Post # 181 – Lesson #4 – Preach My Gospel -- The Commandments

Dear Family and Friends

What do you and your family and Friends know about the commandments of the Lord? How many of the commandments do you and your family members and friends have memorized? 😊😊 You do know why it is important that we learn the commandments don’t you?

We learn the commandments to help you and your family and friends live the gospel by exercising faith in Jesus Christ and repenting as you are preparing for your baptism and confirmation. Leaning the commandments will also help you and your family members and friends to remain faithful after your baptism.

If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you probably learned about the commandments of the Lord and memorized them at one time in your life. Even though you are a member of the Church, you can still learn from this lesson on the commandments.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I am working every day on enduring to the end, and part of enduring to the end includes that we keep the commandments of God. It is simple obedience😊

if you are not a member of the Church you may still know of the commandments and even be obeying them, which is a huge plus!!!

It teaches us in this lesson that ‘by obeying the commandments, people  will grow in their testimony of the gospel, show that they have “broken hearts and contrite spirits,” and begin to repent of all their sins as we learn in Moroni 6:1-4 and Doctrine and Covenants 20:37.

Moroni 6:1–4                    Book of Mormon

1 And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it.

2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.

3 And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.

4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

Doctrine and Covenants 20:37                              Doctrine and Covenants

37 And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.

This lesson is organized differently from the first three. The first three lessons [ found in some of my earlier posts] explain the doctrinal foundation for the gospel of Jesus Christ. This lesson explains specific commandments God has given that help us apply gospel principles in our lives.

There are many ways to teach this lesson. [to your family members and friends] The approach you take should be determined by the needs, interests, and situation of [your family members and friends that you are teaching these lessons to] and the direction of the Spirit. Prayerfully decide what to teach [to your family members and friends.]

I decided to include this section on teaching the commandments so that you would have some ideas and options as you are teaching the commandments to or reviewing the commandments with your family members and friends😊 

I believe you can never review the commandments too much!!!  Because you can place them in various real-life situations to help show their value in the lives of your family members and friends in our world today😊

Constantly think and pray about how to help [your family members and friends to live the gospel]. Ideas include:

·                     Teaching one or more commandments as part of another lesson. When doing so, consider the principle taught in Alma 12:32: “God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption” (italics added).

Alma 12:32                        Book of Mormon

32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.

It may be beneficial for you to review the lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ with your family members and friends prior to sharing this lesson. You could even review the first three lessons which lay the doctrinal foundation of the gospel😊 

After a brief review of at least the lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ you are ready to proceed😊 No it is not required, just if it will be helpful for you and your family members and friends😊

As you do so you can help your family members and friends see how the commandments fit in your life / their lives. Of how the commandments fit into the larger picture which includes exercising faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior and repenting of your/ their sins in preparation for either yours or their baptism and confirmation😊

.

 You should know that your life and the lives of your family members and friends can be blessed as each of you see the gospel of Jesus Christ as a pattern for your everyday living😊 if you are already doing this, keep it up as you are one step ahead of some of us anyway😊 so keep up the good work!!!

I thought the above information may be helpful to you and your family members and friends if you have anyone who is not a member if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints you would have the information here for you😊 Now we will move on to the commandments we will be learning and / or reviewing with your family members and your friends in this lesson😊

Obedience

We learn from this section that our Heavenly Father has given us commandments for our benefit. In fact, the commandments are instructions to help us have happy lives😊. 

We learn that we each have our own personal agency which allows us to choose between doing or saying good things or doing or saying evil or bad things☹

When we obey the commandments we are showing our love for our Heavenly Father and also brings us peace in this life and eternal life and exaltation in the world to come😊 

With our obedience of the commandments we choose to follow the influence of the Holy Ghost and do the will of the Father in all things rather than doing our own will!

When we choose not to obey the commandments there are also consequences which usually lead to sadness and sorrow in our lives as well as troubles☹ You know that our Heavenly Father expects each one of us to obey His commandments because He wants to bless us. He will only bless us when we are doing our best to be obedient! He always loves us no matter what our choice is!

Our Heavenly Father is very patient with each one of us😊 He knows our weaknesses and He is there to give us the strength that we need when our strength is not enough😊 Our Heavenly Father will bless us as we rely upon His Son and do our best to obey His commandments😊 He knows what our best is so we need to make sure that we are truly doing our best😊

Scripture Study

Agency	Obedience
2 Nephi 2:26–29 Alma 12:31 Doctrine and Covenants 58:26–29 Doctrine and Covenants 82:8–10 Topical Guide, “Agency”	Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21 John 14:15, 21 Ecclesiastes 12:13

Pray Often

You know that we can pray to our father in heaven at any time and in anyplace😊 

He is always only a prayer away. Heavenly Father has commanded that we should pray to Him always! 

We are taught in the scriptures that we should kneel to pray in the morning and in the evening individually and with our families😊

It is through our daily prayers that we receive the divine guidance which we are seeking and needing. 

We should always pray with a sincere heart and with real intent. Praying in this manner means that we are committed to act upon the answers that we receive. We pray as we are taught in Moses 5:8, with faith to our Heavenly Father in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Moses 5:8                          Pearl of Great Price

8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.

Our Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers as He is our Father and we are each one of us His child.  

Our Heavenly Father loves each one of us and wants to communicate with us😊

When we pray we begin by addressing God. The ending of our prayers should always be in the name of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

Remember the way I teach my preschoolers to pray:

1.     Address our Father in Heaven [Dear Heavenly Father]

2.    Thank Him for your blessings [I thank Thee for]

3.    Ask Him for what you need [ Please bless me with…]

4.    Close your prayer – “In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Something that I did when I was very young and without a father in my home, was to look up to the stars and talk to my father who has passed away when I was a toddler. 

I believed that my father would hear me. So, from a very young age I would speak openly and honestly to my father in the stars😊 I didn’t know any better and I knew my father had gone to heaven.

Later on, in my life in my early 30’s I learned that this is how we should speak with our Heavenly Father as well. 

We should talk with Him in our prayers just like I talked to my father in the stars, being open and honest. 

Our Heavenly Father knows the desires of our hearts, He know our very thoughts, don’t you think it is best to be open and honest with Him in our prayers?

During your prayers you can tell your Heavenly Father how you feel about Him, express your love for Him and thank Him always for the blessings you have received. 

You should also ask Him for any direction and or protection that you may be needing at the time of your prayers😊 

You know that as we continue to pray with a sincere heart with real intent, we will see God’s influence in our lives.

He will be there to guide us in our Daily lives and help us to make the best decisions possible😊 

Our Heavenly Father will bless us with feelings of comfort and peace and He will warn us of any danger and also He will strengthen us that we can resist any temptations we may be facing in our lives.

Through our prayers we can feel Him near us. We will feel closer to Him as we 😊 

It is so important for us to learn to recognize His voice, to recognize His influence in our daily lives! When we ask with a repentant heart, He will forgive us of our sins. We must learn to listen for and hear the still small voice of the Holy Ghost😊

Some ways we can recognize when the Holy Ghost is teaching us truth: we will be enlightened or given new knowledge; our hearts will be filled with peace, joy, and love. Our minds will be filled with inspiring and uplifting thoughts. As well as us wanting to help others; to do good things for them😊

I know that these feelings are very hard to describe but you will know them when you experience them, it is then that you will recognize them for what they are! Inspiring and uplifting thoughts; enlightened or given new knowledge; feelings of peace, joy, and love; you want to do good things for and help others. When these things happen, you can probably rest assured that your Heavenly Father is talking to you through the Holy Ghost.

Scripture Study

2 Nephi 32:8–9 Enos 1:1–12 Alma 34:17–28 Moroni 10:3–5 Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–23

Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3 Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9 Doctrine and Covenants 19:28 1 Kings 19:11–12 Bible Dictionary, “Prayer”

Study the Scriptures

We learn from this section that the scriptures are the word of God written and preserved for us through His prophets under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, who is the Third Member of the Godhead. 

We also learn that we show our faith by studying, believing and obeying God’s words that we learn in the scriptures. 

Faith in Jesus Christ if a gift from our Heavenly Father and it comes through our studying and living His word and His gospel😊

The reason we search the scriptures diligently is to understand the truth and to learn about Jesus Christ and His gospel through the Holy Ghost. The scriptures teach us of our Heavenly Fathers dealings with His children. 
When we feast upon the scriptures we do so because through our scripture study is when revelations come to us through the power of the Holy Ghost. 

The Holy Ghost will teach us the things that we need to know and do and become😊

We also learn what the standard works are😊 the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. 

And that we should study from these sacred books, especially the book of Mormon every day as the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and the truthfulness of His gospel.
 I felt like these things were worth repeating as they are so important to our studying of the scriptures😊

Scripture Study  

1 Nephi 19:22–23 2 Nephi 9:50–51 2 Nephi 25:26

2 Nephi 29:1–13 2 Nephi 31:19–20 2 Nephi 32:3–5

Alma 32:28–30 John 5:39 John 20:31

2 Timothy 3:14–17 2 Peter 1:20–21

Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

In the scriptures, in Exodus 20:8 precisely; God declared, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy”. The way we behave on Sunday shows our commitment to this commandment. 

Also as we keep the Sabbath day in a manner that is pleasing to God we are honoring Him. Yes, keeping the Sabbath Day holy is indeed a commandment of God!

When we go to church each Sunday, we go to worship our Heavenly Father and to learn about His Son, Jesus Christ. 

While we are at church, we have the opportunity of partaking of the sacrament. We do this to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

In partaking of the sacrament, we also have the opportunity to renew our covenants that we made at our baptism. We are also showing out Heavenly Father that we are willing to repent of our bad choices, mistakes, and sins and try to do better during the next week😊

As it teaches us in the scriptures on the Sabbath day we are to take a rest from our labors. We only work if it is required of us from our employer. 

We go to church classes and meet together with our friends and our ward families😊 while we are there we help lift and strengthen one another.

We are recharged; even rejuvenated; renewed; for the upcoming week by the association with our friends and family during our church meetings😊
A
s we worship together with our family members and friends we strengthen one another😊 then as we study and learn more about Jesus Christ and His restored gospel our faith is strengthened😊

It is when a group, town, city, community, country, nation, grows careless in their Sabbath day observances and activities that it’s religious life begin to decay then all other aspects of their lives are negatively affected☹ 

it is then that all of the blessings that are associated with the Sabbath day in keeping this day holy, all of those blessings are withheld from said communities, countries, or nations:☹

With this in mind we should not go shopping on Sunday or participate in any other commercial and sporting activities on Sunday☹ 

Doing these things makes this day just like any other day of the week, not making it special at all☹ We should refrain from participating in any of these types of activities on the Sabbath.

As it says in Exodus the Sabbath day is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as God rested from the creation on the seventh day😊 

We should instead set the Sabbath day as a holy day setting it apart from the things of the world. 

We can do this by entering into a spirit of worship, of thanksgiving, of service, and other activities with our family members and friends that are quite appropriate for the Sabbath😊

When we as Church members try our best to make our Sabbath day activities compatible with the intent and the Spirit of the Lord, our lives will be filled with peace and joy😊 

It is then as in Isaiah 58:13-14 says when we keep the Sabbath day holy,  that it becomes “a delight “and who doesn’t want their Sabbath day to be a delight?

The scriptures also teach us in Exodus 31:17 that the Sabbath day should be a time of spiritual refreshment. 

We keep the Sabbath day holy as a sign to our heavenly Father of our love and our devotion to our Heavenly Father and to His son, Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and our Redeemer.

Scripture Study

3 Nephi 18:1–25 Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–15

Exodus 20:8–11 Exodus 31:12–17 Isaiah 58:13–14

Baptism and Confirmation

As you may know when you choose to get baptized this is the that way, we can show our Heavenly Father that we are willing to follow in His way. This we can do through our baptism and confirmation. 

Then when you or your family members and friends are actually baptize  and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints each of you enter into a covenant or a promise with God, that each one of you will take upon you the name of Jesus Christ.

 And that you will each remember Him [Jesus Christ] always and keep His commandments😊 Another promise as we are taught in Mosiah 19:8-9 is that you will stand as a witness of God at all times and also to help those in need 😊 

Mosiah 18:8–9              Book of Mormon

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

For our obedience in keeping our promises to our Heavenly Father, He in return promises us that we may have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and a remission of our sins, as well as being born again😊Wow!! What great promises our Heavenly Father has made to us. 

Follow the Prophet

Truth does not change with time or in any one certain circumstance. Truth is constant and does not change. In fact, truth is the knowledge f things as they really are, as they were before now, and as they will continue to be in the future😊 

Our Heavenly Father is the source of all truth! Because we know that our Heavenly Father will only teach us the truth we can have faith in Him😊

You know our Heavenly Father wants all of His children to have and to know the truth. In order for us to have the truth He reveals the truths that are necessary for each one of our salvation through the prophets and apostles which He has chosen😊He also reveals truth to each one of us personally as we study the scriptures and through personal revelation through the Holy Ghost.

God calls a prophet He chooses who is a righteous man, one who has great faith. Then He reveals the truth to His chosen prophet through the Holy Ghost. God commands His chosen prophet to teach the truth to all people, to all of His children, no matter what their age is😊 Those people who believe the Heavenly Father’s words as they are reveled to and through His prophets are blessed😊

It is true that Jesus Christ’s church is build upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, who direct His Church by revelation that He sends to them through the Holy Ghost.  

In this last dispensation the Lord called Joseph Smith to be the first prophet and the head of this last dispensation! Those who lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today are his successors and they too are prophets and apostles.

The President of the Church today is a living prophet of God. As members of His Church we are to have faith in those prophets whom God has chosen. We are to gain conviction of the divine calling of the living prophet whom God has called and follow his teachings as well as keeping the commandments and the covenants that we have made😊

There are any times when we have the opportunity to sustain our church leaders publicly; General Conference, Stake Conference, Ward Conference. 

Oh, what was that? Oh, yes, I can explain that for you😊 For those of you who do not know: To sustain someone means to offer our support with thoughts, words, and actions, and our prayers always help😊

It is important for us to prepare ourselves so that when the prophets and apostles speak to us, the Holy Ghost can confirm the truths that they are teaching us😊

We can then determine to follow the counsel that they have given us. Those people who listen to the counsel of the living prophets and apostles who are called of God will not be led astray😊

In following the counsel of God’s chosen living prophets and apostles the confusion and struggles of the world will not overwhelm us, because the teachings of the loving apostles and prophets provide us an anchor of eternal truth in this world of shifting values. 

By following the teachings of the living prophets and apostles help us to live happy lives and to avoid sorrow and misery! Nd we too can enjoy the assurance of being in harmony with the will of our Heavenly Father😊 His chosen and called apostles and prophets will never lead us astray!!!

Scripture Study

Mosiah 15:11–12 Alma 13:1–16 3 Nephi 12:1–2

Doctrine and Covenants 1:37–38 Doctrine and Covenants 21:1–7 Doctrine and Covenants 136:37–38

John 15:16 Acts 10:34–44 Ephesians 2:19–20

Ephesians 4:11–14 Hebrews 5:4 Amos 3:7

Keep the Ten Commandments

Do you know why our Heavenly Father gives us commandments? He gives us commandments because He loves us enough to guide us. 

He gives us commandments so that we will know what we need to do and what we must avoid in order to receive all of the blessings that He wants to bless us with. Some of those blessings include but are not limited to the following: joy, peace of conscience, lasting happiness😊 

As most of us know, God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses in the wilderness to guide His people:

·                      “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Other “gods” can include possessions, power, or prominence.

·                     “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” (Exodus 20:4).

·                     “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

·                     “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

·                     “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12).

·                     “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).

·                     “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

·                     “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

·                     “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16).

·                     “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17).

There are many people in the scriptures as well as many who live in our world today who believe that the Ten Commandments do not apply to us anymore. But the Ten Commandments are indeed still valid today!!! As they teach us to worship and show reverence for God, also they teach us how to treat one another😊

No Other Gods

All around the world there are many cultures and within many of these cultures the people own or pay respect to objects that remind them of God or their ancestors☹ if you look around your can see some of these things in your own town or community. 

These objects could be but are not limited to the following: statues; religious emblems, or even small shrines, might also be the central focus of their worship☹

It is important to help your family members and friends to understand that the Lord has commanded us not to worship idols. 

I want to encourage each one of you to – if you have them about your home, to remove any object that you worship or something which you pray to. 

If you or your family members and friends have any of these objects about your home, please at least consider removing them and following the Lord’s commandment to not worship idols.

As I am sure that I have mentioned in at least one of my previous posts we should put our faith and our focus on and worship our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

You must teach your family members and friends that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ focuses on the living Christ.

You should know that also in the restored gospel the Lord has taught us how to remember Him. We can remember Him through prayer, fasting, attending church, partaking of the sacrament, and attending the temple.

Study Scriptures

Mosiah 13

Doctrine and Covenants 59:5–6

Matthew 22:36–40

Exodus 20:1–17

Deuteronomy 5:6–21

Live the Law of Chastity

This section is about chastity, you should know that God delights in chastity😊 oh, you aren’t sure what chastity means? Okay how about we begin with its definition?  

I will share the following information with you directly from the Preach My Gospel manual so that I can make sure what I share is correct:

God delights in chastity. Chastity means limiting all sexual relations to one husband (for women) or one wife (for men). 

It also means strict abstinence from sexual relations before marriage and complete fidelity and loyalty to one’s spouse after marriage. 

Those who live the law of chastity enjoy the strength that comes from self-control. They enjoy confidence and trust in their family relationships. 

They can enjoy more fully the influence of the Holy Ghost in their lives. 

Those who break this law are subject to a lasting sense of shame and guilt that burdens their lives.

Chastity requires faithfulness in thought and action. We must keep our thoughts clean and be modest in our dress, speech, and actions. We must avoid pornography in any form. 

We should treat the God-given procreative power and our bodies as sacred. Sexual relations are a God-given power to procreate and strengthen a married couple’s bond.

People who experience same-sex attraction should also keep the law of chastity and keep covenants with God. 
Experiencing same-sex attraction or identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual is not a sin and does not prohibit one from participating in the Church, holding callings, or attending the temple.

Baptismal candidates are to live the law of chastity, which prohibits any sexual relations outside of a legal marriage between one man and one woman. They are not to participate in abortions or homosexual relations.

 Because God loves all His children and reaches out to them in love through Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:8), those who have committed sexual sin can repent, be forgiven, and live after the manner of happiness (see 2 Nephi 5:27).

Scripture Study

Jacob 2:28 Mosiah 13:22 Alma 39:3–5

3 Nephi 12:27–30 Doctrine and Covenants 42:22–24 Doctrine and Covenants 63:16

Matthew 5:27–28 Romans 1:26–32 Ephesians 5:3–5

Obey the Word of Wisdom

A law of health was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smooth from the Lord through the Holy Ghost called the Word of Wisdom😊 

This law of health teaches us what foods and substances we should and should not use to maintain the health of our bodies, which are our temples😊 

This law also teaches us how to keep each one of us free from evil influences!!  While obeying this law of health the Lord promises blessings of health, strength, protection against evil, and greater receptiveness to spiritual truths.

It is important to remember that our bodies are very sacred so we must take good care of them😊 the Word of Wisdom – this health law teaches us that we are to eat healthy foods and it –

This law of health teaches us very specifically that we are to avoid all harmful substances including but not limited to alcohol, coffee, tobacco, and tea. Another thing this law teaches us is to avoid harmful drugs of any kind. This section is about keeping the law of tithing. I am going to give it to you straight from the Preach My Gospel manual, so I am sure that I tell it correctly😊

Keep the Law of Tithing

One of the great blessings of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the privilege of contributing to the growth of the kingdom of God through paying tithing. Tithing is an ancient, divine law. For example, the Old Testament prophet Abraham paid tithes of all he possessed (see Alma 13:15).

To those who pay tithing, the Lord promises that He will “open … the windows of heaven, and pour … out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). These blessings may be temporal or spiritual, but they will come to those who obey this divine law.

Tithing means one-tenth, and the Lord has commanded us to give a tenth of our increase, which is understood to mean income, that we may be blessed. The law of tithing gives us the opportunity to help build His kingdom. Our tithes are holy to the Lord, and we honor Him by paying tithing. God promises to abundantly bless those who pay an honest tithe. 

Those who do not pay tithing rob God (see Malachi 3:8). They keep for themselves something that rightfully belongs to Him. We should seek first the kingdom of God, and tithing is an important way of doing that. Paying tithing is an expression of our faith. It is an outward sign of our belief in God and His work.

Tithing funds are used to support the ongoing activities of the Church, such as building and maintaining temples and meetinghouses, carrying the gospel to all the world, conducting temple and family history service, and many other worldwide activities. Tithing does not pay local Church leaders, who serve voluntarily without receiving payment of any kind.

Local Church leaders send the tithing received each week directly to Church headquarters. A council comprised of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric determines specific ways to use the sacred tithing funds.

Scripture Study

Tithing	Faith
Doctrine and Covenants 119 Doctrine and Covenants 120 Hebrews 7:1–2 Genesis 14:18–20 Leviticus 27:30–33 Malachi 3:7–12	3 Nephi 13:33 Ether 12:6

Observe the Law of the Fast

I hope that you are much better at keeping this law than I am. I struggle to remember the fast Sundays☹ 

I know that we receive great blessings when we fast because I have benefited from some of those blessings. 

I always pay my tithing – I can honestly say that is one thing I am good at doing😊 I know that you can receive answers to questions when you fast and pray as I have had experience with this as well😊

Oh, I am sorry, you don’t know what fasting is? Fasting is going without food or water for two meals in a row. 

Sometimes it may be breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, or dinner and breakfast. The first Sunday of the month is usually the day set apart as our fast Sunday.

It is important to pray when we fast as well as it is to fast with a purpose. Otherwise you are just giving up your food and drink for nothing☹ 

It is when we fast and pray that we are more likely to receive personal revelation because we are then more receptive to receiving the answers to our questions😊

Fasting is something personal and spiritual that you do without drawing attention to yourselves about it though I have declined food and told family members that I was fasting. 

We sometimes fast as a whole ward like for rain or for a person’s health and well-being. The Lord promises us that He will always be there to lead and guide us😊 the following comes from the Preach My Gospel manual:

Pure religion includes caring for the poor. We are to help them meet their physical and spiritual needs. 

When we fast, we donate money to the Church for the care of the poor and the needy. We call this a fast offering. We give at least the amount of money we save by fasting for two meals. 

However, we need not limit our contribution to the cost of two meals. We are encouraged to be as generous as our means allow. By caring for the poor, we help fulfill our baptismal covenant and retain a remission of our sins.

Scripture Study

Fasting	Caring for the Poor
Omni 1:26 Alma 5:45–46 Alma 6:6 Alma 17:2–3 Moroni 6:5 Doctrine and Covenants 88:76 Doctrine and Covenants 59:12–16 Matthew 6:1–4, 16–18 Isaiah 58:6–11	Mosiah 4:16–27 Mosiah 18:8–10 Alma 4:12–13 Matthew 25:34–46 James 1:27 Isaiah 58:3–12

Obey and Honor the Law

In this last section we are talking about obeying and honoring the law of the land😊

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we too believe in obeying the laws of our country no matter where we live. We are counseled as members of the Church to be good citizens. 

We vote and participate in our local government, and we do service within our communities😊

In doing all of these things we do so as individuals, not as one who represents the Church in any way, they are our own personal matters.

Scripture Study

Doctrine and Covenants 58:21 Doctrine and Covenants 98:5 Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21

Doctrine and Covenants 134 Articles of Faith 1:12

Here is an activity that was at the end of this lesson in the book that I thought you might like to do with your family members and friends:
For each commandment in this lesson, list the scriptural promises the Lord makes to those who keep the commandment. Record in your study journal the promises that have been realized in your life.

And now here we are at the end of this long lesson. I hope and I pray that each of you have learned a lot from my sharing this lesson with you. I also hope that I have shared something in this post that has uplifted and enlightened you in some way😊 Please remember who you are!!! YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!!!

He has given you many gifts and talents, please be sure that you are using them to help and bless the lives of others all around you. Remember they too are children of the same God😊 

He loves all of His children and we are His hands here on this earth, so we need to use what He has given us to help and bless the lives of others, right?

I hope you enjoy the scripture study boxes for each section. I know that I have learned a lot in searching through those scripture references as I was writing up this lesson😊Remember that your Heavenly Father loves you and is there for you no matter where you are or what you have done, He still loves you. He is still ever reaching down for your hand to lift you up😊

I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our every prayer, in His own time and in His own way😊 

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is the Christ that was prophesied of in the scriptures. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I am happy to be studying it with you this year😊 

I hope that you are enjoying our lessons and learning a lot as well. I guess I need to stop my rambling😊 Until my next post, make it a good week!