Post # 261 -- Come, Follow Me --  Week # 44 -- November 9–15 -- Ether 1–5 -- “Rend That Veil of Unbelief”

Dear Family and Friends         

 I hope that all of you took the opportunity to go out and vote. I wasnt sure that i would be able to get away from work to vote. It is so hard to find someone who has all of the certification and training that is required to be in my classroom. Part of that training is an eighteen - hour class:(

In fact, if someone wanted to volunteer to help out in my classroom they would need to have completed certain training that are required. It doesn't matter if that person is a parent or not. Crazy, I know, but that is the way the rules are for a preschool class in a center.

With that said we only have 3-4 of our staff that can be in my room.  And these staff members are usually busy with other jobs. So I asked my supervisor if she could cover my classroom while I went to vote. Good news, she was able to make it to my classroom and I still had time to drive back home to get my vote in.

We needed to drive five miles to our voting place. Then I had a little trouble at the voting place because they could not find me in their system. They had me fill out a new registration. After I had filled out the paper to get registered the lady said she needed to check something. …

Well, the something, that she needed to check was my maiden name:) I have a hyphenated last name. If you have a hyphenated last name I am sure you understand. Nice, they looked under my maiden name, guess what? They finally found me in their system:)

This meant that I did not need to fill out a new registration form, which is good because they were closing soon and I would need to wait to do it. Then the lady told me that I only needed to update my address so I could vote. Whew!!! I sure hope you didn't have any snags on your way to the voting booth:)  

Okay so no more rambling about my voting experience. I think now is a good time for us to begin our lesson for this week. We  are studying the first few chapters of Ether. The following comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families  manual:  

The book of Ether is the record of the Jaredites, who arrived in the promised land centuries before the Nephites. God inspired Moroni to include Ether’s record in the Book of Mormon because of its relevance to our day. How do you feel it is relevant to your life?

it is so good to know that our Heavenly Father has inspired His chosen servants to share lessons from their own experience with us through the scriptures:) Not only the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, but the Book of Mormon, which is Another testament of Jesus Christ.  

I know that you need , you must have a little bit of faith to believe this truth, but it is worth planting that little seed of faith and nurturing it watching it grow:) Remember all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed. If you have ever seen a mustard seed you will know that it doesn't take much to begin.

While it is true that God’s ways are higher than ours, and we should always submit to His will, He also encourages us to think and act for ourselves. That’s one lesson Jared and his brother learned. For example, the idea of traveling to a new land that was “choice above all the earth” seemed to start in Jared’s mind, and the Lord “had compassion” and promised to grant the request, saying, “Thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me” (see Ether 1:38–43). And when the brother of Jared realized how dark it was inside the barges that would carry them to their promised land, the Lord invited him to suggest a solution, asking a question that we usually ask Him: “What will ye that I should do?” (Ether 2:23). 

The message seems to be that we shouldn’t expect God to command us in all things. We can share with Him our own thoughts and ideas, and He will listen and give His confirmation or else counsel us otherwise. Sometimes the only thing separating us from the blessings we seek is our own “veil of unbelief,” and if we can “rend that veil” (Ether 4:15), we may be surprised by what the Lord is willing to do for us.

I am ever grateful for that last statement above, especially the following part: “We can share with Him our own thoughts and ideas, and He will listen and give His confirmation or else counsel us otherwise.” Don't you think this is a wonderfully hopeful statement for each one of us to know??

Don't forget to share with your family members and friends what you have learned during your personal study of Ether 1–5. Then you can ask your family members and friends to share with you and the others  in your family study group what they have learned during their personal study of these chapters. 

For this week’s sharing you may decide to use the 16 stones that the brother of Jared collected for light in their boats to cross the ocean. You could pass out these stones to your family members and friends. If this is not appropriate or you do not have 16 people in your family study group, that’s okay not to use this idea.

You could just put the stones in a basket and your family members and friends could draw out a stone each time they shared a truth which they had remembered from their searching, with the group:)They could also share a truth which they had found while doing their personal scripture study or during their family scripture study.

So each stone could represent a truth that you and/or they had found during their study of  Ether 1–5. You could write on each stone a truth or a number of a truth on two stones for a review game. What are they going to do because of what they learned?

Ether 1–3; 4:8–19

As we continually call upon the Lord, He will reveal His will.

As you may have noticed, every one of us has struggled at some point in our lives to find answers to our problems or even the questions we try to find answers to. And here is a question for each of you as well as for your family members and friends: How can the brother of Jared’s experiences help those in your family study group?

 Have you thought  about this question? About juar how the experiences of the brother of Jared can help you and your family members and friends to learn just how you and/or they are to seek help from the Lord? 

 Now is the time for you to get out your poster board as you will need it for a sorting activity. Oh, no! Did you run out of poster boards?? Please make sure that you have purchased what you need  for your Sunday lessons before Sunday:)

Again. you should be sure that you have everything ready -- your poster board  and markers  or any other little thing that you need for your Sunday lessons. Okay are you all set now? Let us get back to this section of our lesson for this week! Are you all ready?? 

Then let’s begin… you can begin by writing across the top of your poster board the following titles -- making four columns: I made a chart  to put my titles into, if another way works better for you please do it your own way:) if not feel free to do it my way:) :)

Ether 1:33–43 and 2:16–3:6 

The brother of Jared’s question The brother of Jared’s action The Lord’s response

V. 33

 If your family study group is enough to divide into three groups, now is a good time to do so. Giving each group a column title to search for within the scripture passages on your chart which are the following: Ether 1:33–43 and 2:16–3:6. 

Each group should work together within their group to find answers for their assigned column:) Next you should have each group write down what they have found in the column which was assigned to them. 

When each group is finished searching and writing what they have found you and your family members might want to discuss the following questions:  What do we learn about the various ways the Lord may choose to help us? What do we learn about our role in the process of receiving revelation? 

You might want to consider having you and your family members and friends share some other examples they have found in the scriptures that teach to us some similar principles. The following comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families  manual:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Ether 1:33–43

As I cry unto the Lord, He will have compassion on me.

Ether 1:33–43 tells of three prayers of the brother of Jared. What do you learn from the Lord’s response to each of these prayers? Think about a time when you have experienced the Lord’s compassion as you cried unto Him in prayer. You may want to record this experience and share it with someone who may need to hear your testimony.

I have found that it is most helpful when studying the scriptures to look up the topic of our lesson and include a talk or two that has similar material and will aid in the understanding of the lesson.The following statement given by Elder Richard G; Scott here below will provide some further insights concerning how the Lord answers our prayers. 

Recognizing answers to prayer.

Elder Richard G. Scott taught:

“When we explain a problem and a proposed solution, sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no. Often He withholds an answer, not for lack of concern, but because He loves us—perfectly. He wants us to apply truths He has given us. For us to grow, we need to trust our ability to make correct decisions. We need to do what we feel is right. In time, He will answer. He will not fail us. …

“… He wants us to act to gain needed experience:

“When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence.

“When He answers no, it is to prevent error.

“When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act” (“Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 31–32).

If you take another look in Ether 3:1–5 you will find the brother of Jared’s prayer. This prayer could inspire you and your family members and friends to maybe take a long look at your / their own personal prayers.  Have you ever watched or listened to the kids film Adventures in Odyssey?  They have an imagination station.

We are going to be doing a little bit of imagining too: What if you and your family members and friends might want to imagine that you and/or  they were going to give some counsel to someone who is just learning how to pray. Think about what advice you and / or your family members and friends would give to this person?  

Ater you have finished this activity let's move on and you and your family members and friends should now search through Ether 3:1–5 , looking for principles on how to pray effectively. You can summarize each verse  and be sure to include one or two rips or principles about how you should pray effectively. 

You might consider giving your family members and friends several minutes to collect their thoughts and think about their own prayers. And you and your family study group should think of how you and/ or they can follow the brother of Jared’s example to make their prayers more meaningful. 

Moroni taught us about the brother of Jared and his revelatory experience, which we have found in Ether 3. After Moroni shared Jared’s experience with us in Ether chapter 3, he went on to give us counsel about how we all can receive revelation from the Lord in Ether 4. The following comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families  manual:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Ether 3

I am created in God’s image.

On Mount Shelem, the brother of Jared learned a lot about God and about himself. What do you learn from Ether 3 about the spiritual and physical nature of God? How do these truths help you understand your divine identity and potential?

Something you might do to help your family members and friends to better learn from this counsel which Moroni gave you is to do the following: You may want to show a picture of Jesus Christ . Once you have the picture where all can see it you can ask your family members and friends to search through Ether 4:8–10. 

You and your family members and friends will be searching for those things that can prevent a person -- any person from receiving revelation or truth from the Lord. make sure that you allow enough time for your search efforts:) Be sure that each person in your family study group is ready to share:)

Now, you need to be a bit behind the scenes and as your family members and friends are sharing what they have found that may prevent us from receiving revelation or truth from the Lord, you will be in the back and slowly be covering your picture of Jesus Christ. 

I hope that you can picture this in your mind -- the covering of your picture of Jesus Christ as your family members and friends are revealing those things which they have found which may prevent you and/or them from receiving the revelation or truth  needed for your and/or their life/lives.

Now for a question or two: How can we avoid these spiritual barriers in our lives?  The next thing for you to do would be to have your family members and friends search through the following scripture verses Ether 4:7, 11–15. Your search this time will be for you and your family members and friends to look for the following:

You and your family members will be looking for just how you and/or they can qualify to receive truths from the Lord? Now you should ask your family study group to begin sharing with one another what they have found in this search. Like last time as they are sharing what they have found you will be removing the cloth.

By the time they have finished sharing what they have found in the last passage of scripture you should have the picture of Jesus Christ uncovered completely:) and now you are ready for more questions right?? What does it mean to “exercise faith in … the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did”? (Ether 4:7; see also Ether 3:1–9). 

What does it mean to “rend [the] veil of unbelief” in our lives? (Ether 4:15). How can we help others do the same? You and your family members and friends could also look for truths about personal revelation in President Russell M. Nelson’s message “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives” 

This talk holds so many things for each one of us to learn. “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” This quote comes from this very same talk. It was given at an Easter Sunday conference in 2018.

We must remember his quote about spiritual survival and do whatever it takes to achieve it for us to survive! His message is found in the following church magazines:(Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 93–96). The following comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families  manual:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Ether 2; 3:1–6; 4:7–15

I can receive revelation for my life.

President Russell M. Nelson said: “I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. … Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly” (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 96).

As you study Ether 2; 3:1–6; and 4:7–15, what truths do you find that help you understand how to seek personal revelation? You could mark in one color the questions or concerns the brother of Jared had and what he did about them, and in another color you could mark how the Lord helped him and made His will known. What impresses you about the way the brother of Jared conversed with the Lord, and what do you learn from this about how to increase the flow of revelation in your life?

Ether 2:14–15

Through His chastening, the Lord invites us to repent and come unto Him.

Have you ever heard that the Lord only chastens those whom He loves. I am not sure that this is from a scripture verse, but i have heard it said before, but i can’t remember who said it or why they said it. Well, as you probably realized that the brother of Jared was a prophet of God. 

He was a great prophet of God and he received chastening from the Lord as well as others did. As you probably noticed, a part of what had made the brother of Jared a great prophet was the very way in which he handled -- received or responded to that chastening. 

You and your family members and friends should read through Ether 2:14–15 together -- or you can pair up your family study group if that works best for you! Once you have your groups ready -- if this is what you chose to do, ask your family members and friends to pretend that one of you is the brother of Jared. 

And the other one is a person who has just received chastening from a church leader or even from a parent. They can now role-play what the brother of Jared might possibly say from his own experiences that might be helpful to this person. Here are a few questions that could help in your discussion: 

What counsel might the brother of Jared give? What lessons do you and your family members and friends  learn that will help you and/or they draw closer to Heavenly Father? You could also discuss how the Lord’s chastening and the brother of Jared’s response may have helped prepare him for the experience he had in Ether 3:1–20.  

Below are some other resources that may be helpful for you and your family members and friends: Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s message “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 97–100) or the section titled “Discipline” in Elder Lynn G. Robbins’s message “The Righteous Judge” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 96–97).

I looked up the word Chasten, Chastening  in the Guide to the Scriptures. It gave the following definition: “Correction or discipline given to individuals or groups in order to help them improve or become stronger.” The following comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families  manual:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Ether 2:16–25

The Lord will prepare me to cross my “great deep.”

To get to the promised land, the Jaredites faced a major obstacle: crossing the “great deep” (Ether 2:25). The phrase “great deep” can be a fitting way to describe what our trials and challenges sometimes feel like. And sometimes, as was the case for the Jaredites, crossing our own “great deep” is the only way to fulfill God’s will for us. Do you see similarities to your life in Ether 2:16–25? How has the Lord prepared you for your challenges? What might He be asking you to do now to prepare for what He needs you to do in the future?

Ether 5

Three witnesses testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

You and your family members and friends could divide in half and one group could read Ether 5 and the other group could read “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” which is found at the beginning of the Book of Mormon. 

In doing this you will be learning somewhat more about Moromi’s prophecy of the Three Witnesses. This in itself could strengthen you and your family’s and your friends’ testimonies of the Book of Mormon. 

After your groups have finished their reading they could share with one another those things that they feel the Lord’s purpose was in thus allowing The Three Witnesses to see an angel and the plates. 

You might also consider sharing  and/or discussing some other instances where there were multiple witnesses used to establish truth. 

You could read together with your family members and friends the following scripture passages for some examples: Matthew 3:13–17; 18:15–16; John 5:31–47; Doctrine and Covenants 128:3. 

And of course here are some questions to add to your discussion and study about The Three Witnesses: What witnesses in our lives have inspired us to believe? 

How has “the power of God and also his word” been “shown forth” to us in the Book of Mormon, as we find in Ether 5:4? The following comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families  manual:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Ether 3:6–16

Was the brother of Jared the first person to see the Lord?

God had shown Himself to other prophets before the brother of Jared (for example, see Moses 7:4, 59), so why did the Lord say to him, “Never have I showed myself unto man”? (Ether 3:15). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland offered this possible explanation: “Christ was saying to the brother of Jared, ‘Never have I showed myself unto man in this manner, without my volition, driven solely by the faith of the beholder’” (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 23).

 In your readings this week you probably noticed that the Jaredites faced some problems. In our readings for next week Ether 6–11, we will continue learning about the Jaredites and  about some of the political things they went through. 

With all of the political unrest that is going on with our presidential election today. This  lesson fits right in with what is going on in our lives right now. Except that our political leaders are not kidnapping and killing one another.

Maybe you and your family members should try to imagine that our political leaders were capturing and killing one another in a vicious cycle. In this week’s study we will learn about how this happened to the descendants of Jared and his brother and their people. 

You and your family members and friends will also find out that there are some warnings that are for our day, that could very well help you and/or them to avoid the problems that the Jaredite people faced during their life time. The following comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families  manual:

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 ideas.

Ether 1:34–37

What do we learn from these verses about praying for others? What other truths about prayer do these verses illustrate?

Ether 2:16–3:6

What does the brother of Jared’s example teach us about how to find answers to our problems and questions? Maybe family members could share experiences when they sought and received answers from the Lord.

Ether 4:11–12

After reading these verses, family members could write down some everyday things that influence your family (such as movies, songs, games, or people) on slips of paper and place them in a bowl. Then they could take turns picking one and discussing whether it “persuadeth [them] to do good” (Ether 4:12). What changes does your family feel inspired to make?

Ether 5

You could hide an object or a treat in a box and invite a family member to look inside and give the rest of the family clues to help them guess what it is. As you read Ether 5 together, discuss why it is important that the Lord uses witnesses in His work. How can we share our witness of the Book of Mormon with others?

For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.

Suggested song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” Children’s Songbook, 275.

Improving Our Teaching

Be ready always. “Informal teaching moments pass quickly, so it is important to take advantage of them when they arise. … For example, a teenager with a difficult decision to make may be ready to learn about how to receive personal revelation” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 16).

Improving Our Teaching

Go to the scriptures first. The scriptures should be the primary source for your study and preparation. Don’t forget that the words of modern prophets complement the standard works and are also scripture (see Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 17–18).

I hope that each of you has gained something from this lesson that I have shared on this post. I learn so much in sharing with you each week. Remember who you are…. You are each one a child of God!!! Your Heavenly Father (God, and His Son, Jesus Christ loves you so much !!!  

Remember that He(God) sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for each one of us, to pay the price for our sins. Have you ever stopped to think about what our Heavenly Father must have felt. Not only giving up His child for another to raise but to know that your child would be treated so cruelly.

I believe that if we took the time to think about Jesus Christ and all of the suffering that He did for each of us individually it might help us to refocus a little bit easier when we get off track. What do you think??? Do you think that doing this would be helpful for you and your family members?

I do hope that every one of you are remembering to say your prayers each day at least morning and evening. As I have mentioned before, there is great power in a sincere prayer:) I have experienced this power in my own life and in the lives of those around me. The hardest part is believing in that power.

I do pray that you and your family members and friends are continuing to read from and study the Book of Mormon with me and all or our cyber study buddies out there in cyberspace. I pray too, that you are learning a lot from the spirit of God about what is in this great book. Until my next post, stay healthy and well.