Book of mormon studyGuide #6

Purpose: To help class members have a greater desire to choose liberty and eternal life through Jesus Christ, the great Mediator

of all men

2 Nephi 1:6-7 There shall be none come into this land save they shall be

______________ by the hand of the ___________. Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they

shall ___________ him according to the ____________________ which he hath given, it shall be a land of _______________ unto them.

The land of promise is open to those brought here by the Lord and

the promise of liberty applies to all as long as they follow the commandments. This provision is both a blessing and a curse, for the lands effect on its inhabitants is directly related to their

righteousness.

In verse 10 Lehi lists the exact steps and transgressions that would bring the people to destruction in this land

1) They would have to have had a knowledge of the

_______________________.

2) They would have to have had a knowledge of the marvelous _________________ of the Lord.

3) They would have received a witnesses to the fact that God had

given them power to do all things by _____________________.

4) They must __________________the Holy One of Israel

Verse to memorize 2 nephi 1: 15

I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about

eternally in the arms of his love

Spend a moment and ponder on that scripture. What does it mean to be encircled about eternally in the arms of his love? When is the last time you allowed yourself to feel completely enveloped in

a hug from the Savior? Allowed his arms to wrap all the way around you, to feel your cheek pressed close to his chest, to

hear his heart beating, to feel his breath on your hair? How would your life change if you could somehow learn to live this way on a

moment-to-moment basis?

Ever feel like you have nothing?

Just look at the gifts God

has given you:

He has sent his angels to care for you,

his Holy Spirit to dwell in

you,

his church to encourage you,

and his Word to guide you.

Anytime you speak, he listens

make a request and he re-

sponds.

He will never let you be tempted too much or

stumble too far.

Let a tear appear on your cheek, and he is there to

wipe it.

Let a love sonnet appear on your lips, and he is

there to hear it.

As much as you want to see him, he wants to see

you more.

You have been chosen by Christ. . . .

He has claimed you

as his beloved.

2 Nephi 2:2

Nevertheless, Jacob, my first born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of

God, and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.

Elder Richard G Scott said,

When trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are

evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow. He

therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you

for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you

are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of

stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain.

How have you grown from

recent afflictions in your own life:

2 Nephi 2:7

Behold, he offereth himself a ____________________ for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a ________________ heart and a contrite _________________; and

unto non else can the ends of the law be answered.

What are the ends of the law? The two ends of the law are mercy and justice. How can our Father in Heaven satisfy both? You come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes. Because of his justice he cannot dismiss your sin, but because of his love he cannot dismiss you. So in an act that stunned the heavens, he punished His Son on the cross for your sins. And by so doing, Gods justice and Gods love are equally honored. And you, Gods creation, are forgiven. But the story doesnt end with Gods forgiveness. It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name. It would be enough if God just set you free, but he does more. He takes you home.

Through a dramatic series of events, we go from

condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. When we come unto Christ and allow ourselves

to become perfected in Him, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us. This promise is stated in the Doctrine and

Covenants this way, But verily, verily I say unto you, that as many as receive me, to them will I give power

to become the sons of God (D&C 11:30)

2 Nephi 2:8

What is the most important message must we take into the world? How do you plan to do that THIS week?

2 Nephi 2:13 If there be no righteousness, there be no happiness

I love this verse. So often in this life we find

ourselves seeking for happiness, After all, the US Constitution identifies the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental human right! We grow up believing that we DESERVE to be happy. But, the scriptures teach us better. They teach us that in order to happy we need

to be seeking for righteousness..

Matthew 5:6 reads, Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

The Greek word for filled here means complete, or abounding in spiritual possessions. Do you think that

filled is a good synonym for happy? What other words would you use?

How could being filled in the biblical sense of the word make you happy in a way in which the world cannot?

The Choice by Max Lucado

He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay lifeless on the ground. All of the Garden's inhabitants paused

to witness the event. Hawks hovered. Giraffes stretched. Trees bowed. Butterflies paused on petals and watched. "You will love me, nature," God said. "I made you that way. You will obey me, universe. For you are destined to do so. You will reflect my glory, skies, for that is how you were

created. But this one will be like me. This one will be able to choose." All was silent as the Creator reached into Himself and removed something yet unseen. A seed. "It's called

'choice'. The seed of choice." Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form.

An angel spoke, "But what if he...." "What if he chooses not to love?" the Creator finished.

"Come, I will show you." Unbound by today, God and the angel walked into the

realm of tomorrow. "There, see the fruit of the seed of choice, both the sweet

and bitter." The angel gasped at what he saw. Spontaneous love.

Voluntary devotion. Chosen tenderness. Never had he seen anything like these. He felt the love of the Adams. He heard the joy of Eve and her daughters. He saw the food and

marveled at the warmth. "Heaven has never seen such beauty, my Lord. Truly, this is

your greatest creation." "Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter." A stench enveloped the pair. The angel turned in horror and exclaimed, "What is it?" The Creator spoke only one word: "Selfishness." The angel stood speechless as they

passed through centuries of repugnance. Never had he seen such filth. Rotten hearts. Ruptured promises. Forgotten loyalties. Children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely

labyrinths. "This is the result of the choice?" the angel asked.

"Yes."

"They will forget you? They will reject you?" "Yes."

"They will never come back?" "Some will. Most won't."

"What will make them listen?" The Creator walked on in time, further and further into the

future, until He stood by a tree. A tree that would be fashioned into a cradle. Even then, He could smell the hay that

would surround Him. With another step into the future, He paused before another tree. It stood alone, a stubborn ruler of

a bald hill. The trunk was thick, the wood was strong. Stony brow of another hill. And soon He would be mounted on it. He

felt the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear. "Would you go down there?" the angel asked.

"I will." "Is there no other way?"

"There isn't." "Wouldn't it be easier to not plant the seed? Wouldn't it be

easier to not give the choice?" "It would," the Creator spoke slowly. "But to remove the choice is

to remove the love. He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They

moaned with the wind. Men clad in soldiers' garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and

laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled. Arrogant, cocky. They had protected God, they thought, by killing this false one. Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of

the hill... Speechless. Faces tear-streaked. Eyes downward. One put her

arm around another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn't leave.

"I will stay," she said softly. "I will stay. All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity

poised to protect. But the Creator gave no command. "It must be done..." He said, and withdrew.

But as he stepped back in time, He heard the cry that He would someday scream: "My God, my God, why have you

forsaken me?" He wrenched at tomorrow's agony. The angel spoke again. "It would be less painful..."

The Creator interrupted softly. "But it wouldn't be love." They stepped into the Garden again. The Maker looked

earnestly at the clay creation. A monsoon of love swelled up within Him. God's form bent over the sculptured face and

breathed. Dust stirred on the lips of the new one. The chest rose, cracking the red mud. The cheeks freshened. A finger

moved and an eye opened. But more incredible than the moving of flesh was the stirring

of the spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped. Perhaps it was the wind who said it first. Perhaps what the stars saw that moment is what has made them blink ever

since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it: "It looks like... it appears so much like...it is Him!"

The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body. He was looking inside--at the soul. "It's eternal!" gasped

another. Within the man, God had placed a divine seed. A seed of his

self. The God of might had created, not a creature, but another creator. And the One who had chosen to love had

created one who could love in return.

Why is the gift of free agency the greatest gift that you will ever receive? How can you thank its giver?