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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: Render to Caeser the Things Which Are Caeser’s

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When the Pharisees sought to lay a trap for Jesus, they asked Him whether they should pay taxes to the Romans. If He said yes, they would claim that He supported the much-hated Romans who domineered the nation; if He said no, they could report Him to the authorities as stirring up rebellion. Christ replied instead that we should “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” In the course of the lesson He taught, Jesus displayed a Roman penny, which bore the head of Caesar upon it. He used this … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “Give ye them to eat”

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Circumstances did not allow for posting these lessons the weeks they were completed. However, it is my hope that you will still be able to take something from them. Today’s posts address lesson 12, “I Am the Bread of Life.” As I studied the miracle of the loaves and fishes for this week’s Sunday school lesson, I was touched by one important factor: who distributed the meal. Although most lessons seem to focus on the miracle itself, or the relationship to the Savior as the bread of life, I confess that this small technical detail intrigued me. Turn with me … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Sermon on the Mount Audience

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As they Savior traveled and ministered, two basic groups accompanied Him. Each group was composed of individuals, motivated by their own purposes. When Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount, he addressed one portion to one group, and another to the other. The first group was “the multitude,” and was composed of several different types of people. Some sought after the man from Galilee. Some saw the crowd and wandered in. Some sought to challenge and criticize. Some took the teachings they heard home with them and applied them to their lives. Some followed for several days, seeking to hear … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Wandering Through the World

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As disciples of Christ, we must seek to put Him and His kingdom first. This becomes clear as we study Matthew 6:22-23 and 7:13-14. In the first section, we are told to keep our eye single to the glory of God, and in the section we are reminded of the narrow gate and the strait path we must follow to return to His presence. It becomes clear as we study these four verses that the presence of God is not something we can just “wander” into. First, let’s look at the verses in chapter 6. Make sure you take note … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Pride and Charity

This week’s Sunday School lesson, appropriately titled “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God”, contains the remainder of the Savior’s Sermon on the Mount. As I studied the first few verses, I was reminded to check the motivations for many of my actions. The Savior begins by teaching His disciples to take heed not to give alms to the poor in order to receive recognition or riches from other men. If we do seek earthly recognition, we forfeit our Heavenly reward. Similarly, we are taught not to pray in order to be seen by men, but to be seen by … Continue reading →

Are You a Disciple of Christ?

On Sunday the Sacrament meeting talks in my ward were based on discipleship. This was a very interesting topic. I had not given a lot of thought to it lately. It really made me think about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. It made me think about what I needed to do in order to become a disciple of Christ. The first two talks focused on following Christ’s example by considering what Jesus would want us to do in each situation. They pointed out that the Greek root means pupil. So in essence if we are to … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: An Overview of the Sermon on the Mount

This week, we’re reviewing the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5. I’m actually going to do an overview of the lesson today, as I have been asked to substitute teach for the class on Sunday. So for today, you get a generalized summary, which we’ll flesh out as the week progresses. First, I would like to take a look at the importance of the Sermon. It is repeated in part in Luke, although not identical. However, the importance is illustrated by the fact that the Savior repeated almost an identical sermon to the Nephites after He … Continue reading →

Dinner Discussions 2007 Week 6

This week the dinner discussions are based on lesson 6 in most of the manuals. It is important to remember to keep the discussions upbeat and positive. It is a great way to reinforce the principles your children are learning at church. If you have a child in nursery or Sunbeams, he learned that Heavenly Father and Jesus loves him. The lesson talked about the blessing that Heavenly Father and Jesus give us. It also shared the stories of Jesus spending time with the children in the New Testament and Jesus blessing the Nephite children in the Book of Mormon. … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Great Physician

Preparing for Sunday’s lesson, I read the remainder of Luke 5. Several things that stood out to me, but I’d like to focus today on the need for a physician. Christ, of course, is the great and eternal physician, and while He healed many physical ailments, He primarily heals the soul. The discussion begins because Christ interacts with the publican, Levi. When He beckons the man to “Follow me”, Levi demonstrates the faith of the disciples: “he left all, rose up, and followed him” (verse 28). Thus we see this was a man of great faith who had been touched … Continue reading →