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Press Forward with Steadfastness

Press Forward with Steadfastness. 2 Ne 33:9 The path.

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Press Forward with Steadfastness

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  1. Press Forward with Steadfastness

  2. 2 Ne 33:9The path • In the Book of Mormon, Nephi is the primary user of the word path. In its singular form, the word appears in only thirteen verses, and eleven of those were written by Nephi. In one important instance, he refers to the Savior and the path in the same sentence. In comments meant for people of the latter days, he says, “But behold, for none … can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation” (2 Ne. 33:9). • C. Max Caldwell, “The Path That Leads to Christ,” Ensign, Apr. 1996, 27

  3. 2 Ne 31:1-2, 21Thesis Statement • The Doctrine of Christ

  4. 2 Ne 31:2-3How will Nephi teach?

  5. 2 Ne 31:10-13,16-17,19“Follow the Son” repeated… • We are counseled to follow him: • by keeping the commandments (vs. 10), • by doing the things he has done (vs. 12) • Follow him with “full purpose of heart,” without hypocrisy and deception, but with “real intent” (vs. 13) • Repenting (vs 13) • follow him into the waters of baptism (vs. 13) • endure to the end in following his example (vs. 16) Ted Gibbons, LDS Living, BOM #11

  6. 2 Ne 31:13What do we learn about following? • Full purpose of heart • Act without hypocrisy or deception • Real intent • Repenting of sins Chieko N Okazaki, The Gift of the Atonement, 113

  7. I beg you to open the door and let him out of that room. give him your whole heart, all the pieces, and let him heal you. He promises, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all of your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13.) With all our hearts. That means we don't have pieces of our hearts that he doesn't touch or that aren't relevant to him. • He's not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people do not need a Savior. He came to save us in our imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living makes mistakes. He's not embarrassed by us, angry at us, or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and our grief. • Open the Door, Chieko Okazaki,

  8. 2 Ne 31:5-9Why was Christ baptized? • To fulfill all righteousness • To fulfill all righteousness is “to fulfill the law” – Joseph F Smith, CR 1912

  9. 2 Ne 31:5-9Why was Christ baptized? • To fulfill all righteousness (the law) • 1. He humbled himself before the Father • 2. He covenanted to be obedient and keep the Father’s commandments • 3. He entered the gate necessary to gain admission to the celestial kingdom • 4. He set an example for all men to follow.

  10. Why are we baptized?2 Ne 31:13-17; D&C 20:37,71-74 • To receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (2 Nephi 31:13). • To receive a remission of sins (2 Nephi 31:17). • To enter the gate for the path to eternal life (2 Nephi 31:17). • To receive membership in the Lord’s Church (D&C 20:37, 71–74).

  11. 2 Ne 31:17-18,13After we follow Him in baptism… • Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost • What does the Holy Ghost do for us?

  12. 2 Ne 31:17Remission of sins • The Holy Ghost is a sanctifier (Alma 13:12,3; 3 Ne 27 19-20). The ordinance of baptism consists of two parts: the baptism of water and the baptism of fire or the Holy Ghost (John 3:3-5). The Holy Ghost is the sanctifying medium by which one’s sins - after the outward ordinances – may be purged, as though by fire. • R Millet and JF McConkie, DCBOM 1:366

  13. 2 Ne 31:18Testifies of the Father and the Son

  14. Speak with the tongue of angels?2 Ne 31:13; 32:2-3,5 Speak the Words of Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost Receive the Holy Ghost Speak with the tongue of angels They will tell you and show you all things what ye should do Feast upon the words

  15. 2 Ne 32:3Where do we find the words of Christ? • scriptures contain the words of Christ inasmuch as they are the words of "holy men of God [who] spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21). • When the Lord's servants speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, their words represent the "will, . . . mind, . . . word, . . . [and] voice" of the Lord himself (D&C 68:1-4). • Personal inspiration is a third important source of the words of Christ. Nephi makes clear that "if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do" (32:5). • Feasting on the word of Christ, then, includes drinking deeply from the scriptures and the inspired words of the Lord's servants, and receiving personal revelation. • Larry Dahl, 2nd Nephi the Doctrinal Structure, 370

  16. What does it mean to "speak with the tongue of angels"? • "Of all the best gifts, perhaps none is to be sought more earnestly than the ability to speak with the tongue of angels. Success in many callings depends in large measure upon the convincing power of voice and word. Without the tongue of angels, the servants of God are just ordinary men and women; but, armed with the Spirit and the words of Christ, they become "like unto angels" and teach persuasively and powerfully“ • (Carlos E. Asay, In the Lord's Service, 172).

  17. If you had to select an eating verb to describe your relationship with the scriptures, what verb would you pick? • Would it be feast? • How about dinner? • Snack? • Nibble? • Anorexia?

  18. Feast • “We need to feast upon the words of Christ in the scriptures and as these words come to us from living prophets. Just nibbling occasionally will not do. (See 2 Nephi 31:20 and 2 Nephi 32:3.) Feasting means partaking with relish and delight and savoring—not gorging episodically in heedless hunger, but partaking gratefully, dining with delight, at a sumptuous spread carefully and lovingly prepared … over the centuries” • Neal A Maxwell (Wherefore Ye Must Press Forward [1977], 28).

  19. 2 Ne 32:6-7Why no more doctrine? • Because the people had refused to pray. Because they had hardened their hearts, even in his (Nephi’s) day. Therefore the Lord closed his mouth, and said, there shall be no more doctrine till Christ comes, so far as you are concerned, and I cannot say more, because the Lord won’t permit it…Now that applies in our day. We have members of the church to whom this ought to be read. • Joseph Fielding Smith, CR Oct 1919, 145-156

  20. The Holy Ghost • 31:17 remission of sins by fire • 31:18 witnesses of the Father and the son • 31:5 show unto you all things what ye should do

  21. Holy Ghost 32:5 • “The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a ‘still small voice’ ” • Boyd K Packer, (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60).

  22. 2 Ne 31:19Rely wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save How did you get this far? • [The Atonement of Christ] is the very root of Christian doctrine. You may know much about the gospel as it branches out from there, but if you only know the branches and those branches do not touch that root, if they have been cut free from that truth, there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them. • [Boyd K. Packer, “The Mediator,” Ensign, May 1977, 56]

  23. Rely wholly on Christ • We are like a powerhouse on a mighty river. The powerhouse has no power residing in itself; the potential power rests in the energy of the river. When that source of power flows through the generators of the powerplant, power is transferred from the river to the power plant and sent out into the homes (lives) of others. So it is with faith. The power to achieve justification (to be made innocent, free from sin) does not reside in man. Man requires the power of the atonement of Christ flowing into him. If no power is being generated, one does not - indeed, cannot – turn the generators by hand (justification by works) but rather, an effort is made to remove those things which have blocked the power from flowing into the generators (working righteousness as a result of faith) • Gerald N Lund, Salvation: By Grace or by Works? Ensign Apr 1981, 23

  24. 2 Ne 31:19-21Question: Now what?And what is the promise? • Endure to the end • Press forward • Steadfastness in Christ • Perfect brightness of hope Nearly thirty other passages from the standard works refer to this promise. Stephen E Robinson, Ensign, Oct 1993,12

  25. Endure what, and how? And when is the end? • To suffer - Affliction • To last • to continue • To remain • To keep covenants • Endurance is not so much a matter of stamina as it is a matter of loyalty ad integrity. Story decide every day - Stephen E Robinson, Ensign, Oct 1993,12

  26. Press Forward • Pressing forward” implies resistance. The scripture doesn’t say walk forward, or move forward, or simply proceed forward. It says press forward. In order to do this you must have a vision of where you are going. The Holy Ghost will help you remain steadfast, and your testimony of the Savior will help you proceed with a perfect brightness of hope. • Elaine S Dalton, Ensign, May 2003, 105

  27. 1 Ne 13:37Endure and be lifted up • Don’t get out of the boat • No waters can swallow the ship where lies the master of ocean and earth and skies Hymn #105 Russell M Nelson, Ensign, May 1997, 70

  28. I’m active…Steadfast in Christ? • Enduring to the end is more than just “being active” in the Church. Enduring to the end requires a personal awareness of obligations made to the Savior and a personal determination to keep those covenants faithfully. While the term “being active” describes visible behavior, “enduring faithful to the end” describes an inner commitment to the gospel and to the church of Jesus Christ. Stephen E Robinson, Ensign, Oct 1993,12

  29. Perfect brightness of hope • When we press forward with steadfastness in Christ with a perfect brightness of hope, our lives have meaning. We begin not only to look but also to see, not only to touch, but also to feel, not only to talk, but also to communicate. Our otherwise routine activities can become an offering on the altar of god. We don’t just serve, we nurture. We don’t just take a loaf of bread, we share the bread of life. We’re not just teaching a class, we’re changing a life. Our gospel study is not to just know about Him but to know Him and strive to become like Him, filled with the love of God. Our lives have meaning and purpose. • Ardeth Kapp, BYU Women’s Conf, 2000

  30. Matt 24:9-13Three enemies of endurance: • Affliction • Bear the pain of trials, Hosea Stout “My family then consisted of eight members, and now but two.”, Ardeth Kapp’s mother • Deceptions • substitute programs, alternative voices, the church is still true. It’s not anemic; it doestn’t need supplements. It’s not true if, and it’s not true but, and it’s not true except. It’s just true! • More or less, obsessive fanatics • Iniquity • Satan tries to buy your loyalty with sin, Take the money and run Story - Stephen E Robinson, Ensign, Oct 1993,12

  31. More than one way … • There will be hailstorms and crop failures in our lives and in our families. Things don’t always turn out the way we plan. But don’t ever let what you haven’t done put in question all the good you have done and are doing. A hailstorm may destroy the crops, but with faith in God, I solemnly testify it need not prevent a rich harvest. • Ardeth Kapp, BYU Women’s conf, 2000

  32. Repentance • Happily, failing to endure is not a sin one commits once and for all time. While we remain in mortality, we always have the option of repentance. Not long ago, I met a former student who had lost his membership as a result of repeated willful iniquity. He said that he wanted to straighten his life out. Is asked him if he had a testimony, and he said no, he didn’t. Surprised, I asked him why he wanted to repent and regain his membership if he didn’t have a testimony. I will never forget his answer: “I don’t know right now that the Church is true, but I know that I once knew, and I know God knows I once knew. The church didn’t change between then and now – I did. And now I want to know again what I knew before, and I am willing to repent to do it.” Story - Stephen E Robinson, Ensign, Oct 1993,12

  33. An Overview of the Doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi • 1. Approaching the task "with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent" (31:13). • 2. Seeking understanding, to be "brought into the light," through prayer and effort (32:4, 8, 9). • 3. "Repenting of your sins" (31:13). • 4. Being "willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water" (31:13). • 5. Receiving "the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost" (31:13). • 6. Pressing "forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men [and] feasting upon the word of Christ" (31:20; 32:3). • 7. Enduring "to the end" (31:20). • 8. Receiving the promise of eternal life (31:20).

  34. An Overview of the Doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi • Believe in Christ • Repentance • Baptism • The Gift of the Holy Ghost • Endure to the End

  35. 2 Nephi 32:7–9Personal Revelation • “Revelation is promised us through our faithfulness; so, also, is knowledge pertaining to the mysteries and government of the Church. The Lord withholds much that he would otherwise reveal if the members of the Church were prepared to receive it. When they will not live in accordance with the revelations he has given, how are they entitled to receive more? The people in the Church are not living in full accord with the commandments the Lord has already required of them. • “We find ourselves, therefore, much like the Nephites when Nephi spoke of revelation: ‘And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be.’ • “We have little occasion to clamor for more revelation when we refuse to heed what the Lord has revealed for our salvation. However, the authorities are directed by revelation, and this is apparent to all who have the spirit of discernment. The Lord has not forsaken his people, although they have not always put their trust in him” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:283).

  36. 2 Ne 32:9Pray • It matters not whether you or I feel like praying, when the time comes to pray, pray. If we do not feel like it, we should pray till we do…You will find that those who wait till the Spirit bids them pray, will never pray much on this earth. • Discourses of Brigham Young, 44

  37. 2 Ne 33:7-9What importance does the Book of Mormon give to the characteristic of charity? • Both the first and the last writers of the Book of Mormon, Nephi and Moroni, conclude their writings with discussions of charity, the most important Christlike attribute to emulate. See also Moroni 7:46.

  38. 2 Ne 33:15I must obey

  39. There is an interesting side note to this concept of the ‘Straight and Narrow’ way that we read about in the scriptures when in fact there are two ways that this is written and it has to do with the difference between the words, ‘Strait’ and ‘Straight’ and their differing meanings. • 2Nephi9:41, as you have outlined talks about the ‘Straight and narrow’ way/path probably making it out to be that the path to the Christ is very straight-forward, faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and ETTE, but then if you read 2Nephi31:18-19, it talks about the ’strait and narrow’ path which seems to sound the same but with the differing meanings of strait and straight, it is clear that the meaning implied is completely different. • from dictionary.com: • Straight: without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: a straight path. • Strait: strict, as in requirements or principles. • adjective version of strait:Difficult; stressful.Affording little space or room; confined.Fitting tightly; constricted. • Given the context of ’strait’ and ’straight’, perhaps the concepts of the gospel are very easy to understand given the word straight for a good number of people, but the actual living of these principles can be as the adjective version of strait indicates, ’stressful, difficult’.

  40. all righteousness by his— • 3611. demonstrating his humility before the Father, • 3612. witnessing unto the Father that he would keep his commandments, and • 3613. setting the example for the rest of mankind, showing them "the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter" (31:9).

  41. Press forward with steadfastness • Having a perfect brightness of hope • Feast upon the word

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