3 Nephi 27-30

This week focused attention on 3 Nephi 27, and what it means to be a member Christs' Church - or as stated in D&C 115:4: “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

This lesson was different in that, rather than focus on discipleship or Christianity, we looked particularly at the everyday impact of being members of the Church.

As we contemplated this issue, we looked to the member profiles on mormon.org to guide out thinking.  These profiles answer three main questions:
Firstly, About Me - which gives a brief summary about the individual;
Then, Why I am a Mormon - which answers that question!; and
How I Live my Faith - which describes how faith intersects with every day life.
The final section contains answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Church.

The challenge for this week is to contemplate these answers, and to set up your own profile at mormon.org ...

Resources
Ann M Dibb : I Know It, I live It. I Love It

3 Nephi 23-26

Our lesson this week considered how we might increase the depth and diligence of our personal scripture study ... 

"When Jesus Christ visited the people in the Americas, He taught the value and importance of the scriptures. He commanded the Nephites to diligently search the scriptures (see 3 Nephi 23:1–5). This command to search implies more than casual reading."

We first considered our motivation to study the scriptures.  We started by reviewing some quotations about scripture study.  President Thomas S. Monson has said:

"As we remember prayer and take time to turn to the scriptures, our lives will be infinitely more blessed and our burdens will be made lighter."

As we reviewed quotes, class members returned again and again to this quote by Elder Mervin B. Arnold:

The second facet which we focused on was about the "how" of studying the scriptures.  We concluded that we are accustomed to our annual blocks of study, be it a Sunday School course, a Relief Society or Priesthood curriculum, or an Institute course of study.  We spent some time discussing smaller blocks of study and how to make them more meaningful.

We started with "nourishing snacks" - ways of using a 10 or 15 minute scripture-study block to do something more than a reading exercise.  Some ways we noted were:

• Substitute your name - find a scripture that gives you encouragement or hope or speaks to a need you have now.  Write the scripture out, substituting your name into the scripture.
• Memorisation - find a scripture mastery verse, or a meaningful scripture, and memorise it.
• Music - spend the time listening to and pondering the words of a meaningful hymn.
• Be Still and Know (that I am God) - Light a candle and sit next to it for 5 minutes, reflecting on being still and listening to the voice of God.
• Choose a topic - select a topic from the Bible Dictionary and read and ponder some scriptures from the topic. How about one scripture from each volume of scripture?
• Meditating - spending some time pondering a specific verse of scripture
• Create an inspirational nuggets journal - keep mini-journalling cards and write out short scriptures on a theme - such as "gratitude".
• Map it out! - find a map and see where a scriptural event took place.  For example, the story of Johan in the Old testament (Jonah 1 - 3) gains depth when we know that the city of Nineveh was located close to modern-day Iraq and that Tarshish might have been located in modern-day Spain!

We expanded our discussion to "short intensives" - intensive scripture study blocks that can take from a fortnight to a quarter (three months). Some ideas to consider here included:

• Read a Book (of scripture) - plan to spend several weeks studying one book of scripture intensely.  Read and re-read the book.  Then divide it into sections that make sense together (these may or may not correspond with chapters!). Study these sections by observation (what is their message?) understanding (looking up meanings of words, find similar passages in the scriptures, etc), interpretation (what does this mean?) and application (what does this mean to me?)
• Study a Word - Spend time studying a word, like faith, in the scriptures, in modern revelation, in the writings of prophets and apostles.
• Biographical Study - study one person throughout the scriptures (i.e. everywhere they're mentioned).  Ponder why this person is important, what God says about this person and this this persons' choices can inform your life.
• Use a Guided Journal - there are some guided journals which don't interpret scriptures but which simply highlight scriptures for reflection - try one!

Finally, we addressed ourselves and the scriptures.  Using some of the many photographs which show individuals studying the scriptures, class members posed for their own unique "scriptures and me" photographs. 

As you ponder this lesson, start by finding a quote that motivates you to study scriptures, or which gives meaning to

the practise of scripture study.  Then, write down ways you can enjoy nourishing snacks on days when your scripture study routine is upside-down.  And finally, put yourself into the picture of scripture study by either taking a self-portrait of you and your scriptures, or having someone photography you with your scriptures!

Resources:

D Todd Christofferson : The Blessing Of Scripture
Richard G. Scott : The Power of Scripture
Elder Michael John U. Teh : The Power of the Word of God

3 Nephi 20-22

The overarching theme to the Saviours' teachings in the Americas on his first days' visit can be defined as "the first principles and ordinances of the gospel", moving through faith, repentance, baptism (and the sacrament) and the gift of the Holy Ghost.  After the sermon at the temple, and his subsequent visits, we find this section which is quite visionary in nature, with the Saviour speaking to his audience about things that are to come in future. 

This reading contains much about the future of the House of Israel.  I thought that a useful reference to enlighten our views on this doctrine could be a talk given by Elder Bednar at BYU Idaho, which speaks about "Gathering" as a topic.

We started off contemplating "scattering" and "gathering" as principles that the Lord uses in directing His people. Throughout history there has been scattering when people have not accepted the Lord, or been disobedient.  Gathering has followed acceptance and obedience. Seen in this light, there have been historical periods of scattering and gathering - sometimes simultaneously if we consider events such as the Tower of Babel where a gathering of the faithful (the Jaredites) occurred in the midst of scattering of the wicked.

So, to what end (purpose) are people gathered? Elder Bednar outlines four purposes:
To worship (Mosiah 18:25)
To build the church (D&C 101:63-64)
For a defence (D&C 115: 6); and 
To receive counsel and instruction (Mosiah 18:7) ...
It is instructive to consider these purposes in light of specific meetings we attend ... and to note that sometimes more than one purpose could be accomplished in a meeting.  Take some time to ponder church meetings you have recently attended.  What purpose, related to the spirit of Gathering, was achieved in each of them?

Image by jarvie digital

Elder Bednar outlines some insightful gathering places:-
Into the Lords' Restored Church (D&C 101:64-65);
Into the Temple (see TPJS, pp. 307-308, 314);
Into Stakes of Zion (D&C 109:59);
Into Families (Mosiah 2:5).
Once again, insightful places to ponder ... how are we gathered into these places?  Are we gathered to them in different ways at different times?  How open are we to being gathered into these places?  Do we see some of these spaces as having precedence over others?  Do we see some of these spaces as mutually exclusive places of gathering?  

Finally, Elder Bednar speaks about three blessings of gathering ...
Edification (Ephesians 4:12-13);
Preservation (Moses 7:61); and
Strength (D&C 82:14).
Ponder how these blessings are present in your life ... and then journal about how you see the principles and spirit of Gathering present in your life ...

Resources
Russell M. Nelson : The Gathering of Scattered Israel

Elder David A. Bednar : The Spirit and Purposes of Gathering 
Victor Ludlow : The Scattering and Gathering of Israel : Gods Covenant with Abraham Remembered through the Ages
Religious Educator Vol 11/2010: Gathering of Israel 

Encyclopedia of Mormonism : Israel

3 Nephi 18-19

This week we focused our attention on the Sacrament ...


We started off with a reflection on a talk given in Greenmount Ward by Bro Carl Bosch, in which he spoke about the Sacrament as being a "navigator"for his life.  He spoke about pondering "what" and "how" he had lived his life during the previous week.  He said that he spent time understanding the Atonement and his relationship to the Saviour; and that he ended by saying that the Sacrament was  a time to "think about, feel about and do something about" our relationship with the Saviour.

As Bishop Dean Davies has said: “The sacrament ordinance affords every Church member the opportunity to ponder his or her life in advance, to consider the actions or nonactions that may need to be repented of, and then to partake of the bread and water as sacred emblems in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, a witness of His Atonement. If we partake with sincerity and in humility, we renew eternal covenants, are cleansed and sanctified, and receive the promise that we will have His Spirit to be with us always.”

Speaking about the significance of the Sacrament to us as individuals, Elder Holland has

said: "Perhaps we do not always attach that kind of meaning to our weekly sacramental service. How “sacred” and how “holy” is it? Do we see it as our passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?"

Elder Holland continues to speak about the ordinance, saying "It should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions. As such it should not be rushed. It is not something to “get over” so that the real purpose of a sacrament meeting can be pursued. This is the real purpose of the meeting. And everything that is said or sung or prayed in those services should be consistent with the grandeur of this sacred ordinance."

As a class we spent some time in reflection, considering what the ordinance of the Sacrament meant to us individually, how we could use it as a "navigator", and what we could do to be ready to receive spiritual feelings and impressions.  Spend some time reading and reflecting on some of the resources below, and see what they can add to your thoughts about how to make Sacrament time more meaningful and significant. 

in closing, some thoughts from Elder Hamula remind us of some things we can contemplate during this ordinance ...

With torn and broken bread, we signify that we remember the physical body of Jesus Christ—a body that was buffeted with pains, afflictions, and temptations of every kind, a body that bore a burden of anguish sufficient to bleed at every pore, a body whose flesh was torn and whose heart was broken in crucifixion. We signify our belief that while that same body was laid to rest in death, it was raised again to life from the grave, never again to know disease, decay, or death. And in taking the bread to ourselves, we acknowledge that, like Christ’s mortal body, our bodies will be released from the bonds of death, rise triumphantly from the grave, and be restored to our eternal spirits.

With a small cup of water, we signify that we remember the blood Jesus spilled and the spiritual suffering He endured for all mankind. We remember the agony that caused great drops of blood to fall in Gethsemane. We remember the bruising and scourging He endured at the hands of His captors. We remember the blood He spilled from His hands, feet, and side while at Calvary. And we remember His personal reflection on His suffering: “How sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.” In taking the water to ourselves, we acknowledge that His blood and suffering atoned for our sins and that He will remit our sins as we embrace and accept the principles and ordinances of His gospel.

Resources:

Elder James J. Hamula : The Sacrament and the Atonement

Jeffrey R. Holland : “This Do in Remembrance of Me”

Cheryl A. Esplin : The Sacrament—a Renewal for the Soul

Elder Dallin H. Oaks : Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament

John H. Groberg : The Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament

Elder Don R. Clarke : Blessings of the Sacrament

Elder Robert D. Hales : Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and Sacrifice in Service
Elder David B. Haight : The Sacrament