2013 Christmas Devotional

If you haven't had the time to watch the devotional this year, here is the link to the program. 
http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/christmas-devotional/2013/12?lang=eng&vid=2912344387001

Common Themes Mosiah 19-24

Today we studied the stories of Limhi's people and the followers of Alma and how both groups of people struggled under the oppression of the Lamanites.  We learned that as the people hath faith in Christ and turned to God for help and comfort, that the Lord lightened their burdens and led them to freedom.  

Here is a beautiful Mormon message about how we can apply this Book of Mormon message to our lives.

Video Make up Lesson

To summarize  King Benjamin's address, please watch the following video and answer the questions for a make up day:

1. Who is an enemy to God?
2. Who remains in the Fallen state?
3. How do we change from our fallen sinful nature?
4. What replaces the desire to sin?
5. How do we help others to yield to the enticings of the spirit?
6. What was the scripture reference from Mosiah quoted by the bishop?
7. What is the difference between being childish and childlike?
8. What did Linda learn from her Bishop?

Mosiah 4:30 THOUGHTS, WORDS, DEEDS

King Benjamin teaches us a lot about how to repent and retain a remission of our sins. In the scripture mastery verse in Mosiah chapter 4 verse 30, we learn that if we do not continually watch our thoughts, words, and deeds, and work hard to obey the commandments of God, and continue in faith to the end of our lives we are in peril and could perish.

 President Ezra Taft Benson:

“Think clean thoughts. Those who think clean thoughts do not do dirty deeds. You are not only responsible before God for your acts but also for controlling your thoughts. So live that you would not blush with shame if your thoughts and acts could be flashed on a screen in your church. The old adage is still true that you sow thoughts and you reap acts, you sow acts and you reap habits, you sow habits and you reap a character, and your character determines your eternal destiny. ‘As a man thinketh, so is he’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1964, 60; quoting Proverbs 23:7).

 

President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
 

“As you learn to control your thoughts, you can overcome habits, even degrading personal habits. You can gain courage, conquer fear, and have a happy life. I had been told … as I grew up that thoughts must be controlled, but no one told me how. I’ve thought about this over the years and have decided that the mind is like a stage. During every waking moment the curtain is up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of your mind.

“Have you noticed that shady little thoughts may creep in from the wings and attract your attention in the middle of almost any performance and without any real intent on your part? … If you permit them to go on, all thoughts of any virtue will leave the stage. … What do you do at a time like that, when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps of unclean thinking … ? If you can fill your mind with clean and constructive thoughts, then there will be no room for these persistent imps, and they will leave.”

“Choose a favorite hymn or song, … one with words that are uplifting and music that is reverent, one that makes you feel something akin to inspiration. There are many beautiful songs to choose from. Seek the guidance of the Spirit in making your selection. Go over the song in your mind carefully. Memorize it. Even though you have had no musical training, you can think through a simple song. Now use this as the course for your thoughts to follow. Make it your emergency channel.

“Whenever you find shady actors slipping from the sidelines of your thinking onto the stage of your mind, put on this CD, as it were. It will change your whole mood.

“Because the music is uplifting and clean, the baser thoughts will slip shamefully away. For while virtue, by choice, will not associate with filth, evil cannot tolerate the presence of light. In due time you will find yourself humming the music inwardly, almost automatically, to drive out unworthy thoughts” (“Worthy Music, Worthy Thoughts,” New Era, Apr. 2008, 7–8, 11).

Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Light dispels darkness. For example, appropriate music, uplifting visual images, wholesome activities, and clean thoughts and words will invite the Spirit into our lives and push unworthy thoughts out of our minds. You can combat darkness by filling your life with light. Watch the following message to find out the greatest, most reliable source of light.

Mosiah 3 - The angel speaks good tidings of great joy to King Benjamin

King Benjamin conveyed the words an angel had spoken to him concerning the ministry of Jesus Christ. King Benjamin testified that through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance, those who have sinned can receive salvation. He also taught that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, an individual who yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit “putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint”

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we should seek to understand all we can about the Atonement of Jesus Christ:

     “None of us can ever adequately appreciate in mortality the full beneficial consequences of the Atonement.

     “There is an imperative need for each of us to strengthen our understanding of the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ so that it will become an unshakable foundation upon which to build our lives. As the world becomes more devoid of foundational standards and as honor, virtue, and purity are increasingly cast aside in the pursuit of appetite, our understanding of and faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ will provide strength and capacity needed for a successful life. It will also bring confidence in times of trial and peace in moments of turmoil.

     “I energetically encourage you to establish a personal study plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of Jesus Christ’s perfect fulfillment of His divinely appointed calling as our Savior and Redeemer. Profound personal pondering of the scriptures accompanied by searching, heartfelt prayer will fortify your understanding of and appreciation for His priceless Atonement. Another powerful way to learn of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is through consistent temple attendance” (“He Lives! All Glory to His Name!” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 77).

 

Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

     “Christ’s agony in the garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. … He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. … In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, ‘the prince of this world,’ could inflict. … In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 613).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles about the effect of the Atonement on all of Heavenly Father’s children:

     “We … read that ‘his blood atoneth for the sins of those … who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned’ (Mosiah 3:11). Similarly, ‘the blood of Christ atoneth for [little children]’ (Mosiah 3:16). These teachings that the resurrecting and cleansing power of the Atonement is for all contradict the assertion that the grace of God saves only a chosen few. His grace is for all. These teachings of the Book of Mormon expand our vision and enlarge our understanding of the all-encompassing love of God and the universal effect of His Atonement for all men everywhere” (“All Men Everywhere,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 77).

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

We have spent the month reading inspiring quotes about gratitude and journaling about what we are thankful for?  Share your gratitude for others with them, particularly with your Father in Heaven for ALL that He has given us and done for us.

PS.  Have I told you lately how thankful I am for each one of you and for the blessing that it is for me to have the opportunity to serve you?

Ensign to the Nations, conclusion

This month we have been studying what it means to be an ensign to the nations.  This is the concluding segment of the video that we have been watching.

Questions 5 pts each/ total of 40 points:

1. Who was the final speaker in this video series?

2. Where did he serve his mission as a young man?

3. What temple did he dedicate in May of 1996?

4. Where was the place where there was the largest assembly of LDS people under one roof?

5. As he has looked into the faces of the saints in all the world...how does he feel?

6. What did the Prophet Joseph Smith say about the STANDARD OF TRUTH?

7. What is the role that you have to play in this work?

8. What did you notice about the congregations that were filmed for the final segment?

"And my soul hungered"

Please watch this modern day application of the story of the Book of Enos: 

 

“The hand will not reach for what the heart does not long for.” Welsh Proverb

“We must educate our very desires, for God finally gives to each man the desires of his heart.” Annonymous

“Desire is the pilot of the soul. It is the greatest power in the personality, On January 6, 1941, in his message to Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made reference to his famous “Four Freedoms.” One was the freedom from want, and he told Congress what he thought should be done to secure greater freedom from want for the people of America. But there is a much greater freedom in America than the freedom from want, and that is the freedom to want. In America we may want as big as we please. If we want to succeed in tiny letters, we will fail. If we want to succeed in letters a foot high, we will succeed. We ought to spend a little more time learning to increase the size of our wants.”

“When we want to be faithful members of the Church in capital letters, or when we really want to be successful in our occupations, or when we really want character and honor and faith, we won’t need to worry very much about getting them.” (Sterling W. Sill February 9, 1965, BYU Speeches of the Year, 1965 10.)

 

 “Complacency is a very grave danger in the Church as well as in the world. We need to be aroused to the fact that there is much yet to do in this matter of gaining our salvation. The goal is so high that not only can it be seen from both sides of the valley of life, it is so far distant that we can pursue it throughout the endless ages of eternity, attempting to become like that from which we came — God our Father. We need to study more, to think more, to pray more fervently, to do our full duty.” (Hugh B. Brown, The Abundant Life [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965], 169.)

 

“Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of our brethren. …

“A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others” (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1997], 248–49).

CHALLENGE: Find a quiet place alone to have a personal prayer about something you really need help with.  Sincerely desire the answer.  Wait and listen for the answer.

Pray for the typhoon victims

From a missionary couple serving in the Philippines:

"The missionaries are all alive and accounted for. They are in the MTC
here in Manila and will be reassigned or sent home starting tomorrow.
They have all visited the MTC psychologist at least once. They had some
pretty terrible and traumatic experiences. Experiences that young people
should never go through They also learned that Heavenly Father is aware
of them and mindful of them. If you could see the devastation you would
know that if they did not have angelic protection they would not have
survived. All those who would have been released by Feb are going home
with an honorable release. The church is going to build a new mission
home and when order is restored the missionaries could go back. They
will still keep their Tacloban name tags. Those members who listened to
their leaders and went to the chapels lived. Those who didn't died."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865590735/Surviving-the-typhoon-A-story-of-fear-faith-and-what-it-means-to-be-prepared.html

Story on the church's site:
http://www.mormonnewsroom.ph/article/first-set-of-missionaries-arrive-in-manila

A blog:
http://sistersarahralph.blogspot.ca/2013/11/my-story-news-from-manila-mtc.html

The Lord delights in chastity (Make Up Lesson)

The second half of Jacob's sermon from the temple contained warnings to his people about their involvement with sexual sins.  He was greatly concerned about how the sins of the fathers were hurting not only those who were sinning, but also the delicate feelings of the women and children in their families. 
 

In the "For the Strength of Youth" booklet we are taught:

  “The Lord’s standard regarding sexual purity is clear and unchanging. Do not have any sexual relations before marriage, and be completely faithful to your spouse after marriage. …

   “Never do anything that could lead to sexual transgression. Treat others with respect, not as objects used to satisfy lustful and selfish desires. Before marriage, do not participate in passionate kissing, lie on top of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body, with or without clothing. Do not do anything else that arouses sexual feelings. Do not arouse those emotions in your own body” (For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 35–36).

Watch the following Mormon Message: Try to guess which young adult is the member of our church before the end.

 FIVE Team points per question:

A)  Read Jacob 2:23–24, some people in Jacob’s day tried to excuse their sexual sins.

1. How do people sometimes seek to excuse sexual immorality today?
2. What are some things youth can do to avoid being overcome by sexual temptations?

B)  Sexual immorality has a destructive influence on families. Read Jacob 2:31–35. Look for some of the consequences of immorality. Although Jacob speaks only to men, the law of chastity is equally important for women.

1. According to Jacob, how are families affected when a family member violates the law of chastity?
2. How does this help explain why breaking the law of chastity is such a serious sin?
3. Some young people rationalize that they can break the law of chastity because their actions do not hurt anyone else. How might a person’s immorality affect other people?

C) Review the beginning of Jacob 2:28 and identify what the Lord delights in.

Watch the following Mormon Message:

I have confidence that you can be morally clean. If you have sinned against the law of chastity, seek help from your bishop, who can help you to repent and become clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Plain as the Nose on your face (An EASY Makeup lesson)

Plainness  Synonyms: plain, modest, simple, unostentatious, unpretentious

1. Free from obstructions; open; clear

2. Obvious to the mind; evident: make one's intention plain.
3. Not elaborate or complicated; simple: plain food.
4. Straightforward; frank or candid: plain talk.
5. Not mixed with other substances; pure: plain water.
6. Common in rank or station; average; ordinary: a plain man.
7. Not pretentious; unaffected.
8. Marked by little or no ornamentation or decoration.

In 2 Nephi 31, Nephi wrote of his great prophesy concerning the Doctrine of Christ, which he spoke of plainly.  He said, "For my soul delighteth in plainness: for after this manner doth the lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding." (vs.3)

Elder Marvin J. Ashton said:
“Through this great prophet Nephi, along with other leaders and wise teachers, we come to realize that we learn more readily if principles are taught and explained in plainness. Plainness is best comprehended by the humble, the teachable, the intelligent, the wise, and the obedient. Often plain truths are perverted by the pretentious, the crude, the low, the critical, the contentious, the haughty, and the unrighteous. More so than in any other time in our history, there is an urgency in today’s society for men and women to step forward and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of plainness. God delights when His truths are taught clearly and understandably with no conspicuous ornamentation. Plainness in life, word, and conduct are eternal virtues. When the plainness of Christian teaching and living is lost, apostasy and suffering result. People will walk in darkness when the light of plainness if taken from their lives.”

The fact that God speaks plainly to prophets and that message is given to us with plainness is  a recurring theme in the Book of Mormon.  FOR TEN POINTS: Research "plainness" in the index and read 5 references in 2 Nephi, then answer the question; How can knowing that God speaks to us plainly affect how I understand and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ?

READ 2 NEPHI 31:4-13 then watch the following Bible video:

Reread verse 13 and mark the phrases that you think Nephi wanted you to understand plainly. For 5 points each:

1. How might these phrases apply to such activities as daily scripture study and Church attendance?
2. What is the difference between “saying a prayer” and praying “with full purpose of heart”?
3. What is the difference between eating the sacrament bread and partaking of the sacrament bread “with real intent”?
4. What is the difference between saying that you are sorry about something you have done and repenting “with full purpose of heart”?

Baptism is the gate by which ye shall enter....and then are ye in this straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life.

       After the baptism by water comes the baptism by fire. 

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said this about baptism by fire:

“The gate of baptism leads to the strait and narrow path. …

“We are commanded and instructed to so live that our fallen nature is changed through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. President Marion G. Romney taught that the baptism of fire by the Holy Ghost ‘converts [us] from carnality to spirituality. It cleanses, heals, and purifies the soul. … Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and water baptism are all preliminary and prerequisite to it, but [the baptism of fire] is the consummation. To receive [this baptism of fire] is to have one’s garments washed in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ’ (Learning for the Eternities, comp. George J. Romney [1977], 133; see also 3 Nephi 27:19–20).

“Hence, as we are born again and strive to always have His Spirit to be with us, the Holy Ghost sanctifies and refines our souls as if by fire (see 2 Nephi 31:13–14, 17). Ultimately, we are to stand spotless before God” (“Clean Hands and a Pure Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 81).

FINAL 10 POINTS: 

What is the Doctrine of Christ? 

(Hint: see 2 Nephi 31, and the 4th Article of Faith)

Chocolate Chips

For 10 Points: What does this cookie have to do with the Book of Mormon, and your scripture studies?

Who are the covenant people?

2 Nephi 26: 33
" For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

2 Nephi 30:8
"And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth." 

  

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency:

“I hope that we welcome and love all of God’s children, including those who might dress, look, speak, or just do things differently. It is not good to make others feel as though they are deficient. Let us lift those around us. Let us extend a welcoming hand. Let us bestow upon our brothers and sisters in the Church a special measure of humanity, compassion, and charity so that they feel, at long last, they have finally found home. …

“It seems only right and proper that we extend to others that which we so earnestly desire for ourselves.

“I am not suggesting that we accept sin or overlook evil, in our personal life or in the world. Nevertheless, in our zeal, we sometimes confuse sin with sinner, and we condemn too quickly and with too little compassion. …

“… Let our hearts and hands be stretched out in compassion toward others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path” (“You Are My Hands,” Ensign, May 2010, 68–69).

Consider what YOU might do to reach out to others in need and help them feel the love of the Lord.

2 Nephi 30:2 

"For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off;for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel."

Who are the covenant people?

 What is it that we must do to become the covenant people of God?  You could earn up to 20 points by telling me how this Mormon Message reflects this important doctrine and how it applies to us.

Spiritual Crocodiles

A message that we did not get to watch today in class...

5 Team Point/question

1. In spite of constant and repeated warnings what did the young man from England do?

2. Give me two examples of spiritual crocodiles.

3. How can spiritual crocodiles mutilate and kill your soul?

4. Where are spiritual crocodiles found in the world we live in?

SM Tombstones

Happy Halloween!

“The government shall be upon his shoulder”

  2 Nephi 19:6–7 is one of the most well-known prophecies about the Savior. Listen to the following youtube link while you read the rest of this blog entry.

 

 “The government shall be upon his shoulder”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote that though we often associate Isaiah’s prophecy in 2 Nephi 19:6–7 with the birth of Christ, it will also be fulfilled at the time of the Millennium:

“The fact that the government would eventually be upon his shoulders affirms what all the world will one day acknowledge—that he is Lord of lords and King of kings and will one day rule over the earth and his Church in person” (Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 80).

Elder Holland also explained the significance of the various titles applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in these verses:

“As ‘Wonderful Counselor,’ he will be our mediator, our intercessor, defending our cause in the courts of heaven. …

“Of course, as noted by Isaiah, Christ is not only a mediator but also a judge [see Mosiah 3:10; Moroni 10:34; Moses 6:57]. It is in that role of judge that we may find even greater meaning in Abinadi’s repeated expression that ‘God himself’ will come down to redeem his people [Mosiah 13:28; see also Mosiah 13:34; 15:1; Alma 42:15]. It is as if the judge in that great courtroom in heaven, unwilling to ask anyone but himself to bear the burdens of the guilty people standing in the dock, takes off his judicial robes and comes down to earth to bear their stripes personally. Christ as merciful judge is as beautiful and wonderful a concept as that of Christ as counselor, mediator, and advocate.

“‘Mighty God’ conveys something of the power of God, his strength, omnipotence, and unconquerable influence. Isaiah sees him as always able to overcome the effects of sin and transgression in his people and to triumph forever over the would-be oppressors of the children of Israel.

“‘Everlasting Father’ underscores the fundamental doctrine that Christ is a Father—Creator of worlds without number, the Father of restored physical life through the Resurrection, the Father of eternal life for his spiritually begotten sons and daughters, and the One acting for the Father (Elohim) through divine investiture of authority. All should seek to be born of him and become his sons and his daughters [see Mosiah 5:7].

“Lastly, with the phrase ‘Prince of Peace,’ we rejoice that when the King shall come, there will be no more war in the human heart or among the nations of the world. This is a peaceful king, the king of Salem, the city that would later become Jeru-Salem. Christ will bring peace to those who accept him in mortality in whatever era they live, and he will bring peace to all those in his millennial and postmillennial realms of glory” (Christ and the New Covenant, 80–82).

SISTER COLVIN WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THIS BLOG ENTRY FOR POINTS.

Hineni - "Here I am." (Make up lesson)

Isaiah's sins are purged.

We learned today about the calling of Isaiah as a prophet of God.  Hineni - "Here I am." was the response of the patriarchs and prophets to the call of God. It signals total dedications and commitment to serving God.  Please watch this short video to understand this calling more.

We also learned some symbolism in regards to Isaiah's calling that I thought you might like to see  visual images for:

Tabernacle by night

Tabernacle by day

Veil of the Temple looking through to the Holy of Holies and the Ark of  the covenant.

When Isaiah described the actions of the Lord’s covenant people in his day, he also described some people in our day. This is an illustration of the principle of Dualism and esoteric terms. As is often the case in prophetic declarations, some of Isaiah’s writings have a dual meaning. That is, they can apply to more than one situation or may be fulfilled at more than one time. He also at times combined dualistic phrases with terms that were intended for or understood by only a certain group. Such esoteric language brings to mind religious concepts that only those who have the proper religious background readily understand without further explanation. For example, Isaiah 2:2/ 2 Nephi 12:2-5 refers to the “mountain of the Lord’s house” being “established in the top of the mountains.” President Harold B. Lee said that the phrase “mountain of the Lord’s house” referred to both “a place as well as a definition of a righteous people” (“The Way to Eternal Life,” Ensign, Nov. 1971, p. 15). The establishment of the “mountain of the Lord’s house in the top of the mountains” has been fulfilled by the coming of the pioneers to establish the Church and temple in the tops of the mountains in Utah (see Lee, “The Way to Eternal Life,” p. 15) and will be further fulfilled by the return of Judah to Jerusalem, where the Lord’s house will be built (see D&C 133:13). It applies generally to those places where God’s power and authority reside and where He communicates with His people. The phrase “all nations shall flow unto it” (read Isaiah 2:2) can refer both to the early gathering of the Saints to the valleys of the mountains in Utah and also to the general gathering of Saints to Zion. The term Zion (v. 3), as well, has several applications. It refers to the New Jerusalem in America, the Jerusalem of Judah, and also the Lord’s people or their places of gathering in all parts of the world. By using such terms as these, Isaiah conveys profound spiritual meaning to those who understand the special significance of his language. 

The Mountain of the Lord

President Gordon B. Hinckley explained that 2 Nephi 12:2–5 refers to the Salt Lake Temple:

“Ever since the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated, we have interpreted that scripture from Isaiah … as applying to this sacred house of the Lord. And of this place, since the day of its dedication, an ever-increasing number from across the world have said in effect, ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He might teach us of His ways, that we might walk in His paths’” (“An Ensign to the Nations, a Light to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 2003, 82).

President Gordon B. Hinckley speaks of the significance of temples:

“These unique and wonderful buildings, and the ordinances administered therein, represent the ultimate in our worship. These ordinances become the most profound expressions of our theology. I urge our people everywhere, with all of the persuasiveness of which I am capable, to live worthy to hold a temple recommend, to secure one and regard it as a precious asset, and to make a greater effort to go to the house of the Lord and partake of the spirit and the blessings to be had therein” (“Of Missions, Temples, and Stewardship,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53).

Another example of dualism occurred when Isaiah foresaw the consequences for the extravagant dress and actions of worldly women in his own day and in the future. 2 Nephi 13:16–26 describes what he saw. Although Isaiah specifically addressed “the daughters of Zion,” his words also apply to men. The way that we dress and portray ourselves has a profound impact upon the society in which we live.  Women in particular have a powerful affect on others in their association. 

President Joseph Fielding Smith explained that Isaiah’s warning to the “daughters of Zion” applies to men as well as women: “The standards expressed by the General Authorities of the Church are that women, as well as men, should dress modestly. They are taught proper deportment and modesty at all times. It is, in my judgment, a sad reflection on the ‘daughters of Zion’ when they dress immodestly. Moreover, this remark pertains to the men as well as to the women. The Lord gave commandments to ancient Israel that both men and women should cover their bodies and observe the law of chastity at all times” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 5:174).

For credit as a makeup lesson, answer the following questions and turn them in to Sister Colvin by 10/31.  They will also count as 10 points/question for the team competition.

A. Isaiah then tells us about a group of people who kept their covenants in 2 Nephi 14:2–6. Look for Isaiah’s description of this group of people.

1. What words or phrases indicate that this group was different from the other groups we examined? 
2. Identify the three specific places Isaiah mentioned that would provide spiritual protection to the righteous and what those places might be for us today. 

B. The “cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night” refers to the protection and guidance that Moses and his people received from the Lord in the wilderness (see Exodus 13:21–22). These words remind us of the protection and guidance we can receive from the Lord. Also point out that Isaiah likened the temple to a protective shelter from the heat and a “covert,” or shelter, from storms and rain.

1. When have you felt the Lord’s protection or guidance in your home or at church?
2. When have you found spiritual relief or protection in the temple?
3. What kind of people will dwell in the homes and worship in the churches and temples described in verses 5–6? See also Moses 7:18
4. What can we do to make our homes and branches or wards places of defense against the world?

In chapters 12–15 of 2 Nephi we learn that keeping our covenants brings blessings of spiritual protection, while breaking covenants leaves us without the Lord’s protection. You can create in your own lives an environment like that described in 2 Nephi 14:5–6.

C. Read 2 Nephi 15:26.  The phrase, the Lord will “lift up an ensign to the nations" refers to a standard, flag, or banner that is used as a rallying point or as a signal to assemble, especially in battle.  President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “That ensign [is] the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was established for the last time, never again to be destroyed or given to other people. It was the greatest event the world has seen since the day that the Redeemer was lifted upon the cross and worked out the infinite and eternal atonement. It meant more to mankind than anything else that has occurred since that day” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols. [1954–56], 3:254–55).

1. In what ways is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “an ensign to the nations”?
2. Think about all the blessings you have received and the truths you have learned as a member of the Church. What is one truth you could share with others that might help them gather to the “ensign to the nations”?

I testify that the Lord has blessed us with great help to live successfully in the last days. He will bless and sanctify those who choose to come unto Him. As we make and honor covenants with Him, He will help us to walk in His ways, and he will help us to be an ensign to the nations.  Please finish your lesson today by listening to the message given by Elder Jeffery Holland in General Conference 2011.

Nephi's Psalm

Words cannot express the feelings in our class today as we listened to this profound rendition of Nephi's Psalm.  Please share this with your families and friends.  I know that your parents would especially love to listen to and feel this message from Nephi.

10 points to those who share the thoughts and feelings of those who they shared this video with.

2 Nephi 2 - "Act for Themselves"

Ten points to each person who can tell me the name of the main character AND one of the signs hanging in his room.

What makes a Great Leader? (MAKE UP LESSON)

Lehi gives his parting counsel and blessings.

This blog post may be counted for team points and as a makeup lesson if you complete all three parts and turn in the written answers to the questions in each part.

Part 1:

In Lehi's last days on the earth, he gave a lot of great advice to his sons and their families.  One of the most important things that he told them, was that they needed to follow their new prophet, Nephi.  Read 2 Nephi 1:25-28 and look for reasons that Lehi gives to Laman and Lemuel for listening to their brother Nephi.  You can earn 5 points for each reason.

Part 2:

We had the opportunity last weekend to listen to latter-day prophets General Conference.  Many of you turned in reports/not on conference.  You may still turn in notes for makeup days, one day for each session of conference.  As I was looking at different things on the Mormon channel, I found this interesting video of our latter-day prophets. For many of you it will be the first time you have ever heard the voices of these prophets.  Check it out!

http://www.mormonchannel.org/prophets-and-apostles-speak-today?v=1101417705001 

For 10 points: Who was the first latter-day prophet to have his voice audio-recorded?  For an additional 10 points, which prophetic message impressed you the most?

Part 3:

Finally, for 10 points, watch the following Mormon Message and tell me what you learned about prophets.