2 Nephi 31-33 (Chapter 14)

 

January 24^th 2024, Sister Leisa Forsberg

 

Nephi’s final chapters, 2 Ne. 31-33

Jumping From Isaiah’s Difficult Chapters to Nephi’s Simple Summation of the Doctrine (not plural) of Christ

Nephi counsels not to get tripped up by the “easiness of the way” and how that will help you enjoy the atonement more fully.  I add my testimony that Nephi’s counsel works!  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

THE Doctrine of Christ

i.        Faith

ii.      Repentance

iii.     Baptism (sum up WHY Christ was baptized- fulfill all righteousness, humble himself before God, covenant to be obedient, gain admission to Celestial Kingdom, set an example- These are the same reasons why WE are baptized.)

iv.     Receive the Holy Ghost

v.      Feast on the Word

vi.     Pray Without Ceasing

vii.   Believe Christ and you will believe testaments, not the other way round.

viii.  Endure to the End- in testimony, in ministering, and in gathering on both sides of the veil.

 

(READ 31-33 which is only 3 ½ pages, READ the 17 quotes (testimonies) from general authorities in the student’s manual and teacher’s manual.  We usually don’t do this much reading all at the same time, but it provides a good base for discussion questions in the manuals.)

(Ask the 25 discussion questions, move through the rote ones quickly, get to the meat)

Even Christ used the scriptures to teach- Why?  Why don’t we just read the words of Christ and leave it be?  Why do we need testaments and testimonies? (HEADS UP- TESTIMONY MTG AT END)

Believe Jesus- not just that He is who He is, but that He can do everything He says He can and, in fact, has already done it.  His gifts are not earned, just received if you can get past “the hard”.  The ONLY way you forfeit His gifts is to disinherit yourself with poor choices.  Every good choice, no matter how small, shows you are “WILLING” (think of the sacramental prayers) to receive.

 

 

Relationship of good choices

i.        Believing (daily choice) Jesus Christ leads to-

ii.      Believing (daily choice) the testaments of Him (scripture) and the testimonies of others (testimony meeting) which leads to-

iii.     Receiving (daily choice) the Holy Ghost and being more open (daily choice) to His guidance, which leads to-

iv.     Feeling (daily choice to not question His love for you or your own worth) the love of the Lord, which leads to-

v.      Having the strength to endure to the end (daily choice to not make this harder than it needs to be).        FAITH, REPENTANCE, BAPTISM, RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST, FEAST ON THE WORD, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, BELIEVE CHRIST, ENDURE TO THE END IN TESTIMONY, IN MINISTERING AND IN GATHERING ISRAEL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEIL

vi.     These are enough, don’t you think?  And when you FOCUS on these, you start to live in the moment instead of fretting about the future. (Matthew 6:34) You become confident in your efforts.  In short, you en-JOY the At-One-Ment with Christ.  The more you practice, the more JOY you will feel.  This is my testimony in His name, Amen.

NEPHI’S WORDS PERSUADE PEOPLE TO DO GOOD

NEPHI’S WORDS TEACH LEHI’S PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR ANCESTORS

NEPHI’S WORDS ARE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST AND PERSUADE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN HIM

NEPHI’S WORDS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENDURE TO THE END

NEPHI’S WORDS SPEAK HARSHLY AGAINST SIN

Scripture Chase:

1 Nephi 11:1-6

D&C 76:15-21

D&C 138:1-11

Joseph Smith History 1:1-17

Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved (2 Nephi 31:15) and have eternal life (2 Nephi 31:20) As The Lord Liveth.  (The strongest oath in scripture and promised by Amaleki in Omni 1:26).  Try to believe this oath.  It will change your life.  This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

When you bare your testimony try not rushing through “in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen” and see how it changes your testimony.  Also try a little scavenger hunt in your next endowment session- see if you can find where they begin saying, “in the name of The Son” and ponder what that means to you.  And speaking of scavenger hunts, the lesson is simple and over.  With LeeAnne’s permission, I added a fun activity that has to do with a direct extension of sacramental prayers- spiritual gifts.

WHETHER YOU “REMEMBER” (think of the sacrament prayers) FROM THE PRE-EXISTANCE WHAT YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE OR NOT, YOU HAVE BEEN USING THEM FOR YEARS.  HE HAS TRUSTED YOU FOR YEARS, EVEN WHEN YOU WERE UNAWARE.  IT IS HIS PLAN AND HE DOES NOT FAIL, THEREFORE YOU CANNOT FAIL.  LET’S FIND OUT HOW HE HAS BEEN TRUSTING YOU TO CARRY OUT YOUR PURPOSE BY USING A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO IDENTIFY YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS.  Note:  this is not to make you feel you need to be doing more, but instead to see what you’re already doing.

 

 

STEP ONE:  Read/watch every talk you can find on spiritual gifts OR for an excellent overview of all talks on spiritual gifts read The Best Gifts, by Zachary Hutchins.  It is out of print, but you should be able to find it used.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  Our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Ghost are INFINITE. Therefore, so are the gifts They have to give to help us become like Them.  Don’t go by the VERY SHORT list of gifts in the scriptures.  Hardly any of us have those big ones.  That’s why it takes ALL our gifts to make up The Body of Christ.   You don’t need to have them all; your gifts contribute to the whole.  We are a community.  We are in this together.

STEP TWO:  Search your patriarchal blessing and underline anything that could be a spiritual gift.  It won’t be labeled as one, so you’ll have to read it in the mindset of just looking for possibilities.  Don’t worry if you don’t find them there.  They are not in all blessings, but it’s a place to look.

STEP THREE:  Ask trusted, close, friends and family and then BELIEVE THEM.  Don’t shrug off what people tell you.  Trust me, other people see your gifts far better than you do.  Think of the tables being reversed and you’re telling them what their gifts are.  Also, give them a day to think about your question so they can really consider, ponder, and gather their thoughts.  Again, think about it in the reverse and how you would need time to gather your ideas about them.

STEP FOUR:  Remember all your callings over the years and why you think Heavenly Father picked you for the job.  Even if it was for your learning- you were learning a new spiritual gift which you now own.

STEP FIVE:  Remember all you secular jobs, hobbies, and service.  Why are you good at those things?  Why do people come to you for specific advice that not everyone else would know?

STEP SIX:  Answer T/F Can everyone do what I find to be SECOND NATURE?  Don’t shrug off your gifts because they seem easy.  I promise you, other people who don’t have the same gifts find them to be very difficult.

STEP SEVEN:  This is a good one!!!  List your children’s spiritual gifts.  Most likely they are learning from YOU.  At this point, they are emulating you.  Those gifts won’t truly be theirs until they are SECOND NATURE.

STEP EIGHT:  What part of The Body of Christ do you seem to be?  Who are your people? Your group?  What are you always asked to do, whether as an official call or just as a favor?

STEP NINE:  Pay attention to the compliments people TRY to give you; don’t shrug them off.  You can generally find your spiritual gifts in those compliments.

STEP 10:  Now is NOT the time to be humble.  Or is it?  After all, humble means teachable.  Besides, when speaking in appropriate settings and in a reverent manner about your spiritual gifts, you are not boasting about yourself, you are “boasting in my (your) God”. (Alma 26:10-12) So, go ahead and let yourself believe that the things you find on this little scavenger hunt are TRUE!  YOU ARE GIFTED! 

 

 

Your Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit already have all these gifts.  They are Theirs to give. The more you recognize what They have given you, the more you realize you are like Them (think of the sacrament prayers).  You are BECOMING!  No pressure; it’s supposed to take a lifetime AND well into eternity.  Just pray for opportunities to serve and those opportunities will keep appearing the more you ACT on them promptly.  So, you truly don’t have to spend your life anxious, just “anxiously engaged”.  Does that make sense?  Just pray for opportunities and act promptly when they “magically” show up.  I testify that this less anxiety driven approach works.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

 

HANDOUT FOR HOME

STILL NOT CONVINCED THAT JESUS CHRIST CAN ABSOLUTELY DO ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING HE SAYS HE CAN DO?  DO YOU STILL QUESTION YOUR ABILITY TO BE EXALTED?  ARE YOU STILL TRYING TO BE PERFECT WITHOUT HIM?  MAYBE THESE STATISTICS WILL HELP YOU LET GO AND BELIEVE THAT HE REALLY DOES WANT YOU TO HAVE JOY, NOT GUILT TRIPS.  (President Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending)

 

STATISTICAL SUMMARY FROM:  ODDS ARE, YOU’RE GOING TO BE EXALTED, BY ALONZO GASKILL

Who will be exalted?  The VAST majority of God’s children, that’s who!

Pg 21    Those from other worlds, billions upon billions

Pg 21    Those that kept their first estate.  (Hey!  That’s you and me!)

Pg 22    Those who are faithful (remember, faith is in “things hoped for”, not always sure knowledge) in testimony of Jesus Christ (Hey! That’s you and me again!)

Pg 22    Those resurrected between Adam and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Pg 23    Those who choose (willingness- think of sacramental prayers) to abide in the Celestial Kingdom (Hey!  That’s you and me AGAIN!)

Pg 25    Those who died before the age of accountability (8)- statistically, 50% of our world population

Pg 32    Those who are marginalized in any way

Pg 33    Those who are raised in The Millenium- statistical more than all who have lived on this earth

Pg 35    Those individuals and whole cities who have already been translated- statistically millions

Pg 36    Those taught in The Spirit World- The common thought that it is harder there is a myth with no scriptural backup.  In fact, the scriptures say MOST will accept the gospel and our proxy ordinance work for them.

Pg 39    Those who are taught, but don’t receive a witness of the truth.  They will not be held accountable for that lack of witness.  Also, your wayward children, who are bound by the sealing power.  (can’t remember the page number for this one)

Pg 40    Those with The Fullness of the Gospel (Hey! Again, that’s US!)

Pg 98    Those who desire to be exalted (Are you kidding me?  Remember that scripture about having just the desire to believe…don’t worry if sure knowledge isn’t your spiritual gift.  It says right in the scriptures that not everyone gets that gift. So that’s you and me yet again!)

CHOOSE TO BELIEVE AND HAVE JOY…YIPPIE!

Have you noticed???  Gone are the days of Hellfire and Damnation preaching from the General Conference pulpit.  It’s all about hope and faith now.  Few and far between are the “WARNINGS” and words that feel threatening.  I believe this suggests that we are doing well with our daily decisions that lead to discipleship.  I choose hope.  I choose faith, repentance, baptism, receiving all my gifts, feasting on the word, prayer without ceasing, believing, and enduring in testimony, ministering and gathering on both sides of the veil.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

 

(open up the floor for testimonies)