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But If Not

Have you read the talk by Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy titled, But if Not? I was prompted to go look it up and read it after our lesson in Gospel Doctrine a couple of Sundays ago. It is a great talk, and I highly recommend reading it. The Old Testament is not my favorite. But, through studying it this year, I’ve learned some valuable lessons from those prophets of old. We talked about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. I was very sleepy during the lesson, and had a hard time listening (I know everyone has those days), but … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “I Know in Whom I Have Trusted”

Today’s scripture references are 2 Nephi chapters 3-5. There are some amazing things to be learned about these chapters. In 2 Nephi 3, we see Lehi speaking to his son Joseph and prophesying about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Father Lehi saw Joseph Smith in vision. He knew Joseph Smith’s name, telling his own son, Joseph, that the man who would bring forth the Book of Mormon would bear the same name. He also knew that Joseph Smith’s father would also be named Joseph. Our Gospel Doctrine teacher speculated that Joseph Smith must have felt overwhelmed to … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life”

Our Gospel Doctrine lesson this last Sunday was entitled “Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life,” as found in 2 Nephi 1-2. Another recommended reading source for this lesson is Moses 5:10-12. 2 Nephi chapter one contains advice from Father Lehi given to his sons shortly before his death. He makes promises to them, predicated on their righteous obedience. However, the Lord does not force us to do anything – we may choose for ourselves to accept those conditions and receive those blessings, or to disregard the conditions and see what happens instead. In chapter two, look for the words … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Things I Saw While I Was Carried Away in the Spirit

Our Gospel Doctrine lesson for last week focused on chapters 12-14 of the Book of Mormon, which is the record of the vision Nephi had when he inquired of the Lord to know the meaning of his father’s dream. Chapter twelve specifically deals with the symbolism found in the vision of the Tree of Life, which we know is an allegory of the importance of holding on to the word of God and coming unto Christ, ignoring the pressures of the world and the temptations that swirl up to pull us off the path. In chapter thirteen, we see that … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Keystone of Our Religion

I apologize for being a bit behind with the lessons for this year – sickness has kept me from attending church regularly so now I’m playing a little bit of catch-up. Our area of study in Gospel Doctrine class this year is the Book of Mormon, and the first lesson for the year was entitled “The Keystone of Our Religion.” The scripture references for this lesson are: 1 Nephi 13:38—41, 19:23 2 Nephi 25:21—22, 27:22, 29:6—9 Mormon 8:26—41 Ether 5:2—4 Moroni 1:4, 10:3—5 Doctrine and Covenants 10:45—46, 20:8—12, 84:54—58 Introduction to the Book of Mormon We have been told that … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Pure Religion

The lesson this week was taken from the book of James in the Bible and is focused on the topic of pure religion as defined in James 1:27: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. When we read the part about visiting the fatherless and the widows, this of course brings to mind the qualities of charity and compassion. This is pure religion indeed, to be the hands of the Lord on earth, to serve them as He would … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Resurrected Body of Christ

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Many Christians think of Jesus as a spiritual creature, existing without a body. Of all of the references to Christ’s resurrected, physical body, the scriptures of the New Testament are some of the clearest. Here, He shows His disciples without a shadow of a doubt that, following death, He took up again His physical body. Luke 24 shows the best record of this. As the disciples sat puzzling over the events of the preceding day, the Savior appeared to them. In verse 37, we see that the disciples responded with terror, thinking that Jesus was not a man but a … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Doubting Thomas

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Usually, when we think of those who did not walk in faith, our minds turn to the disciple Thomas. He proclaimed, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) However, as I reread the scriptures today, I saw other disciples who were equally doubtful – in fact, all of them! When Mary and the other women left the tomb, they ran to the apostles – to those who served most closely with Christ! … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Witnesses of the Resurrected Lord

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Various witnesses who saw Jesus in His resurrected state. First among them were Mary Magdalene and other women who had come to the tomb to anoint His body for burial. Next were the Apostles of Christ. Their testimonies teach us of Christ, and we, in turn, bear our testimonies to teach others. In the beginning of the first three chapters we read for class this week – Matthew 28, Luke 24, and John 20 – we learn that several women ventured to the tomb to prepare Christ’s body. There, the find not their deceased friend Jesus, but two angels who … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: What Christ’s Resurrection Means to Each of Us

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This week’s Gospel Doctrine lesson discusses the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As we ponder this topic, I would first like to address what this significant event means to each and every one of us. Like the Atonement, the events that occurred on the first day of the week many years ago did not affect only the Savior. When He reunited His body and His spirit, He made it possible for each and every one of us to do so likewise. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, Jesus is called “the firstfruits” of those risen from the dead. Similarly, … Continue reading →