Post
# 159 -- Come, Follow Me -- Week #49 -- Revelation
12–22
-- “He That Overcometh Shall Inherit All Things”
Dear Family and Friends
How was your
Christmas? Ours was wonderful, though I wish we had put more of our focus upon
the Birth of our Savior. I have been able to at least read the Christmas story
about Jesus Christ’s birth, but this year we didn’t even take a moment when we
were all together to do that☹ I did share the story with my young
grandsons though and they were happy to listen to the story😊
Can you believe that
this is our last lesson for this year of 2019? It sure seems like this year has
flown right by. Even though some weeks throughout the year were very long
indeed! Foe me those weeks were either
when I was sick and still needed to work or whenever I had loads of paperwork
to catch up on for work. I am hoping to develop a better system with better
support for me with the paperwork😊
It is almost time for
a new year to begin, are you ready? Do you have all your ducks in a row? Mine
are still swimming around the edge of the whirlpool☹
I have some decluttering to do and most days it seems so overwhelming. Do you
have your goals all set up for this new year?
You know as we – each one of you and your family members and friends come to the end of our study of the New Testament, I want to encourage each one of you to share your thoughts about the New Testament, it would also be beneficial for you to encourage each of your family members and friends to share their thoughts about the New Testament as well.
Our lesson for this
week is found in the remaining chapters of Revelation. In the Come, Follow Me
for Individuals and Families manual is advises each one of us with the following:
As you read Revelation
12–22, look for parallels between what John saw and what you see in
today’s world. Seek spiritual guidance to help you find personal lessons as you
immerse yourself in John’s symbolic language.
I guess we can jump right into the questions😊What
does the battle between good and evil that is described in Revelation teach you and
your family members and friends about the importance of each one of us following Jesus Christ while we
are here on earth? After pondering this principle, consider the needs of your family
members.
You might encourage
your friends to do this with their families as well. What truths from
Revelation can help your family members to make righteous choices? Be sure to
have your friends ask this question in their own families too😊
You may not be in a position to ask these questions of your children’s friends’
family, but their children can ask their parents the questions. At least they
can share this with their families😊
Think about and then answer the following question first individually and then about your family members and friends. You may want to record your answers and your observations in your journal😊 How has your study of the New Testament this year strengthened your testimony?
As for your family members and friends, how has their scripture study strengthened their testimonies? You may be surprised by the answers your children may give you about their testimonies or about their study of the New Testament😊we will begin with this section that comes directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Imagine a woman “travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” Now imagine “a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns” hovering over the woman, poised to “devour her child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:2–4). To understand these verses of John’s revelation, remember that these images represent the Church and kingdom of God and the peril they would face. For the Saints who experienced intense persecution in John’s day, victory over evil may not have seemed likely. This victory can also be hard to foresee in a day like ours, when the adversary is at “war with the saints” and has “power … over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:7). But the end of John’s revelation gloriously shows that good will prevail over evil. Babylon will fall. Jesus Christ will reign as King of Kings. “God shall wipe away all tears,” and the faithful will reign with Him and “inherit all things” (Revelation 21:4, 7).
We overcame Satan
“by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony.”
I have
discovered that learning about the War in Heaven can indeed help each one of us
to better understand life on earth. I am sure that you have or will notice this
as well😊 You and your family members and friends
could read Joseph
Smith Translation, Revelation 12:7–11 which is found in the LDS King James
Version, in the Bible appendix and identify how we overcame Satan and his hosts
in the War in Heaven.
John explains the symbols of the woman, the child, the
rod of iron, the dragon, and Michael. The war that began in heaven is continued
on the earth. Note the changed sequence of verses in the JST.
1 And there appeared a
great sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her
feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
2 And the woman being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained
to be delivered.
3 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations
with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne.
4 And there appeared
another sign in heaven; and
behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns
upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman which was
delivered, ready to devour her
child after it was born.
5 And the woman fled
into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of
God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore years.
6 And there was war in
heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and
his angels fought against Michael;
7 And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the
church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the
kingdom of our God and his Christ.
8 Neither was there place found in heaven for the great
dragon, who was cast out; that
old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth; and his angels were
cast out with him.
9 And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of
our God, and the power of his Christ;
10 For the accuser of
our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 For they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; for they loved not their
own lives, but kept the testimony even
unto death. Therefore, rejoice O heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
12 And after these things I heard another voice saying, Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, yea, and they who dwell upon the islands of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having
great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 For when the dragon saw
that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth
the man-child.
14 Therefore, to the woman
were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent
casteth out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause
her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helpeth the woman, and the earth openeth her mouth, and swalloweth up the flood
which the dragon casteth out of his
mouth.
17 Therefore, the dragon
was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Here is a question for you: What other insights do we gain from the entries on the War in Heaven in the Bible Dictionary or Gospel Topics? (topics.lds.org).
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/war-in-heaven?lang=eng
War in
Heaven – Bible Dictionary
This term arises out of Rev. 12:7 and refers to the conflict that took
place in the premortal existence among the spirit children of God. The war was
primarily over how and in what manner the plan of salvation would be
administered to the forthcoming human family upon the earth. The issues
involved such things as agency, how to gain salvation, and who should be the Redeemer.
The war broke out because one-third of the spirits refused to accept the
appointment of Jesus Christ as the Savior.
Such a refusal was a rebellion against the Father’s plan of redemption. It was evident that if given agency, some persons would fall short of complete salvation; Lucifer and his followers wanted salvation to come automatically to all who passed through mortality, without regard to individual preference, agency, or voluntary dedication (see Isa. 14:12–20; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:4–13; D&C 29:36–38; Moses 4:1–4).
Isaiah 14:12-20
12 How art thou fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer,
son of the morning! how art thou cut down to
the ground, which didst weaken the dnations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart,
I
will ascend into heaven, I will exalt
my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also
upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like
the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell,
to the sides of the pit.
16 They that see thee
shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying,
Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17 That made the world as
a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that
opened not the house of his prisoners?
18 All the kings of the nations, even
all of them, lie in glory, every one in his
own house.
19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an
abominable branch, and as the
raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the
stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.
20 Thou shalt not be joined
with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed
of evildoers shall never be renowned.
Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Revelation 12:4-13
4 And his tail drew the third
part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon
stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child
as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought
forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod
of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman
fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they
should feed her there a thousand two hundred and
threescore days.
7 And there was war
in heaven: Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon; and the dragon
fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not;
neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great
dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil,
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice
saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength,
and the kingdom of our God, and the power
of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which
accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon
saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted
the woman which brought forth the man child.
Doctrine and Covenants 29:
36-38
36 And it came to pass
that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for
he rebelled
against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he
away from me because of their agency;
1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan,
whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which
was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold,
here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem
all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I
will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son,
which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father,
thy will be done, and the glory
be thine forever.
3 Wherefore, because that Satan
rebelled
against me, and sought to destroy the agency
of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto
him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should
be cast down;
4 And he became Satan,
yea, even the devil, the father of all lies,
to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive
at his will, even as many as would not hearken
unto my voice.
The spirits who thus rebelled and persisted were thrust out of heaven and cast down to the earth without mortal bodies, “and thus came the devil and his angels” (D&C 29:37; see also Rev. 12:9; Abr. 3:24–28).
Revelation 12:9
Abraham 3:24-28
24 And there stood one
among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We
will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials,
and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove
them herewith, to see if they will do
all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26 And they who keep
their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep
not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who
keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate
shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and
ever.
27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send?
And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another
answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send
the first.
28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate;
and, at that day, many followed after him.
The warfare is continued in mortality in the conflict between right and wrong, between the gospel and false principles, etc. The same contestants and the same issues are doing battle, and the same salvation is at stake.
Although one-third of the spirits became devils, the remaining two-thirds were not all equally valiant, there being every degree of devotion to Christ and the Father among them. The most diligent were chosen to be rulers in the kingdom (Abr. 3:22–23). The nature of the conflict, however, is such that there could be no neutrals, then or now (Matt. 12:30; 1 Ne. 14:10; Alma 5:38–40).
War in
Heaven – Gospel Topics can be found here:
Yes, you guessed it, more questions for you and your Family members and friend: What do we learn that can help us overcome the adversary during our mortal lives? What does it mean that the Lamb was “slain from the foundation of the world”? (Revelation 13:8; see also Revelation 5:6). You may want to consider helping your family members and friends to find the answers to this question by reading Mosiah 3:13 and Moses 7:47 together.
Mosiah 3:13
13 And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets
among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation,
and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the
same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with
exceedingly great joy, even as
though he had already come among them.
Moses 7:47
47 And behold, Enoch saw
the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul
rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb
is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith
I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion
is with me.
What does
it mean to overcome Satan “by the blood of the Lamb”?
This next section with ideas for personal scripture study comes directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal
Scripture Study
The War in Heaven continues on earth.
We don’t know a lot about the War in Heaven, but there
is a vivid though brief description of it in Revelation
12:7–11. As you read these verses, picture yourself as part of that
premortal conflict. What do these verses teach about how you and God’s other
faithful children overcame Satan? What does this imply about how you can
overcome him in our day as he continues to “make war with [those who] have the
testimony of Jesus Christ”? (verse 17).
See also 1 Nephi
14:12–14; “War in
Heaven,” Gospel Topics, topics.lds.org;
Bible Dictionary, “Michael,”
“War in
Heaven.”
1 Nephi 14:12-14
12 And it came to pass
that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few,
because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many
waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints
of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions
upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore
whom I saw.
13 And it came to pass
that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together
multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the
Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.
14 And it came to pass
that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the
saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who
were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed
with righteousness and with the power
of God in great glory.
War in
Heaven – Gospel Topics can be found here:
Michael -- Bible Dictionary
Who is
like God. Mentioned in Dan.
10:13, 21; 12:1;
Jude
1:9; Rev.
12:7. He is called the Archangel. Latter-day revelation informs us that
Michael is Adam, the Ancient of Days (Dan.
7), a prince, and the patriarch of the human family (D&C
27:11; 107:53–56;
128:21).
See also Adam.
War in
Heaven – Bible Dictionary
This next section with ideas for personal scripture study comes directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Who is the angel that John saw preaching the gospel?
One
fulfillment of the prophecy in these verses occurred when Moroni appeared to
Joseph Smith and led him to the records that he translated and published as the
Book of Mormon. This book contains the “everlasting gospel” that we are charged
with preaching unto “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6).
We must separate ourselves from the wickedness of the world.
Just like
reading a newspaper or watching the news on the television today – it is
usually very negative and sad for the most part as it usually tells of someone
being killed or hurt in one manner or another; mission person or child;
children being abused and about a war here or there in the world or an act of terrorism
in one city or state or another. The wickedness is all around us☹ ☹
None of this is very pleasant to hear or watch. I suppose the same might be said of reading or studying about the wickedness of Babylon and its fall in Revelation 17–18, but we can learn much from it as it is instructive because Babylon can be a symbol of the wicked world we live in today.
You may want to pair up your family members and friends and have them look for answers to the following questions or others that you may think of: Why are people drawn to Babylon, or worldliness? Why is Babylon dangerous? What will happen to Babylon? What warnings did John give to help us avoid Babylon’s fate?
You and your family members and friends may want to have a discussion after you have finished reading Revelation 18:4, about how you can each individually and as a family “come out of” Babylon and “be not partakers of her sins.” one example could be, what scriptures or messages from Church leaders have helped each one of us to resist the temptations of Babylon, or the world? As a family study group, you may want to consider watching the video “Dare to Stand Alone” or “Separating Ourselves from the World” (LDS.org) or reading the following statement by Elder Quentin L. Cook:
Choosing righteousness over Babylon’s wickedness.
Elder
Quentin L. Cook taught:
“We
cannot avoid the world. A cloistered existence is not the answer. In a positive
sense, our contribution to the world is part of our challenge and is essential
if we are to develop our talents. … Members of the Church need to be involved
in the world in a positive way. How then do we balance the need to positively
contribute to the world and to not succumb to the sins of the world? (See D&C 25:10; D&C 59:9.) Two
principles will make a significant difference.
“1.
Let people know you are a committed Latter-day Saint. …
“2.
Be confident about and live your beliefs” (“Lessons from the Old Testament: In
the World but Not of the World,” Ensign, Feb. 2006, 54–55). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2006/02/lessons-from-the-old-testament-in-the-world-but-not-of-the-world?lang=eng¶=p6%2Cp8-p9%2Cp13#p6
Okay, are you ready? It’s question time again: What ideas can you and / or your family members and friends share about how to apply the two principles Elder Cook mentioned? In what sense do we each individually “come out” of Babylon? D&C 133:12–14. Here’s another question for you: What do you think that each one of us can do to encourage others to do the same?
This
next section with ideas for personal scripture study comes directly from our
Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
The Lord invites me to flee Babylon and her sins.
Revelation
17–18 contains unsettling images describing the sin, materialism,
and lusts of Babylon—the
symbol of worldliness and wickedness. Think of examples of Babylon-like
conditions that exist today in the world, and ponder what you can do to follow
the counsel to “come out of” Babylon and “be not partakers of her sins” (Revelation
18:4).
We can prepare for the Lord’s Second Coming and the Day of Judgment.
You do
know that quite often The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is called “the great
and the terrible day of the Lord” (Joel
2:31), and from what we have learned in Revelation
19–20, this does seem like a very good description.
You may want to consider writing on a poster board some of the events that are described in Revelation 19:5–20:15.
You may want to consider writing on a poster board some of the events that are described in Revelation 19:5–20:15.
You could have your family members and friends find the verses that
describe these events.
This might even lead you and your family members and friends into aa discussion on this subject😊 The following are a few questions that may help in your family group discussion: Why are these events called great and terrible? What do we learn from these verses about the Savior and those who follow Him? What can we do now to be among those who will rejoice at the time of His coming?
You may want to have your family members and friends make a simple book by folding a piece of paper into fourths. This might also spark a good discussion about the book of life😊 Then you and you family members and friends could read together Revelation 20:12–15. You may want to ask your family members and friends to think about what you have just read together. Then ask them to think about what they want written about them in the book of life. Now you could have them or you write those things in their books. Have the illustrate their book of life😊 Definitions for the “book of life” can be found in
The book of life.
Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 17:8; 2 Nephi 29:11; Alma 5:58; Doctrine and Covenants 127:6–7, 9;
128:6–7.
“In
one sense the book of life is the sum total of one’s thoughts and actions—the record of his [or
her] life. However, the scriptures indicate that a heavenly record is kept of
the faithful, whose names are recorded, as well as an account of their
righteous deeds” (Bible Dictionary, “Book of life”). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/book-of-life?lang=eng
Book of life – Bible Dictionary
Spoken
of in Philip. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; 21:27; 22:19; see also Dan. 12:1–4; Luke 10:20. In one
sense the book of life is the sum total of one’s thoughts and actions—the
record of his life. However, the scriptures indicate that a heavenly record is
kept of the faithful, whose names are recorded, as well as an account of their
righteous deeds (D&C 88:2; 128:7).
How do you think you and / or your family members and friends would feel if you / they were called before the throne of God today? When having a discussion on this you and your family members and friends you might want to consider using Elder Jörg Klebingat’s message “Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 34–37) as part of the discussion. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2014/10/approaching-the-throne-of-god-with-confidence?lang=eng
Another thing
that you could do might be to review Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s message “Be
Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually”
as fond in the Ensign
or Liahona, Nov.
2017, 40–42. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-
conference/2017/10/be-ye-therefore-perfect-eventually?lang=eng
Time for
another question: What do these messages contribute to this discussion about
preparing for the Day of Judgment?
This next section with ideas for personal scripture study comes directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
All of God’s children will be judged out of the book of
life.
Suppose
an author offered to write a book about your life. What details or experiences
would you want included? If you knew that your future actions would also be
recorded, how would you approach your life differently? Think about this as you
read about Judgment Day in Revelation 20:12–15.
What do you hope will be written about you in the book of life?
See
also Bible Dictionary, “Book of life.”
If we are faithful, we will be blessed with celestial glory.
Did you
know that the latter days have been prophesied to be filled with all manner of wickedness
and peril? Even though this may be true, the reward that John saw for the
faithful far exceeds the tribulation that precedes it. In order to help your family
members and friends to explore this beautiful conclusion to Revelation, you
could review Revelation
21:1–22:5 with them.
Have them be looking for the phrases that inspire them to want to strive for celestial glory. Now it’s time for more questions: What promises are made to the faithful? Which verse or verses are those promises found in? How does this description help us when we face our current challenges and trials?
This next section with ideas for personal scripture study comes directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
If I am faithful, I will receive celestial glory.
In
contrast to the descriptions of Babylon, Revelation 21–22 describes
the celestial glory that awaits faithful followers of Christ. What images,
phrases, or promises in these chapters inspire you to remain faithful even when
it’s difficult?
Do these verses mean that there cannot be any additional scripture
besides the Bible?
Some
people have cited Revelation 22:18–19 as
a reason to reject the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scripture. However,
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught:
“There
is now overwhelming consensus among virtually all biblical scholars that this
verse applies only to the book of Revelation, not the whole Bible.
Those scholars
of our day acknowledge a number of New Testament ‘books’ that were almost
certainly written after John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos was
received. …
“But
there is a simpler answer. … The whole Bible as we know it—one
collection of texts bound in a single volume—did
not exist when that verse was written” (“My Words … Never Cease,”
Ensign
or Liahona,
May 2008, 91). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/04/my-words-never-cease?lang=eng
Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Family Home Evening
As you
read the scriptures with your family, the Spirit can help you know what
principles to emphasize and discuss in order to meet the needs of your family.
Here are some suggestions:
Some
family members might enjoy and benefit from drawing pictures of the visions
described in Revelation. For example, drawing pictures based on Revelation 12
could lead to discussions about the War in Heaven (see verses 7–11). Pictures
based on Revelation 21 could
inspire conversations about the celestial kingdom.
You could also show the
picture that accompanies this outline and ask family members to find verses in Revelation 19 that
the picture is portraying.
What
might the phrase “the word of their testimony” mean? How do our testimonies of
Jesus Christ help us and others overcome Satan?
What
thoughts do your family members have about the deceiving beast? How do we
detect and avoid deceptions we see in the world today?
testimonies
of Jesus Christ help us and others overcome Satan?
What
thoughts do your family members have about the deceiving beast? How do we
detect and avoid deceptions we see in the world today?
How do
1 Nephi 22:26; Doctrine and Covenants 43:30–31
help us understand what it may mean for Satan to be “bound”?
What
might be the symbolic meaning of having the Savior’s name “in [our] foreheads”?
(Revelation 22:4; see
also Revelation 13:16–17).
Something that might bring some inspiration to your family members and friends is to read through and study the prophetic promises together in your family study group. With this inspiration you and your family members cold be inspired to read and study the Book of Mormon during this upcoming New year – both individually and with your families and friends. Here are a few of the prophetic promises:
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will [read the Book of Mormon], regardless of how many times you previously may have read [it], there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God” (“A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, Aug. 2005, 6). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2005/08/a-testimony-vibrant-and-true?lang=eng¶=p29#p29
President Thomas S. Monson: “I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives” (“The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 87). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/the-power-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng¶=p7#p7
Well, here we are at the end of this our last lesson of the New testament and of the year 2019. A new decade has begun today. The teens are gone and the 20’s begin😊 Where did the time go? I hope that you and those that you love have had a great year in the one that has gone by and I pray that each one of you will have an even better year in the one that has just begun😊 😊 😊 😊
If you have never read or studies the Book of Mormon, now is the time to commit to do so. I will be sharing the lessons with you each week😊 I will also bee sharing other things with you as they come up in my life. Please remember who you are and who the Lord can help you become –with His divine help😊I promise you that the Book of Mormon has brought peace and harmony into my own life and I believe that it can do the same things for each one of you😊
Please continue to say your prayers. Teach your children how to pray, teach them that their Heavenly Father loves each one of them. Teach them that He is only a prayer away and that they can pray to Him any time, and any where. Teach them that He will always be there for each one of them, no matter how far they get off the path that leads us back to our Heavenly Home😊
Teach your children that Jesus Christ Atoned for their sins. He paid the debt for each one of us. He knows how to help us – no matter what our situation may be. Teach them that He died to pay that price. Teach them about repentance and what is can do for you and how it can help you😊
Teach your children that Jesus lived, He died, and on the third day He rose from the dead😊 and He did all of this voluntarily!!! Remember that the prophet has said that someday in the need future we will need to be as spiritually strong as we can😊 Until my next post make it a great week😊
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