Week 2 Review/ Week 3 assignment

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:

1. Study pages 8 -> 14. We are sticking with one page a day.
2. What justification is there for a righteous man like Nephi to take the life of another?
3. What do we learn from Zoram about the integrity of one’s word? What about oath making?
4. What did the plates mean to Lehi and what did he do when he received them? Nephi? 1 Ne 6:4
5. Briefly relate the story of the second trip back to Jerusalem found in 1 Ne 7.