Elders Quorum
Chapter 3 in the George Albert Smith manual
Articles of Faith 1 & 2
2 Nephi 25:26
John 17:3
“I have found many in the world who have not known that we believe in the divine mission of our Lord, and I have been led to say upon more than one occasion that there are no people in the world who so well understand the divine mission of Jesus Christ, who so thoroughly believe him to have been the Son of God, who are so sanguine [confident] that at the present time he is enthroned in glory at the right hand of his Father, as the Latter-day Saints.” (In Deseret News, Dec. 27, 1924, Church section, 6)
“The Redeemer of mankind was more than a good man who came into the world to teach us ethics. The Redeemer of mankind possessed more than ordinary intelligence. He was indeed the Son of God, the only begotten of God in the flesh.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1921, 39)
“Not only do we believe that Jesus of Nazareth lived upon the earth, but we believe that he still lives, not as an essence, not as something incorporeal or intangible, but we believe in him as an exalted man; for he arose with the same body that was laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea, the same body that was ministered to there by those who loved him. The same Jesus Christ who came forth from the tomb, brought with him that body which had been purified and cleansed, … and he took it with him when he disappeared from the gaze of humanity at Jerusalem when the two men in white raiment said: ‘As you see him go, so likewise will he return again.’ [See Acts 1:10–11.]
“This is the Jesus of Nazareth that the Latter-day Saints believe in.” (In Deseret News, Dec. 27, 1924, Church section, 6)
“Our mission is to share with all people what we know about Jesus Christ.
“I say to you Latter-day Saints, there are no other people in all the world who have all the information that we have with reference to the divinity of the Savior; and if we did not believe in Him we would be under greater condemnation than the others that have never had that information. And so we can say to the world without hesitation that we believe these things” (Sharing the Gospel with Others, 211, 214; address given Nov. 4, 1945, in Washington, D.C.)
Sunday School
Obedience to "the small and simple things"
1 Nephi 16-22
1 Nephi 16:2
2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.
Many times when someone is guilty they express anger.
1 Nephi 16:28
28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.
It sounds like the pointers worked just like the Holy Ghost does. The more we exert faith and diligence on the promptings of the Holy Ghost the more promptings we receiving and the clearer they become.
Do we often ignore the small and simple things. Whether it be "small" blessings or "small" commandments.
Sacrament Service
What does having faith in Christ mean? It means we trust him completely. If we trust him completely, we do what he has commanded.
Increase out faith by studying, praying, service and sacrifice, and personal righteousness.
“...the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments.” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 2:8.)
Prayer and fasting are two of the greatest tools in overcoming temptation and the natural man.
“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. “ (Bible Dictionary, Prayer)
Elders Quorum
The lesson was based on President Monson’s conference talk, Stand in Holy Places
Personal revelation prayer, and living righteously.
1 Corinthians 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
You never know how or when or where your preparation daily to have the spirit is going impact another person's life and/or testimony.
Sunday School
"great and abominable church" - the churches that remained after the
apostasy happened.
1 Nephi 13:12 - Christohper Columbus
12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.
1 Nephi 13:13 - Columbus, the pilgrims, and many who were subject to kings
13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
The Americas were hidden from other peoples. At the time of Columbus they had no concept that it was there. Once they hypothesized the earth was round, they figured they would get to India, not find a new
land there. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans are so huge that if you didn't know the America were here, you would never guess it.
1 Nephi 13:20-29
20 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.
21 And the angel said unto me: Knowest thou the meaning of the book?
22 And I said unto him: I know not.
23 And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.
24 And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.
25 Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.
26 And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.
27 And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men.
28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.
29 And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.
The bible is of great worth because it contains the covenants of the Lord.
The true church has more covenants of the Lord.
The true church tells us of reality and not man’s best educated guess.
Sacrament Service
The speaker proposed that any doctrine worth teaching has been set to music and included in the Church's children's songbook. He quoted the song “Search, Ponder, and Pray”.
The speaker said that Hugh Nibley said something like, "to say you have read the book of Mormon doesn't mean a thing". I could not find the quote on the Internet, but I think the point was that just going through the motions and reading just to check off that you read can leave you getting very little out of it.
As we read the scriptures we need to be continually asking questions. One good question is, out of everything that could've been included in the scriptures, why was what I am reading included?
Moroni 10:3
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
“It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ ( D&C 84:85 ), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance” (President Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, 6; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 7)
Seminary Broadcast
100 Years of Seminary
President Eyring's mother was a student in the first seminary class in 1912.
"I was trained by President Marion G. Romney, Counselor in the First Presidency. He once told me, ‘Do not just tell them so that they understand; teach them so that they cannot misunderstand!’ ”
“Most of the time your prayers will be silent. You can think a prayer.”
"The Word of Wisdom does not promise perfect health but that the spiritual receptors within you might be strengthened."
“"The certainty is that your body will, in due time, grow old and eventually become uninhabitable, and the spirit will be forced to leave.”
“A few of you may have felt or been told that you were born with troubling feelings and that you are not guilty if you act on those temptations. Doctrinally we know that if that were true your agency would have been erased, and that cannot happen. You always have a choice to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and live a morally pure and chaste life, one filled with virtue.”
“The first gift that Adam and Eve received was agency: ‘Thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee.’ (Genesis 2:17)“
“It is natural to resist restraints of any kind.”
“Guilt is spiritual pain. Do not suffer from chronic pain. Get rid of it. Be done with it. Repent, and, if necessary, repent again and again and again and again until you—not the enemy—are in charge of you.”
“If you are associating with others who drag you down instead of building you up, stop and change company. You may be alone and lonely at times. The important question may be asked then, ‘When you are alone, are you in good company?’ If you are doing something that you know is wrong, stop it. Stop it now.”
Elders Quorum
Chapter 2 - Teachings of George Albert Smith
“I do not have an enemy that I know of, and there is no one in the world that I have any enmity towards. All men and all women are my Father’s children, and I have sought during my life to observe the wise direction of the Redeemer of mankind—to love my neighbor as myself. … You will never know how much I love you. I have not words to express it. And I want to feel that way toward every son and every daughter of my Heavenly Father.” (George Albert Smith, “After Eighty Years,” Improvement Era, Apr. 1950, 263)
Luke 10 - The story of the good Samaritan.
You can move out of a neighborhood that has a couple of bad elements, but if the good people all move, what is left and the good people who are left that maybe can't move get overwhelmed.
“What a happy world it would be if men everywhere recognized their fellowmen as brothers and sisters, and then followed that up by loving their neighbors as themselves.” (George Albert Smith, In Conference Report, Oct. 1946, 149)
Sunday School
Surely these things will be made known unto you- find scripture - wiki prayer
1 Nephi 11:26 - He descends from heaven to dwell among men.
26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God!
27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.
28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.
Sacrament Service
Doctrine and Covenants 87:8
8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.
“The chapel, the stake house, and the temple are sacred as they contribute to the building of the most sacred institution in the Church—the home—and to the blessing of the most sacred relationships in the Church, the family” (President Boyd K Packer, That All May Be Edified, pages 234–35)
Alma 37:6
6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
“...you are . . . surrounded by opportunities for service. . . . Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another.” (Thomas S. Monson, “Three Goals to Guide You,” Ensign, Nov. 2007, 120)
From The Bulletin
Ward Conference Theme:
Alma 37:7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
We talked about the new FamilySearch guide "To Turn the Hearts".
LDS.org -> menu -> serving in the church -> other callings -> temple and
family history -> leader resources
Elders Quorum
We had our first lesson out of "The Teachings of George Albert Smith" manual.
George Albert Smith's health wasn't great while he was prophet.
“‘Mormonism,’ so-called, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, consequently it is the power of God unto salvation to all those who believe and obey its teachings. It is not those who say, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who enjoy the companionship of His spirit but those who do His will [see Luke 6:46].” (George Albert Smith,
In Conference Report, Apr. 1913, 28–29)
“The world seems to think that they can come whenever they are ready. Our Father’s children do not understand that there is some preparation to be made. The adversary has so deceived them as to make them believe that no preparation is necessary, anything will do, but in this message that the Savior gave in a parable to his associates we are informed that there must be some preparation, and without that preparation no one will be permitted to partake of the more precious gifts of our Heavenly Father. That applies to the membership of this Church who have an idea that because they have been invited, and because their names appear upon the record among those who have been called, there is nothing more for them to do. … They have forgotten the Lord and are not preparing for the feast to which he has invited them.” (George Albert Smith, In Conference Report, Oct. 1930, 66–68) [See Matthew 22:1–3, 11–14.]
Sunday School
Father Lehi
1 Nephi 1,2,5,7
“This spiritually powerful, convincing testimony that Jesus Christ is indeed the promised Messiah—the anointed Son of God, sent to earth to bring about the resurrection of all men and the spiritual cleansing of those who will repent and follow Him—is framed within the history of families.
The Book of Mormon begins with a family, a father and mother, sons and daughters heeding the revelation of their prophet-father to leave their worldly goods behind and follow the counsel of the Lord. The book’s accounts are replete with parents seeking to instill in their children the promise and hope of Jesus Christ.” (ELDER NEIL L. ANDERSEN, The Book of Mormon: Strengthening Our Faith in Jesus Christ, Ensign October 2011)
The Lord seems to administer punishments to his people to get them to repent in increasing levels if they do not repent. Afflictions, bondage, captivity, destruction.
Elders Quorum
President Monson priesthood talk from October 2011, “Dare to Stand Alone”
Doctrine and Covenants 121:36
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
“I recently read an article in the New York Times concerning a study which took place during the summer of 2008. A distinguished Notre Dame sociologist led a research team in conducting in-depth interviews with 230 young adults across America.”
...
“The interviewers asked open-ended questions about right and wrong, moral dilemmas and the meaning of life. In the rambling answers, … you see the young people groping to say anything sensible on these matters. But they just don’t have the categories or vocabulary to do so.”
“It is impossible to associate manhood with dishonesty. To be just with one’s self, one must be honest with one’s self and with others. This means honesty in speech as well as in actions. It means to avoid telling half-truths as well as untruths. It means that we are honest in our dealings—in our buying as well as in our selling. It means that an honest debt can never be outlawed, and that a man’s word is better than his bond. It means that we will be honest in our dealings with the Lord, for ‘true honesty takes into account the claims of God as well as those of man; it renders to God the things that are God’s, as well as to man the things that are man’s.’” (President David O McKay, Conference Report, April 1968, pp. 7–8.)
“Some time ago I had occasion to visit with a man from New York City. He has been in the field of finance for many years. His associates are nationwide. During the course of our conversation, he made a remark that has given me much food for thought. He said: ‘Over the years, I have had dealings with many Mormons. I have yet to run into a dishonest one.’
“I countered by saying, ‘If a Mormon truly lives his religion, he must be honest.’ However, I indicated that I was afraid there were some who did not live their religion fully, whereupon he replied, ‘I hope I never have the shattering experience of meeting a dishonest Mormon.’” (Victor L Brown, “The Meaning of Morality”, April 1971 General Conference)
“We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone? . . . It is essential that we are able to face—with courage—whatever challenges come our way.”
“Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. …
“For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord. Some individuals will fall away, but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its Head—even Jesus Christ.
“While this generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time: [it is that] God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest … children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “In His Steps” (Church Educational System fireside, Feb. 8, 1987); see also “In His Steps,” in 1979 Devotional Speeches of the Year: BYU Devotional and Fireside Addresses (1980), 59)
““You cannot afford to do anything that would place a curtain between you and the ministering of angels in your behalf.”
Mosiah 2:41
41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
Sunday School
The instructor gave a course overview much like a college class. He said that the student study guide works as the syllabus. He said that the introduction of the student study guide does not mention using it for Sunday school, but mentions family home evening and other home uses.
He introduced the book of Mormon as the textbook for the year.
He recommended the October 2011 Ensign from last year that was dedicated entirely to the Book of Mormon as a good resource for this year’s class.
Moroni 10:34
34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen.
This is the final exam, when we meet Moroni at the judgement bar of Christ.
The instructor said that President Benson’s talk on The Book of Mormon - Keystone of Our Religion, given October 1986 and referenced in the October 2011 Ensign was especially good.
Doctrine and Covenants 84::section heading, 54-57
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, 22 and 23 September 1832 (see History of the Church,1:286–95). During the month of September, elders had begun to return from their missions in the eastern states and to make reports of their labors. It was while they were together in this season of joy that the following communication was received. The Prophet designated it a revelation on priesthood.
54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because ofunbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
“Has the fact that we have had the Book of Mormon with us for over a century and a half made it seem less significant to us today? Do we remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon? In the Bible we have the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word testament is the English rendering of a Greek word that can also be translated as covenant. Is this what the Lord meant when He called the Book of Mormon the ‘new covenant’? It is indeed another testament or witness of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why we have recently added the words “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to the title of the Book of Mormon.”
…
“...the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. This was the Prophet Joseph Smith’s statement. He testified that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles.
“There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony.” (President Ezra Taft Benson)
Reading is thinking guided by lines and squiggles.
We gain a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet by reading the Book of Mormon. We gain a testimony of Christ by reading the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon was written for our day.
“It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ ( D&C 84:85 ), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance” (President Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, 6; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 7 ).
Sacrament Service
As we set goals and work to fulfill those goals we grow closer to Christ's commandment of "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
Moses 1:39 - God has set forth what his goal is.
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
“I feel that goal-setting is absolutely necessary for happy living. But the goal is only part of the desired procedures. We need to know which roads to take to reach the goal. … [People] need to make commitments with themselves by writing down their goals and keeping a record of the fulfillment of their achievements” (Bishop John H. Vandenberg, in Conference Report, Apr. 1966, 94; or Improvement Era, June 1966, 534).
Goals give us purpose and direction in our life.
Changing the world happens one person at a time.
A smoker cannot quit smoking until he decides he is done smoking and then acts to stop. The same is true for adding good habits. We can not do some good habit until we decide that we are going to do it and take steps to do so.
