may not always recognize them. As inspired thoughts come into our minds, we know them to be true by the spiritual feelings that enter into our hearts. President Boyd K. Packer has taught: “The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. … While we speak of ‘listening’ to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, ‘I had a feeling … ’.”¹⁸ It is through these sacred feelings from the Holy Ghost that we come to know what God would have us do, for this, as stated in scripture, “is the spirit of revelation.”¹⁹

"Can Ye Feel So Now" by Elder Cook

Notes from Elder Cooks talk in the October 2012 General Conference (here).

Elder Cook states that "the rising generation are better prepared [for missionary service] than any previous generation." As evidence he states, "Your knowledge of the scriptures is particularly impressive."

On the other hand, he acknowledges the greatness of the challenges we face.

Elder Cooks states:

In one of the most profound verses in all of scripture, Alma proclaims, “If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”

Local leaders across the world report that when viewed as a whole, Church members, especially our youth, have never been stronger. But they almost always raise two concerns: first, the challenge of increased unrighteousness in the world and, second, the apathy and lack of commitment of some members. They seek counsel about how to help members to follow the Savior and achieve a deep and lasting conversion.

There is no doubt that the world is getting worse each year; consequently, we must have a stronger commitment to God and his gospel than ever before. Faith must replace fear, and we must achieve a deep and lasting conversion. 

In this talk our culture is accurately described in several ways:

• "not conducive to righteousness or spiritual commitment"
• "increased unrighteousness in the world "
• "Everyone knows the culture is poisonous, and nobody expects that to change."
• "The spiritual immune system of an entire civilization has been wounded."

These worldly conditions contribute to members sometimes being unable to "feel so now." He describes some of these members:

• "Many who are in a spiritual drought and lack commitment have not necessarily been involved in major sins or transgressions, but they have made unwise choices."
• "Some are casual in their observance of sacred covenants."
• "Others spend most of their time giving first-class devotion to lesser causes."
• "Some allow intense cultural or political views to weaken their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ."
• "Some have immersed themselves in Internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and, in some cases, invent shortcomings of early Church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony."

But it is not too late for any of them, because repentance can lead them back to the path. Some advice:

• "Immersion in the scriptures is essential for spiritual nourishment."
• "The word of God inspires commitment and acts as a healing balm for hurt feelings, anger, or disillusionment."
• When our commitment is diminished for any reason, part of the solution is repentance. Commitment and repentance are closely intertwined.

Great quote:

The Prophet Joseph pointed out that before your baptism, you could be on neutral ground between good and evil. But “when you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can [go] back.” His counsel was that we must never forsake the Master.

Unfortunately when we are not living up to the commitments we made at baptism, it's most often the result of transgression, not just "laziness" or "busyness" the way we tell ourselves it is:

While anything that lessens commitment is of consequence, two relevant challenges are both prevalent and significant. The first is unkindness, violence, and domestic abuse. The second is sexual immorality and impure thoughts. These often precede and are at the root of the choice to be less committed.

The responsibility is on parents to teach their children by example and through words. Our children are exposed to the evils of immorality and pornography at a terribly young age, and we must prepare them to be strong enough to overcome.

Parents, the days are long past when regular, active participation in Church meetings and programs, though essential, can fulfill your sacred responsibility to teach your children to live moral, righteous lives and walk uprightly before the Lord. With President Monson’s announcement this morning, it is essential that this be faithfully accomplished in homes which are places of refuge where kindness, forgiveness, truth, and righteousness prevail. Parents must have the courage to filter or monitor Internet access, television, movies, and music. Parents must have the courage to say no, defend truth, and bear powerful testimony. Your children need to know that you have faith in the Savior, love your Heavenly Father, and sustain the leaders of the Church. Spiritual maturity must flourish in our homes.

When it comes to morality, some adults believe that adherence to a single, overriding humanitarian project or principle nullifies the need to comply with the Savior’s teachings. They say to themselves that sexual misconduct is “a small thing … [if I am] a kind and charitable person.”²¹Such thinking is a gross self-deception. Some young people inform me that in our current culture it is not “cool” to try too hard in many areas, including living strictly in accordance with righteous principles.²² Please do not fall into this trap.

At baptism we promise to take upon us “the name of [Jesus] Christ, having [the] determination to serve him to the end.”²³ Such a covenant requires courageous effort, commitment, and integrity if we are to continue to sing the song of redeeming love and stay truly converted.

I know that's a long quote but it could not be paraphrased. Let me reiterate Elder Cook's words: "DO NOT FALL INTO THIS TRAP!" We can not rationalize away our sins. Let us have and show the courageous effort, commitment and integrity required to live the gospel and stay truly converted!

God Gives Us the Holy Ghost - Why?

In 3 Nephi 28:11, Jesus teaches: "And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me. "

The Spirit testifies of the Father so that we might know Him, our relationship to Him, and his love for us. That is one of the primary purposes of the Holy Ghost.

God gives the Holy Ghost to us because of Christ. The simple way to look at this is that we would have no real need for the Holy Ghost if not for Christ. If fallen man had no hope of redemption then why send him help? But we do have hope of redemption through Jesus Christ; and for this reason, God has given us the Holy Ghost to help us recognize Christ's teachings, believe in Him as our Savior, and follow Him on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life.

The Lord's Refined People

In 3 Nephi 24:3 (also Malachi 3:3) it reads:

"And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."

Let's seek to understand what this can mean for us. The refiner/purifier is obviously Jesus Christ. The sons of Levi (gold/silver) who are to be purified and refined represent the Church, or it can be interpreted further to mean Priesthood holders, or even further to mean holders of the Aaronic Priesthood or Levitical priesthood after Levi. Let's consider that sons of Levi refers to us to liken this scripture unto ourselves. Why are we to be purified/refined? That we may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. What is an "offering in righteousness?" I think this phrase is vague for a reason - it can mean different things for all of us in a very personal way. At the very least it must refer to righteous service. Righteous offerings could be temple service, service in our callings, service in our families, sharing the gospel and any other good deeds done towards our fellow-man.

The Prophet Spencer W Kimball once said that a "portion of the offering in righteousness" is our family history work and bringing temple blessings to those who have passed on (link to his talk). This is consistent with Malachi's message of "turning our hearts to our fathers."

So to paraphrase this verse: The Lord seeks to refine us so that we may better serve Him and others, especially those who have gone before us through temple work.

How does He refine us? I think there is a reason that silver and gold were chosen for this analogy. I did a quick search on Google and it looks like refining gold is a long, complicated process involving dangerous acids and hot temperatures (2,000 degrees Fahrenheit is the melting point of gold). Key take aways for me were that it's a long, difficult, painful process from the gold's perspective. I don't expect it's too different as the Lord refines us. It definitely doesn't happen overnight (probably closer to a lifetime), overcoming sin, temptations and trying to live a perfect life is not easy, and the repentance process when we stumble is painful but necessary. Our trials, the furnace of affliction, refines us because it forces us to be humble, turn to and trust in God, and increase our faith.

Let's remember the end goal again. The Lord wants us refined in order to selflessly serve. So with the end in mind, we have a good idea of what the product of this refinement is. I think of some of the men and women I have known who dedicate their entire lives to serving God through missionary work, church service and temple service. They are the end product. They are also the people I respect and look up to most on this earth. That is the goal. Do our actions bring us closer to that goal or take us further away from that goal?

Sometimes when I think of temple work and genealogy I think of elderly women or elderly couples taking care of these things for the rest of us. Maybe instead I should see temple work and genealogy as the desire of those who have been refined, which more commonly happens to be those who have lived of lifetime of being refined by the hand of the Lord.

If all of this refinement that we go through on this life (which is a lot!) is to help turn our hearts to our fathers (family history work) and live a life of service, then it must be very important! It must be key to the purpose of our existence on this earth.

We will also find joy in this righteous offering for how great is the joy we feel when bringing souls unto God (D&C 18:15-16).

3 Ne 22 - Isaiah Speaks to Parents

The words of Isaiah have always been difficult to me but as I studied them this morning a few things did stand out to me.

In 3 Nephi 22:4 "Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame;" made me think of the vision of the Tree of Life that Lehi saw. The first THREE out of four groups of people did not make it to the tree and/or did not endure to the end because of shame at being mocked by the great and spacious building, or the cares of the world.

And in 3 Ne 22:7-8 "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." This is a good lesson in the midst of our trials. We sometimes feel alone, which is really to give us opportunities to grow. But the promise is there - "with great mercies will I gather thee" and "with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee." Those promises are real, and they are the reason why we must turn to the Lord in times of crisis and need, even if we feel alone.

In 3 Ne 22:13-14 some incredible promises are given for us. Isaiah is speaking to the "afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted" - which could be any one of us who is trying to be in the world but not of the world. He basically says it won't be easy but it will be worth it as he explains the result: "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established..." What greater blessing could we ask for than this?

Then to give us further confidence against the adversary and his forces, we are promised in verses 15-17: "whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake...no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;...This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."Make sure you are on the Lord's side!

3 Nephi 21:10

In 3 Nephi 21:10, the Savior appears to be talking about the Prophet Joseph Smith. I think it is interesting that Joseph would be "marred" because of the wicked people, but the Lord then follows that up with "Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil." Similar to each of us, the Prophet Joseph had times where he was humbled and had to repent and rely on the healing power of the atonement. None of us are perfect, and sometimes our stumbles turn out to be a blessing in our lives and in the lives of others because they allow us to more fully see God's hand in our lives. In this case with Joseph, the Lord was able to show his superior wisdom because although Joseph had lost the manuscript, the Lord had prepared for this incident by commanding Nephi to write the same important things upon the plates that his father had written. So a terrible mistake turned out to be a growth opportunity for the Prophet, who I'm sure needed it to prepare for his future experiences, a testimony builder for the Church, and a witness to those who oppose it that they cannot hinder God's work.

What Lehi Taught about Agency

What is agency?
Agency is the freedom to choose that God has given to each of us (2 Nephi 2:16). Agency is the reason why there is opposition in all aspects of life. Does it make sense to give someone the ability to choose without them having options?

This is important. God gave us agency so that we are not forced to do anything. He did not force Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit and die, but He did give them the opportunity to do so if they chose. Mortality was the consequence of this choice because it was a choice to follow this plan - the plan of salvation - in the first place. In the pre-existence, God did not force us to come to earth, and once on earth, he will not force us to return to him. It's all about choices.

How does it affect me?
Remember that "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25). Adam's choice made it possible for us to be here, as was previously discussed. We are here to make choices and we are here to have joy. Logically, that means we are here to make the choices that will bring us joy, right? That's where we come in.

Lehi taught:

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. (2 Nephi 2:27)

Let's break this down. Men are free - we know that and discussed that already. All things are given us which are expedient - to me this is the light of Christ (or our conscience) that we all have. We know right from wrong, all of us, so we are able to make choices with accountability. We are free to choose liberty and eternal life or captivity and death - these are really our only two choices. Everything we do brings us towards one or the other, though we don't usually look at our choices this way.

The liberty and eternal life is through the great Mediator of all men - Jesus Christ atoned for us and "bought us with a price" so that he can plead for us before the Father as our mediator. He paid the consequences of our sin so that we will not have to - if we choose Him. Choosing Christ will lead us to liberty as we will not be captive to sin and is the path to eternal life.

Captivity and death are according to the captivity and power of the devil. These are exact opposites of what Christ offers us. Instead of the liberty of righteous living, we are free to choose the spiritual bondage of sin, which limits our choices. If we choose this path of sin, we will have to pay for the consequences of the sin - spiritual death. No unclean thing can dwell with God, so choosing sin and death puts us outside of his presence eternally. Interesting that he uses the word "power" because Satan has REAL power over us when we sin. Sin is how we give him this power. Living righteously prevents him from having any power over us.

He seeketh that we might be miserable like he is - Satan is miserable. How could he not be? He had the potential to be like God (as any son has the potential to be like his father), but he chose to pridefully reject God's plan and rebel. His consequence was to eternally be out of God's presence and to forfeit the eternal inheritance that could have been his. This would make anyone miserable. He can't get back at God but in one way, bringing us down with him. God loves each and every one of us with a love we cannot fathom. How much it must pain God to lose one of his precious sons or daughters!! Satan's only retribution is to bring us down into the misery, captivity and death in which he is fully engulfed.

He will try everything to trip us up. And he succeeds much too often in each of our lives because we are human, frail in our mortal state; however, there is always a way to escape. It is not too late to choose to follow Jesus Christ and to choose liberty and eternal life. The choice is yours. You know the consequences both temporal and eternal. Choose the right!