14 Be Reconciled unto God through the Atonement of Christ
Be Reconciled unto God through the Atonement of Christ
Be Reconciled unto God through the Atonement of Christ
Book of Mormon Videos https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/videos-and-images/book-of-mormon-videos?lang=eng
Jacob 1:10 How was Nephi a great protector to his people?
What responsibilities do those who lead and govern have? Why is it of value to have moral leaders who love the Lord?
Nephi protected his people from both physical and scriptural dangers. He taught the people the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he ordained others unto this ministry.
Jacob 1:18 Jacob and Joseph were consecrated by Nephi to be priests and teachers.
Jacob 2:5–9 Jacob had the difficult task of talking to his people about the sins they were started to commit. He also tried to bring comfort, peace, and security to those who were humble and obedient.
Jacob 4 Jacob encouraged the people to come unto Jesus and be healed, both the sinful and the repentant.
Jacob 4:11 Just as Nephi had done, Jacob testified of Jesus Christ and invited His people to be reconciled unto Jesus.
I have an “errand from the
Lord.”
Have you ever had an errand from the Lord? How were you able to accomplish it? Do you have a current errand? Are you following the Spirit, so you can do what the Lord would have you do?
Jacob
1:17, 19 Do you view your teaching and ministering assignments as
errands from the Lord? They are. Do you approach these in humility seeking
direction from the Spirit? Pay attention to verse 19. Are you willing to take
upon you the sins of others, because you were unwilling to invite them to come
unto Christ, or because you taught your own doctrine?
How can we be more diligent in fulfilling our errands from the Lord?
8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world.
17 Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord.
How concerned are you about the salvation of others? Are you
testifying of Jesus to your family and friends? Do you have enough faith to be
trusted with errands from the Lord?
Do you yourself belief in Christ? Do you view His death, suffer His cross, and
bear the shame of the world? Are you willing to be His disciple?
What part does the temple play in your own conversion and power to be a messenger for the Lord? Do you invite others to come with you to church or to your home to teach them? Do you allow them to experience the Spirit on the temple grounds?
How can we know what errand the Lord would have us do?
How can you magnify you errands, assignments, callings and responsibilities from and for the Lord?
Whom the Lord Calls, the Lord Qualifies
Video: Rise to your Call: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2013-01-0001-rise-to-your-call?lang=eng
For kids:
God
heals the wounded soul.
Jacob 2:8
Our bodies are remarkable gifts from Heavenly Father. Within our bodies, we have the ability to heal ourselves. Heavenly Father created our bodies, and so He has given us a healing miracle to keep our bodies working well. Have you ever skinned your knee, gotten a cut or a bruise, or even broke a bone. What happened next?
Maybe you needed a bandaid, or a cast, or some medicine.
Jacob knew his people were committing sins, that they were spiritually sick. He wanted to help them, and he wanted to help those who were sad because others were making poor choices.
8 And
it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of
God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.
How does Heavenly Father heal us when our spirits or sick, hurt, or broken?
He gives us hope in Jesus Christ and the gift of being able to repent. As we repent, we can feel the peace and warmth from the Holy Ghost return to our hearts, and we can feel happy again. God can heal us, both when we are hurt physically or when we are hurt spiritually.
For kids:
I
can help others in need when I share with them.
Jacob
2:17–19
It’s unfortunate that there
are greedy and selfish people. Some people who were getting rich didn’t want to
share with those who were poor. The Lord isn’t happen when we don’t love each
other.
Jacob talk his people that
they should be kind to each other and help each other, and that they shouldn’t
see riches to be selfish with them.
17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be
familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be
rich like unto you.
18 But before ye
seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
19 And
after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek
them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the
naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer
relief to the sick and the afflicted.
What does it mean to think
of others as yourself? What do you have that you can share with others? If you
have a huge piece of cake, could you cut it in half so your friend could have
some too?
If we are following what
Heavenly Father wants us to do, what will we do if we have a lot of money? Do
you feel happy when you share?
What are some blessings
Heavenly Father has given you? How can you share them?
Because I Have Been Given Much/
Lord, I Would Follow Thee
https://dailyprayer.us/Christian_song_lyrics/Christian_song_lyrics.php?s=because_I_have_been_given_much
Because I have been
given much,
I too must give;
Because of thy great bounty Lord,
Each day I live;
I shall divide my gifts from thee
With every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me.
Because I have been
sheltered, fed
By thy good care;
I cannot see another’s lack and I not share;
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,
my roof's safe shelter overhead
That he too may be comforted.
Savior, may I learn to
love Thee,
Walk the path that thou hast shown,
Pause to help and lift another,
Finding strength beyond my own.
Savior, may I learn to love Thee!
Lord, I would follow thee.
Because I have been
blessed by
thy great love dear Lord;
I’ll share thy love again
According to thy word;
I shall give love to those in need,
I’ll show that love by word and deed;
Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed.
Music by Phillip
Landgrave (1975)
Lyrics by Grace Noll Crowell (1936)
Lord, I Would Follow Thee: Music by K. Newell Dayley
Words by Susan Evans McCloud
“Let not this pride of your hearts destroy
your souls!”
Jacob 2:12–21
Why do so many people have such a problem with pride? Pride has been the cause
of many bad decisions and many long feuds. Pride has destroyed civilizations.
The Nephite people were becoming prideful. They were
focusing on their riches instead of on Jesus Christ.
How does Satan promote the love of riches today?
Do you focus on some of your possessions? Do you media transmitters cause you to not commune with God first and foremost?
Jacob 2:12–21 How does the Lord want me to view material wealth? As a means to bless the lives of others.
(See lyrics to Because I have been given much in section above.)
What can you do now in relationship to not being prideful and to sharing what you currently have?
God delights in chastity.
Why is chastity so important to the Lord?
Jacob
2:22–35 Today there are also many people, including church members, that
excuse themselves in committing whoredoms.
The Lord’s pattern is for a man and a woman to be married to and
faithful to each other. Although, the Lord commanded polygamy at certain
periods of time, we are not permitted to enter into any extra-marital
relationship that the Lord hasn’t commanded. And He has strictly forbidden
same-sex sexual intimacy.
The Lord delights in the chastity of all his children. He is
particularly concerned for the tender hearts and well-being of His daughters.
Many hearts and homes have been broken because of infidelity.
3:10–12
Infidelity destroys families. Marriages are shattered; children’s hearts are
torn and they feel insecure and wonder what they did wrong. Bad examples are
set.
Those who are unchaste are in bondage to their own passions and
lusts. If they don’t repent, they will be following Satan.
There are always consequences to the choices we make.
What are some of the consequences of being unchaste?
What are some of the blessings of being morally clean?
We
Believe in Being Chaste Elder Bednar said that we live in
a world that increasingly mocks the sanctity of procreation.
Your
body is sacred offers a good place to start in understanding and explaining why
you have chosen to obey the law of chastity.
Video: I choose to be pure: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-07-0009-i-choose-to-be-pure?lang=eng
Do you see the light in the countenances of these youth?
Conviction to choosing the right is a powerful thing. We can honor our
covenants with the Lord be remaining sexually pure.
What are the blessings of living a chaste life?
I can be reconciled to God
through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Jacob 4:11 Jesus pleaded with His people to be God through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
reconcile = to restore to friendship or harmony.
Jesus has told us, If you love me, keep my commandments.
How do we sever bonds of friendship by being disobedience to the Lord’s
commandments.
How does Jesus help us to restore our relationship with Him and with His Father?
verses 4–11 Look for counsel that helps you to reconcile with God. (See chapter notes below.)
Matthew 5:23–24 How does our serving and forgiving others help us to feel the Spirit and be forgiven ourselves?
How can the Savior help you reconcile with God—and others?
24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.
For kids:
I
can strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ.
Jacob 4:6,
10–11
How strong is your faith? Are you like Jacob, whose faith couldn’t be shaken?
What do you do to make you body stronger? Eat good foods. Go
to bed early and get enough sleep. Drink plenty of water. Exercise. Don’t take
anything harmful.
How do we make our faith in Jesus Christ stronger? Just like we have to feel
our bodies food, we need to feed our spirits by having prayer, reading
scriptures, going to Church and partaking of the sacrament
Jacob
4:6 Nephi helped his people’s faith to grow by searching the writings of
the prophets, following directions received in revelations, believing in the
testimony of Jesus Christ. Their faith became so strong, that the elements
would obey them.
6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
Why is it easier to shake a tree’s branches than its trunk?
Jacob 4:6, 10–11 How can we ensure that our faith in Jesus Christ is unshaken?
Nephi helped his people’s faith to grow by searching the writings of the prophets, following directions received in revelations, believing in the testimony of Jesus Christ. Their faith became so strong, that the elements would obey them…
Don’t tell God what to do, but follow what He tells you through His Spirit to do.
Be reconciled to God (repent and be clean) through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Video: Spiritual Whirlwinds: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2017-01-0003-spiritual-whirlwinds?lang=eng
The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
1.The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
2.The rains came down, and the floods came
up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood still.
3.The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.
4.The rains came down, and the floods came
up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
The rains came down, and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand washed away.
Helaman 5:12 “ And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”
Matthew 7:24–27 24 ¶ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
I can avoid spiritual
blindness by focusing on the Savior.
It’s important that we guard our
spiritual sight and never become spiritually blind. We should never despise
words of plainness.
Jacob
4:13–14 Put your focus on Jesus Christ and true doctrine, and don’t look
beyond the mark.
Jacob 4:8–18 How can we avoid spiritual blindness? (Look at notes in chapter 4 below.)
When He taught, the Savior used comparisons to everyday life. Jesus’s parables helped people find spiritual truths in their common experiences. Try to do the same when you teach. For example, when teaching Jacob 4:8–18, you could ask learners if they’ve ever had an eye exam. How did the doctor assess their physical vision? How can we assess our spiritual vision?
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/1?lang=eng
Jacob and Joseph seek to persuade
men to believe in Christ and keep His commandments—Nephi dies—Wickedness
prevails among the Nephites. About 544–421 B.C.
Vs 5-6 Great
anxiety mixed with faith is a good thing. It is a motivating thing. We should
be anxiously engaged in a good cause.
Vs 7-8 How
diligent am I in sharing the gospel so that others find salvation? Am I
fulfilling the purposes of my callings?
Vs 17 Don't
try to take over other people's positions to teach, even if you think you can
do better. Wait until you are called and have the Spirit's endorsement.
Vs 19 Magnify
your callings and be responsible in doing the things that are required of you.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/2?lang=eng
Jacob denounces the love of riches, pride, and unchastity—Men may
seek riches to help their fellowmen—The Lord commands that no man among the
Nephites may have more than one wife—The Lord delights in the chastity of
women. About 544–421 B.C.
Vs 5 We should realize that we cannot lie to God or
to His ordained servants. They can tell what kind of lives we are living.
Vs 9-11 When we have a calling to teach and the
Spirit directs us what to teach, we are under an obligation to teach what the
Lord requires of us.
Vs 17-19, 21 The two
great commandment are the most important to keep. If we love God and seek to
serve and obey Him and if we love our neighbors as ourselves, we are on the
path to freeing ourselves from pride and unchastity, gluttonness and envy.
We need to be our brothers' keepers.
Vs
27-30 Seeking self-gratification in multiple relationships and dismissing the
Lord's law of chastisty is wrong for men and for women. The Lord wants married
couples to learn to love and care for each other as He does for His church, as
He does for us.
Vs
35 Sinning against your own spouse and children is greater iniquity than many
other sins.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/3?lang=eng
The pure in heart receive the pleasing word of God—Lamanite
righteousness exceeds that of the Nephites—Jacob warns against fornication,
lasciviousness, and every sin. About 544–421 B.C.
Vs 1-2 This is a powerful promise. If we are
faithful, the Lord will always have our backs.
Vs 4 Where were the righteous Nephites led?
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/4?lang=eng
All the prophets worshiped the Father in the name of
Christ—Abraham’s offering of Isaac was in similitude of God and His Only
Begotten—Men should reconcile themselves to God through the Atonement—The Jews
will reject the foundation stone. About 544–421 B.C.
Vs
3-6 Scriptures and the words and revelations of the prophets have always been
about Jesus Christ and pointing the people to seek after Him.
Vs
7-11 God has all strength, understanding and power. We do well when we seek
counsel from Him and submit ourselves to His will.
Vs
16 Jesus is our Sure Foundation. He is the Only Way back to our Father.
verses
4–11 Look for counsel that helps you to reconcile with God.
1.
Value the scriptures that have been preserved for you to read.
2.
Place your hope in Jesus Christ.
3.
Believe in Christ and worship the Father in His name.
4.
Keep those laws and ordinances that are currently in place to
point you towards the Savior.
5.
Search the prophets; they testify of Christ.
6.
Receive revelation with thanksgiving and be obedient.
7.
Have faith to perform miracles, when called upon to do so.
8.
Stay humble and recognize the grace of the Lord in your life.
9.
Cherish revelations from the Lord.
10.
Recognize God’s supremecy, omnipotence, omniscience, and
omnipresence. Recognize that He has all power, and has done everything He said
He did; and He will yet do everything that He has spoken.
11.
Seek God’s wisdom and counsel, and stop trying to tell Him what to
do. Learn to listen and hearken. He is wise and just.
12.
Be reconciled to the Father through the Atonement of Jesus Christ,
so that you can receive a glorious resurrection.
Jacob
4:8–18 How can we avoid spiritual blindness?
1.
Seek for and value revelations from God.
2.
Always acknowledge God as the Creator of all things.
3.
Seek God’s counsel.
4.
Believe in the Atonement of Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
5.
When you teach, teach so that others can understand. The gospel
should be taught in its plainness. Then the Spirit can testify of truth.
6.
Don’t search after things that you are not ready to understand.
7.
Don’t look beyond the mark, but focus on the Savior.
8.
Remember that Jesus is the Only Stone upon which you can build a
sure foundation.
9.
You can repent and be reconciled to God through the Atonement of
Jesus Christ.
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