Power of Deliverance

March 27
How can the principles of deliverance found in mosiah be applied to your life?

Mosiah 24:9 "For Amulon knew Alma"

• Past sins can still come back to haunt us even after we've been spiritually redeemed from them.

You need a change of heart in relation  to your classes.

D&C 18:6 "Behold, the world is ripening in iniquity; and it must needs be that the children of men are stirred up unto repentance, both the Gentiles and also the house of Israel."

• What happened to the more excellent way? Things are getting worse, you should be getting better.

8 And now, marvel not that I have called him unto mine own purpose, which purpose is known in me; wherefore, if he shall be diligent in keeping my commandments he shall be blessed unto eternal life; and his name is Joseph

• Your purpose in doing the things that you're doing is known by God. Your job is just to keep the commandments.

D: There is power that can only be unleashed through covenant keeping.
P: As we keep the commandments we fulfill our side of the baptismal covenant.
A: This week review in your personal study the commandments that you have covenanted to keep and think if ways to do that better. No more living sloppy.

Mosiah 24:13 "And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage."

• We can't forget how much power is in our covenwnts, its there according to the way that we remember them and the way that we remember him.

                                                                                                      

Chastening and Growth

March 25

Mosiah 22

22:2 "And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword."

• Sometimes we need to leave good things if we are to escape the bad that they are connected to. 
• Maybe in some situations you just need to react to your environment better, then, if you find that despite your best efforts it's still bad, you need to change the environment that you're in. 

 23:21 "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith."

D: We can't grow in faith until we reach past our limits.

P: The Lord will chasten us by trying our patience and faith.

A: We must trust him, especially when we feel like we shouldn't (v. 22)

23:39 "And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he should be a king and a ruler over his people, who were in the land of Helam; nevertheless he should have no power to do anything contrary to the will of the king of the Lamanites."

• I'm not entirely sure how this all came together, but it's interesting how, when you get closer to someone, you have a greater desire to conform to what they do. This can be both beneficial and destructive based on who you're with. 

Application for the day: Desire to improve. 

With each activity that you engage in, forget your own expectation or focus and think of what the Lord wants you to do to fulfill your purpose during that activity. then do it. 

Prayer and Motivation

March 24

Mosiah 19-21

20:22 And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood."

• Sometimes it's just best to evaluate and stop the bleeding. We can't go all out sometimes, because it just won't work. We need to take the right steps, line upon line, precept upon precept. 

14 And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.

• BD "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings."

D: Submissin through covenants. 

P: To have God's help we must do things His way. 

A: Pray often

35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter.

• Why do they want to be baptized? Not because they want the blessings, because they want to serve God.

Denying the Natural Man

March 21

Mosiah 16-

16:3 "For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil."

• Devilish often takes on a connotation that we can't identify with. It reminds us of evil and conspiring and lieing. However, devilish just means doing whatever the devil does us to do and therefore turning away from our godly potential. 

16:12 "Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent."

• Only through the Atonement of Christ can we be changed from this carnal state. We must be willing to submit to the will of the Lord and give up all carnal desires. 

D: Through the Atonement our nature can be changed

P: We must be willing to give up our sins to Christ. 

A: What carnal desires do you give into on a daily basis?

Subjecting ourselves to the will of the Father

March 20

Mosiah 14-15

14:12 "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

• He spent and gave all his time to the least. He never esteemed himself greater but reached down to those that needed his help. 

D: Baptismal Covenant

P: Serve those as Christ served

A: What else can you do for your home teachees and other quorum members this week?

15:2 "And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—"

• Subjected the flesh to the will of the Father. 
• • In what ways can you submit the flesh to the will of the father that you have not?
  • Word of Wisdom
  • Sleep

 9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

Following Christ in all things

March 19
Mosiah 13

7 Ye see that ye have not power to slay me, therefore I finish my message. Yea, and I perceive that it cuts you to your hearts because I tell you the truth concerning your iniquities.

• Abinadi knows the message that he is called to share and so he shares it, even though it seems like most aren't listening.

11 And now I read unto you the remainder of the commandments of God, for I perceive that they are not written in your hearts; I perceive that ye have studied and taught iniquity the most part of your lives.

• They studied iniquity. Yet another example of the blindness of the people because of the wickedness of their leaders.

23 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

• This includes the way that you talk about people, the way you describe people.

D: Charity never faileth. 

P: Treat others how you would want to be treated. 

A: Don't say false things about people or shed them in a false light.

Blindness

March 18
Mosiah 11-12

11:29 "Now the eyes of the people were blinded; therefore they hardened their hearts against the words of Abinadi, and they sought from that time forward to take him. And king Noah hardened his heart against the word of the Lord, and he did not repent of his evil doings."

• Why were the eyes of the people blinded?
• 1 Kgs. 15:26 "And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin."
• As they follow a wicked king they become blinded. When the leaders sare not living obediently, the people have no vision and follow their wicked ways. Matt. 15:14 and Matt. 23:16 support this as well.
• Who are your leaders? If you are led by the wicked thenyouwill be blinded to goodness and blinded from the consequences of unrighteousness.

Sermon on the Mount/ Temple

• As we look at the Law of consecration we often wish it was more completely outlined in the scriptures. However, as we look more closely at the higher law commandments we begin to see what the lord truly considers as consecration.

The Soul

March 8

Omni- Words of Mormon

25 "...and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil."

• Even if it is connected to something good, or if it started with something good, if it is evil then it comes from the devil. 
• President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught that one of the major purposes of the Book of Mormon is to help us discern between truth and error, revealing the motives of individuals like Sherem: “The Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and . . . fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon are similar to the type we have today. God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1975, 94–95; or Ensign, May 1975, 64).

 26 "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an coffering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

• "offer your whole souls as an offering to him"
• What composes you "whole soul"?
• • D&C 88:15 "And the spirit and the body are the soul of man."
• Matt. 16:26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
• • The sooner we give our spirit and body to the Lord the sooner we can feel salvation form the world. When we choose the world we lose the soul. We lose the control and joy of our spirits and our bodies. 

Communion

March 7

Jarom

4 And there are many among us who have many revelations, for they are not all stiffnecked. And as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith.

•  COMMUNION, n.
  1. Fellowship; intercourse between two persons or more; interchange of transactions, or offices; a state of giving and receiving; agreement; concord.
• I really like how the word communion is used here. It emphasizes the relationahip between us and the Holy Ghost. If we ignore him then we won't have the blessings that he provides, just as if you were to ignore a friend. 

8 And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, and weapons of war—yea, the sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver, and the dart, and the javelin, and all preparations for war.

9 And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.

• The first things mentioned in relation to the strength of these people is in verse 7 when it says that their leaders are faithful. However  we see here in verses 8-9 the importance of having other profitable skills.

 11 Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them.

• They are to believe in Christ as if he is already here. What does this say about faith?
• Faith grows when it becomes real. 

 11 And behold, the record of this people is engraven upon plates which is had by the kings, according to the generations; and I know of no revelation save that which has been written, neither prophecy; wherefore, that which is sufficient is written. And I make an end.

• No revelation is given save that which is written. He can only know what has been recorded. we are the same way, he can only know that which has been recorded and that which we've read. 

Understanding

March 6

Enos 1

 2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.

• Don't you think that we can define the troughs of living the Doctrine of Christ as a wrestle that we have before God. 

 3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.

 4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

• As the knowledge that Enos' Father gave him is understood (sunk deep into my heart), he gains the intrinsic motivation (my soul hungered) to act in doctrine (kneel down before my Maker) and apply the Atonement to his life (supplication for mine own soul).

D: Accepting the Atonement

P: The Doctrine of Christ

A: Act in faith and it will turn to repentance. 

 

 12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.

• As long as we are faithful then we will be given according to our desires. Ps. 37:4
• • Why? Because the Lord trusts that our desires are aligned with his will. Hel. 10:5

 22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.

• Stiffneckedness is nothing more than shutting out the Holy Ghost from moving doctrine to the heart. 

The Process of Becoming our Best Selves

Mar. 2-3

Jacob 5

 35 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit.

• It doesn't matter what we know or what we care about, if it doesn't turn into good actions and results then it's really of no worth. 

 64 Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more, for the last time, for the end draweth nigh. And if it be so that these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare the way for them, that they may grow.

 65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard.

• The lord is doing a constant process of cutting and pruning and nourishing in order to form us into the tree that we are meant to become. 
• We have to be patient through the pruning, open during the nourishing, and trusting during the entirety of the process. 

73 And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof.

• The natural branches bare the natural fruit. Our godly attributes are natural in the sense that they are inherently part of us. As the attributes grow, then the good fruit will come naturally. 

A: Only as we turn to the lord and are obedient to his commandments can we truly improve and build the strengths that he's given us. 

P: Each of us are given our specific godly attributes and talents to be used and improved. 

D: We are to become as God is.