2013 book of mormon: chapter 9 (institute lesson by hgellor)

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DOCTRINES AND PRINCIPLES IN THIS LESSON: •The Atonement ransomed all people from the Fall and prepared the way for the righteous to inherit the kingdom of God (see 2 Nephi 9:5–21, 41, 46). •Our attitudes and actions determine whether we receive the full blessings of the Atonement (see 2 Nephi 9:21–54). •When members of the house of Israel believe in Jesus Christ, they are gathered in as His covenant people (see 2 Nephi 10). Chapter 9 2 Nephi 9-10

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Page 1: 2013 Book of Mormon: Chapter 9 (Institute Lesson by hgellor)

DOCTRINES AND PRINCIPLES IN THIS LESSON:

•The Atonement ransomed all people from the Fall and prepared the way for the righteous to inherit the kingdom of God (see 2 Nephi 9:5–21, 41, 46).

•Our attitudes and actions determine whether we receive the full blessings of the Atonement (see 2 Nephi 9:21–54).

•When members of the house of Israel believe in Jesus Christ, they are gathered in as His covenant people (see 2 Nephi 10).

Chapter 9 2 Nephi 9-10

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The Atonement ransomed all people from the Fall and prepared

the way for the righteous to inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Nephi 9:5-21, 41, 462 Nephi 9 is one of the most descriptive chapters on the Atonement in all the scriptures. By studying this chapter, you can gain a deeper knowledge of the doctrine of the Atonement.

CHAPTER HEADING:•Jacob explains that the Jews will be gathered in all their lands of promise•The Atonement ransoms man from the Fall•The bodies of the dead will come forth from the grave, and their spirits from hell and from paradise•They will be judged•The Atonement saves from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment•The righteous are to be saved in the kingdom of God•Penalties for sins are set forth•The Holy One of Israel is the keeper of the gate.

(About 559–545 B.C.)

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2 Nephi 9:7-13, 19

If there were no Atonement, what would happen to our bodies? What would happen to our spirits?

v.7 “…And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.”

v.8 “…if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.”

v.9 “…our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself…”

What does it mean to become as Satan, to be an angel to a devil? Again the scriptures tell us of several unpalatable consequences:

•We would have remained in a lost and fallen state (Mosiah 16:4)•We would remain with the father of lies, in misery (v. 9)•Like the sons of perdition, we would be cast into the lake of fire, or the second death (Rev 20:14)•We would return again to [our] own place (to live in the kingdom of Satan) (DC 88:32)•We must remain filthy (DC 88:35)•We would have a perfect recollection of all our guilt (Alma 11:43)•Our words, works, and thoughts will condemn us (Alma 12:14)•We will not dare to look up to our God (Alma 12:14)•We would be shut out of the presence of God (v. 9)•We would be forced, by the justice of God, to suffer as Christ did (DC 19:17-20)

Because of Christ's great love for us, He partook and finished [His] preparations unto the children of men (DC 19:19) For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that thy might not suffer if they would repent (DC 19:16) Because of His great sacrifice, we do not need to worry about whether the flesh will rise no more. It will-for every person who ever lived on the earth.

gospeldoctrine.com

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What is physical death? What is spiritual death?

v.10 “…this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.”

v.11 “……this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.”

v.12 “…this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell… ”

Death and hell came into the world through the fall of Adam. "Death" refers to physical death, or the separation of the body from the spirit; "hell" refers to spiritual death, or being cast out of the presence of God.

[Why do you think Jacob called physical and spiritual death an “awful monster”?] Both death and hell would have force upon our souls for eternity if it were not for the atonement of Jesus Christ. That is why the Book of Revelation explains that the Savior held the keys of death and hell, I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (Rev 1:18).

gospeldoctrine.com

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How does the Atonement help us overcome physical death and spiritual death?

v.12 “…death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.”

v.11 “…the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again…”

Through the atonement death and hell are overcome. Death is overcome for all who live on the earth. Hell is overcome for all but the sons of perdition (DC 76:43-44). Even those of the telestial kingdom will be redeemed in the due time of the Lord (DC 76:31-44). They also are blessed with the ministration of the Holy Ghost and are therefore not cast out of God's presence forever (DC 76:86). For the sons of perdition, it is a different story. They are cast out of the presence of God to rule with the devil and his angels in eternity (DC 76:44).

So, for all but the most wicked-because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received (DC 88:32)-mankind is saved from the grips of that awful monster.

gospeldoctrine.com

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2 Nephi 9:12-16, 41, 46

Who will make the final judgment on us? (See also John 5:22.)

v.41 “…the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.”

gospeldoctrine.com

There is no way into the celestial kingdom except through gate made available by the atonement of Jesus Christ. He is the keeper of the gate. He will only open the gate to those who knock, And whoso knocketh, to him will he open (v. 42).

Brigham Young

"Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell." (Discourses of Brigham Young, compiled by John A. Widstoe, p. 416)

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How will the wicked respond when they are judged?

v.46 “…that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.”

Jacob taught that in a sense we will also judge ourselves, for at the judgment, “we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness” (2 Ne. 9:14). He further explained that because we will have such knowledge at the judgment bar, we will know what our reward or punishment should be, and accept it as just: [2 Ne 9:46]

Apparently none of us will be taken away from the judgment bar protesting, “It’s unfair! I demand a retrial! I want to appeal!” There will be no such nonsense. Rather, “every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are just” (Mosiah 16:1).

The Final Judgment, Terry B. Ball, https://rsc.byu.edu/

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2 Nephi 9:5-7

How are death and resurrection essential elements of God’s plan?

v.5 “…it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.”

v.6 “For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.”

gospeldoctrine.com

2 Ne 9:5 he suffereth himself to become subject unto man...that all men might become subject unto him

It is amazing to Jacob and Nephi that the being they know as Jehovah, the creator of the heavens and the earth, will be subject to Jewish and Roman political authority. There is a tone of incredulity in Nephi's statement, The Son of the everlasting god was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record (1 Ne 11:32). The events near the end of the Savior's life reflect the fact that He had power over those who became his judges in mortality. He said to Pilate, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above (Jn 19:11). Of his power over death, Christ said, I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again (Jn 10:18). Therefore, the Jewish and Roman authorities would have had no power to take the life of Jesus Christ unless he allowed them to. He was the One who was to lay his own life down, that all men might become subject unto him.

Only by submitting to the powers of demons and death and hell could he, in the resurrection, serve as our exemplar of a saved being, one who had placed all things beneath his feet. 'I am Alpha and Omega,' he said, 'Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he, the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world. I, having accomplished and finished the will of him whose I am, even the Father, concerning me-having done this that I might subdue all things unto myself-retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of the world, and the last great day of judgment.' (D&C 19:1-2.)" (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 234)

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What is the “first judgment”? How does the Atonement overcome its effects?

2 Nephi 9:7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

The fall of Adam brought death into the world. The atonement must be infinite in that it must conquer death for all of Adam's children. In a more profound sense, it must pay the price for those sins which are committed by the followers of Christ. Those that exercise faith in him are given the promise of forgiveness of sins. How can one count the number of those sins? The infinite atonement means that no matter how many sins need forgiving, no matter how many people turn to the Lord as their Savior, no matter how many mistakes we make, there will never come a point when the redemptive power of the atonement runs out. There is no limit to the power of the atonement to save souls. There is no limit to the number of souls who can receive eternal life through the name of the Only-Begotten. There is no limit to the number of sins a person commits before the Lord says, "I'm sorry, that is one too many!"

This concept is one of the unfathomable truths of God's merciful plan. A mortal trying to fully comprehend the power of the atonement is like a mortal trying to comprehend the concept of eternity, the concept of an infinite amount of matter, in an infinite expanse of space, with an infinite number of kingdoms. Someday maybe we will be able to comprehend in full.

The phrase “the first judgment which came upon man” refers to the consequences of the Fall of Adam and Eve. The term corruption refers to the mortal body because it is imperfect and will eventually die. The term incorruption refers to the resurrected body, which will live forever.

gospeldoctrine.com

Book of Mormon Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students, (2012), 55–58

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2 Nephi 9:16-21

What are some of the blessings promised to the righteous through the Atonement?

v.18 “…they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, andtheir joy shall be full forever.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles suggested a meaning for the word crosses:

“What are the ‘crosses of the world’? We cannot be sure, but the imagery suggests the bearing of a cross placed upon us by the world, as Jesus did; there may be persecutors and unhelpful onlookers, and the Church member is set apart (if not set upon), yet he does not flinch when accused and scoffed at by those who would make him ashamed, for he has no real reason to be ashamed” (Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward [1977], 110).

“…the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it”

Jacob taught that Jesus Christ suffered the pains of all people. How does this truth affect your feelings about the Savior? How has this truth influenced your life?

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Our attitudes and actions determine whether we receive

the full blessings of the Atonement. 2 Nephi 9:21-54Jacob’s teachings in 2 Nephi 9 help us understand how our attitudes and actions affect our ability to receive all the blessings of the Atonement. Some attitudes and actions help us come unto Christ, while others prevent us from coming unto Him.

ACTIVITY

PAIRS

Read 2 Nephi 9:21-54

Fold your papers in half. On one half of the paper, have write Distancing Ourselves from Christ. On the other half, have them write Coming unto Christ. List the attitudes and actions from those verses that fall into these two categories

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2 Nephi 923 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

24 And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.

27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

How do the principles and ordinances relate to our ability to receive the blessings of the Atonement?

What do you think it means to waste the days of our probation?

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2 Nephi 928 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

How can we apply the counsel in verses 28–29 as we seek to learn and gain an education?

How can we apply the counsel in verse 30 as we seek to support ourselves and our families?

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2 Nephi 942 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.

31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish.

32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also.

Why do we need to see ourselves as “fools before God”?

What do you think it means to be deaf or blind? What can we do to open our spiritual ears and eyes?

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2 Nephi 9

37 Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them.

39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.

What are some modern examples of idol worship? Why do you think the devil “delighteth” in idol worship?

What do you think it means to be “carnally-minded”? How does this attitude prevent us from coming unto Christ? What do you think it means to be “spiritually-minded”? How does this attitude help us come unto Him?

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2 Nephi 950 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

How do these words relate to our efforts to come unto Christ?

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When members of the house of Israel believe in Jesus Christ,

they are gathered in as His covenant people. 2 Nephi 10

Having taught about personal, individual redemption (see 2 Nephi 9), Jacob concluded his sermon. He told the people that he would “declare unto [them] the remainder of [his] words” the next day (2 Nephi 9:54). When he taught the people again, he returned to the subject he had taught at the beginning of his first sermon: the redemption of the house of Israel. He spoke of the future of the Jews in Jerusalem, of his people, and of the Gentiles who would live in the Americas. This chapter also helps introduce the writings of Isaiah contained in 2 Nephi 12–24.

Jacob made it clear that iniquity led to the scattering of the Jews (see 2 Nephi 10:6). Similarly, he emphasized the order of the gathering. The Jews, he declared, will be gathered “when the day cometh that they shall believe in [Christ]” (verse 7; italics added). Elder Bruce R. McConkie clarified the reasons the scattering and gathering of all the tribes of Israel are first spiritual and second physical:

“Why was Israel scattered? The answer is clear; it is plain; of it there is no doubt. Our Israelite forebears were scattered because they rejected the gospel, defiled the priesthood, forsook the church, and departed from the kingdom. They were scattered because they turned from the Lord, worshipped false gods, and walked in all the ways of the heathen nations. They were scattered because they forsook the Abrahamic covenant, trampled under their feet the holy ordinances, and rejected the Lord Jehovah, who is the Lord Jesus, of whom all their prophets testified. Israel was scattered for apostasy. …

“What, then, is involved in the gathering of Israel? The gathering of Israel consists in believing and accepting and living in harmony with all that the Lord once offered his ancient chosen people. It consists of having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, of repenting, of being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of keeping the commandments of God. It consists of believing the gospel, joining the Church, and coming into the kingdom. … And it may also consist of assembling to an appointed place or land of worship” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 515).

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2 Nephi 103 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.

4 For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.

5 But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.

6 Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations.

What would lead to the scattering of Israel after the Savior’s ministry?

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2 Nephi 107 But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.

8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.

What must happen among the members of the house of Israel before they will be able to return to the lands of their inheritance?

What role do full-time missionaries play in gathering Israel?

What can we do to help gather Israel?

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Jacob continued to describe many events that would surround the latter-day gathering of Israel.

ACTIVITYPAIRS

Read each reference from 2 Nephi 10 individually and summarize Jacob’s teachings in YOUR OWN WORDS. Hindi copy-paste, okey?

PAIR #1: verse 8

PAIR #2: verse 9

PAIR #3: verses 10–12

PAIR #4: verses 13–16

PAIR #5: verse 17

PAIR #6: verses 18–19

PAIR #7: verses 20–22

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“The sufferings of Israel have been but necessary chastening by a grieved yet loving Father, who planned by these effective means to purify His sin-stained children. …Though smitten of men, a large part of them gone from a knowledge of the world, Israel are not lost unto their God. He knows whither they have been led or driven; toward them His heart still yearns with paternal love; and surely will He bring them forth, in due time and by appointed means, into a condition of blessing and influence befitting His covenant people. In spite of their sin and notwithstanding the tribulations that they were bringing upon themselves, the Lord said: ‘And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: I am the Lord their God.’ As complete as was the scattering, so shall be the gathering of Israel” (Talmage, Articles of Faith, 328–29).

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2 Nephi 1022 For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.

23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.

24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

25 Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.