Mosiah 9 - 17

Our thanks to Zena, as always faithful and diligent who came to steer our class in the right direction, notwithstanding laryngitis!

In 1992, Elder Wirthlin spoke about Abinadi and commented as follows: "The testimony he [Abinadi] bore as he called an apostate king, Noah, and his priests to repentance is one of the most significant doctrinal discourses in the Book of Mormon". Our first scriptural hint about Abinadi is found in a comment made in Mosiah 7:

"And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ. And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—And now, because he said this, they did put him to death;" (Mosiah 7:26-28).

art: Jeremy Winborg 

In defining the role and responsibilities of prophets, True to the Faith explains: “Like the prophets of old, prophets today testify of Jesus Christ and teach His gospel. They make known God’s will and true character. They speak boldly and clearly, denouncing sin and warning of its consequences. At times, they may be inspired to prophesy of future events for our benefit” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 129). Seen in this way, we can understand Abinadi 's prophetic calling and ministry, even though we have no other details of his life.

As discussed in our lesson, the record of King Zenniff's people provides interesting food for thought.  For example, how do we live righteously when our neighbours are hostile to us, and have opposing values and beliefs? 
Commenting on this kind of situation, Elder Richard G. Scott said: " “I testify that you will remove barriers to happiness and find greater peace as you make your first allegiance your membership in the Church of Jesus Christ, and His teachings the foundation of your life.
Where family or national traditions or customs conflict with the teachings of God, set them aside. Where traditions and customs are in harmony with His teachings, they should be cherished and followed to preserve your culture and heritage. There is one heritage that you
need never change. It is that heritage that comes from your being a daughter or son of Father in Heaven. For happiness, control your life by that heritage” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1998, 112, 114; or Ensign, May 1998, 86–87).

The record of King Noah's people prompts different questions, such as: how can we prevent our own individual spiritual backsliding when our society and culture reject belief in God and Christ and actively promote opposing practises? 

art : Minerva Teichert

"Read Mosiah 11:1–2, 5–7, 14–19, and mark words and phrases that describe Noah’s actions and what he sought for after becoming king. Then read Mosiah 11:2, 6–7, 15, 19, and mark in a different colour (if you can) the influence Noah’s actions had on the people of the kingdom.

These verses illustrate how the people we associate with may influence our actions. Consider how your peers influence the choices you make. Ponder for a moment what people in today’s world sometimes do that could be likened unto labouring “exceedingly to support iniquity” (Mosiah 11:6)."

We will contemplate the records of Limhi and Alma in the next lesson as this topic spans two lessons.

Resources


Robert J Matthews : Abinadi, Prophet and Martyr
http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/book-mormon-mosiah-salvation-only-through-christ/7-abinadi-prophet-and-martyr

Robert J Matthews : Abinadi, Prophet and Martyr (shortened version published in the Ensign)
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/04/abinadi-prophet-and-martyr?lang=eng

Renata W Sukys : Abinadi's Teaching Style

 https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/04/abinadis-teaching-style?lang=eng

art : from the BYU Musical, Abinadi

Mosiah 4 - 8

Building our lesson from last weeks conclusion, remembering our identity as eternal beings of "light, truth, intelligence and glory", and led by Dianne, we discussed what lay at the heart of King Benjamin's discourse.

Starting at the end of King Benjamin's life, we see that "there was no contention among all [the] people for the space of three years" (Mosiah 6:7).  This is a stark contrast to the earlier period of King Benjamin's reign, where Amaleki describes "a serious war and much bloodshed between the Nephites and Lamanites" (Omni 1:24), and Mormon's comments in his bridging record, where, after discussing the wars Amaleki refers to, adds "after there had been false Christs (Words of Mormon 1:15) ... false prophets and false preachers and teachers among the people (Words of Mormon 1:16) ... and much contention and many dissensions away to the Lamanites (Words of Mormon 1:16)", King Benjamin, "with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people" (Words of Mormon 1:16), established peace in the land (Words of Mormon 1:18).

So what was the change which King Benjamin and the prophets worked towards accomplishing? Reading King Benjamin's address give us clues as to what he taught his people.  At the core of peaceful living (Mosiah 4:13) lies belief in God (Mosiah 4:9), a knowledge of his goodness, tasting of his love, receiving and retaining a remission of sins, and rememberance of the greatness of God (Mosiah 4:11).

King Benjamin comes back to the Love of God as being the key to "a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil". 

How do we as individuals feel and respond to the Love of God?  There are many ways to reflect on this significant concept ...

Some of the reflective questions that we can ask include: Is my main focus on what is good in my life, or on what is bad, and how does this affect my love of God?  What kindness has God bestowed on me that I frequently overlook?  In what ways does my love of God affect my love towards his children?  If I were to master the trait of feeling a deep love for god, in what ways would me life be different than it presently is?  

Another way to understand the love of God could be through an exercise such as completing a survey - try : http://www.assess-yourself.org/survey/lfg/ 
In this survey four dimensions of Love of God are measured - humility towards God, pursuit or development of our relationship with God, love for others and "fearless faith".

Yet another way to ponder is to study the words of our prophets, apostles and members of the quorum of the seventy.  Here are a few recent general conference talks on the Love of God

Dieter F Uchtdorf : The Love of God
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/the-love-of-god?lang=eng

John H Groberg :  The Power of Gods Love
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/10/the-power-of-gods-love?lang=eng

Keith B. McMullin : God Love and Helps All of His Children
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/god-loves-and-helps-all-of-his-children?lang=eng

Use your study journal to reflect on what you have discovered about the Love of God, its impact on you and any goals you have set to deepen your Love of God.

Mosiah 1 - 3

After a quick discussion on the migrations and merging of Nephites with the people of Zarahemla during the reign of Mosiah1, we moved onto our main focus point for the evening - Mosiah 3:19

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child,submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

The term "natural man" has been defined as in the Guide to the Scriptures as

A person who chooses to be influenced by the passions, desires, appetites, and senses of the flesh rather than by the promptings of the Holy Spirit."

Robert Millet, describing the natural man as falling along a spectrum states the following:

At the one end of the spectrum, the natural man may be a person bent on lasciviousness; he may be one who loves Satan more than God and thereby is carnal, sensual, and devilish. (See Moses 5:13.) Of such Alma said: “All men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.” (Alma 41:11; see also Mosiah 16:2–5.)

At the other end of the spectrum, the natural man may well be a “nice man,” a moral and upright person bent upon benevolence. Such a person, acclimated to the present fallen world, still does not enjoy the enlivening powers of the Holy Ghost and does not enjoy the sanctifying power of Christ’s covenants and ordinances. Even though the light of Christ is making an impact on him, he has not followed it into the Lord’s full gospel truths. 

If you were to have a discussion with your personal "natural man" or "natural woman", what would be said? When does your "natural man/woman" upset your plans?  When is your "natural man/woman" stronger than you?  What do you do that is effective at defeating your "natural man/woman".  Ponder and answer these questions in your journal. 

In contrast to the identity of the natural man lies our eternal identity.  In speaking of our eternal identity, Sister Catherine Thomas said the following:

"Like our Savior, though to a lesser degree, we condescended to come to a fallen world, having agreed to submit to a considerable reduction in our premortal powers. As we came to earth, separated from the presence of heavenly parents, we died spiritually (see Helaman 14:16) and, in a sense, we were “orphaned.” And now, with memory veiled, and much reduced from our premortal estate—somewhat as aliens in a world that is inimical to our spiritual natures—we may carry an insecurity, a self-pain that pervades much of our emotional life. Like Adam and Eve, we feel our self-consciousness or spiritual nakedness... 

...  Our Savior, who felt all this pain himself (Alma 7:11–13), would not send us to earth without compensation for the distresses he knew we would feel, separated from him. He would not leave us comfortless. You recall the passages in John in which the Savior has told the Twelve that he will be with them only a little while (John 13:33). Peter responds with, “Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake” (John 13:37). Jesus senses their pain, almost their desperation, at his leaving them. He promises, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18). The English word comfortless translates the Greek word for “orphans”: “I will not leave you orphaned.” The Savior continued,

If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. . . .
. . . my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. [John 14:23, 27]

Here we grasp the stunning insight that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is that consolation, that compensation, designed from the foundation of the world to comfort the human pain of fallenness, to compensate men and women for their earthly reductions and sacrifices. Only the Atonement, or more expressly, the At-one-ment, can heal the pain of the Fall."

Quoting Mosiah 3:19, Sis Thomas asks "could this putting off of the natural man through the Lord Jesus Christ actually be a recovery of our true, premortal self?"  As we go through the week, ponder on your identity of light, and reflect in your journal what impact these thoughts have on your desires to put off the "natural man".

Resources:
Guide to the Scriptures (Bible Dictionary)
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/natural-man 

Robert L Millet : Putting off the Natural Man : An Enemy to God
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/06/putting-off-the-natural-man-an-enemy-to-god?lang=eng

David W Hellem : Putting off the Natural Man : How to be Spiritually Born of God
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/06/putting-off-the-natural-man-how-to-be-spiritually-born-of-god?lang=eng

Sally H Barlow : The Crucibles of Eternal Identity
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=917

Robert C Oakes : Your Divine Heritage
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2008/04/your-divine-heritage?lang=eng
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=1534

Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon

We first looked at the historical overview of these sections - what has happened in this timespan?  Most important is the discovery of the people of Zarahemla who were descendants of King Zedekiah through Mulek, and the merging of a section of the Nephites with these people under the leadership of king Mosiah I.

Then we looked in more detail at the book of Enos, and discussed the doctrine of prayer.  

“No divine commandment has been more frequently repeated than the commandment to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Marion G. Romney, in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 20; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 16).

The discussion centered around five principles:
A.  Prayer has been a part of the gospel plan from the beginning.
B.  God has revealed why we should pray to Him.
C.  The scriptures tell us what we should pray for.
D.  The Lord has told us how to make our prayers more meaningful and effective.
E.  Fasting should sometimes accompany prayer.

We listened to a wonderful recording to round our evenings' discussion: Sally deFord's setting to the hymn text of "Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire" by James Montgomery (1771-1854). 

Our challenge for the week is to look at our individual prayers, using the prayer scale from Preach My Gospel to determine what aspect of prayer needs attention and recording plans for how to improve this aspect of prayer in our study journals.

Resources
John A. Tvedtnes : Composition and History of the Book of Mormon
https://www.lds.org/new-era/1974/09/composition-and-history-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=enghttps://www.lds.org/new-era/1974/09/composition-and-history-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng
Doctrines of the Gospel (Religion 430 and 431) :  Lesson 12 - Prayer and Fasting
https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrines-of-the-gospel-student-manual/chapter-12-prayer-and-fasting?lang=eng

Jacob 5 - 7

Zena presented a wonderful lesson on Jacob 5 on 7th August - although I will post it first to retain the order of the lessons!

I thought I'd present some explanatory visual images of Zenos' allegory first:

This provides a good visual overview of the storyline of the allegory. From the Institute manual, the interpretations of the symbols appears:

The vineyard = The world
Master of the vineyard; Lord of the vineyard = God
Servants = The Lord’s prophets
Tame olive tree = The house of Israel, the Lord’s covenant people
Wild olive tree = Gentiles, or non-Israelites (later in the allegory the wild branches are apostate Israel)
Branches = Groups of people
The roots of the tame olive tree = The covenants the Lord makes with His children, a constant source of strength and life to the faithful
The fruit = The lives or works of men
Digging, pruning, fertilizing = The work the Lord does for His children to help them be obedient and fruitful
Transplanting the branches = Scattering groups of people throughout the world, or restoring them to where they came from
Grafting = The joining of one group of people to another; referring to scattered Israel, it also means to “come to the knowledge of the true Messiah” (see 1 Nephi 10:14)
Decaying branches = People dying spiritually from sin and apostasy
Casting branches into the fire = God’s judgments

Using the above diagram and interpretation of the symbols and your scripture journal, review Jacobs 5 and make some notes about what the allegory means to you.  What does it teach you about the house of Israel?  About Gods love for his people?  About the power of covenants?  What does reading this allegory inspire you to do?