35 The Rock of Our Redeemer

The Rock of Our Redeemer

The Rock of Our Redeemer

Book of Mormon Videos https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/videos-and-images/book-of-mormon-videos?lang=eng  

Helaman 1:1 The start of this book states that there began to be a serious difficulty among the people of Nephi.

Helaman 3:34 Certainly our society chronicles this earlier one, where many are lifted up in pride and persecute those who are more humble. We also see political intrigue, bands of robbers, rejection of the prophets, and pride and disbelief throughout the land. (This evil causes great inequality.)

Who are the more humble part of the people? Are you striving to be? Do you sometimes become self-righteous in your own goodness? Remember that the humble seek the Lord’s will, and they are willing to invite others to Come unto Him.

Helaman 5:12 How can we stay strong in this might storm that they devil is enraged in during this last days? We need to stay focused on our Savior and build our foundations upon Him, the Rock of our Salvatoin.

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.

Pride separates me from the Spirit and strength of God.
 Helaman 1–6

àHumility and RepentanceàRighteousness and ProsperityàPride and WickednessàDestruction and Sufferingà

Break free from the Pride Cycle! When the Lord blesses us as a direct result of our faith, repentance and humility; we need to thank him and remember that all our blesses come from him. We need to avoid being prideful and thinking we can do it all on our own, or that our gifts and blessings are purely a result of just our own efforts. When we forget to rely on the Lord, we become proud and separate ourselves from His Spirit. As a result, we can experience destruction and suffering. If those things cause us to remember God, repent, and be thankful for the Gift of His Son and His atonement on our behalf, that gives us a chance to bet back on the covenant path. We should be grateful and continue on that path.

Look for examples of the Pride Cycle in Helaman 1-6.

Helaman 3:33–34 Though there was still peace in the land, some members of the church allowed pride to enter their hearts and caused persecution to those who were humble.

4:11–13 Because of wickedness which followed pride, there was a great slaughter among the Nephites. Why? Because they no longer were relying on the Lord and seeking His aid, through prayer and righteous living. They were proud; they oppressed the poor; they slapped humble people upon their cheeks; they mocked sacred things; they denied the spirit of prophecy and revelation; they murdered, plundered, lied, stole, and committed adultery; they disserted and joined the Lamanites; they boasted of their own strength. (It looks like they slaughtered themselves.)

Helaman 4:23–26 Pride and wickedness can cause the church to fail in its progress. If we deny the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives and disbelieve the spirit of prophecy and revelation, the judgments of God will stare us in the face. In such a condition we will become weak, being left to fend for ourselves, without God’s support and protection. The Spirit of the Lord cannot dwell in unholy temples.
Because of their unbelief and wickedness, the Lord did cease to preserve and protect. Surely, we need the miraculous support of God in our lives!

Helaman 3:27–30, 35 Humility and repentance invite the Spirit back into our lives and gives us access to the grace of Jesus Christ and His atoning blood for us. If we hold out faithful, we will continually be blessed and wax firmer in our faith and conviction. As a result of our resolute faith in Jesus Christ, we will increase in joy and our hearts will become sanctified and purified through our yielding our hearts unto God.

4:14–16 We should be so thankful for our spiritual leaders who call us to repentance. As we repent, we will receive greater blessings.

Helaman 5:4–12 Remember to keep the commandments of God, and teach them to others; remember those who came before you and the things they did to give you the life you have; live up to their name and sacrifice; do good; live righteousness to lay up a reward in heaven, not to boast. Remember you’re the lasting desires of your parents for you; remember the words of the prophets; remember that Jesus is the Only One who is your Savior; through His atoning blood the world is redeemed; remember He came to save us from our sins, not in our sins; remember that the Father gave Jesus power to deem us on conditions of repentance.

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.

How can remembering keep you from becoming prideful?

Chapter 18: Beware of Pride

I Need Thee Every Hour

 

Faith in Christ fills my soul with joy.
Helaman 3:24–35

Helaman 3 describes a time when the Church was so blessed that even the leaders were surprised. We should live in such a way that we can realize these blessings.

verses 24–32 What do you think led to their joyful state? (see notes below)

Helaman 3:27–30? What did Mormon want us to see in these verses? (see notes below)

 

verses 33–35 What is different about the people in these verses? (see notes below)

Look for personal application. The prophet Mormon used the phrase “thus we see” to emphasize important truths as he abridged the Book of Mormon. For example, what did he want us to see in Helaman 3:27–30? As you study the scriptures, you might pause occasionally to complete the phrase “and thus we see” regarding what you have read.

For kids:

Heavenly Father wants me to be humble.
Helaman 3:24, 33–34; 4:11–15

Read Helaman 3:24, 33–34 and 4:11–15.

Allow children to draw a map of the pride cycle and example it according to their understanding.

How can we choose to be humble? What do we have to do to remain humble?

I can honor the Savior’s name.
 Helaman 5:6–7

Helaman 5:6–7 Why were you given the names that you have.
Heidi: I was given this name after my Aunt Hedi (Once just moved to America, her friends called her Heidi. Her name was Hedwig Sommerfeld Radtke.) Aunt Hedi was a wonderful woman of faith and optimism. I need to remember that about her.
Gay: I was given this as my middle name, and my sister Kathy was given the middle name Joy. This conveys the great happiness my parents felt in receiving their beautiful little daughters. It was a blessing given to me to have a happy, exuberant life.
Sommerfeld: This was the family name given to me which carries many this to remember about my own heritage. I need to value the give of faith bestowed on me through many who sacrificed on my behalf, especially my Oma and Opa and my very good and righteous Dad. Sommerfeld in English is Summer Field which also denotes happiness and optimism, and brightness of hope. It is also a pretty German name, which denotes it may have been purchased. It’s possible that I have a rich Jewish ancestor whom I will meet one day.
I also took upon me the name of Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism, and I have spent my life becoming His daughter.
Moroni 4:3 Remember the covenants you make with Heavenly Father and His Son every time you take the sacrament. Remember to honor Them by remembering them and keeping Their commandments.

It has always been my desire to please both my earthly parents and my Heavenly Parents.

My lineage and name through my mother is in less important than my father. I carry their family names too and their blood, faith, and sacrifice.

I have made this or a similar statement to myself when I am down or discouraged:

I am Heidi Gay Sommerfeld Stevenson, the wife of Robert D Stevenson; the daughter of Werner Sommerfeld and Millicent Daphne Pearl Jamison Sommerfeld; the granddaughter of Gustav Eduard Sommerfeld and Marie Friebel and John Jamison and Pearl Louise McGee; I am the mother of Cathy, John, Eliza, Thomas, Robby, and Christine. I am the daughter of Heavenly Parents who love me and a daughter of my Savior who atoned for me, etc.

For kids:

I will build my foundation on Jesus Christ.
 Helaman 5:12

Show a picture of a temple. Then ask, why do buildings need a strong foundation? (You may want to discuss the work they are doing on the Salt Lake Temple to make it strong against earthquakes.)

Helaman 5:12 Remember that Jesus is the Rock on which my can build a sure foundation. How is Jesus a Firm and True base on which we can build?

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.

(Don’t get caught up on semantics of whether Jesus is the Rock or the Foundation. He is both. If we build upon Him and His doctrine, then we (and the foundation we are building) become one. Without him we are movable. With Him we can stand in holy places and not be moved.

Why Jesus Christ is “a sure foundation” for our lives. How can we build our lives on Him?

Read Helaman 3:27–29, 35 and Articles of Faith 1:4

Sing “The Wise Man Built his House Upon a Rock”

If I make Jesus Christ my foundation, I cannot fall.
 Helaman 5:12–52

Helaman 5:12 How can I build my foundation upon the Rock of my Redeemer?

How have you found safety from life’s storms in and through Jesus Christ? How has faith in Jesus Christ blessed you and your family?

How have philosophies of men crumbled at different times. What has made them so fleeting and insecure?

How do the gospel of Jesus Christ, His Doctrine, His Atonement, and our covenants with Him offer the protection of a firm foundation?

What happens if we allow cracks in our own foundation? Remember the Rock of our Redeemer is always sure and steadfast, and if we are faithful, we become one with Him and our foundation is sure; but what can corrode the foundation we are building?

My daughter was living in my father’s basement for a while. The family room was being flooded with water coming in from the chimney. But we found that the source of the water was in the cement foundation. The house had been built of solid ground, but for some reason the cement had a crack in it. Something caused that foundation to become weakened; whether it was an earthquake or something else.

But my brother and a friend got some tar and patched the defect to make it solid and rainproof again.

Are our own foundations in need of repair? As we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and receive our ordinances, and continue to strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father, we will become one with Him and our foundation will be solid and resistant to any corrosion.

Salt Lake Temple reconstruction.

Video: A Secure Anchor: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2013-08-0003-a-secure-anchor?lang=eng

Like a rock climber making it to His summit through following sound principles of safety and companionship, we can make it back to our Heavenly Father's presence by following Jesus Christ and trusting in Him as our Anchor.

Verse 50 What great evidence have your received that help keep you anchored to Jesus and to His Church? Write down some of these evidences as you read Helaman 5:12–52. What other experiences have helped you build your foundation on Jesus Christ? (See notes below.)

Helaman 5:30 For instance, a whisper from the Holy Ghost can strengthen your faith in the Savior.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:66 “…my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.”

Helaman 5:40–47 Have you ever felt that you were in darkness and were given power to cry out for (or in) greater faith?

The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation

Facing Our Spiritual Hurricanes by Believing in Christ

Faith in Jesus Christ

For kids:

The Holy Ghost whispers with a still, small voice.
Helaman 5:21–52

Helaman 5:29–30, 45–47 What are some of the ways that the Holy Ghost can speak to us? Are there others?

Watch Chapter 37: Nephi and Lehi in Prison

How is a quiet, soft, pleasant voice like a whisper comforting to you?

The Still Small Voice

For kids:

Repentance replaces spiritual darkness with light.
Helaman 5:20–52

Helaman 5:20–41 Consider summarizing these verses with partial light.

verses 42–48 Read these verses in full light.

What do these verses teach you about repentance? (See notes below.)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/1?lang=eng

An account of the Nephites. Their wars and contentions, and their dissensions. And also the prophecies of many holy prophets, before the coming of Christ, according to the records of Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, and also according to the records of his sons, even down to the coming of Christ. And also many of the Lamanites are converted. An account of their conversion. An account of the righteousness of the Lamanites, and the wickedness and abominations of the Nephites, according to the record of Helaman and his sons, even down to the coming of Christ, which is called the book of Helaman, and so forth.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/2?lang=eng

Helaman, the son of Helaman, becomes chief judge—Gadianton leads the band of Kishkumen—Helaman’s servant slays Kishkumen, and the Gadianton band flees into the wilderness. About 50–49 B.C.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/3?lang=eng

Many Nephites migrate to the land northward—They build houses of cement and keep many records—Tens of thousands are converted and baptized—The word of God leads men to salvation—Nephi the son of Helaman fills the judgment seat. About 49–39 B.C.

verses 24–32 What do you think led to their joyful state?

Vs 26-30 He calls after all of us. We need to become peacemakers and invite others to hear His call, so that they can become part of covenant Israel, and enjoy all the blessings of the covenant and of salvation.

I memorized these verses in my youth for a talk that I gave.

Vs 24-32 So much joy! When people accept the gospel and our baptized and follow Jesus, it opens a joyful way of life to them, which is also shared by those who loved them enough to share the message.

Helaman 3:27–30? What did Mormon want us to see in these verses?

We have the choice, if we want to go to heaven, the gate is open to us. We can get threir by following the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

verses 33–35 What is different about the people in these verses?

Vs 34-34 In these verses we see how destructive pride can been. Pride gives a false sense of superiory, even to persecuting those with different views than us.

Vs 35 The answer always is to turn to God; He will heal you and give you peace.

35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/4?lang=eng

Nephite dissenters and the Lamanites join forces and take the land of Zarahemla—The Nephites’ defeats come because of their wickedness—The Church dwindles, and the people become weak like the Lamanites. About 38–30 B.C.

Vs 12-13 Pride is the forerunner to so many more sins, which can cut us off for the protection of the Lord.

Vs 14-15 There is the greatest need for the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and repentance in today's world. There is so much spiritual and physical destruction going on. Giving the invitation opportunity, many will repent.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/5?lang=eng

Nephi and Lehi devote themselves to preaching—Their names invite them to pattern their lives after their forebears—Christ redeems those who repent—Nephi and Lehi make many converts and are imprisoned, and fire encircles them—A cloud of darkness overshadows three hundred people—The earth shakes, and a voice commands men to repent—Nephi and Lehi converse with angels, and the multitude is encircled by fire. About 30 B.C.

Vs 2-3 This is where this Country is now headed as well. Actually, this is mirrored here.

What great evidence have your received that help keep you anchored to Jesus and to His Church? Write down some of these evidences as you read Helaman 5:12–52. What other experiences have helped you build your foundation on Jesus Christ?

Vs 4-6 Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman, devote the rest of their lives to preaching the gospel, like their fathers of old.

Vs 9-12 Remember Jesus is your Savior. Stay well-versed in the scriptures. Hearken to the Voice of the Spirit. Listen to the prophet. Repent and call upon the Father in the name of the Son, so that you can also gain eternal life.
The Father gave His Son power to forgive our sins on condition of our repentance.

Vs 14 How important it is to choose to remember! Of course, there is accountability in that. When we expressly choose to forsake our covenants and the commandments, we abandon memory.

It is the Holy Ghost that helps us to bring all things to remembrance and leads us to remember and follow Jesus, wherein lies our safety.

Vs 17-19 The Spirit gives us utterance. The Lord's power will go with us and be with us when we are engaged in His work of salvation.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is the most powerful missionary handbook and tool. It clearly shows the understanding of living the first two great commandments and the blessings that follow when they are kept. When souls are converted to Jesus Christ, these people want to share what they have received with others.

 

Helaman 5:20–41 Consider summarizing these verses with partial light.

Vs 23-31 The Lord loves us all. Even those who sought to kill Nephi and Lehi were given a chance to repent. They were stopped from hurting them. And they were immobilized with fear. I would think that they must have been humbled somewhat when they heard a voice from heaven, and maybe they were placed into an attitude where they might listen.

Vs 32-34 God spoke to them in a very mild voice and invited them to repent, and he repeated that invitation. With the power they felt from the Message and the trembling of the earth and the cloud of darkness that overshadowed them, they were amazed and astonished, and they could not leave.

Vs 35-38 Aminadab was the first to see and know and feel what was happening. He saw Lehi and Nephi through the cloud of darkness shining. They were speaking to the Lord or to angels. Aminadab invited others to look and see, and they were given power to look. They asked Aminidab what all these things meant.

Vs 39-42 Aminidab told them that Nephi and Lehi were conversing with angels of God. He also said that they must cry unto the voice until they had faith in Christ, so that the cloud of darkness would be taken away.

verses 42–48 Read these verses in full light.

What do these verses teach you about repentance?

Vs 42 We must pray until we gain the faith we need in Jesus Christ to pursue repentance and be delivered.

Vs 43-47 The people now in sincerity wanted to know what they could do to have the cloud of darkness removed from them. Aminadab told them that they needed to speak to the Voice, to pray to the Father until they gained a hope in Jesus Christ.

They did so with one accord, and everyone was circled about as if by a pillar of fire, and every soul did receive a manifestation of the Holy Ghost coming upon them and witnessing to the truth of the things they were experiencing. They were filled with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.

Vs 48-51 Heavenly Father spoke to the people and pronounced upon them peace because of their faith in His Well-Beloved. . Then angels came down and ministered to them. There were about three hundred people who had this marvelous experience. I believe that their lives were forever changed.

These Lamanites were obviously converted, because they went and shared their testimony. Because of the witness of so many, most of the Lamanites also repented and were converted, giving up their weapons of war, and giving back the Nephites their lands.

What great evidence have your received that help keep you anchored to Jesus and to His Church?

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/hel/6?lang=eng

The righteous Lamanites preach to the wicked Nephites—Both peoples prosper during an era of peace and plenty—Lucifer, the author of sin, stirs up the hearts of the wicked and the Gadianton robbers in murder and wickedness—The robbers take over the Nephite government. About 29–23 B.C.

Vs 1 At this point the Lamanites are, overall, more righteous than the Nephites.

Vs 2-5 More righteous among Lamanites than Nephites at this point. Huge turn of events. The Lamanites began to teach and to testify to the Nephites.

Vs 7-8 They could travel to each other's lands without repercussions and with freedom.

Vs 20 The Lamanites wanted to stay a free and righteous people. They shunned those practices that they knew would destroy them.

Vs 36 It blesses our lives immensely when we have a desire to believe and are willing to believe.

Vs 37-39 Is it possible that we could turn those who faction off into special interest groups to turn to the true and living God? The Lamanites did it with the Gadiantan roobers. We can surely refrain from supporting those who act in direct opposition to the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are like the Lamanites, we'll teach them and invite them to make covenants with God.