Post # 277 -- Week # 6 -- Come,Follow Me --
February 1–7 -- Doctrine and Covenants
10–11 -- “That You May Come Off Conqueror”
Dear Family and Friends
I look around my classroom at my little preschoolers and they all have their little masks on and they are playing together on the floor. I never dreamed that I would be teaching my preschoolers how to wear a mask to keep them safe from a nasty virus. I often need to remind them to keep their masks on to cover their noses, so sometimes I hear one of them saying to another child “nose
check”!
These two words remind them that they need to be safe, even when they are playing/ maybe especially when they are playing recuse they are in closer contact most of the time. They are so adapted to the routine of checking their temperature as they enter the classroom. They are comfortable with the routine now of masking and unmasking.
They are allowed to take their masks off to eat their meals. to go swimming, play in the gym and play on the playground. I try hard to teach these children that they are each a child of God and that they are loved by their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It does make a difference in one’s life to know this!
I know that it changed my life for the better. I cannot even imagine where I would be right now. Or what condition i would be in without this knowledge and having the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. Or how I would have raised my children. Who knows if i would even be here the way i was living.
I know for sure that the Lord led me here because He knew that I would need to be here at this time in my life. To be in a place where I would be able to have the support of my own family as well as from my ward family during this cancer journey I am on. I will be on this journey until my time is up, so it has become my new normal.
Well I am sure that is enough of my ramblings for now. So i think we should begin this lesson with a couple of questions: as you were reading during the week what impressions did you have? Next question: how about the thoughts that came to you about the needs of your family members and friends whom you teach?
As the translation of the Book of Mormon progressed, a question naturally arose: What should Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery do about those pages of the translation that had been lost? The logical thing might be to go back and retranslate that portion, but the Lord could see something that they could not—wicked men were plotting to alter the words on those pages to cast doubt on Joseph’s inspired work. God had a plan to thwart Satan’s efforts and compensate for what was lost. This plan was put into motion thousands of years earlier when the prophet Nephi felt inspired to create a second record that covered the same time period. Later, Mormon was inspired to include this record in the Book of Mormon “for a wise purpose” known to the Lord (see Words of Mormon 1:3–7).
“My wisdom,” the Lord said to Joseph, “is greater than the cunning of the devil” (Doctrine and Covenants 10:43). That’s a reassuring message in a day like ours, when the adversary’s ongoing efforts to weaken faith are intensifying. Like Joseph, we can be “faithful and continue on” in the work God has called us to do (verse 3). Then we will find that He has already provided a way so that “the gates of hell shall not prevail” against us (verse 69).
See Saints, 1:51–61.
Now we can move on to a bit of a review, this will give your family members and friends a chance to talk about and share what they learned during their personal scripture study as well as your friends during their family scripture study. You may want to get out a piece of your poster board.
You should write across the top of your poster board Doctrine and Covenants 10 on one side and Doctrine and Covenants 11 on the other side. You should then ask your family members and friends to share with you the verse where they found an important truth.
As they share those versus with you write down the number of the verse under the correct section. Now ask your family members and friends to share the truths which they each found during their personal study of these sections.
Doctrine and Covenants 10:1–33
Satan seeks to destroy the work of God.
I am almost certain that as you were studying Doctrine and Covenants 10 you recognized how Satan is always around us trying to destroy you and your family members' and friends' faith as well as mine and all of the whole world.
It is so important for you to help your family members and friends to recognize and then to resist Satan’s and his followers in their efforts to destroy their faith.
As you know Satan who is also called the adversary and the devil, was once a Spirit son and was an angel in heaven called Lucifer. He rebelled against God and since that time all he has wanted to do is to destroy the children of God.
Remember you and your family members and friends are each one a child of God. We are all His children. We need to know his tactics so we can avoid them. You can learn more about Satan here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/satan?lang=eng
Now you or one of your family members and friends could share the account of the time when Martin Harris lost the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon translation. Read the section heading for Doctrine and Covenants 3 and Saints, 1:50–53 below for some historical context for this section.
Doctrine and Covenants 3 Doctrine and Covenants
SECTION
3
Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, July 1828, relating to the loss of 116 pages of manuscript translated from the first part of the Book of Mormon, which was called the book of Lehi. The Prophet had reluctantly allowed these pages to pass from his custody to that of Martin Harris, who had served for a brief period as scribe in the translation of the Book of Mormon. The revelation was given through the Urim and Thummim. (See section 10.)
After you have shared the historical context you and your family members and friends could now search Doctrine and Covenants 10:1–33 looking for the plan’s that Satan had planned for the lost pages.
1 Now, behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up those writings which you had power given unto you to translate by the means of the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them.
2 And you also lost your gift at the same time, and your mind became darkened.
3 Nevertheless, it is now restored unto you again; therefore see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work of translation as you have begun.
4 Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end.
5 Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.
6 Behold, they have sought to destroy you; yea, even the man in whom you have trusted has sought to destroy you.
7 And for this cause I said that he is a wicked man, for he has sought to take away the things wherewith you have been entrusted; and he has also sought to destroy your gift.
8 And because you have delivered the writings into his hands, behold, wicked men have taken them from you.
9 Therefore, you have delivered them up, yea, that which was sacred, unto wickedness.
10 And, behold, Satan hath put it into their hearts to alter the words which you have caused to be written, or which you have translated, which have gone out of your hands.
11 And behold, I say unto you, that because they have altered the words, they read contrary from that which you translated and caused to be written;
12 And, on this wise, the devil has sought to lay a cunning plan, that he may destroy this work;
13 For he hath put into their hearts to do this, that by lying they may say they have caught you in the \words which you have pretended to translate.
14 Verily, I say unto you, that I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing.
15 For behold, he has put it into their hearts to get thee to tempt the Lord thy God, in asking to translate it over again.
16 And then, behold, they say and think in their hearts—We will see if God has given him power to translate; if so, he will also give him power again;
17 And if God giveth him power again, or if he translates again, or, in other words, if he bringeth forth the same words, behold, we have the same with us, and we have altered them;
18 Therefore they will not agree, and we will say that he has lied in his words, and that he has no gift, and that he has no power;
19 Therefore we will destroy him, and also the work; and we will do this that we may not be ashamed in the end, and that we may get glory of the world.
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that Satan has great hold upon their hearts; he stirreth
them up to iniquity against that which is good;
21 And their hearts are corrupt, and full of wickedness and abominations; and they love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil; therefore they will not ask of me.
22 Satan stirreth them up, that he may lead their souls to destruction.
23 And thus he has laid a cunning plan, thinking to destroy the work of God; but I will require this at their hands, and it shall turn to their shame and condemnation in the day of judgment.
24 Yea, he stirreth up their hearts to anger against this work.
25 Yea, he saith unto them: Deceive and lie in wait to catch, that ye may destroy;
behold, this is no harm. And thus he flattereth them, and telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may destroy him.
26 And thus he flattereth them, and leadeth them along until he draggeth their souls down to hell; and thus he causeth them to catch themselves in their own snare.
27 And thus he goeth up and down, to and fro in the earth, seeking to destroy the souls of men.
28 Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he
supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God.
29 Now, behold, they have altered these words, because Satan saith unto them: He hath deceived you—and thus he flattereth them away to do iniquity, to get thee to tempt the Lord thy God.
30 Behold, I say unto you, that you shall not translate again those words which have gone forth out of your hands;
31 For, behold, they shall not accomplish their evil designs in lying against those words. For, behold, if you should bring forth the same words they will say that you have lied and that you have pretended to translate, but that you have contradicted yourself.
32 And, behold, they will publish this, and Satan will harden the hearts of the people to stir them up to anger against you, that they will not believe my words.
33 Thus Satan thinketh to overpower your testimony in this generation, that the work may not come forth in this generation.
Here are a couple of questions for you and your family members and friends to answer together: What do we learn from these verses about the ways Satan works and why he does these things? Next read verse 63 for more information.
63 And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them.
Remember, Satan wants to destroy all righteousness and those who follow Christ. Now it is time for more questions for you and your family to think about and answer together. How is he working in similar ways in our day? How does the Lord help us conquer Satan in our lives? This section comes to you directly from the Come,Follow Me manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Doctrine and Covenants 10:1–33
Satan seeks to destroy the work of God.
Satan would prefer that we forget he exists—or that we at least fail to recognize his attempts to influence us (see 2 Nephi 28:22–23). But the Lord’s words in Doctrine and Covenants 10 reveal that Satan is in constant, active opposition to God’s work. As you read verses 1–33, identify how Satan sought to destroy God’s work in Joseph Smith’s time (see also verses 62–63). What similarities do you see with the ways Satan works today? You could ask the Lord to help you see how Satan may be tempting you. What do you learn from section 10 that can help you resist Satan’s efforts?
Doctrine and Covenants 10:34–52
The Lord’s “wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.”
You may want to begin this section by asking your family members and friends to share with you something that they have learned about the Lord during their study of Doctrine and Covenants 10:34–52.
Doctrine and Covenants 10:34–52
Doctrine and Covenants
34 But behold, here is wisdom, and because I show unto you wisdom, and give you commandments concerning these things, what you shall do, show it not unto the world until you have accomplished the work of translation.
35 Marvel not that I said unto you: Here is wisdom, show it not unto the world—for I said, show it not unto the world, that you may be preserved.
36 Behold, I do not say that you shall not show it unto the righteous;
37 But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter.
38 And now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands, is engraven upon the plates of Nephi;
39 Yea, and you remember it was said in those writings that a more
particular account was given of these things upon the plates of Nephi.
40 And now, because the account which is engraven upon the plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things which, in my wisdom, I would bring to the knowledge of the people in this account—
41 Therefore, you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of
Nephi, down even till you come to the reign of king Benjamin, or until you come to that which you have translated, which you have retained;
42 And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will
confound those who have altered my words.
43 I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.
44 Behold, they have only got a part, or an abridgment of the account of Nephi.
45 Behold, there are many things engraven upon the plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel; therefore, it is wisdom in me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi, and send forth in this work.
46 And, behold, all the remainder of this work does contain all those parts
of my gospel which my holy prophets, yea, and also my disciples, desired in their prayers should come forth unto this people.
47 And I said unto them, that it should be granted unto them according to their faith in their prayers;
48 Yea, and this was their faith—that my gospel, which I gave unto them
that they might preach in their days, might come unto their brethren the Lamanites, and also all that had become Lamanites because
of their dissensions.
49 Now, this is not all—their faith in their prayers was that this gospel
should be made known also, if it were possible that other nations should
possess this land;
50 And thus they did leave a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that
whosoever should believe in this gospel in this land might have eternal life;
51 Yea, that it might be free unto all of whatsoever nation, kindred, tongue, or people they may be.
52 And now, behold, according to their faith in their prayers will I bring this part of my gospel to the knowledge of my people. Behold, I do not bring it to destroy that which they have received, but to build it up.
You can also read together Doctrine and Covenants 3:1–3 looking for more that you can learn about the Lord. it's important to help your family members and friends to understand that they can all find hope in knowing that the Lord has compensated for their sins.
We learn this from the Lord paying for the sin that Joseph Smith and Martin Harris committed when they disobeyed the Lord and lost the 116 pages of the Book od Mormon translation. We can all find hope from this account.
Because if the Lord paid for their sins He will also have paid for the sins of you and your family members and friends. Do, whenever you or your family members and friends feel discouraged about your sins, you can each one remember this account.
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Doctrine and Covenants 10:34–52
The Lord’s “wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.”
More than 2,400 years in advance, the Lord prepared to compensate for the lost pages of the Book of Mormon (see 1 Nephi 9). What do you learn about the Lord from Doctrine and Covenants 10:34–52? What evidence of the Lord’s wisdom and foreknowledge have you seen in your life?
The record that God prepared to replace the lost manuscript is now found in 1 Nephi through Omni. How have the stories and teachings in this record “[thrown] greater views upon [the] gospel” for you? (Doctrine and Covenants 10:45).
If we ask of God, we will receive.
Did you and your family members and friends remember to read this section as if it were written for you and for them individually? As it was suggested in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families which invites us to read Doctrine and Covenants 11 as if it were written for us.
For this next section you will need to get out your poster board and write the following questions at the top in two columns:“What does it mean to cleave unto Christ with all of your heart?” (verse 19) or “How do we obtain God’s word?” (verse 21).
You can add their questions to your poster board and answer the questions together. Writing your answers on your poster board. Or you could have your family members and friends write their questions on a paper and pass their papers around allowing each person to write their answer on the paper.
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
If I ask of God, I will receive.
Several of Joseph Smith’s family members and friends asked him to seek the Lord’s will on their behalf. Joseph was happy to do so, but the Lord was also willing to give them personal revelation. In Doctrine and Covenants 11, a revelation that Joseph received for his older brother Hyrum, the Lord said, “I will impart unto you of my Spirit, … and then shall ye know … all things whatsoever you desire of me” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:13–14). The Lord said His words were for “all who have good desires, and have thrust in their sickle to reap” (verse 27). In Doctrine and Covenants 11, what is the Lord trying to tell you about personal revelation? about participating in God’s work? What other messages does He have for you?
Doctrine and Covenants 11:8–26
God will give us His Spirit as we prepare ourselves in His way.
Imagine that you were asked to write sie truths about how to receive personal revelation. What could you include from Doctrine and Covenants 11:8–26?
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Doctrine and Covenants 11:15–26
As I seek to “obtain [God’s] word,” I will receive His Spirit and power.
Even before the Book of Mormon had been translated, Hyrum Smith was anxious to preach the gospel. As you read the Lord’s response to his desires, consider what it means to you to “obtain [God’s] word” (verse 21). How does obtaining God’s word help you serve in the Church? How does it bring God’s power into your life?
As always i have included the following helps for improving your teaching that you can add to your inde of teaching helps:
Improving Our Teaching
Include those who are struggling. What can you do when a class member seems disconnected from
the rest of the class? Sometimes he or she just needs to be included. Consider asking this person to participate in an upcoming lesson. If he or she does not respond to your efforts at first, continue to show love and concern. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 8–9.)
Improving Our Teaching
Apply the scriptures to your life. After reading a scripture passage, ask family members to share ways the message applies to their lives. For instance, they could share how the Spirit has influenced them in the ways described in Doctrine and Covenants 11:12–13.]
I pray that you and your family members and friends will enjoy using the following ideas for family scripture study and family home evening. This section comes to you directly from the Come, Follow Me manual:
Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Home
Evening
What do we learn from this verse about the power of prayer? How do we “pray always”? (For some ideas, see David A. Bednar, “Pray Always,”Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 41–44.)
Doctrine and Covenants10:38–46.
To help your family discuss how the Lord compensated for the lost pages of the Book of Mormon translation, perhaps family members could talk about something they have
recently lost. How did they feel when they discovered it was lost? How did they feel when it was found? Although the lost Book of Mormon pages were never found, how did the Lord compensate for their loss, according to Doctrine and Covenants 10:38–46?
Doctrine and Covenants10:55–70.
Invite family members= to find or mark phrases that begin with “I am” or “I will.” What do we learn from the “I am” phrases about who Jesus Christ is and what He is like? What do we learn from the “I will” phrases about what He does? Encourage family members to share how these truths strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.
Doctrine and Covenants11:12–14.
Reading these verses can help your family members recognize when the Spirit is communicating with them. You could shine a flashlight on the floor and invite a family member to move to where the light is shining. How is this like following the guidance of
the Holy Ghost? What personal experiences could you share?
Doctrine and Covenants11:15–30.
Consider making a list of the things the Lord told Hyrum Smith to do so that he would be ready to share the gospel. What should we work on as a family?
For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.
Suggested song: “Search, Ponder, and Pray,” Children’s Songbook, 109; see “Ideas to Improve Your Family Scripture Study.”
My dear Family and Friends we are at the end of this week lesson. i pray that you and your family members will seek for personal revelation. That you will each one apply what you have learned this week into your lives.
I Pray that I have been able to share something with you that has been of some value to you. Something that has uplifted in some small way and enlightened your mind. That maybe, I have encouraged you to come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.
Please remember who you are and who the Lord wants you to become with His help. He wants you and your family to become an eternal family
living with Him someday. Until my next post,please stay safe, healthy and
happy!!!
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