Come Follow Me for Feb 17 to 23 - 2 Nephi 11-25

02/16/20 • 67 min

Discussion of Second Nephi’s Isaiah chapters! Nephi sets the scene for Isaiah’s teachings in chapter 11, in which he testifies of Christ, teaching that all things are the “typifying” of Christ, Christ makes possible the Plan of Salvation, and if there is no Christ there is no God. In the 13 chapters that are nearly the same as portions of The Book of the Prophet Isaiah in our KJV Bible, we learn about the children of Israel (which means “to struggle with God”) and their dynamic and active relationship with God, which is not one of robotic obedience, be one of pushing the limits, being punished, and ultimately redeemed. This relationship is summed up in the phrase, “for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still,” which is repeated five times in these chapters. Nephi concludes his Isaiah insertions with a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ and the efforts he goes to in teaching his children and people about the Savior. In addition to the covered chapters, this lesson also draws from “The Gift of Grace” by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, from April 2015 General Conference.

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Come Follow Me for Feb 10 to 16 - 2 Nephi 6-10

Discussion of the teachings of Jacob, the fifth son of Lehi. He begins by reminding the Nephites that they are part of the House of Israel and thus the Lord’s covenant people and eligible to receive great blessings. The greatest blessing we can receive is salvation in the Kingdom of God, which is to be our eternal land of inheritance, made possible by the atonement of Jesus Christ. However, in order to qualify for those blessings, Jacob emphasizes the importance of humility and not relying on our own strength, our own knowledge and our own wealth, because ultimately we are not able to save ourselves. If we will remain spiritually minded, we will inherit eternal life. This lesson also draws from (1) D&C 113:7-8 and (2) “The False Gods We Worship” by President Spencer W. Kimball, available in the June 1976 Ensign.

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Come Follow Me for Feb 24 to Mar 1 - 2 Nephi 26-30

Discussion of the teachings and prophecies of Nephi concerning the fate of his people as well as the latter-days. In the latter-days many people will deny that God is a God of miracles, but The Book of Mormon will come forth as evidence that God continues to perform miracles. Satan works to slowly lure us into captivity using flaxen cords, which are cords that can easily be broken, while Christ continuously invites all people to come unto Him. Those that follow Christ should remain alert and constantly strive to improve and become better, otherwise they run the risk of regressing. Because God loves all of His children, we should not expect that He has spoken to only one people or that only one people has recorded His words, but we should look for truths and evidence of God’s work among all people. The greatest of God’s miracles is His ability to save His children, and we should be careful not to assume limits in His ability to bring about salvation. In addition to the covered chapters, this lesson also draws on a quote from Elder Neal A. Maxwell found in Chapter 12 of the Book of Mormon Student Manual published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.