Sunday School
Lesson 19
Abraham 3:22-28, Moses 4:1-4,Doctrine and Covenants 29:46-50
John Johnson was likely the most wealthy man in the church.
Doctrine and Covenants 29 was a vision.
If we don't understand God's plan for his children then the things of life don't make sense.
"... on many important subjects our assumptions-our starting points or major premises-are different from many of our friends and associates. They are also different from many assumptions currently used in the media and in other common discourse. For example, because Latter-day Saints know our Heavenly Father’s plan for His children, we know that this mortal life is not a one-act play sandwiched between an unknowable past and an uncertain future. This life is like the second act in a three-act play. Its purpose is defined by what is revealed about our spiritual existence in Act 1 and our eternal destiny in Act 3. Because of our knowledge of this Plan and other truths that God has revealed, we start with different assumptions than those who do not share our knowledge. As a result, we reach different conclusions on many important subjects that others judge only in terms of their opinions about mortal life."
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"Peter did not savor “the things that be of God, but those that be of men” when he argued that Jesus would not be killed in Jerusalem. By reasoning from the wisdom of men he reached the wrong conclusion. If, on that occasion, Peter had reasoned from “the things that be of God”-from the Plan that required the Savior to die-he would not have been chastened. Then, he would have had what the scriptures describe as the “mind of The Lord” or the “mind of Christ” (Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16; D&C 102:23; also see 2 Nephi 9:39), which includes the ability to understand and think clearly about the application of eternal gospel truths and teachings to the various circumstances we face in mortality."
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" we must help our youth avoid being deceived and persuaded by reasoning and conclusions based on its false premises."
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" Where do we look for the premises with which we begin our reasoning on the truth or acceptability of various proposals? We anchor ourselves to the word of God, as contained in the scriptures and in the teachings of modern prophets. Unless we are anchored to these truths as our major premises and assumptions, we cannot be sure that our conclusions are true. Being anchored to eternal truth will not protect us from the tribulation and persecution Jesus predicted (Matthew 13:21), but it will give us the peace that comes from faith in Jesus Christ and the knowledge that we are on the pathway to eternal life. "(Elder Dallin H Oaks, As He Thinketh in His Heart, Church Educational System Evening with a General Authority devotional on February 8, 2013)
We talk about conclusions, but we have to start at the assumption that bring us to that conclusion. If we correct our assumptions we will get a different conclusion.
We are in a three act play. It makes less sense if we only focus on one or two of the acts.
Act 1 - Premortal Life
Act 2 - Mortal Life
Act 3 - After Life
By understanding that there are three acts we understand Father better. We understand Jesus better. It also takes the mysticism out of Satan. We understand Satan no power over us, except what we give him.
First death is physical death or death as we know it in mortality.
Second death is judgement and separation from God if we do not follow the plan.
Is it random chance that people die when they do.
Sacrament Service"One of my wife’s mottoes has been ‘In order to contend, you need two people, and I will never be one of them.’" ( ELDER ENRIQUE R. FALABELLA, The Home: The School of Life, General Conference april 2013)
3 Nephi 11:29
29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
Matthew 22:36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
“In a time when many perceive truth as relative, a declaration of absolute truth is not very popular, nor does it seem politically correct or opportune. Testimonies of things how “they really are” (Jacob 4:13) are bold, true, and vital because they have eternal consequences for mankind. Satan wouldn’t mind if we declared the message of our faith and gospel doctrine as negotiable according to circumstances. Our firm conviction of gospel truth is an anchor in our lives; it is steady and reliable as the North Star.” ( President Dieter F Uchtdorf, The Power of a Personal Testimony, General Conference October 2006)
Be tolerant in the context of absolute truth.
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