Lessons 2 & 3

Here's some info.from lessons 2 & 3 :)...

Tomorrow's scriptures are 1 Nephi 12-14

Lesson 2 - 1 Nephi 1-7

Questions to ponder:
What can we learn from Nephi about how to make our hearts more receptive to the teachings of the prophets?
**General Conference is March 31st and April 1st (no fooling)..planning to listen to a prophet's voice?

What sacrifices have you made to be obedient to the Lord? How have you been blessed as you have made such sacrifices?

How can we develop feelings of gratitude even in difficult circumstances?

Why is it important that we be known as people who keep our word?

What qualities did Nephi exhibit in his dealings with his brothers? (See
1 Nephi 2:17–18 and 7:21 for some examples.)

How can we demonstrate these qualities in our relationships with our family members and others?


This lesson had a focus on obedience..here is a quote from President Faust from April 1999 Conference...

"I have prayed for guidance in what I should say because I wish to raise a warning voice. In today’s society, the difference between right and wrong is being obscured by loud, seductive voices calling for no restraints in human conduct. They advocate absolute freedom without regard to consequences. I state unequivocally that such behavior is the high road to personal destruction.

"Obedience leads to true freedom. The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated."

Lesson 3... 1 Nephi 8–11; 12:16–18; 15.

We talked of the symbolism from Lehi's dream.
the different people represented

pondering questions:
How can we hlep our loved ones draw nearer to the Savior and receive the promise of eternal life?

How can pride keep a person from receiving eternal life?

Following are the talks I used and quotes from two of them. The third's title only mostly struck me, but is a really good read for a voting year where a mormon is a major candidate for the Presidency of the United States :)..

http://lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/the-love-of-god?lang=eng&query=love+god

Our Father in Heaven has given us, His children, much more than any mortal mind can comprehend. Under His direction the Great Jehovah created this wondrous world we live in. God the Father watches over us, fills our hearts with breathtaking joy, brightens our darkest hours with blessed peace, distills upon our minds precious truths, shepherds us through times of distress, rejoices when we rejoice, and answers our righteous petitions.
He offers to His children the promise of a glorious and infinite existence and has provided a way for us to progress in knowledge and glory until we receive a fulness of joy. He has promised us all that He has.

http://lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/beware-of-pride?lang=eng&query=pride

Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/christian-courage-the-price-of-discipleship?lang=eng&query=price+discipleship

Lesson 1

It was nice to already know the number of the lesson without looking...it's the little things :).

We talked about the Book of Mormon being the keystone of our religion. If it is not true, then the rest of it isn't either. We discussed the witnesses' testimonies. We went over how in the title page written by Moroni it lays out the three purposes of the Book of Mormon, which according to the manual are....
"To show the remnant of the house of Israel the great things the Lord has done for their fathers; to teach the covenants required by the Lord; and to convince all people that Jesus is the Christ, manifesting Himself to all nations."

All of the quotes from the manual came from this talk by President Benson (who was the prophet when I was baptized :) )
http://lds.org/liahona/2011/10/the-book-of-mormon-keystone-of-our-religion?lang=eng&query=book+mormon+benson

This is one of my favorite quotes from the talk..
"It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (see D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance."

One of the major things the Book of Mormon proved is that the Lord has more to say to us than is revealed within the Bible. We are able to hear from a prophet's voice today and the last word in the quote above reminded of the First Presidency message in the Ensign this month, wherein President Monson speaks of living the abundant life, simple as A, B, C :)...
http://lds.org/ensign/2012/01/living-the-abundant-life?lang=eng

We touched on the fact that we have gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but that it doesn't just stay. It's something we have to work at or it will slip away. When I was studying the lesson I thought of Joseph Smith and all he went through and it made me think of this passage from Joseph Smith History 1:23-25...
http://lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng

and how often we suffer through different aspects of life, sometimes our testimonies . However, I believe that most of us have had experiences that are powerful and undeniable, or the Spirit has spoken to us soft but sure. So much so that we can not deny what we know to be true. I thought of the talk by the apostle who spoke of riding his bike in the dark and using his pedaling to light his way home. How, iff he slowed his pedaling he could not see to find his way and if he kept pedaling he could see better. I am thankful for the experiences in my life that have kept me pedaling when I wasn't sure if I was headed in the right direction or when I was just plain tired of pedaling. How sometimes I have pedaled so hard and the light was so bright I could see clearly in front of me and feel of the love and glory that lies ahead. I know with all of my heart that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. There is a Prophet on the earth today. That we have a home waiting for us like none other. Keep pedaling!

This coming Sunday's reading is 1 Nephi 1-7, easy peasy.