Mormon Life - Agency tag

Young Men Lesson 20: Proper Use of Agency

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:03:00 -0600

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices." -Thomas S. Monson

Discussion Questions

• What blessings have you received from making correct choices?

• What changes could you make in your life that would make it easier for you to always choose the right?

Excerpt from "The Three Rs of Choice" by President Thomas S. Monson, October 2010 General Conference:

I have been thinking recently about choices and their consequences. Scarcely an hour of the day goes by but what we are called upon to make choices of one sort or another. Some are trivial, some more far-reaching. Some will make no difference in the eternal scheme of things, and others will make all the difference.

As I’ve contemplated the various aspects of choice, I’ve put them into three categories: first, the right of choice; second, the responsibility of choice; and third, the results of choice. I call these the three Rs of choice.

I mention first the right of choice. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for His gift of agency, or the right to choose. President David O. McKay, ninth President of the Church, said, “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man.”1

We know that we had our agency before this world was and that Lucifer attempted to take it from us. He had no confidence in the principle of agency or in us and argued for imposed salvation. He insisted that with his plan none would be lost, but he seemed not to recognize—or perhaps not to care—that in addition, none would be any wiser, any stronger, any more compassionate, or any more grateful if his plan were followed.

To read the full talk, click here.

FHE: Agency

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:05:00 -0700

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: One of the greatest gifts our Heavenly Father has given us is the power to choose. With that power, we show Him what our hearts really desire.

Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read “Choose Eternal Life,” by Elder Randall K. Bennett, Ensign, Nov 2011, 98.

Thought:
In reality we have only two eternal choices, each with eternal consequences: choose to follow the Savior of the world and thus choose eternal life with our Heavenly Father or choose to follow the world and thus choose to separate ourselves from Heavenly Father eternally.

We cannot successfully choose both the safety of righteousness and the dangers of worldliness.

(Elder Randall K. Bennett, “Choose Eternal Life,” Ensign, Nov 2011, 98.)

Song:
“I’m Trying to Be like Jesus,” Children’s Songbook, p. 78.

Scripture:
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

(2 Nephi 2:27)

Lesson:
Draw a line down the middle of a large sheet of paper or poster board. Have your family read Alma 29:4–5 and find the opposites contained in the verses. List one word on the left side of the board and its opposite on the right side of the board. When finished, the board might look something like the chart below:

Life | Death
|
Salvation | Destruction
|
Good | Evil
|
Joy | Remorse of conscience

Ask your family which list they would rather have and why. What would they be willing to do to enjoy those things?

Look again at Alma 29:4–5 and underline phrases showing that God allows us to have what we want (for example, “he granteth unto men according to their desire”; “he allotteth unto men . . . according to their wills”; “it is given according to his desires”). Ask:

• How might knowing that the Lord “granteth unto men according to their desire” in this life affect our decisions for the future?
• What can we do to show the Lord that we want life and salvation more than death and destruction?

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Book of Mormon, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], p. 196.)

Story:
by Bishop Robert L. Simpson

[One] night my high-school-age son persuaded me to sit down and watch the second half of a football game. I have always made it a policy that no sacrifice is too great for my boy. So we sat down and watched football. While watching this game, some facts became very apparent. In fact, it had gospel application and priesthood application.

I noticed, for example, that there were no shortcuts to the goal line. It was a hundred yards in both directions. I also noticed that the team that seemed to have had the most practice, that did the best planning, that executed their plays the best, and that had the best team attitude, was the team that made the most points.

I also noticed that when team members cooperated and helped one another, the team made the most yardage.

It was also obvious that when someone broke the rules, there was always a penalty imposed. It sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it? In talking about this to my boy, he said, “Fifteen yards is nothing; but, Dad, when you ground me for three days, that is too much.”

We also noticed that no one was allowed to make up his own rules as the game progressed. They all lost their free agency to do that when they agreed to join the team and play according to the established rules.

And last but not least, I noticed when it was all over, the winning team was a lot happier than the team that lost.

Now brethren, we believe that “men are, that they might have joy”; and joy can best come as we obtain victory in the game of life, played according to the only acceptable rules—those set down by our Heavenly Father.

(Leon R. Hartshorn, Outstanding Stories by General Authorities, vol. 2, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1971].)

Activity:
Seat everyone in a circle. Position one person with a thimbleful of water in the center of the circle. The person in the center picks a category that has a limited number of items in it. For example: states, plays of Shakespeare, names of those in the room, U.S. Presidents, units of English measure, countries in Europe, and so on. He then secretly writes down one item in the category.

As the person in the center moves from one person to the next, those seated have to name one of the items in the category. Items may not be repeated.

When a person names the written item, the person in the center throws the thimbleful of water into the face of that person. People also get splashed if they name an item already mentioned. The person who is splashed trades places with the person in the center, and the game continues with a new category.

(George and Jeane Chipman, Games! Games! Games!, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 1983], p. 44.)

Refreshment
Crispy Taquitos

12 sticks sharp cheddar cheese
24 10-inch flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each cheese stick in half lengthwise to make 2 thin sticks. Place 1 thin stick on edge of each tortilla; roll tortilla tightly around cheese. Brush edge of tortilla with water to seal. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining cheese and tortillas. Place taquitos, seam sides down, on cookie sheet. Brush each lightly with oil. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until edges of tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Serves 6.

(Jill McKenzie, 52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Kids, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2008], p. 116.)

To get the PDF version of this lesson, click here.

February 2012 Sharing Time: Choose to Obey

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:06:00 -0700

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: This sharing time will help the children learn about the blessings they receive when they choose the right.

Preparation: Obtain a bean bag and two buckets or baskets. Label one bucket, “YES” and the other bucket, “NO.”

Presentation: Explain to the children that commandments are the rules or laws that Heavenly Father wants us to live by. We find the commandments in the scriptures, or by listening to the prophet. We show our love for Jesus Christ by obeying the commandments. When we obey the commandments the Lord gives us many blessings.

Display the yes and no buckets. Give a child the bean bag. Read one of the situations below. Have the child toss the bean bag into the “YES” bucket if the example is one of choosing the right and into the “NO” bucket if they did not choose the right. Review and discuss the situation as needed, reminding the children what blessings they might receive when they choose the right.

Hand the bean bag to another child and read the next situation.

• Michael eats fruit and vegetables and other healthy foods.

• Peter helps his mother clear the table even when she doesn’t ask him to.

• Maria argues about going to bed.

• Rosa loves to read the scriptures with her mother and father each night.

• Henry listens to the Sacrament prayers and thinks about Jesus when he takes the bread and water.

• Adam wants to play a video game that has bad pictures and uses bad words.

• Pilar invites the new girl to play with her during recess.

• Everett complains that church is always boring.

• Micah likes to learn the songs and sing in Primary.

• Ricardo plays on the swing set when his father asks him to help rake the leaves.

• Lucia chose not to wear a shirt that didn’t cover her body very well.

• Max’s friends find a cigarette while walking home from school. They decide to try it.

• Kimlee chose to play in a soccer tournament on Sunday.

• Amilyn eats more cookies, candy, and soda than good food.

• Kiki’s little sister broke Kiki’s toy, but Kiki forgave her.

• Jonah sees a toy he likes at the store and puts it in his pocket.

• Julia decided not to play with children who were saying bad words.

• Fernando likes to go to Primary to learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Testify that you know the children will receive blessings if they obey the commandments.

Sing songs to reinforce the concept, such as “Keep the Commandments,” Children’s Songbook, p. 146; “Nephi’s Courage,” CS, p. 120; “Choose the Right Way,” CS, p. 160; and “Choose the Right.” Hymns, no. 239.

Book of Mormon Lesson 6: "Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life"

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:05:00 -0700

by Ted L. Gibbons
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: What would you say to your children if it were the last thing you would ever say to them? Consider this as you reflect on Lehi's words in this lesson.

Quote of the week:

I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase, mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to that counsel. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity the pure love of Christ will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.

-Marion G. Romney, Conference Report, April 1960, p.112 p.113

INTRODUCTION:

One of the messages that the Book of Mormon sends to us across the years is that parents (particularly fathers) have an obligation to bless their children and to teach their children and to bear testimony to them. The Book of Mormon contains several chapters in which Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and Moroni are engaged in this work. When we read such things in this book, we must do more than believe the doctrine: we must follow the example. In fact, we will devote a lesson to this matter - lesson #29 when we study Alma 36-39. This lesson and the next will focus on what seem to be Lehi's final admonitions to his children. Nephi tells us this of these teachings:

And it came to pass after my father, Lehi, had spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, he waxed old. And it came to pass that he died, and was buried. (2 Nephi 4:12)

You might ask yourself what you would say to each of your children if it were the last thing you would ever say to them. As you consider this, reflect on the topics of which Lehi speaks, testifies, and prophesies.

1. LEHI EXHORTS HIS SONS TO REPENT, OBEY THE LORDS COMMANDMENTS, AND PUT ON THE ARMOR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (2 Nephi 1)

The concept of mercy suggests receiving something we do not deserve. Anything that we receive that we have earned comes as a result of justice. Lehi begins his lessons to his offspring by speaking to Laman and Lemuel. He tells them that they are only alive because of the mercies of God is sparing their lives during their rebellions upon the waters. By rights and by the demands of justice, they should have been swallowed up in the sea. (2 Nephi 1:2)

He speaks of the mercies of God in warning them to flee from Jerusalem (1 Nephi 2:2) (which he knows by a vision has been destroyed [2 Nephi 1:4]), and in giving them a land of promise (2 Nephi 1:3,5).

Lehi says six things about this land of promise that you ought to mark in your scriptures. They are:

• It is a land which is choice above all other lands (2 Nephi 1:5).

• The Lord God . . . covenanted with [Lehi, that it] should be a land for the inheritance of [his] seed” (2 Nephi 1:6).

• It is also a land for all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord (2 Nephi 1:6).

• There shall none come unto this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord ((2 Nephi 1:6).

• If the inhabitants serve the Lord, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore they shall never be brought down into captivity (2 Nephi 1:7).

• This land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations (2 Nephi 1:8).

Notice the penalty pronounced upon the people of this land, if they should dwindle in unbelief.

He will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten (2 Nephi 1:11).

This will come as a result of dwindling in unbelief. Notice the areas of dwindling mentioned in 2 Nephi 1:10. Try to give a grade to American society in each of these areas for the year 2012. Has this nation dwindled since the days of our ancestors?

People who dwindle, lose their belief in

The creation by God of the earth and all men

The scriptural record of the great and marvelous works of the Lord.

The possibility and ability to do things by faith

The commandments

The infinite goodness of the Lord

The Messiah

In how many of these beliefs is America (not the Church) still solid?

The warning given by Lehi here to his oldest sons might well be given to much of Western society.

O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe (2 Nephi 1:13).

In the next verse: Awake! and arise from the dust . . . (2 Nephi 1:14).

And in verse 23:

Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust (2 Nephi 1:23).

How is sin like sleep? What is there about the condition of Laman and Lemuel that is like sleep? Like a "deep sleep"? Like "the sleep of hell"? How is sin like groveling in the dust and dirt? What precisely does Lehi mean when he uses the words awake and arise? Lehi is certainly comparing wickedness to sleep. And the fact that he calls it "the sleep of hell" makes it pretty clear who is dispensing the sleeping pills. The comparison is intriguing. People who are in a deep sleep are hard to arouse. They are unaware of their surroundings. Danger can approach unobserved. It is impossible for them to make good decisions or to think clearly.

Twice in 2 Nephi 1 Lehi uses another image related to sleeping.

2 Nephi 1:13: Shake off the awful chains by which you are bound.

2 Nephi 1:23: Shake off the chains with which you are bound.

Each of their journeys into iniquity has increased the holding power of Satan over these boys. He did not start off with chains, of course. "In the beginning, he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords [his chains] forever" (2 Nephi 26:22).

This approach works very well because no one fears a flaxen thread. If a powerful enemy approached with an extensive chain forged with great links, even the bravest among us would run like an antelope. But when we see that he is only carrying a small, fragile, nearly invisible thread made of weakest of all natural fibers, we hold our place and trust in our strength. We can break a flaxen thread anytime we want to. With such insignificant restraint he will never be able to take us any place we do not want to go.

And so he takes us to the movies to watch sex and violence and to hear profanity. And he takes us to the TV for more of the same. And all the while he is singing lullabies and giving us the old pacifier and telling us that we are safe and that all is well.

And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell (2 Nephi 28:21).

And all the while, the amount of profanity is increasing and the intensity of the sex is expanding (we really have come a long way, baby) and the degree of violence is multiplying. Lucifer is building a mighty cord from tiny flaxen threads; one that; if we allow him enough time to work on it, will be strong enough to pull a train up a hill. It will be nearly impossible to break. But we are having a nap and do not notice. He is so careful about it.

In 2 Nephi 1:21, Lehi says it this way: "Arise from the dust, my sons, and be men."

In a very real sense, Laman and Lemuel are babies, crawling in the dirt. They blame every-thing on somebody else. 440 years after this, their descendants will still be complaining that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren (Mosiah 10:12).

Let me create a hypothetical conversation between Lehi and his sons, with a few scriptural inserts.

Lehi: Sons, why did you try to kill Nephi?

L&L: He sought power and authority over us (see 2 Nephi 1:25)

Lehi: No, he sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare (2 Nephi 1:25). Now tell me, why do you murmur so much about Nephi?

L&L: He spoke plainly to us and he was sharp with us and he got angry at us (2 Nephi 1:26).

Lehi: Let me see if I understand this: You have tried to kill him at least three times, and you are upset that he got angry and spoke sharply and plainly to you? His sharpness was the sharpness of the word of God, and his anger was the truth, which he could not restrain (2 Nephi 1:26).

By the way, Lehi told Laman and Lemuel to wake up because Satan had power over them. Nephi once discovered that because of his anger at his brothers, he had given place for the enemy of [his] soul (2 Nephi 4:27). Notice who told Nephi to wake up.

Can you see why Lehi tells his boys to be men? And in the verses following this injunction, Lehi gives some wonderful clues about what true manhood really is. There is nothing here about slam dunks or beer commercials or fast cars or movie stars. Lehi would not have given a half a sentence to the manhood of Stallone or Van Damme or Schwartzeneggar. Here are some of the things suggested by this chapter that comprise manhood:

• be determined (2 Nephi 1:21)

• be in one mind and in one heart (2 Nephi 1:21)

• put on the armor of righteousness (2 Nephi 1:23)

• shake off the chains (2 Nephi 1:23)

• arise from the dust (2 Nephi 1:23)

• rebel no more (2 Nephi 1:24)

• be an instrument in the hands of God (2 Nephi 1:24)

• don't seek for authority or power (2 Nephi 1:25)

• speak plainly and truthfully (2 Nephi 1:26)

One final note, also related to manhood. Lehi tells Zoram that he has been a true friend to Nephi. Consider the implications of true friendship.

Many years ago I taught the gospel to a wonderful man in Sorocaba, Brazil. He was a mechanic who had recently left his place of employment and began to repair cars in his garage. But following his baptism, the family came on hard times and he returned to his former workplace in order to return to financial solvency. Not long after, I found that he had started smoking again.

Why? I wanted to know. What happened?

He told me something like this: All my old friends work there and they all smoke. They keep offering me cigarettes and trying to get me to smoke. It is really hard to say no all the time.

He and I had a sincere visit about what constitutes a real (a true) friend. True friends help you reach your righteous goals. They direct you to Christ. They stand by you in your struggles and trials. When a true friend sees you walking a tightrope over a towering waterfall, he does not stand on the side and throw rocks at you.

2. LEHI TESTIFIES OF THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST (2 Nephi 2:1-10)

The promise Lehi makes to his 5th son in 2 Nephi 2:2 is so sweet that it is worth writing on your fridge in black marker:

And he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.

This sounds suspiciously like the promise made in D&C 90:24:

Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another (emphasis added).

D&C 100:15 says:

Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together for good to them that walk uprightly, and to the sanctification of the church (emphasis added).

Lehi's testimony of the atonement in these verses is one of the clearest witnesses of grace in all of the standard works. Lehi says to Jacob, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer (2 Nephi 2:3). I wonder how long you would have to read in the standard works to find a man more consistently righteous than Jacob. But Jacob will not be saved because of his righteousness. He will be saved because of the righteousness of Christ. To put this in other words, no amount of obedience and righteousness can earn us entrance into the Celestial Kingdom. Paul taught this with great clarity in Romans.

For by the law is the knowledge of sin; therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight (JST Romans 3:20).

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus . . . (Romans 3:23,24).

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Romans 3:31).

Or, as Lehi said it with startling simplicity, you cant earn exaltation, because salvation is free (2 Nephi 2:4). This being true, we have a great responsibility.

Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. (2 Nephi 2:8)

The merits of Christ are synonymous with his grace and are mentioned several times in the scriptures. They are worth a scripture chain, beginning with the verse above.

2 Nephi 31:19
19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. (emphasis added)

Alma 24:10
10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son. (emphasis added)

Helaman 14:13
13 And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits. (emphasis added)

Moroni 6:4
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. (emphasis added)

D&C 3:20
20 And that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved. Amen. (emphasis added)

3. LEHI TEACHES THE IMPORTANCE OF OPPOSITION AND THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE GOOD FROM EVIL (2 Nephi 2:11-30)

It seems to me that there are 5 great conditions discussed in this chapter, four of which make agency possible, the fifth being agency itself. Together they create an environment where agency can exist and make us accountable for the choices we make within the framework of this freedom God has given us. As I reviewed the significant scriptures in 2 Nephi 2 and tried to outline them, I found that I had made an acronym, one that has helped me remember and teach the attributes and requirements of agency for several years. The acronym derived from these verses is P-O-L-K-A

P: Power to chooseWherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other (2 Nephi 2:16).

O: God placed man in an environment of Opposition; that is, in a place where there was an Opportunity to choose. For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility (2 Nephi 2:11).

L: God gave unto man Laws, so that he would know what God wanted him to choose. And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin . . . (2 Nephi 2:13).

K: God gave man Knowledge and taught all men sufficiently that they would Know the difference between good and evil, that is, between obeying a law, and breaking it. And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. . . (2 Nephi 2:5).

A: These conditions, taken together (Power to choose, the Opportunity to choose, the Laws that help us know what to choose, the Knowledge of what is good and what is evil) comprise what we call Agency, or freedom of choice: Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself (2 Nephi 2:27).

The key to our agency was the action of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Lehi's comments about this seem to be paraphrase of Moses 5:10-11, and give clear evidence that the book of Moses as we now have it in the Pearl of Great Price was in fact engraven on the Plates of Brass. Lehi wrote

And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin (2 Nephi 2:22,23).

The comparable text in Moses says

And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient (Moses 5:10,11).

CONCLUSION:

Lehi's lessons are all Christ-centered. Christ has the keys to Laman’s and Lemuel's chains. He has given Lehi the land of promise. He has set the perfect example of true manhood and true friendship. And he has provided the blessing of an infinite and eternal atonement. Without his merits, his mercy, his grace, the effects of the fall would be irreversible. And he has placed us in an environment where we can choose for ourselves, with our agency, whether we want the blessings of these gifts. Lehi was correct: How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth . . . (2 Nephi 2:8).

Young Women Lesson 28: Agency

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by D. Todd Christofferson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. During World War II, President James E. Faust, then a young enlisted man in the United States Army, applied for officer candidate school. He appeared before a board of inquiry composed of what he described as "hard-bitten career soldier[s]." After a while their questions turned to matters of religion. The final questions were these:

"In times of war should not the moral code be relaxed? Does not the stress of battle justify men in doing things that they would not do when at home under normal situations?"

President Faust relates:

"I recognized that here was a chance perhaps to make some points and look broad-minded. I knew perfectly well that the men who were asking me this question did not live by the standards that I had been taught. The thought flashed through my mind that perhaps I could say that I had my own beliefs but did not wish to impose them on others. But there seemed to flash before my mind the faces of the many people to whom I had taught the law of chastity as a missionary. In the end I simply said, "I do not believe there is a double standard of morality."

"I left the hearing resigned to the fact that [they] would not like the answers I had given . . . and would surely score me very low. A few days later when the scores were posted, to my astonishment I had passed. I was in the first group taken for officer's candidate school! . . .

"This was one of the critical crossroads of my life."1

President Faust recognized that we all possess the God-given gift of moral agency - the right to make choices and the obligation to account for those choices (see D&C 101:78). He also understood and demonstrated that, for positive outcomes, moral agency must be accompanied by moral discipline.

By "moral discipline," I mean self-discipline based on moral standards. Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service (see Mark 10:42-45). The root of the word discipline is shared by the word disciple, suggesting to the mind the fact that conformity to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ is the ideal discipline that, coupled with His grace, forms a virtuous and morally excellent person.

Jesus's own moral discipline was rooted in His discipleship to the Father. To His disciples He explained, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34). By this same pattern, our moral discipline is rooted in loyalty and devotion to the Father and the Son. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that provides the moral certainty upon which moral discipline rests.

The societies in which many of us live have for more than a generation failed to foster moral discipline. They have taught that truth is relative and that everyone decides for himself or herself what is right. Concepts such as sin and wrong have been condemned as "value judgments." As the Lord describes it, "Every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god" (D&C 1:16).

As a consequence, self-discipline has eroded and societies are left to try to maintain order and civility by compulsion. The lack of internal control by individuals breeds external control by governments. One columnist observed that "gentlemanly behavior [for example, once] protected women from coarse behavior. Today, we expect sexual harassment laws to restrain coarse behavior. . . .

"Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior. At best, the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we've become."2

In most of the world, we have been experiencing an extended and devastating economic recession. It was brought on by multiple causes, but one of the major causes was widespread dishonest and unethical conduct, particularly in the U.S. housing and financial markets. Reactions have focused on enacting more and stronger regulation. Perhaps that may dissuade some from unprincipled conduct, but others will simply get more creative in their circumvention.3 There could never be enough rules so finely crafted as to anticipate and cover every situation, and even if there were, enforcement would be impossibly expensive and burdensome. This approach leads to diminished freedom for everyone. In the memorable phrase of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, "We would not accept the yoke of Christ; so now we must tremble at the yoke of Caesar."4

In the end, it is only an internal moral compass in each individual that can effectively deal with the root causes as well as the symptoms of societal decay. Societies will struggle in vain to establish the common good until sin is denounced as sin and moral discipline takes its place in the pantheon of civic virtues.5

Moral discipline is learned at home. While we cannot control what others may or may not do, the Latter-day Saints can certainly stand with those who demonstrate virtue in their own lives and inculcate virtue in the rising generation. Remember from Book of Mormon history the young men who were key to the Nephite victory in the long war of 66 to 60 b.c. - the sons of the people of Ammon. Their character and discipline were described in these words:

"They were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

"Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him" (Alma 53:20-21).

"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them" (Alma 56:47).

"Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually" (Alma 57:27).

Here we find a standard for what should happen in our homes and in the Church. Our teaching should draw upon our own faith and focus first and foremost on instilling faith in God in the rising generation. We must declare the essential need to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him in soberness, or in other words, with reverence. Each must be persuaded that service and sacrifice for the well-being and happiness of others are far superior to making one's own comfort and possessions the highest priority.

This requires more than an occasional reference to one or another gospel principle. There must be constant teaching, mostly by example. President Henry B. Eyring expressed the vision we strive to attain:

"The pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearts of [our children] by the power of the Holy Ghost. It will not be enough for them to have had a spiritual witness of the truth and to want good things later. It will not be enough for them to hope for some future cleansing and strengthening. Our aim must be for them to become truly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ while they are with us. . . .

"Then they will have gained a strength from what they are, not only from what they know. They will become disciples of Christ."6

I have heard a few parents state that they don't want to impose the gospel on their children but want them to make up their own minds about what they will believe and follow. They think that in this way they are allowing children to exercise their agency. What they forget is that the intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth, of things as they really are (see D&C 93:24). Without that, young people can hardly be expected to understand and evaluate the alternatives that come before them. Parents should consider how the adversary approaches their children. He and his followers are not promoting objectivity but are vigorous, multimedia advocates of sin and selfishness.

Seeking to be neutral about the gospel is, in reality, to reject the existence of God and His authority. We must, rather, acknowledge Him and His omniscience if we want our children to see life's choices clearly and be able to think for themselves. They should not have to learn by sad experience that "wickedness never was happiness" (Alma 41:10).

I can share with you a simple example from my own life of what parents can do. When I was about five or six years old, I lived across the street from a small grocery store. One day two other boys invited me to go with them to the store. As we stood coveting the candy for sale there, the older boy grabbed a candy bar and slipped it into his pocket. He urged the other boy and me to do the same, and after some hesitation we did. Then we quickly left the store and ran off in separate directions. I found a hiding place at home and tore off the candy wrapper. My mother discovered me with the chocolate evidence smeared on my face and escorted me back to the grocery store. As we crossed the street, I was sure I was facing life imprisonment. With sobs and tears, I apologized to the owner and paid him for the candy bar with a dime that my mother had loaned me (which I had to earn later). My mother's love and discipline put an abrupt and early end to my life of crime.

All of us experience temptations. So did the Savior, but He "gave no heed unto them" (D&C 20:22). Similarly, we do not have to yield simply because a temptation surfaces. We may want to, but we don't have to. An incredulous female friend asked a young adult woman, committed to living the law of chastity, how it was possible that she had never "slept with anybody." "Don't you want to?" the friend asked. The young woman thought: "The question intrigued me, because it was so utterly beside the point. . . . Mere wanting is hardly a proper guide for moral conduct."7

In some cases, temptation may have the added force of potential or actual addiction. I am grateful that for an increasing number of people the Church can provide therapeutic help of various kinds to aid them in avoiding or coping with addictions. Even so, while therapy can support a person's will, it cannot substitute for it. Always and ever, there must be an exercise of discipline - moral discipline founded on faith in God the Father and the Son and what They can achieve with us through the atoning grace of Jesus Christ. In Peter's words, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Peter 2:9).

We cannot presume that the future will resemble the past - that things and patterns we have relied upon economically, politically, socially will remain as they have been. Perhaps our moral discipline, if we will cultivate it, will have an influence for good and inspire others to pursue the same course. We may thereby have an impact on future trends and events. At a minimum, moral discipline will be of immense help to us as we deal with whatever stresses and challenges may come in a disintegrating society.

We have heard thoughtful and inspired messages during this conference, and in a moment President Thomas S. Monson will provide concluding words of counsel. As we prayerfully consider what we have learned and relearned, I believe that the Spirit will shed further light on those things that have particular application for each of us individually. We will be fortified in the moral discipline needed to walk uprightly before the Lord and be at one with Him and the Father.

I stand with my brethren and with you, my brothers and sisters, as a witness that God is our Father and that His Son, Jesus, is our Redeemer. Their law is immutable, Their truth is everlasting, and Their love is infinite. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes 1. James E. Faust, Stories from My Life (2001), 2-3.

2. Walter Williams, "Laws Are a Poor Substitute for Common Decency, Moral Values," Deseret News, Apr. 29, 2009, A15.

3. Speaking some years ago to members of the legal profession, President James E. Faust cautioned: "There is a great risk in justifying what we do individually and professionally on the basis of what is 'legal' rather than what is 'right.' In so doing, we put our very souls at risk. The philosophy that what is legal is also right will rob us of what is highest and best in our nature. What conduct is actually legal is, in many instances, way below the standards of a civilized society and light years below the teachings of the Christ. If you accept what is legal as your standard of personal or professional conduct, you will deny yourself of that which is truly noble in your personal dignity and worth" ("Be Healers," Clark Memorandum, spring 2003, 3).

4. "Bishop Fulton John Sheen Makes a Wartime Plea," in William Safire, sel., Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History, rev. ed. (1997), 478.

5. Editorial writers at the Wall Street Journal once observed:

"Sin isn't something that many people, including most churches, have spent much time talking about or worrying about through the years of the [sexual] revolution. But we will say this for sin: it at least offered a frame of reference for personal behavior. When the frame was dismantled, guilt wasn't the only thing that fell away; we also lost the guidewire of personal responsibility. . . .

"The United States has a drug problem and a high-school-sex problem and a welfare problem and an AIDS problem and a rape problem. None of this will go away until more people in positions of responsibility are willing to come forward and explain, in frankly moral terms, that some of the things that people do nowadays are wrong" ("The Joy of What?" Wall Street Journal, Dec. 12, 1991, A14).

6. Henry B. Eyring, in Shaun D. Stahle, "Inspiring Students to Stand Strong amid Torrent of Temptation," Church News, Aug. 18, 2001, 5.

7. Sarah E. Hinlicky, "Subversive Virginity," First Things, Oct. 1998, 14.

Young Men Lesson 5: Agency

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:00:00 -0700

by Wolfgang H. Paul
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: As we obey our Heavenly Father’s commandments, our faith increases, we grow in wisdom and spiritual strength, and it becomes easier for us to make right choices. Some time ago, as I was driving, I had to stop at a red light. The vehicle in front of me caught my attention. A sticker read, "I do what I want."

I wondered why someone would choose to place such a statement on his vehicle. What was the message he wanted to send? Perhaps the driver of this vehicle wanted to express publicly that he has achieved total freedom by just doing what he likes to do. As I thought about this, I realized that our world would be quite chaotic if everyone would just do what he or she wants to do.

It is obvious that there is some confusion in our society about this subject. In the media, advertisements, entertainment, and elsewhere, we find the idea widespread that when someone can do what he wants, he enjoys freedom and will be happy. It suggests that the only criteria for our decisions are what is pleasing to us, what is fun, or what matches our individual desires.

Our Heavenly Father has given us a better concept. It is His great plan of happiness which gives us real freedom and happiness. We read in the Book of Mormon:

"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." 1

When we came into this world, we brought with us from our heavenly home this God-given gift and privilege which we call our agency. It gives us the right and power to make decisions and to choose. Agency is an eternal law. President Brigham Young, speaking of our agency, taught: "This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice." 2

President Wilford Woodruff observed on the same subject: "This agency has always been the heritage of man under the rule and government of God. He possessed it in the heaven of heavens before the world was, and the Lord maintained and defended it there against the aggression of Lucifer and those that took sides with him. . . . By virtue of this agency you and I and all mankind are made responsible beings, responsible for the course we pursue, the lives we live, [and] the deeds we do." 3

When the Lord taught Abraham about the eternal nature of spirits and that he was chosen before he was born, He explained to Abraham one of the important purposes for coming to this earth by saying, "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." 4

Thus, our agency makes our life on this earth a test period. If we did not have this wonderful gift of agency, we would not be able to show our Father in Heaven whether we will do all that He commanded us.

In order for us to use our agency, we must have a knowledge of good and evil, we must have the freedom to make choices, and after we have exercised our agency, there must be consequences that follow our choices.

I have learned that as we obey our Heavenly Father's commandments, our faith increases, we grow in wisdom and spiritual strength, and it becomes easier for us to make right choices.

Our great example, the Lord Jesus Christ, set the perfect example for all of us as to how to use our agency. In that Council in Heaven, when the plan of our Father was presented to us -- that we would have the opportunity to come to this earth and receive a body -- the Beloved Son, who was the Beloved and Chosen of the Father from the beginning, said to His Father, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." 5

Likewise, we should make our choices using the same criteria. Instead of saying, "I do what I want," our motto should be "I do what the Father wants me to do."

If we do this, we can be certain that the blessings of the Lord will be upon us. It may well be that we have to make some of these choices when it is not convenient for us. I have learned, however, that although the time is sometimes not convenient for our schedule, nevertheless, if we make the right choice, the Lord will take care of us in His own way, which at that time is not yet known to us.

When we were transferred in 1989 from the Germany Hamburg Mission to East Germany to preside over the Dresden mission, the time was not convenient for our family. Our children had just adapted to their new school in Hamburg and now had to become acquainted with the socialistic school system in East Germany. One child could not even come with us because she needed to finish school in the West. However, we have learned from this experience that what seemed to be hard for us in the beginning eventually turned into a great blessing for all of us. The Lord had His own way to take care of our challenges.

My dear brothers and sisters, I am so grateful for the wonderful gift of agency, which our Father in Heaven has given us. I am grateful to know that we are His children. I know from many of my own experiences that He loves us and that He cares for us. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. I know that the Prophet Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son and that he is the prophet of the Restoration. I know that President Gordon B. Hinckley is the prophet of God today.

Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes 1. 2 Ne. 2:26-27.

2. Deseret News, Oct. 10, 1866, 355.

3. Millennial Star, Oct. 14, 1889, 642.

4. Abr. 3:25.

5. Moses 4:2.

FHE: Agency

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by Shauna Gibby
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: "One gift that will help us navigate our lives is the gift [God] has given to all, the ability and power to choose." Conference Talk:

For more information on this topic read "Gifts to Help Us Navigate Our Life," by Jose A. Teixeira, Ensign, May 2009, 104-6.

Thought:

One gift that will help us navigate our lives is the gift He has given to all, the ability and power to choose. . . . This gift is an extraordinary sign of trust in us and simultaneously a cherished personal responsibility to use wisely.

(Jose A. Teixeira, "Gifts to Help Us Navigate Our Life," Ensign, May 2009, 104-6.)

Song:

"God is Watching Over All," Children's Songbook, p. 229.

Scripture:

Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you. (Moses 6:33)

Object Lesson:

Invite a family member to participate in a demonstration. Hold out both of your hands, palms up, to show that they are empty. Ask the family member to choose which fruit he or she would like. When the person says there is no fruit to choose, place an actual piece of fruit in one hand and say, "Now choose which fruit you would like." Ask your family if they think the family member really had a choice. Make sure they understand that to have a choice there must be at least two possibilities.

Have your family search 2 Nephi 2:27-29 and find what Lehi says our two great choices are. (You may want to mark them.) Ask:

Who wants us to choose eternal life?
Who wants us to choose eternal death?
What do we learn about Lehi's choice in verse 30?
What does Lehi want his children to choose?

Testify to your family of your desires for each of them to choose righteousness.

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Book of Mormon, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 50.)

Story:

Think of the difference in attitude between these letters written by two little boys. The first boy wrote: "Dear God, I didn't think orange went very good with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tue. That was cool. Eugene." The second little boy wrote, "Dear God, I just got left back [a grade in school]. Thanks a lot. Raymond." (Children's Letters to God, comp. Eric Marshall and Stuart Hample, enl. ed. [New York: Pocket Books, 1975], n.p.)

We might think that Eugene's appreciation is just as natural as Raymond's disappointment, but my point is this: both of them are natural reactions. Because of the wonderful gift of agency, we get to choose which attitude will be our attitude.

Here's another example. When I was principal of Holly Hills Elementary School in Denver, I took three of my sixth-graders to compete in the district spelling bee. I knew they would be happy and excited as we went - with some nervousness and worry mixed in - but I wondered what the mood in the car would be when we returned. Would they be disappointed and sad if they didn't win? Would they be discouraged and upset? At day's end my question was answered, and I was so delighted with their maturity. As I feared, not one of the three made it into the finals, but the comments I heard were "I'm so glad I tried out," "We should be happy we made it to this point," and "I'm going to really try again next year." They talked excitedly about being able to choose between pizza and hamburgers for lunch, cheering for the contestants when they spelled the word correctly, feeling terrible with those who didn't spell it right. They participated fully in the experience and had a day to remember. They gave me a day I've never forgotten, either. Because they had a [positive] attitude, they had a wonderful day.

(Chieko N. Okazaki, Aloha!, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995].)

Activity: Divide your family into two groups.

Each group needs to have a coin and a watch. Start out at your door and have each group follow the directions the coin gives them. At each turn, corner, or intersection flip the coin to see which way your group should go. Heads go right; tails go left.

Keep walking until an appointed time is reached. Make sure to synchronize each group's watch before you start out. When this time is up, each group races back to home, choosing their own way back.

The first group home wins.

Discuss how we have been given our agency, or the power to choose for ourselves. Sometimes we will make good choices and sometimes we will make bad choices. All our choices will have consequences. The choices we make each day will determine who we are and what our future will be. There will be times when it will feel as if our choices have been taken away, but even at these times we have the choice of how we will act and what our attitudes will be.

(Jeni Gochnour, Family Home Evening Games, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999], p. 16.)

Refreshment Marble Brownies

1 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. chopped nuts
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 sq. baking chocolate, melted (for marble layer)

Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan and preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cream the shortening in a large mixing bowl, gradually adding sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to batter, mixing constantly. Stir in nuts and vanilla.

Divide dough into two equal parts. Pour one portion into baking pan. To remaining portion, blend in the melted chocolate; then pour over light layer in pan and, for marbled effect, swirl several times with spatula. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes.

(Elaine Cannon, compiler, Five-Star Recipes from Well-Known Latter-day Saints, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2002], p. 243.)

Click here to download the PDF version of this lesson.

Young Men Lesson 20: Proper Use of Agency

Mon, 11 May 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
source: MormonLife.com

During my professional life as an airline pilot, passengers sometimes visited the cockpit of my aircraft. They asked about the many switches, instruments, systems, and procedures and how all this technical equipment would help such a huge and beautiful airplane fly.

I would explain that it takes a great aerodynamic design, many auxiliary systems and programs, and powerful engines to make such a flying machine equal to the task of bringing comfort and safety to those joining the flight.

To simplify my explanation by focusing on the basics, I would add that all you really need is a strong forward thrust, a powerful upward lift, and the right aircraft attitude, and the laws of nature will carry the airliner and its passengers safely across continents and oceans, over high mountains and dangerous thunderstorms to its destination.

Reflecting on my experiences with those visitors, I have often contemplated that being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites us to ask similar questions. What are the basics, the fundamental principles of our membership in the kingdom of God on earth? After all is said and done, what will really carry us at times of greatest need to our desired eternal destination?

The Gospel's Unchanging Core

The Church, with all its organizational structure and programs, offers many important activities for its members aimed at helping families and individuals to serve God and each other. Sometimes, however, it can appear that these programs and activities are closer to the center of our heart and soul than the core doctrines and principles of the gospel. Procedures, programs, policies, and patterns of organization are helpful for our spiritual progress here on earth, but let’s not forget that they are subject to change.

In contrast, the core of the gospel—the doctrine and the principles—will never change. Living according to the basic gospel principles will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance into the lives of all Latter-day Saints.

Faith is such a principle of power. We need this source of power in our lives. God works by power, but this power is usually exercised in response to our faith. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). God works according to the faith of His children.

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves."1 To me, this teaching is beautifully straightforward. As we strive to understand, internalize, and live correct gospel principles, we will become more spiritually self-reliant. The principle of spiritual self-reliance grows out of a fundamental doctrine of the Church: God has granted us agency. I believe that moral agency is one of the greatest gifts of God unto His children, next to life itself.

When I study and ponder moral agency and its eternal consequences, I realize that we are truly spirit children of God and therefore should act accordingly. This understanding also reminds me that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are part of a great worldwide family of Saints.

The organizational structure of the Church allows great flexibility according to the size, growth pattern, and needs of our congregations. There is the basic unit program with a very simple organizational structure and fewer meetings. We also have large wards with great organizational resources to serve one another. All are established within the inspired programs of the Church to help members "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" (Moroni 10:32).

All these varied options are equal in divine value because the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the same in each unit. I testify as an ordained witness of the Lord Jesus Christ that He lives, that the gospel is true, and that it offers the answers to all personal and collective challenges the children of God have on this earth today.

Strength of the Faithful

In 2005 my wife and I visited with members of the Church in many countries throughout Europe. In some parts of Europe, the Church has been present for many years, even since 1837. There is a great heritage of faithful members in Europe. Currently, we have more than 400,000 members on that continent. As we look at all the generations who have emigrated from Europe to America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, that total number could easily be multiplied a few times.

Why did so many faithful members leave their home countries in those early days of the Church? Many reasons can be named: to escape persecution, to help build the Church in America, to improve their economic circumstances, to be close to a temple, and many more.

Europe still feels the consequence of this exodus. But the strength that comes from several faithful generations of Church members is now becoming more apparent. We see more young men and women and more senior couples serving missions for the Lord; we see more temple marriages; we see more confidence and courage by the members to share the restored gospel. Among the peoples of Europe and many other parts of the world, there is a spiritual vacuum of Christ's true teachings. This vacuum must, can, and will be filled with the message of the restored gospel as our wonderful members live and proclaim this gospel with greater courage and faith.

With the expansion of the Church in Europe, there are countries where the Church has been for no more than 15 years. During our visit in 2005, I spoke with a mission president serving in his homeland of Russia who had been a member for only seven years. He told me, "The same month I was baptized I was called as a branch president." Did he feel overwhelmed at times? Absolutely! Did he try to implement the full range of Church programs? Fortunately not! How did he grow so strong in such a small congregation in such a short time? He explained, "I knew with all my soul the Church was true. The doctrine of the gospel filled my mind and my heart. As we joined the Church, we felt part of a family. We felt warmth, trust, and love. We were only few, but we all tried to follow the Savior."

The members supported each other, they did the best they could, and they knew the Church was true. It was not the organization that had attracted him but the light of the gospel, and this light strengthened those good members.

In many countries the Church is still in its beginnings, and the organizational circumstances are sometimes far from perfect. However, the members may have a perfect testimony of the truth in their hearts. As the members stay in their countries and build the Church, despite economic challenges and hardships, future generations will be grateful to those courageous modern-day pioneers. They abide by the loving invitation of the First Presidency given in 1999:

"In our day, the Lord has seen fit to provide the blessings of the gospel, including an increased number of temples, in many parts of the world. Therefore, we wish to reiterate the long-standing counsel to members of the Church to remain in their homelands rather than immigrate to the United States. . . .

"As members throughout the world remain in their homelands, working to build the Church in their native countries, great blessings will come to them personally and to the Church collectively."2

May I add a word of caution to those of us who live in large wards and stakes. We have to be careful that the center of our testimony is not located in the social dimension of the Church community or the wonderful activities, programs, and organizations of our wards and stakes. All of these things are important and valuable to have - but they are not enough. Even friendship is not enough.

Safety in Obedience

We recognize that we are living in a time of turmoil, disaster, and war. We and many others feel strongly the great need for a "defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth" (D&C 115:6). How do we find such a place of safety? President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) taught: "Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness."3

Recall with me how Jesus Christ instructed His Apostles, clearly and directly, at the beginning of His mortal ministry: "[Come,] follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). This was also the beginning of the ministry of the Twelve Apostles, and I suspect that they had a feeling of inadequacy. May I suggest that the Savior Himself teaches us here a lesson about core doctrine and priorities in life. Individually, we need to first "follow Him," and as we do this, the Savior will bless us beyond our own capacity to become what He wants us to be.

To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. To follow Him is to apply correct principles and then witness for ourselves the blessings that follow. This process is very complex and very simple at the same time. Ancient and modern prophets described it with three words: "Keep the commandments" - nothing more, nothing less.

Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal with real life. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim. The reality check comes when Christlike attributes need to become visible in our lives - as husband or wife, as father or mother, as son or daughter, in our friendships, in our employment, in our business, and in our recreation. We can recognize our growth, as can those around us, as we gradually increase our capacity to "act in all holiness before [Him]" (D&C 43:9).

The scriptures describe a number of Christlike attributes we need to develop during the course of our lives. They include knowledge and humility, charity and love, obedience and diligence, faith and hope (see D&C 4:5-6). These personal character qualities stand independent of the organizational status of our Church unit, our economic circumstances, our family situation, culture, race, or language. Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They cannot be developed without His help.

Trusting in His Power

The one help we all need is given to us freely through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Having faith in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement means relying completely on Him - trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. Christlike attributes come into our lives as we exercise our agency righteously. Faith in Jesus Christ leads to action. When we have faith in Christ, we trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments - even when we do not completely understand the reasons for them. In seeking to become more like the Savior, we need to reevaluate our lives regularly and rely, through the path of true repentance, upon the merits of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement.

Developing Christlike attributes can be a painful process. We need to be ready to accept direction and correction from the Lord and His servants. Through the Church’s regular worldwide conferences, for example, with their music and spoken word, we feel and receive spiritual power, direction, and blessings "from on high" (D&C 43:16). It is a time when the voice of personal inspiration and revelation will bring peace to our souls and will teach us how to become more Christlike. This voice will be as sweet as the voice of a dear friend, and it will fill our souls when our hearts are sufficiently contrite.

By becoming more like the Savior, we will grow in our ability to "abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13). We will "lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better" (D&C 25:10).

This leads me back to my aerodynamic analogy. I spoke of focusing on the basics. Christlike attributes are the basics. They are the fundamental principles that will create the wind beneath our wings. As we develop Christlike attributes in our own lives, step-by-step, they will "bear [us] up as on eagles' wings" (D&C 124:18). Our faith in Jesus Christ will provide power and a strong forward thrust; our unwavering and active hope will provide a powerful upward lift. Both faith and hope will carry us across oceans of temptations, over mountains of afflictions, and bring us safely back to our eternal home and destination.

Notes

Quoted by John Taylor, in “The Organization of the Church,” Millennial Star, Nov. 15, 1851, 339.
First Presidency letter, Dec. 1, 1999.
"Till We Meet Again," Liahona, Jan. 2002, 105; Ensign, Nov. 2001, 90.

Thoughts on Gospel Doctrine Lesson 6

Tue, 03 Feb 2004 09:55:00 -0700

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Lesson 6 focuses on the beginning chapters of 2 Nephi, Lehi's last words to his family. The following materials by Elder Dallin H. Oaks and John W. Welch shed light in the topics of free agency and Lehi's last testament.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks on Human Agency:

First, because free agency is a God-given precondition to the purpose of mortal life, no person or organization can take away our free agency in mortality.

Second, what can be taken away or reduced by the conditions of mortality is our freedom, the power to act upon our choices. Free agency is absolute, but in the circumstances of mortality freedom is always qualified.

Freedom may be qualified or taken away (1) by physical laws, including the physical limitations with which we are born, (2) by our own actions, and (3) by the actions of others, including governments.

Lehi taught his son Jacob that "men are free [have freedom] according to the flesh" (2 Nephi 2:27). For example, in the flesh we are subject to the physical law of gravity. If I should hang from the catwalk in the Marriott Center and release my grip, I would not be free to will myself into a soft landing. And I cannot choose to run through a brick wall.

A loss of freedom reduces the extent to which we can act upon our choices, but it does not deprive us of our God-given free agency. . . .

Other limitations on freedom are self-imposed, such as the immobility we seek when we buckle our seat belt or the commitment we make when we sign a contract. In these examples we limit one freedom in order to achieve a larger and more important one.

Many losses of freedom are imposed upon us by others. The science of government is a consideration of the procedures and extent to which the official representatives of one group of citizens can impose restrictions on the freedom of another group. Decisions on the extent to which government power should restrict the freedom of individuals are among the most difficult ones we face in an organized society. How much should zoning laws restrict a person's right to use his own property? How many taxes should we extract, and what compulsory functions should government perform with them? How much harm can society allow a person to do to himself, such as by self-mutilation or drug abuse? These are all questions of freedom.

We have to accept some government limitations on freedom if we who live in communities are to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A condition of uninhibited individual freedom would allow the strong to oppress the weak. It would allow the eccentric desires of one person to restrict the freedom of many.

Interferences with our freedom do not deprive us of our free agency. When Pharaoh put Joseph in prison, he restricted Joseph's freedom, but he did not take away his free agency. When Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple, he interfered with their freedom to engage in a particular activity at a particular time in a particular place, but he did not take away their free agency.

The Lord has told us in modern revelation that he established the Constitution of the United States to assure "that every man may act . . . according to the moral agency which I have given unto him" (D&C 101:78). In other words, God established our Constitution to give us the vital political freedom necessary for us to act upon our personal choices in civil government. This revelation shows the distinction between agency (the power of choice), which is God-given, and freedom, the right to act upon our choices, which is protected by the Constitution and laws of the land.

Freedom is obviously of great importance, but as these examples illustrate, freedom is always qualified in mortality. Consequently, when we oppose a loss of freedom, it would be better if we did not conduct our debate in terms of a loss of our free agency, which is impossible under our doctrine. We ought to focus on the legality or wisdom of the proposed restriction of our freedom.

Third, we receive assurance from our doctrine that Satan, who sought to take away our free agency in the pre-existence, is not permitted to take it from us in this life. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the devil cannot compel men to do evil; he has "power over us only as we permit him" (TPJS 181; see also 187, 189). . . .

Fourth, as suggested by these teachings, Satan is still trying to take away our free agency by persuading us to voluntarily surrender our will to his.

This subject has a morbid fascination for mankind. The long-lived German legend of Faust concerns a man who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. This is also the theme of Stephen Vincent Benet's "The Devil and Daniel Webster." A variety of modern practices tend toward this surrender, and they carry eternal dangers. As Elder Faust warned us at conference, "The mischief of devil worship, sorcery, casting spells, witchcraft, voodooism, black magic, and all other forms of demonism should be avoided like the plague" (Faust 33).

Fifth, we should also avoid any practices in which one person attempts to surrender even part of his will to another person or another person attempts to take it. Whether the means are chemical, behavioral, electronic, or others not yet dreamed of, such attempts run counter to the heavenly plan and further the Adversary's. Free agency, the power to choose and direct our thoughts and our actions, is a gift of God, and we should resist any means that would compromise it.

Sixth, we should avoid any behavior that is addictive. Whatever is addictive compromises our will. Subjecting our will to the overbearing impulses imposed by any form of addiction serves Satan's purposes and subverts our Heavenly Father's. This applies to addictions to drugs (such as narcotics, alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine), addiction to practices such as gambling, and any other addictive behavior. We can avoid addictions by keeping the commandments of God.

Seventh, we should be aware that some people are more susceptible to some addictions than others are. Perhaps such susceptibility is inborn, like the unnamed ailment the Apostle Paul called "a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure" (2 Cor. 12:7). One person has a taste for nicotine and is easily addicted to smoking. Another person cannot take an occasional drink without being propelled into alcoholism. Another person samples gambling and soon becomes a compulsive gambler.

Perhaps these persons, as the saying goes, were "born that way." But what does that mean? Does it mean that persons with susceptibilities or strong tendencies have no choice, no free agency in these matters? Our doctrine teaches us otherwise. Regardless of a person's susceptibility or tendency, his will is unfettered. His free agency is unqualified. It is his freedom that is impaired. Other persons are more free; because when they unwisely sample the temptations, they seem immune to the addiction. But regardless of the extent of our freedom, we are all responsible for the exercise of our free agency.

As Lehi taught, in mortality we are only free "according to the flesh" (2 Nephi 2:27). Most of us are born with thorns in the flesh, some more visible, some more serious than others. We all seem to have susceptibilities to one disorder or another, but whatever our susceptibilities, we have the will and the power to control our thoughts and our actions. This must be so. God has said that he holds us accountable for what we do and what we think, so our thoughts and actions must be controllable by our agency. Once we have reached the age or condition of accountability, the claim "I was born that way" does not excuse actions or thoughts that fail to conform to the commandments of God. We need to learn how to live so that a weakness that is mortal will not prevent us from achieving the goal that is eternal. . . .

Eighth, beware the argument that because a person has strong drives toward a particular act, he has no power of choice and therefore no responsibility for his actions. This contention runs counter to the most fundamental premises of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Satan would like us to believe that we are not responsible in this life. That is the result he tried to achieve by his contest in the pre-existence. A person who insists that he is not responsible for the exercise of his free agency because he was "born that way" is trying to ignore the outcome of the War in Heaven. We are responsible, and if we argue otherwise, our efforts become part of the propaganda effort of the Adversary.

Individual responsibility is a law of life. It applies in the law of man and the law of God. Society holds people responsible to control their impulses so we can live in a civilized society. God holds his children responsible to control their impulses in order that they can keep his commandments and realize their eternal destiny. The law does not excuse the short-tempered man who surrenders to his impulse to pull a trigger on his tormentor, or the greedy man who surrenders to his impulse to steal, or the pedophile who surrenders to his impulse to satisfy his sexual urges with children.

I suppose it is inevitable that those who have surrendered to impulse would try to use the defense of "irresistible impulse." But in the courts on high, this defense will be transparent to the Great Judge, who sees our actions and "knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Alma 18:32).

There is much we do not know about the extent of freedom we have in view of the various thorns in the flesh that afflict us in mortality. But this much we do know; we all have our free agency and God holds us accountable for the way we use it in thought and deed. That is fundamental.

(Dallin H. Oaks, "Freedom and Free Agency," Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., Second Nephi: The Doctrinal Structure [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1989], 16-18.)

John W. Welch on Lehi's Last Will and Testament:

Lehi was doing many things as he spoke officially to his posterity for the last time. One of the most enduring legacies of Lehi's last will and testament appears to be the organization of his descendants into tribes. Just as the ancient patriarch Jacob left the House of Israel with a family structure composed of twelve tribes, Lehi addressed his posterity in seven groups. This seems to be the precedent that established the legal order that lasted among these people for almost one thousand years. After speaking to several of his sons collectively (2 Nephi 1:1-29), Lehi spoke (1) to Zoram in 2 Nephi 1:30- 32, (2) to Jacob in 2 Nephi 2, (3) to Joseph in 2 Nephi 3, (4) to the children of Laman in 2 Nephi 4:3-7, (5) to the children of Lemuel in 2 Nephi 4:8-9, (6) to the sons of Ishmael in 2 Nephi 4:10, and (7) to Sam together with Nephi in 2 Nephi 4:11. The seven groups recognizable here are exactly the same as the seven tribes mentioned three other times in the Book of Mormon, each time in the rigid order of "Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites" (Jacob 1:13; 4 Nephi 38; Mormon 1:8; see also D&C 3:17-18). Though kingships and judgeships might come and go in Nephite history, the underlying family fabric of Nephite society attributable to Lehi's testament remained permanent (e.g. 3 Nephi 7:2-4). Even in the final days of the Nephite demise, Mormon still saw the general population divided along this precise seven-part line (Mormon 1:8). The fact that this exact organization persisted so long is evidence that Lehi's last words to his sons in this regard were taken as constitutionally definitive—just as the organization of Israel into twelve tribes in the earlier age had been essential to the political, social, religious and legal structure there.

I see Lehi here acting like Jacob of old. Both Jacob and Lehi pronounced their blessings to "all [their] household" who were gathered around them shortly before they died to organize a household of God in a new land of promise (2 Nephi 4:12; cf. Gen. 49). Seeing Lehi in the patriarchal tradition is borne out by the fact that Lehi was remembered by Nephites from beginning to end as "father Lehi." Just as Israelites have always known Abraham as "father Abraham," so the Nephites including Enos, Benjamin, Alma the Younger, Helaman, the later Nephi and Mormon, consistently remembered Lehi as "our father Lehi" (Enos 1:25; Mosiah 1:4; 2:34; Alma 9:9; 18:36, 36:22; 56:3; Hel. 8:22; 3 Nephi 10:17). Since Lehi is the only figure in the Book of Mormon called "our father," this designation appears to be a unique reference to Lehi's patriarchal position at the head of Nephite civilization, society, and religion.

In Israel, the tribal structure served several purposes: religious, military, political, and legal. For example, the tribe of Levi was given priestly duties (Num. 3:6-9), the armies of Israel were numbered according to tribe (Num. 1), and the chiefs of the tribes assembled to act in the case of the Benjamites (Judges 20:1-2). Land law was also fundamentally interrelated with the tribal structure of Israelite society—the land of Israel being divided legally among the various tribes. Accordingly, tribal or paternal lands, for example, could not be permanently sold outside of a given tribe. Moses ruled: "So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers" (Num. 36:7). A "land of inheritance" is unthinkable under the law of Moses without a correlative family structure and a legal system that gave rights of family foreclosure, redemption and preemption to next of kin (Falk 87-89). It would be consistent with Nephi's report that his people observed the law of Moses "in all things" (2 Nephi 5:10) to conclude that they followed the law of Moses regarding their land laws as well, and that Lehi divided his family into paternal tribal groups partly for the reason of establishing a system for recognizing property and territorial rights in the new land of promise.

The fact that land was on Lehi's mind when he spoke in 2 Nephi is readily apparent. The land is mentioned over a dozen times in the first ten verses alone. While his main emphasis was to speak of the land in general as a land of promise, Lehi's words were couched in legal terminology and probably would have been understood as defining some basic legal rights of tenancy and transferability.

First, Lehi acknowledged and thereby legitimated the group's right to possess the land. He qualified their right, however, making it contingent upon righteousness (2 Nephi 1:11). By speaking in terms of possessory interests in the land, Lehi seems to have been working within the Mosaic concept which held that God's people have only a right of possession in the land, not title in fee simple absolute as we speak of ownership, for the land itself belongs to God: "For the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me" (Lev. 25:24).

Second, Lehi referred to the land as "a land of inheritance" (2 Nephi 1:5; 1:8; 3:2). In my opinion, he was doing more here than duplicating the idea in verse 9 that "this land" collectively was their "land of promise." The law of Moses required that "in all the land of your possession [and Lehi had clearly designated theirs a land of possession] ye shall grant a redemption for the land" (Lev. 25:23). This right of redemption was none other than the preemptive power held by the next of kin to prevent the sale of the paternal or tribal lands to people outside that lineage group. Making the land subject to such a perpetual inheritance right was a critical part of keeping the land a "land of inheritance" for that family in perpetuity. This seems a likely part of what Lehi was doing when he organized his posterity into paternal kinship groups. Implicitly, we may understand the existence of a right of redemption within that group with respect to the portion of the land each group was to possess. Apparently the importance of preserving this traditional right was a significant factor motivating the followers of Zeniff to repossess (Omni 27) and redeem (cf. Mosiah 12:22) the land of Nephi.

The idea that Lehi partitioned the land, the land of first inheritance, into tribal areas receives further support from the fact that Lehi called this area "the lands of their possessions" (2 Nephi 1:11; emphasis added). His use of the plural terms "lands" and "possessions" provides considerable evidence that Lehi himself perceived the land as divided into several "lands" or territories.

Thus, for example, it appears that when he blessed Joseph with an interest in the land (2 Nephi 3:2), Lehi was creating in Joseph and in his posterity a durable right to possess some specific share of the land. By the same token, when he said to Sam, "Thou shalt inherit the land like unto thy brother Nephi. And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed . . . and [shall be even] like unto his seed" (2 Nephi 4:11), Lehi was saying that Sam would not have a separate tribal interest in a particular part of the land, but would merge legally and tribally with the seed of Nephi. Consequently, there are Josephites in the Book of Mormon, but never any Samites.

(John W. Welch, "Lehi's Last Will and Testament: A Legal Approach," in Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., Second Nephi: The Doctrinal Structure [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1989], 68-69.)