WEEK 2 REVIEW
1 Nephi 1:1 AFFLICTED AND FAVORED
Nephi speaks of many afflictions and acknowledges many
blessing from the Lord. In chapter two Nephi feels highly favored of the Lord
because of his great knowledge of the goodness of God. Can you see this as a
blessing?
Helaman 12:3 “And
thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions,
yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and
with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.”
1 Nephi 2:20 TENDER MERCIES OF THE LORD
“I testify that the
tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or
merely by coincidence…. (they) are the very personal and individualized
blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindness,
consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from …the Lord Jesus
Christ.” (Elder David A. Bednar, April 2005 General Conference)
The Lord delivering the righteous is a theme repeated
throughout the Book of Mormon.
1 Nephi 2: 11-15 MURMURING
“First, when people
murmur they begin to question. They question ‘first in their own minds and then
(plant) questions in the minds of others.’ Second, those who murmur begin to
‘rationalize and excuse themselves from doing what they have been instructed to
do….Thus, they make an excuse for disobedience.’ Their excuses lead to the
third step: ‘Slothfulness I following the commandments.’ …
Beware of murmuring.” (Elder H. Ross Workman, October 2001
General Conference)
1 Nephi 2:20 KEEP
THE COMMANDMENTS AND PROSPER
In the scriptures, prosperity may have meanings other than
financial benefit. Prospering does not mean that life will be free from trials.
What does prosperity look like?
“The man who stays with the kingdom of God,…who keeps
himself pure and unspotted from the world, is the man that God will accept,
that God will uphold, that he will sustain, and that will prosper in the land, whether he be in the
enjoyment of his liberty or he be confined in prison cells, it makes no
difference where he is, he will come out all right.” (President Joseph F.
Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 257.)
1 Nephi 3:7 I
WILL GO AND DO
“When obedience
ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow
us with power.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, as quoted in May 1998 Ensign, 82)
“We may have to pray
with faith to know what we are to do and we must pray with a determination to
obey, but we can know what to do and be sure that the way has been prepared for
us by the Lord.”
(President Henry B. Eyring, CES Fireside, Nov. 5, 1995)
WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENT:
- Study pages 8 -> 14. We
are sticking with one page a day.
- What justification is
there for a righteous man like Nephi to take the life of another?
- What do we learn from
Zoram about the integrity of one’s word? What about oath making?
- What did the plates mean
to Lehi and what did he do when he received them? Nephi? 1 Ne 6:4
- Briefly relate the story
of the second trip back to Jerusalem found in 1 Ne 7.