I SPEAK UNTO YOU AS IF YE WERE PRESENT

Gospel Doctrine Book of Mormon Lesson 44 Mormon 7-9

INTRODUCTION➤ ATOT: dropping Jack at his first day of high

school. I tried to cram the core social rules into our 10 min commute.

➤ Chapters 7-9 cover the transition from Father to Son. We can learn from what they chose to include in this final chapters.

➤ Background on Mormon & Moroni

➤ Around 400 yrs after Christ

➤ Mormon was a young military general (311-385 AD)

➤ Abridged the large plates of Nephi

➤ He’s slain along with most of the Nephite nation

➤ Moroni was the last Nephite prophet

➤ He was a prophet to us, Mormon 8:35

MORMON EXHORTS THE LATTER-DAY DESCENDANTS OF LEHI TO REPENT, BELIEVE IN CHRIST, AND BE BAPTIZED

➤ Mor 7:1-2, Who are the remnant? The surviving Lamanties and their latter-day descendants (people of North, Central and South America, Pacific Islands)

➤ Why does he state their lineage (it’s not written as a question, it’s a declaration)?

➤ ATOT: Teaching the Old Testament

➤ Is it fair that God has a ‘chosen people’, Amos 3:2?

➤ Elder Russel M. Nelson, it is more than a blessing, it entails bearing a burden…

➤ “God’s grading is always upward. If He raises up a nation, it is that other nations may be raised up through his ministry. If He exalts a great man, an apostle of liberty or science or faith, it is that He might raise a degraded people to a better condition. The divine selection is not [alone] a prize, a compliment paid to the man or the race – it is a burden imposed. To appoint a Chosen people is not a pandering to the racial vanity of a ‘superior people,’ it is a yoke bound upon the necks of those who are chosen for a special service.” In short, the Lord hath made [Israel] great for what He is going to make Israel do.”

➤ How is that like our callings today?

MORMON EXHORTS THE LATTER-DAY DESCENDANTS OF LEHI TO REPENT, BELIEVE IN CHRIST, AND BE BAPTIZED

➤ Mormon 7:3-7 (summarize) ➤ What else must they ‘know’?

➤ Repent, believe, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost

➤ Lay down weapons

➤ Come to knowledge of their ancestors ➤ Believe in Jesus Christ & the Atonement

➤ Mormon 7:8-9,

➤ They must study the Book of Mormon & Bible

➤ A study of one will build a testimony of the other

➤ Have you seen that happen? ➤ Why is it wrong to only study the Book of Mormon if it is the most

correct?

MORONI PROPHESIES THAT THE BOOK OF MORMON WILL COME FORTH IN A DAY OF GREAT WICKEDNESS

➤ Chapter 8 is Moroni’s first writings after the death of his father

➤ What would Moroni’s life have been like? Women and children were sacrificed, no one believed as he did, everyone he knows dies (likely in brutal ways)

➤ Why is loneliness such a heavy burden?

➤ ATOT: Alta high lunch room

➤ Jeffrey R. Holland

➤ “Following this dismaying decline of Nephite civilization documented by his father, Moroni picked up the recorder’s task, but he did not write to any living audience. Rather, he directed his final testimony—in fact, three final testimonies—to those who would receive the record in the last days...Moroni's experience was painful, for he observed in life, in history, and in vision the pollution and destruction of three glorious civilizations—his own Nephite world, the Jaredite nation, and our latter-day dispensation.” (Christ And The New Covenant, p. 323))

MORONI PROPHESIES THAT THE BOOK OF MORMON WILL COME FORTH IN A DAY OF GREAT WICKEDNESS

➤ What types of loneliness is he struggling with? Can you relate?

➤ Mormon 8:2-3, No hope of escape, no immunity (like the 3 Nephites)

➤ Mormon 8:4, No feeling of immediate purpose

➤ Mormon 8:5, No family or friends, no way to write, no revelation from God about how long his trial will be

➤ It’s been 16 years since Cumorah, He’ll live at least 21 more

➤ Mormon 8:8-10, No believers to comfort him

➤ How did he combat the loneliness?

➤ Mormon 8:11 (memories, testimony)

➤ Mormon 8:16, 22 (future purpose)

➤ How can we apply that to our time? How can we use memories, testimony and purpose to help us combat loneliness?

MORONI’S PROPHESIES ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF THE WORLD WHEN THE BOOK OF MORMON COMES FORTH

➤ Mormon 8:26-33 cover some of the signs of the times when the Book of Mormon shall come forth. How many can you point to in the headlines from this week?

➤ 8:26, miracles are done away

➤ 8:27, secret combinations

➤ 8:28, power of God is done away, pride, envying

➤ 8:29-30, wars, earthquakes, vapors of smoke

➤ 8:31, pollutions, murder, robbing, lying, whoredoms

➤ 8:32-33, sin is pardoned for price, doctrine is changed

➤ 8:36-37, pride

➤ 8:38-39, notice not the poor

➤ How does pride impact how we see the poor/needy?

➤ How should we see them? Jacob 2:17

HOW DO WE COMBAT PRIDE?

➤ Ezra Taft Benson

“The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness (see Alma 7:23). It is the broken heart and contrite spirit. God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble. …Let us choose to be humble” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 6; or Ensign, May 1989, 6).

➤ How do you think Moroni felt about his master work coming forth at this time?

➤ Do you think his solitary life made him more emphatic to Joseph when he visited?

MORONI EXHORTS PEOPLE IN THE LAST DAYS TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST

➤ Moroni likely thought this would be the final chapter in the Book of Mormon.

➤ Mormon 9:1, 3-4, Why would we be more miserable to dwell with God than to dwell in hell?

➤ ATOT: Going to the advanced math class at BYU

➤ Mormon 9:5, Why is being exposed so uncomfortable to us?

➤ Joseph Smith “The torment of disappointment in the mind of a man is as exquisite as a lake during with fire and brimstone.”

➤ Mormon 9:7-10

➤ We often agree that those things exist. We just don’t believe they can exist in us.

➤ We believe that the Lord saved the Israelites and that he forgave the woman taken in adultery. We just don’t believe he will do it for us. Why?

➤ ATOT: Becoming frustrated with revelation. I believed others experienced it, I just couldn’t see it in myself. Over years of study and work, I’ve come to my own knowledge about the Spirit. It teaches me slowly and builds up over time.

➤ D&C 121:45: How does dew appear? Slowly, imperceptibly, until it covers everything

MORONI TEACHES ABOUT MIRACLES➤ Mormon 9:11-17 (summarize) Covers the plan of redemption

➤ Watch for capitalization. Lowercase ‘g’ for false statements. Uppercase ‘G’ for true statements.

➤ Which miracles are outlined here?

➤ The creation of heavens, earth & mankind (11, 12, 17)

➤ Redemption through Jesus Christ (12, 13)

➤ Resurrection of all people (13)

➤ The return of all to the Lord’s presence to be judged (13-14)

➤ Mormon 9:18-19, What does unchangeable being mean?

➤ Bruce R. McConkie

➤ ”A Holy Being who was God yesterday remains as God today and will continue in the same exalted state tomorrow. The course of the Gods is one eternal round; it does not vary. They are now as they were then, and they shall yet be as they have ever been. If it were not so they would not be exalted, for exaltation consists in being the same unchangeable being from everlasting to everlasting." (The Mortal Messiah, 1:27-28)

MORONI TEACHES ABOUT MIRACLES

➤ Mormon 9:20, Why does he stop performing miracles to some? Unbelief.

➤ Faith is a prerequisite, not a result (sign seeking)

➤ Liahona example: Alma 37:40

➤ Mormon 9:21, 25 (this is the miracle)

➤ 9:21, Is it possible for us to ‘doubt nothing’?

➤ ATOT: Working with Dr. Ott. I didn’t understand his reasoning but I had total faith in his knowledge.

➤ 9:25, If we doubt nothing, why do we need confirmation?

➤ ATOT: I never would have believed that walking after surgery would be beneficial, but I didn’t doubt. Then I saw the results with my own eyes. It confirmed my faith and made it stronger.

MORONI TEACHES ABOUT BUILDING FAITH➤ Mormon 9:27

➤ 5 steps to building a doubt-resistant soul

➤ Hearken unto the words of the Lord (through prophets & scripture)

➤ Ask! (be proactive, be creative)

➤ Be believing (don’t question your faith)

➤ Come with all your heart (set aside all pride and sin)

➤ Work out your own salvation (engage in the wrestle - Sheri Dew)

➤ Dieter F. Uchdorf, Oct 2015 Conference

“Satan, our adversary, wants us to fail…He slyly suggests that the doubter, the skeptic, the cynic is sophisticated and intelligent, while those who have faith in God and His miracles are naive, blind, or brainwashed. Satan will advocate that it is cool to doubt spiritual gifts and the teachings of true prophets. …

I wish I could help everyone to understand this one simple fact: we believe in God because of things we know with our heart and mind, not because of things we do not know. Our spiritual experiences are sometimes too sacred to explain in worldly terms, but that doesn’t mean they are not real. Brethren, let me be clear: there is nothing noble or impressive about being cynical. Skepticism is easy—anyone can do it. It is the faithful life that requires moral strength, dedication, and courage. Those who hold fast to faith are far more impressive than those who give in to doubt when mysterious questions or concerns arise. …”

CONCLUSION➤ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Because of our belief, we will never hunger, never thirst. The gifts of God’s grace will enable us to be true to our faith and will fill our soul like “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” We will experience true and lasting joy.”

➤ John 6:35, I am the bread of life

➤ How has your faith filled you? How does it sustain you?

➤ If you don’t feel it, what can you do? Alma 32:27

➤ Testimony