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Black Mirror Season 7 28:30

منذ 7 أيام28:30

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28:30

We're trying something different this week: a full post-show breakdown of every episode in the latest season of Black Mirror! Ari Romero is joined by Tudum's Black Mirror expert, Keisha Hatchett, to give you all the nuance, the insider commentary, and the details you might have missed in this incredible new season. Plus commentary from creator & showrunner Charlie Brooker! SPOILER ALERT: We're talking about the new season in detail and revealing key plot points. If you haven't watched yet, and you don't want to know what happens, turn back now! You can watch all seven seasons of Black Mirror now in your personalized virtual theater . Follow Netflix Podcasts and read more about Black Mirror on Tudum.com .…

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Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Faithful Answers, Informed Response

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Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 37–40 – Autumn Dickson 16:25

منذ يومين16:25

16:25

An Act of Faith by Autumn Dickson This week, we run into a big announcement for the Saints. Doctrine and Covenants 37:3-4 3 And again, a commandment I give unto the church, that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at the Ohio, against the time that my servant Oliver Cowdery shall return unto them. 4 Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man choose for himself until I come. Even so. Amen. The Lord asks His Saints, many of whom are gathered in New York, to pack up and move to Ohio. I think it’s hard to fathom what a big deal this is. Joseph is a very young man, and he’s imperfect. Even if you believe he’s the prophet, it can be difficult to wonder whether this is truly a commandment from the Lord. In fact, John Whitmer recorded that some people believed Joseph had made it up in order to take advantage of them. Imagine packing up as much as you can, potentially not being able to sell your home, and moving to a place where you’re going to have to build a house and hopefully be able to grow food for your family (because there certainly wasn’t any welfare yet). This was a really big deal. It was an immense test of faith. These people were being asked to dive headfirst into a body of water that they hadn’t been given many opportunities to test out. The church was so new that there had been relatively few opportunities to exercise your faith up to this point, and going to Ohio was going to take a herculean amount of faith. Faith experiences There are different kinds of experiences associated with faith in mortality. I want to look at the experiences of David from the Old Testament in order to differentiate between two specific directions through which we experience faith. By exploring the different ways we can choose to exercise faith, I believe that we can more consciously grow our faith. In the Old Testament, the Israelites are facing a very scary army. Goliath steps forward as an individual on behalf of this very scary army, and he wants to battle an Israelite. Unfortunately, none of the Israelites want to challenge him. David, a teenage shepherd who came to bring lunch to his brothers, has come forward to King Saul, and he wants to go against Goliath. Saul responds to David with, “You’re really young, and this guy has been a soldier for a really long time.” This is how David responds. 1 Samuel 17:34-35 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. In lay terms, David tells Saul that he’s a shepherd who protected his father’s sheep against a lion and a bear. David has fought great battles and been protected by the Lord, and he believes it would be no different in this situation. In reality, facing the bear and facing Goliath require different approaches to faith. A low-risk faith In verse 34, we learn that the lion and bear came to David, and he fought them. I think it’s really key to understand that in this situation, the trouble came to David. He didn’t go out asking for it. He fell into a situation and pleaded with the Lord to save him. Has difficulty ever come upon you and your need for the Lord was made very apparent and you pleaded for deliverance? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where all of a sudden you were paying really close attention to your prayers and the Lord? The foremost modern day equivalent that I can think of is getting some sickness like cancer. When I describe this as a “low-risk” faith, I’m not trying to say that bears, lions, and cancers aren’t serious. What I’m trying to say is that in situations like this, it never hurts to try and reach out to a higher power. Having a deep, steady faith can bring you an immense amount of peace in a situation like this. However, there’s not a lot on the line if whatever higher power you believe in doesn’t answer. You’re not going to be any worse off than you were before. I call this a low-risk faith. Surely you’re showing faith by turning to the Lord, but it’s not requiring much of you because you have nothing to lose in turning to Him. David didn’t ask for the lion and bear to come, but he pleaded with the Lord when they did show up. A high-risk faith The situation with Goliath was totally different. David could have gone home and some other Israelite would have been sent in his place to fight Goliath. Stepping up to fight a seasoned soldier of your own accord is different from being forced into a scary situation with wild animals. If Goliath had shown up at David’s doorstep spoiling for a fight with David (and David only) then showing faith and pleading for help would have been low-risk. It wouldn’t have left David worse off to look to a higher power. The level of faith it required to step forward of his own accord was far more immense. People can go their whole lives, pleading with the Lord when it’s low-risk, but never actually stepping forward in an act of higher faith that brings higher rewards. When David stepped forward to fight Goliath, without anything compelling him to do so, his faith was speaking volumes. His faith was saying, “I know that it was the Lord who delivered me from the lion and bear and not just dumb luck or my immense skill with a slingshot. I know that the Israelites are the Lord’s people and that the Lord wants to protect them. I know that the Lord wants me to step forward to fight him, or at the very least, I know that the Lord will protect me if I choose to do so when no one else will.” Joseph Smith taught that true faith requires a knowledge of God’s character, and I believe that teaching is so evident here. It would have been easy for David to wonder if the Lord really wanted to protect His people or whether David was going to end up as collateral damage in a war that the Israelites were meant to lose. It would have been easy to wonder if the Lord was busy doing something else. It would have been easy to wonder if the Lord truly wanted David to do this thing or if David was doing something stupid by stepping up. But David knew the character of the Lord, and he stepped forward in faith of his own accord. Let’s pull it back into the situation of the Saints. The difference would be equivalent to one of the Saints losing their home and trusting the Lord to help them find something new in comparison to voluntarily leaving behind a good thing for the unknown because the prophet told you to. The potential for doubts is staggering. Is Joseph really a prophet? Did Joseph get the revelation wrong and only Joseph is supposed to go to Ohio or do they really all need to go? Does God really care about them and will He truly take care of them? There are going to be situations in your life where darkness comes upon you and you reach out to the Lord for help. These kinds of faith-situations are really important. These kinds of situations help you build your faith as you choose to see the Lord’s hand stepping in to help. These kinds of situations also call upon you to believe that the Lord still loves you and is going to make things okay, even if it’s not in the direction that you want it to be. On the flip side, there will be situations where the Lord is going to ask you to step into the dark. Maybe others have had different experiences, but for me, these can feel scarier. Even when I truly believe that the Lord loves me, I wonder whether I’m hearing Him correctly or whether I’m just putting myself into a bad situation for funsies. When I chose to get married, I wasn’t sure the path was going to bring me happiness and I felt like the Lord was rather quiet on the subject when I wanted undeniable confirmation that I was making a choice that would bring me joy. When we moved to Virginia, it was easy to wonder whether we had left something really good behind in favor of living in a hotel for three months with three kids. Had the Lord asked us to do it or was it all made up in my mind? When I chose to do this blog because I thought He was asking me to, it was easy to wonder whether this is really what He wanted or whether I was simply investing immense amounts of time into something that the Lord hadn’t actually asked for. We have different lessons to learn here on earth that call for different kinds of faith. Sometimes the Lord quietly presents us with opportunities to step forward into the dark, trusting that He will be there, and when we choose to jump, the rewards are immense. David defeated a mighty soldier, saved the Israelites, and set himself up to become king. That’s no small thing. They say that higher risks can reap greater rewards. There have been plenty of times in my life where I felt like I was taking great risks in trusting the Lord, but I have learned that with the Lord, it’s not really a high risk. I’ve learned that even when I’m mistaken in my understanding of what He wants me to do, He’s not going to respond with, “Whoops. That sucks for you. That wasn’t what I was asking.” He loves me. I may find myself in greater difficulty, but I will never truly lose if I’m actively trying to follow Him. He knows my heart. He knows I want to do what He wants me to do, and that’s enough for Him. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 37–40 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Easter – Autumn Dickson 11:11

منذ 5 أيام11:11

11:11

They Fell Back by Autumn Dickson This week is all about Christ and His atonement. The Come Follow Me manual recommends studying Luke 22 to reflect on the sacrifice that the Savior made in the Garden of Gethsemane. Instead, I want to read the same experience except I want to share it from the book of John. The soldiers approach the Christ and His group following the experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. John 18:4-6 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. I could have this wrong because it doesn’t explicitly state the reasoning, but here is what I’m picturing. These soldiers come forward looking for Christ and spoiling for a fight. They’ve got their weapons and torches since it’s late, and they come upon the group of disciples and ask for Jesus of Nazareth. Christ steps into the light of the torches and replies, “I am He.” The soldiers fall back. I know there are different interpretations of how this scene played out, but this is how I’ve always imagined it: I picture the soldiers falling back because of what they saw when Christ stepped into the light. Christ had just spent a portion of time bleeding from every pore as He suffered the sins and pains of the world. In all honesty, it’s likely a ghastly sight, and it catches them off guard. Even if I’m wrong about how I imagine it, I believe there are some parallels that can teach us something significant here. Regardless of how the details went down, the principles I want to talk about are absolutely true. Spoiling for a fight I can remember a time in my life where I overheard someone talking quite negatively about my husband in my home. I was upstairs folding laundry when I realized I needed something from downstairs. I started walking down the hallway and paused when I heard them talking. One person was complaining about Conner, and the other one was trying to placate them and simultaneously shush them since the situation could prove to be awkward were I to come around the corner. Needless to say, I didn’t quite make it around the corner, but I did overhear. I was seeing red for a couple of reasons. This person had consistently been critical of Conner, and this person had also put Conner into the situation that they were currently complaining about. I’m not normally a confrontational person (mostly because I’m a wuss if we’re being honest), but I had already had plenty of scathing mental conversations with this person over the way Conner had been treated. I was so over it. I was about to let them have it, along with all the other baggage I had accumulated regarding the relationship we had with this person. But I took a step back, breathed deeply, and furiously (but quietly) stomped back to my room. I angrily paced back and forth for a while. I debated whether I was going to go down and call them out on it. I tried going back to work in my room but found myself pacing again. How dare they? I had kept my mouth shut for a long time, and I felt that they needed to hear just how toxic they were being. Don’t get me wrong; I 100% believe there are appropriate times to call someone out and correct them. Sometimes correction is one of the highest forms of love. However, I wasn’t being particularly Christlike in how I wanted to approach that correction. If you’re going to correct someone, I believe it needs to come from a place of concern for their well-being rather than your own. I wanted this person to feel bad, and not because I wanted them to repent and live life in a more happy manner. Luckily, I dropped to my knees and said a prayer. To this day, I don’t know what pushed me to pray at this moment, but I’m glad it happened. I told the Lord how angry I was, at the current situation as well as all the previous situations where I felt Conner had been treated and perceived unfairly. I asked the Lord to help me see reality and to feel the truth of the situation I was looking at. Boy, did He deliver. The Lord responded with two things. I got a mini-montage before my mind’s eye of all the ways I had acted precisely like this person who had so offended me, and I got a whopping spiritual smackdown as I realized how similar I was to this person I was so mad at. More importantly, I also saw how the Lord had taken care of it. The Lord loved this person. They were generally a good person; there was just a lot of bad blood built up. The Lord paid for it all, and when we get to the other side, we would all be able to see each other clearly. We would all clearly be able to see how the Lord had sent us down here to learn (sometimes the hard way) and then paid with a check signed in His blood. Needless to say, the wind got drop-kicked out of my sails. There are lots of details there, but let’s focus on three very important details. I had approached spoiling for a fight. I had seen the results of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I was forcefully taken aback by the reality of Christ’s sacrifice. The soldiers had approached spoiling for a fight. They saw the physical manifestation of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were quite literally taken aback by what they saw. How can the atonement of Christ change you? I read a book (Price of Privilege by Jessica Dota) that was an allegory for the Savior. In the book, the main character finds herself in a terrifying, deadly marriage in the Regency Era. This was partially because of her own foolish choices, but it was also because she was a powerless victim in a world where women had no power. One of the main characters, Isaac, fights to free her from the marriage, and when it fails, he offers a poisonous drink to her murderous husband. Unfortunately, the only way to make him confident enough to drink the poison was if Isaac drinks with him. The poison kills her husband, but it also kills Isaac. In one of the key moments at the end, we find her being kind to her cruel and cold father, not because he deserves it but because she loves Isaac for freeing her and Isaac had always encouraged her to be kind to her father. Isaac had quite literally saved her life; he gave her an opportunity to be happy in her life. How could she say no to his small requests in return? Like the soldiers at the end of the account of the Garden of Gethsemane, I have a feeling that seeing (or even simply experiencing) the atonement of Jesus Christ would change how we feel about the betrayals we’ve experienced. Hyperfocusing on the damage you have received often disables your ability to recognize the goodness that is still available to you, perpetuating the consequences you have suffered innocently. Looking to the Savior, seeing what He is offering and experiencing what He sacrificed (at least to an extent) is enough to take the fight right out of you. Forgiveness is a process. I fully realize that healing from some betrayals takes immense amounts of time. This isn’t meant to rush that process or summon guilt for the innocent party. It’s meant to point you in the direction of ultimate healing, the Savior. If you keep your focus on the Savior and if you allow yourself to experience His grace, you’ll be taken aback at how your need for revenge or even personal justice dissipates. When you know the Savior, you trust Him and you feel safe enough to pass the circumstances to Him. I testify that the Savior is mighty to save. I testify that He can offer everything that is owed to you. I testify that if you could remember Him and the experiences you’ve shared, you would naturally feel safe enough to let Him free you, bless you, and handle the justice of the perpetrator. That is the effect of experiencing His atonement. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Easter – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 35–40, 47 – Mike Parker 33:34

منذ 10 أيام33:34

33:34

Sidney Rigdon; the gathering; the office of Church Historian (D&C sections 35–40, 47) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading David W. Grua, “ Joseph Smith and the 1834 D. P. Hurlbut Case ,” BYU Studies 44, no. 1 (2005): 33–54. Grua examines the notorious ex-Mormon apostate Doctor Philastus Hurlbut, his attempt to destroy the early Church, and the legal case brought against him for threatening to kill Joseph Smith. Matthew Roper, “ The Mythical ‘Manuscript Found’ ,” FARMS Review 17, no. 2 (2005): 7–140. Roper reviews (and decimates) modern attempts to tie the origins of the Book of Mormon to Sidney Rigdon. Church leaders and scholars are so confident that there is no connection between Solomon Spaulding’s “Manuscript Found” and the Book of Mormon that they’ve reprinted the Spaulding manuscript numerous times. In the 1990s, Brigham Young University printed Spaulding’s book in its entirety: Kent P. Jackson, ed., Manuscript Found: The Complete Original “Spaulding Manuscript” (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 1996). Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 35–40, 47 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 30-36 – Autumn Dickson 11:42

منذ 14 يومًا11:42

11:42

Left to Inquire by Autumn Dickson David Whitmer, one of the three witnesses of The Book of Mormon, is chastened in one of the sections that we read for this week. He had listened to Hiram Page who had been receiving false revelations, and the Lord spoke with him regarding this. His response can be helpful because we have all been in David’s shoes to one extent or another. Doctrine and Covenants 30:2-3 2 But your mind has been on the things of the earth more than on the things of me, your Maker, and the ministry whereunto you have been called; and you have not given heed unto my Spirit, and to those who were set over you, but have been persuaded by those whom I have not commanded. 3 Wherefore, you are left to inquire for yourself at my hand, and ponder upon the things which you have received. Though many of us aren’t currently tempted to fall prey to the false revelations given by Hiram Page, we do often find ourselves in situations that are similar enough to David. I want to go through some experiences that I’ve had that are similar to David, and I want to tell you about this experience by exploring phrases taught in these verses. Though I’m giving a specific, personal example, the principles are what matter and they can be widely applied to many different circumstances. One modern equivalent Lehi’s dream has been on my mind recently. There are many interpretations of the great and spacious building, the foremost being pride. I’ve been pondering an additional interpretation. Let’s look at details surrounding Lehi’s dream so that we can explore parallels. The building resided above the earth, in the air, suggesting that it’s not a physical place on the earth. There were a ton of people in the building, and they were well-dressed and mocking and pointing their fingers at those who were partaking of the love of God. Those who paid attention to the mocking became ashamed and fell away, and those who “heeded them not” continued partaking of the love of God. I’ve been thinking about what a great metaphor the great and spacious building is for social media. Social media is not a physical place. Though the social media culture has partially changed, we still find a majority of people dressed in their best, showcasing the most glamorous parts of their lives. We obviously find plenty of mocking and pointing of fingers. I’ve also noticed that social media can sometimes bring my mind down to an earthly level as well as persuading me to listen to those who aren’t called by the Lord. And therein lies my experience that can leave me in a similar position to David. Because I post LDS content, the algorithm for my instagram often sends me into LDS accounts as well as anti-LDS accounts. Sometimes I don’t even have to be exploring instagram to find the anti-material. It finds me as people comment on the posts that I make. There were two phrases the Lord used to describe David that also apply to me when I find myself paying heed to the negative on social media. Whenever I find myself paying too much attention to social media (specifically the negative), I find myself relating quite closely to David. your mind has been on the things of the earth more than on the things of me you have not given heed unto my Spirit, and to those who were set over you, but have been persuaded by those whom I have not commanded Heaven knows social media can be a terrible influence on me. It pushes me to focus on things of little consequence, and I have very consciously observed my overall life-satisfaction dipping. Social media also takes eternal realities and tries forcing them into earthly perspectives where they don’t belong. I also find plenty of people who haven’t been commanded by the Lord, and it gets confusing. So what do we do when we have found ourselves in a similar situation to David? Let’s look at the rest of the Lord’s response. Left to inquire The Lord warns David of some of the patterns that David has fallen into, and then the Lord responds to it. Wherefore, you are left to inquire for yourself at my hand, and ponder upon the things which you have received. When viewed from an earthly perspective, this response can seem dismissive or potentially even angry. After becoming a parent, I have learned that it’s anything but. This is an extremely simplistic example, but I’m going to share it anyway. My son hates wearing shoes. This doesn’t tend to be a problem in the summer as his feet grow accustomed to burning hot concrete, but he can’t seem to get his bare feet accustomed to snow *insert sarcastic surprise.* He has a little friend who lives one house down from us, and we usually let the kids run wild between the two houses. I’ve told him to put shoes on, but I don’t force him to. He usually does okay running back and forth in the winter because it doesn’t snow often. However, one day he decided to run to his friend’s house with no shoes on even though the ground was covered in snow. I was upstairs tending to some other kids when I heard screaming outside. I ran downstairs, opened the door, and he was painfully walking back to our house (friend wasn’t home) through the snow with bare feet. I threw on my own shoes, picked him up, and brought him inside. I have told Warner to put shoes on, and he has had a lot of experiences where he’s ignored me and regretted it and listened and found favorable outcomes. He’s also had experience with snow. He has received information. I could try to force his hand by getting a deadbolt on the front door, but that would take away from other conscious parenting choices I’ve made to let the kid play outside when he wants to. So I leave him with the information I’ve given him, and he can think about it and come and ask me if he has questions. Sometimes that means a tough lesson, but that lesson is pretty powerful. It’s not a perfectly parallel analogy, but I do think enough of the details line up. Heavenly Father has told us to not pay heed to the mocking and finger-pointing. In this particular section, He admonishes David for getting caught up in the world and listening to those He hasn’t called. Unfortunately, social media is less simplistic than snow. Social media and snow both have their pros, cons, and wise utilization, but unfortunately, social media also has a confusion factor. When we get caught up in social media, we often find ourselves asking, well who has really been commanded by the Lord? Who has the truth? I’ve had experiences with social media. Not all of them are bad, but there have been times when doubt and confusion have felt overwhelming. And so as the Lord suggests, I ponder. As I ponder and try to include the Lord, my mind is lifted above the earthly things and I remember that my experiences with the Lord have been every bit as real as the fear I’ve experienced coming across things that don’t make sense. As I keep pondering, sometimes the Lord lifts my vision and shifts my perspective to where things make sense. Other times, He doesn’t. But that doesn’t make any of the other experiences I’ve had with Him unreal. Having a limited understanding or coming across accounts of history that can’t be unequivocally resolved does not invalidate the experiences you’ve had with the Lord. And if you don’t know whether you’ve had an experience with the Lord, then there’s no reason you can’t seek out that relationship now. I testify that the Lord works through His prophets. I testify that this is a system He has utilized to work with His children throughout the history of the earth. I believe this because I have been able to speak with my Heavenly Father and receive answers from Him through the words of modern day prophets. Those experiences are tremendously real and valid; those experiences are the reason I stay. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 30-36 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Me, My Shelf, & I – How Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals understand the Bible differently 1:38:22

منذ 15 يومًا1:38:22

1:38:22

In this special episode, Sarah Allen, Jennifer Roach Lees, and Zachary Wright host a panel discussion on the topic “How Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals understand the Bible differently.” Panel participants: Stephen Smoot: https://www.plonialmonimormon.com/ Dr. Ben Spackman: https://benspackman.com/ Travis Anderson: @missionarydiscussions1286 References in this episode: JSH 1:12–13 Dr. Christian Smith, “pervasive interpretive pluralism”. (The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture by Dr. Christian Smith) Dr. James Kugel: https://www.jameskugel.com/ (The Idea of Biblical Poetry: Parallelism and Its History by Dr. James Kugel) An Egyptian View of the Monotheism of Second Isaiah by Stephen O. Smoot: https://www.academia.edu/122239522/An_Egyptian_View_of_the_Monotheism_of_Second_Isaiah The Invention of the Inspired Text: Philological Windows on the Theopneustia of Scripture by Dr. John C. Poirier God’s Word in Human Words: An Evangelical Appropriation of Critical Biblical Scholarship by Dr. Kenton L. Sparks The Sticks of Judah and Joseph: Reflections on Defending the Kingdom by Dr. Joseph M. Spencer: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/5969/ Latter-day Saint MissionCast by Nick Galieti: Proof texting and Understanding the Bible as a Missionary Tool with Ben Spackman – Episode 21: https://ldsmissioncast.com/2018/06/21/proof-texting-understanding-bible-missionary-tool-ben-spackman/ Standard of Truth Podcast by Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat and Dr. Richard LeDuc: https://standardoftruth.com/ Dr. Tremper Longman III & Dr. John Walton Aramaic Targum: https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Tanakh/Targum Greek Septuagint: https://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/ Y Religion Episode 86: Deutero-Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (Dr. Joshua Sears): https://religion.byu.edu/directory/josh-sears Deutero-Isaiah in the Book of Mormon: Latter-day Saint Approaches by Joshua M. Sears (chapter from They Shall Grow Together: The Bible in the Book of Mormon by Dr. Charles Swift and Dr. Nicholas J. Frederick, Editors) Offenders for a Word: How Anti-Mormons Play Word Games to Attack the Latter-Day Saints: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi/57/ Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King by Dr. Matthew W. Bates The New Perspective on Paul: An Introduction by Dr. Kent L. Yinger & The New Perspective on Paul by Dr. James D. G. Dunn 4QMMT – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4QMMT Society of Biblical Literature: https://www.sbl-site.org/ Relational Grace: The Reciprocal and Binding Covenant of Charis by Dr. Brent J. Schmidt https://brentschmidt.org Relational Faith: The Transformation and Restoration of Pistis as Knowledge, Trust, Confidence, and Covenantal Faithfulness by Dr. Brent J. Schmidt https://brentschmidt.org Blake T. Ostler, J.D. & Dr. Noel B. Reynolds Come Follow Me with FAIR: Faithful Answers to New Testament Questions by Jennifer Roach: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw_Vkm1zYbIGG3QXZLu1A9JLOXbLj4lAF NRSV Bible Translation (New Revised Standard Version) Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Dr. Richard L. Bushman The Jewish Study Bible: Second Edition by Dr. Adele Berlin & Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler The Jewish Annotated New Testament by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine & Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine & Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler [G. K.] Chesterton on the Mormons by Dr. Daniel Peterson : https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2018/07/chesterton-on-the-mormons.html (paraphrased from “[Mormons] managed to reproduce the atmosphere of those Scriptures [Hebrew Bible] as they are felt by Hebrews rather than by Christians”) The post Me, My Shelf, & I – How Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals understand the Bible differently appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 29-34 – Mike Parker 33:22

منذ 18 يومًا33:22

33:22

The doctrine of agency; the Lamanite Mission (D&C sections 29–34) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt (Chicago: Law, King & Law, 1888). Read Parley’s account of his early life, conversion to the restored gospel, and service as a missionary and apostle. Who Are the Lamanites? Scripture Central KnoWhy #486 Native Americans and the Lamanites Latter-day Saint leaders have expressed a variety of opinions regarding whether or not all Amerindians are literal descendants of Lehi. Population genetics indicate that Lehi can likely be counted among the ancestors of all native Americans—a position that the Church has reinforced by changing the 1981 Book of Mormon introduction from “principal ancestors” to “among the ancestors.” Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 29-34 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 29 – Autumn Dickson 15:49

منذ 19 يومًا15:49

15:49

I Am In Your Midst by Autumn Dickson There is a lot of doctrine covered in Doctrine and Covenants 29. I absolutely love it. It ranges from the Millennium to agency and all over the board. There are so many things that caught my attention that are meaningful to me but alas, let’s talk about just one of the principles. Before I jump into the verse, I want to give some background to explain why it caught my attention. I remember going to this HUGE regional youth conference as a senior in high school. It included a big cultural celebration, and we rented out a big stadium to perform in. There was dancing and singing. It was all a ton of fun. I also remember a little rumor going around about the prophet coming because it was such a huge conference, and I remember lots of people whispering excitedly about it. I’m not sure if the prophet had ever planned on coming or if someone had just gotten a little ahead of themselves and it got spread around as a rumor. If I am remembering correctly, I feel like it was a real possibility; I feel like we were waiting to get word on whether he would actually be able to make it, but I could be wrong. It’s been over a decade since that time and I’ve had five kids so pardon my memory. I do remember that people started praying for him to show up, and I remember whispering excitedly about how cool it would be if he did. I also remember the moment we learned that he wasn’t going to be coming and the general feeling of disappointment that followed. Now, I had the unique opportunity of welcoming the youth to the conference and giving the opening prayer for the conference, and I was told about this unique opportunity right before actually doing the welcoming. I didn’t know what to say, but I did know that everyone was feeling pretty disappointed that President Monson wasn’t going to make it. Luckily, the Spirit stepped in and helped me know what to say; I also learned something pretty significant from this little experience. I acknowledged the disappointment that we all felt over the prophet not being able to come, and then the Spirit helped me testify that even though he couldn’t make it, the Savior would be there to watch us perform and be with us. The following verse reminded me of this experience. Doctrine and Covenants 29:5 Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom. Doctrine and Covenants 29 was given in the company of six other elders. It wasn’t some huge conference, but the Savior told these men that He was in their midst. The Savior claims to be with His saints frequently throughout the Doctrine and Covenants. Do we believe that or do we mentally skip over phrases like that because they feel trite? When He claims to be in our midst, what does that mean to us? Excitement over the prophet I want to momentarily jump back to the excitement that all of us felt over the prospect of the prophet visiting our gigantic youth conference. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to meet the prophet and wanting to be around him. There is a reason we love our prophet. In so many ways, it’s not really about President Hinckley or Monson or Nelson. It’s about what they represent. They represent the fact that the heavens are opened again, the priesthood power to perform binding ordinances are on the earth, and the Lord is directing His church. We love our prophet because of the symbol that he is to our faith. We get excited about General Conference and the revelation we’re going to receive. When my companion and I walked out of the MTC cafeteria, we saw Elder Holland and literally froze in our tracks. He shook our hands before rushing on to get to his next appointment, and we were so excited about it. If I saw President Nelson tomorrow, I would be super excited even as an adult. And yet, when the Savior claims to be in the presence of His Saints, what does that mean to us? I think the main reason it’s easier to get excited about shaking the hand of a prophet vs. picturing the Savior near us is the difficulty level. It requires far more effort to get to the point where you truly believe He is with you. And once you reach that point, it still takes effort to feel Him and hear Him and engage yourself in speaking to Him. But oh my goodness…it’s so worth it. The primary answers So how do we bring Him into our midst? How do we trust Him when He says that He is already there? How do we start to take advantage of the fact that the Savior really is here with us? Honestly, I think the most powerful tools we have are the basic tools He gave us. We do the primary answers of praying, reading your scriptures, and going to church. We often talk about how it can be hard to make sure you’re reading your scriptures and praying. We talk about how it’s hard to develop those habits, and I’ve heard it expressed that we should stop putting so much pressure on people who are already feeling a ton of pressure to accomplish everything. I agree that pressure is often unhelpful, but I don’t think I agree with the sentiment that we should stop striving for daily habits. They are simply too valuable. Sometimes I shy away from pushing those habits because I know that those kinds of things are easy for me. I’m good at habits. I love reading and writing. I grew up in a family where those habits were emphasized. One of my biggest time consumers other than my kids (i.e. blog, podcast, YouTube) is literally pushing me to seek Him out on a daily basis. It occasionally feels insensitive for me to advocate for it when it’s not as easy for other people. But I can’t not testify of these things. They hold too much power. I know exactly what you get when you invite the Savior into your midst regularly with scripture study and prayer. Because it’s not going to be enough to just do them. Eventually, we have to get to the point where we’re doing it in a manner that effectively fulfills our purpose – being with the Savior. It’s not about reading for long enough or praying for long enough; it’s about whether you truly communed with Him. Communing with Him can be even harder than crossing these small things off of a checklist. It’s harder to spiritually strive for those things. It’s harder to constantly re-engage when it feels like the whole world is trying to distract you from it. It’s harder to keep spiritually engaging when you feel like you’re not getting much in return, but if you do the primary answers while neglecting their purpose, then you’re much less likely to find the rewards and you will most definitely find yourself prioritizing them less and less. He can tell us that He’s in our midst all He wants. He can sit with us while we take the sacrament. He can place His hand on our shoulder in our darkest moments. He can enjoy the simple moments in life right alongside us, but it won’t matter if we don’t believe it. Utilizing the primary answers to practice communing with Him enables us to believe Him when He says He’s in our midst. And when you believe that you have the Savior with you, it changes everything. I remember a time on my mission when things felt incredibly heavy. My companion was in the shower so I had some very rare alone time. I sat in the dark living room of our apartment, prayed, and I felt Him with me. He didn’t try to “fix” things. I didn’t get any answers. He wasn’t telling me to have more faith. He mourned with me. I think about getting caught up in the daily stresses of my life. I wonder about where my family is going to end up, how to protect my kids from the scary influences in the world, the list goes on and on and on. But (almost) every day, I sit down and I type out a prayer and when I do it right, I remember how the Savior and His promises touch everything I write down. I’m worried about where we’re going to end up? When I picture Him with me, it’s much easier to remember that it doesn’t really matter. I have a beautiful, perfect, eternal home where I can stay forever. I’m worried about my kids? He can guide me to protect them and heal them. He can remind me to be grateful when they’re challenged because it’s so healthy to be challenged. He knows where they’re at and how to help them. Investing in primary answers, to the extent that you open your eyes to how the Savior is in your midst, will remove so many mental obstacles from your path. It will lift you. It will help you feel legitimately grateful for where you’re at in life. It will help you feel secure when the world is scary. It will empower you to accomplish so much more. Truly investing in primary answers with purpose brings the Savior into your midst, and that changes everything. I testify of a Savior who wants to be with you. He wants to lift you. He wants you to feel powerful enough to overcome obstacles. He wants to help you believe in yourself when the obstacle feels too big. I testify of a Savior who gave us very simple tools to open our eyes so that we can see Him with us. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 29 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 25, 27–28 – Mike Parker 42:27

منذ 28 يومًا42:27

42:27

Emma Hale Smith; the sacrament; authority in the Church (D&C sections 25, 27–28) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Digital photographs of Emma Smith’s 1835 hymnbook , available online at the Joseph Smith Papers website. In early 1879, Emma was interviewed by her son, Joseph Smith III, who asked her questions about the Prophet Joseph, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and other events in the restoration of the gospel. Her responses were published as “ Last Testimony of Sister Emma ,” The Saints’ Herald 26, no. 19 (1 October 1879): 289–90. Although Emma denied that the Prophet Joseph ever practiced plural marriage (which he, in fact, did), her eyewitness testimony is otherwise invaluable and inspiring. Background on Emma’s second husband, Lewis Bidamon, may be found in Valeen Tippetts Avery and Linda King Newell, “ Lewis C. Bidamon, Stepchild of Mormondom ,” BYU Studies 19, no. 3 (Spring 1979): 375–88. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 25, 27–28 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 27–28 – Autumn Dickson 14:45

منذ 30 يومًا14:45

14:45

God Chose a Prophet by Autumn Dickson We are currently still in the very early days of the church where the Lord is revealing line upon line. Satan is actively working against God’s plan, and he often tries to mimic God to lead people astray. He loves to tell half-truths that seem logical upon first examination. One of the historical accounts we can read about this week includes supposed revelations that were being received by Hiram Page. Hiram claimed to be receiving revelation for the church on various topics, and many saints believed him. This was not the first time that priesthood organization needed to be clarified. Oliver Cowdery had once commanded Joseph to change some wording in a revelation because he believed it was in error. I find it especially interesting that when Joseph was seeking revelation on how to handle the issues with Hiram Page, the Lord responded by sending Oliver to Hiram to work it out. Here is how the Lord clarified His priesthood organization in regards to Hiram Page. Doctrine and Covenants 28:2 But, behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses. In other words, the Lord very purposefully works through His prophet to guide His church. Only one man can receive revelation for the entire church at any given time. A bishop can receive revelation for the entire ward. A stake president can receive revelation for the entire stake. A Relief Society president can receive revelation for the women in her ward. Youth leaders, temple presidents, mission presidents, fathers, and mothers all have spiritual jurisdictions. A lot of people struggle with the idea of one prophet receiving revelation for the entire church, and I’m sure the reasons for this struggle are numerous. However, I believe there are a couple of main ones we can talk about. And though we are covering specific reasons, I believe the principles can be applied to various circumstances and struggles. Power and manipulation I think one of the reasons that people struggle with this idea of a prophet is because they’ve seen positions of authority get abused throughout history. It happens politically. It happens in the home. It happens in religious organizations. It even happens in our own church often enough. I’m not specifically talking about the prophet, just leadership in general. We are imperfect people, and we’ve all abused our power to one extent or another. Viewing it from a perspective of someone who is struggling to believe in a prophet adds additional insight. They see a man who has the power to make any decisions he wants with few consequences. This isn’t a democracy or republic. There is little room for redress when there are perceived wrongs because we believe that the prophet is receiving revelation from the Lord, and so disagreeing with the prophet feels complicated. I think it’s important to view it from the standpoint of someone who believes differently than you, but I also believe it’s vital to view it from the standpoint of belief as well. There are a couple of principles that can be supremely comforting when you really, truly, deeply believe that the Savior chose to work through a prophet. Principle One: The Lord had to choose a system of governance Principle one. The Lord has to work within the framework of an imperfect world. If the world was perfect, systems of governance wouldn’t matter as much. In fact, if the world was perfect and we were all perfect, we wouldn’t need leaders at all. But alas, the Lord just has us and so He has to make decisions about how He’s going to handle that. The Lord’s purpose was to create a system that would allow His gospel to more fully thrive. He needed the doctrine to stay pure because an accurate knowledge of the character of God and a framework for how to get back to Him is crucial. He needed to be able to send the gospel to all corners of the earth and make sure that the same truth was being taught everywhere. He chose a prophet and a church with which to do it. Once again, some people struggle with it because there is ample opportunity for spiritual abuse. But let’s explore His alternative option. Imagine, just for a moment, what things would look like if anyone could receive revelation for the entire church at any time. Imagine what it would look like if anyone could come up to you and tell you that they received revelation that you should do something specific. That sounds infinitely more terrifying in my mind. There may be opportunities for spiritual abuse with one leader, but there are far more opportunities for abuse when anyone can come along and hurt anyone by claiming divine revelation. One mean-spirited person could cause far more heartache in countless lives in comparison to imperfect but well-meaning men. There would be infinitely more opportunities for manipulation and religious abuse. The Lord was wise in His choice of a prophet as a system of governance, but it doesn’t stop there! The Lord didn’t just say, “Well, all we have is imperfection so good luck!” There are more principles. Principle Two: Promises The Lord has given promises regarding His prophet. The foremost promise is that He won’t allow the prophet to lead the church astray. This can be minimally comforting when you think about the fact that this promise came from one of the men who had the power to lead the church astray, but once again, let’s put this in a lens of belief. You can receive revelation. You can’t receive revelation for anyone; you have a spiritual jurisdiction as well. But you can receive revelation! Pray about it! Pray and ask the Lord if He called a prophet, and then actually give Him a chance to answer by showing a little faith. Tell the Lord to help you find the answer, to change you so that you’re prepared to receive it. Once you have the assurance that He has called a prophet, it changes how you look at everything else. When we receive a testimony of that promise (He won’t let the prophet lead the church astray), we can look at things through a lens of faith and that is incredibly powerful. It won’t make sense to the rest of the world that doesn’t hold that same testimony, but that doesn’t really matter. You’ll know the truth, and you’ll know you can trust the Lord, His choices, and His timing. When things come along that don’t make sense, you don’t have to question everything you believe. You can ask the Lord. You can say to yourself, “I know God is good. I know He loves me. I know – insert testimony here-. I don’t know how it all fits together, but I trust that He does.” Principle three: The Atonement of Jesus Christ Now, prophets are imperfect men. That means there has been hurt. That means they don’t do everything perfectly. How does that make sense? If they make mistakes, how can they not lead the church astray? How can both things be true? Honestly, I think people take that promise too intensely. That promise doesn’t mean that a prophet will never make a mistake. It means that the Lord can course-correct. He can teach and lead and guide. This is a living church, and the restoration is ongoing. It means we’re headed in the right direction even if we don’t have it all figured out yet. If that doesn’t sound good enough, then look at your own life. You’re imperfect, but there is a lot of power in walking towards the right direction. The Lord isn’t trying to make you perfect yet. If His main purpose was to have you perfectly avoid sin, then He wouldn’t send trials or anything that could derail you. Rather, His purpose is your growth which means He’s not as concerned about errors and missteps as some of us are. He just wants to push us in the right direction and gain the growth and wisdom we need. If we keep heading in the right direction, eventually the missteps and errors stop anyway. I believe it’s the same idea but on a grand scale in the church and the prophet. Unfortunately, some missteps can cause pain and confusion. The Lord needed to allow us to be imperfect for so many good reasons, but He didn’t say, “Sorry. They’re imperfect. Tough luck.” That’s why God sent more than a prophet. He sent His Son. Every injustice you suffer will be made up. Every injustice you watch someone else suffer will be made up. It will be more than made up because a Savior chose to come to earth and suffer and die for us. He’s got this. It’s going to work out. But none of this really matters unless you believe it. It can be the truth, but it won’t bless you unless you know it’s the truth. So ask the Lord. I’m grateful for a Savior who chooses to be involved in our affairs on the earth. I’m grateful for a Savior who has shown me time and again that I matter to Him, who has shown me that I can trust Him until I reach the point where I’m ready to receive all truth. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 27–28 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 23–26 – Autumn Dickson 17:26

منذ 5 weeks17:26

17:26

Require Not Miracles by Autumn Dickson The Doctrine and Covenants differs from other books of scripture in the sense that the Lord is often responding to individual people. This can lead to some of the sections seeming disjointed as the Lord covers multiple feelings and circumstances that any given individual may be experiencing. In other books of scriptures, we get stories or sermons that were all meant to go together. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord is simply talking to the people receiving the revelation (most often through the prophet Joseph Smith), and it’s like a letter. He’s going to respond to many different circumstances. In Doctrine and Covenants 24, the Lord is talking to various men about earthly responsibilities and testifying of the gospel. Here is one of the things the Lord decides to include as He is talking to His children. Doctrine and Covenants 24:13-14 13 Require not miracles, except I shall command you, except casting out devils, healing the sick, and against poisonous serpents, and against deadly poisons; 14 And these things ye shall not do, except it be required of you by them who desire it, that the scriptures might be fulfilled; for ye shall do according to that which is written. I want to tie a couple phrases together in order to more directly teach what I want to talk about today. “Require not miracles except I shall command you….except it be required of you by them who desire it…” So if the Lord is directly speaking to His children, what can we imply from what He chose to say in these particular verses? I can’t know for sure, but I imagine that some of these new members had wanted to perform miracles like the ones they read about in the bible. They believed that they had just found the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t that mean the same miracles should follow? Perhaps some attempted these miracles, or perhaps it was just something that had been pondered. Either way, the Lord teaches them that they shouldn’t just go around trying to perform miracles. They can perform those miracles if they’ve been commanded by the Lord or if it has been sought by those who need the miracle. This is an interesting concept when you combine it with the fact that the Lord didn’t go about broadcasting His miraculous abilities. He often solicited the healed to stay quiet about what had occurred. Perhaps there were appropriate times in which He offered to intervene, but if I’m not mistaken, all the very direct miracles that we read about in the New Testament were brought about because someone came to the Lord to ask Him for the miracle. Why does the Lord work after this manner and why does He ask His disciples to work this way? They are commanded to perform miracles when commanded by God or when asked by the people who need it. Performing a miracle because God asked you to do it is fairly straightforward, and so I want to focus on the fact that the Lord asked them to only perform miracles when they’ve been asked. Though I’m sure there are many reasons, there is one main reason that I’d like to cover today. Alma and preaching the gospel This idea of running around and advertising miracles reminds me of another passage of scripture in The Book of Mormon. I want to talk about this passage, and then I want to bring it back around to the idea of advertising and performing miracles everywhere. In Alma 29, Alma is wishing that he could preach the gospel to every corner of the earth. He wishes he could be an angel and shake the earth with his testimony regarding the Savior. His desire was to preach across the world in a way that enabled everyone to hear it. I remember thinking that this was a pretty good wish. To me, it seems like a good reflection on his heart. But, later on in the chapter, Alma says he is sinning in his wish. Why? Sin is anything that’s going to bring us further from eternal life. Even when we have good intentions and pure hearts, there are certain things that can take eternal life away from us. Alma is correct in trusting the Lord with the calling the Lord chooses to give him in life. Even with good hearts and intentions, obedience and trust in the Lord is essential. There are appropriate times to solicit the Lord for more responsibilities, blessings, or other things, but it’s important to trust what He chooses to give. Now let’s take that a step further and explore Alma’s desire to preach the gospel. Why might this take people farther away from eternal life rather than closer? When we really ponder Alma’s desire a little further, we can see the wisdom of the Lord in not expanding Alma’s calling to earth-shattering, angelic missionary that reaches across the earth. Simply put, eternal life doesn’t really work like that. If Alma were to receive his wish, it would have foiled the Plan of Salvation. The gospel may have been preached to every creature, and many might have even accepted it. But WHY would they have chosen to accept it? Because the WHY is key. Choosing to follow the tenants of the gospel is not the same as reaping the rewards of the gospel. I would know. I chose to follow the gospel for a long time before actually reaping the rewards. The true reward of living the gospel is eternal life, and what is eternal life? What is it really? Eternal life is living like God. It’s choosing to be good because you have changed to be innately good. God doesn’t choose to be righteous and perfect because He wants to avoid some eternal punishment. He chooses to be righteous and perfect because He is love. If the gospel was suddenly preached on a miraculous, earth-shattering loudspeaker, it would very quickly transfer a large portion of people into the category of, “I’m following the gospel because I want to avoid hell.” It would rob them of the opportunity to work through belief, to work on drawing closer to the Lord continually, on turning to Him when you’re worried about being deceived. As we take advantage of questions and worries by turning to the Lord, we reap the benefits of a divine relationship with Him. Those benefits (change, love, trust) are what eternal life feel like. Avoiding hell is not eternal life. Avoiding hell can only bring so much happiness. If we want to experience the happiness and joy that God has in store, we have to go beyond just trying to avoid hell. So we’ve explored it. The Lord is incredibly wise when He doesn’t throw away the belief stage, and Alma was wise when he trusted that the Lord knew what He was doing. Taking it back to miracles Let’s bring it back to the original command to perform miracles when asked by the person who needs the miracle. Wanting to go around and perform miracles everywhere likely sprang from a good place. That desire to heal and prevent disaster came from a good heart, but what did we learn from Alma’s example? Even with good hearts and good intentions, there are things that can still take us away from eternal life. It’s important to trust the Lord. The Lord is wise, and He knows that it’s often important for someone to ask for a miracle before receiving it. Why is it wise to require this? Simply put, eternal life doesn’t really work like that. The Lord’s purpose is to help us grow to be like Him. He wants us to change so that we can reap the rewards that He reaps. He wants us to feel what He feels. If His disciples were to go around performing miracles right and left, what would be the result? One result is the same result that we explored with Alma wanting to preach the gospel over a loudspeaker. It removes that aspect of faith and belief that drive us towards developing that relationship with Christ and finding the rewards therein. It removes the growth that comes with having to repeatedly turn towards Him. Another result is that sometimes the Lord chooses not to remove obstacles. Removing every obstacle would completely foil the Plan of Salvation. We came down here to grow. How would that be possible without obstacles? And the last reason I’d like to cover here is the fact that there is something so powerful in having to ask first. When we look at it from an earthly perspective, requiring someone to ask for what they need before you’re willing to give it seems petty and ridiculous. However, we know the Lord isn’t petty and ridiculous. We know that everything He does is for us, so why does He choose to do it that way? I think it’s important to note that He doesn’t always do it this way. He often provides miracles and takes care of us without our knowledge. Someday, when we get to the other side, we’re going to realize just how much He interfered on our behalf. However, sometimes He does require us to ask. So why? Why does He do that? Part of His goal of helping us reach eternal life is to nurture a relationship with us. When He requires us to ask, He is more fully guaranteeing our ability to recognize His hand in our life. Recognizing Him is pretty crucial to developing a relationship with Him. If our needs were simply just getting fulfilled right and left before we even consciously recognized the need, we would likely never even realize He was behind it. On an earthly level with my own children, I find it extremely important to teach my children that their clean laundry doesn’t miraculously show up. The food doesn’t just find itself cooked. The money doesn’t just show up in the bank account. They don’t drive themselves to their various activities. I want them to recognize that my husband and I show up for them. And yes, because we’re imperfect people with issues, part of that is because we want validation. But the other part (the part that reflects our Heavenly Parents) is because we know that recognition and gratitude on their part will actually be a blessing in and of itself. Recognizing that they have parents who show up, feeling gratitude for those parents, and developing that relationship with parents is going to enrich their lives tremendously. God can’t show up and teach us that directly because once again, it would rob us of that faith and belief factor that’s so crucial to the Plan of Salvation. So rather, He often requires us to ask first so that we can start to recognize that He’s the one answering. There is wisdom in His commandment to wait for someone to ask before giving a miracle. I believe in a wise and powerful Savior. I believe that everything He does is for us. All of His motivation boils down to His love for us. I believe that it is important to explore things we don’t understand in the gospel through the lens of that love if we want to understand why He does what He does. He is trying to give us so much more than we can comprehend. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 23–26 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 20–24, 26 – Mike Parker 48:03

منذ 6 weeks48:03

48:03

The establishment of the Church of Christ (D&C sections 20–24, 26) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Scott H. Faulring, “ An Examination of the 1829 ‘Articles of the Church of Christ’ in Relation to Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants ,” BYU Studies 43, no. 4 (2004): 57–91. William G. Hartley, “ From Men to Boys: LDS Aaronic Priesthood Offices, 1829–1996 ,” Journal of Mormon History 22, no. 1 (Spring 1996): 78–134. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 20–24, 26 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 20–22 – Autumn Dickson 15:11

منذ 6 weeks15:11

15:11

Nuances of Baptism by Autumn Dickson Let’s talk about historical context again quickly so that we can have a reference for what we read this week. Chronologically, Section 21 came before Section 20. Section 21 came on the day the church was organized, and it talks a lot about how Joseph was called as a prophet and the importance of listening to the prophets. Section 20 came in between the day that the church was organized and its first conference held in June. Section 20 had a lot of administrative tasks explained as well as core doctrines that are found in The Book of Mormon. Section 22 came last as people were wondering whether they needed to get rebaptized. There is actually quite a bit given to us on the subject of baptism this week. One section describes the mode and manner of baptism, and another section describes the need to be baptized with proper authority. Let’s talk about some of the things we can learn about baptism from the revelations we’re covering this week. He follows us The first detail I want to talk about comes as the Lord describes how we are to be baptized. Doctrine and Covenants 20:72-74 72 Baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent— 73 The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 74 Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water. We know that baptism holds a lot of symbolism. We’re dressed in white. We go down into the water and come back out, symbolizing the death of our old life and becoming new again. It also symbolizes Christ dying and being resurrected. There was one piece of symbolism that I did not previously recognize that was pointed out quite clearly in the previous verses. The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism… In order to understand the symbolism, we have to understand the “characters” participating in the baptism. We are representing ourselves (or those who have passed on and cannot do the work themselves), but we are not the only one present in our baptism. There is also a priesthood holder that follows us in. This priesthood holder is authorized by Jesus Christ to use His authority to bind us to the Savior so that the Savior can legally (in an eternal sense) bind us to Him in a manner that produces salvation. One might even argue that the priesthood holder is a representation of Christ, Himself. Christ follows us into the water as we choose to make a covenant with Him, as we walk towards the death of our old life. If we were to picture the Savior, with the wounds of His sacrifice still on His resurrected body, walking into the water with us, how would our baptism feel different? It may be a priesthood holder actually standing in the water, but the only reason the priesthood holder is there is because he is holding Christ’s authority to baptize. It’s really Christ who is utilizing power to bind us to Him in a covenant that saves us. The priesthood holder is nothing more than a vessel. There are a couple of ways this might change how we feel about our baptism. The first one that comes to my mind is that He is teaching us what the rest of our lives are going to look like because we chose to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. Following us into the water and binding us to Him according to our willingness is a foreshadowing of what our lives can look like. If we keep our willingness to follow Him and allow Him near us, we don’t have to do anything alone anymore. Christ’s approach to our growth and development is two-pronged. It is wise in the sense that He allows us to suffer, struggle, and figure it out. This is really difficult for many people to swallow, especially when you consider the depths of injustice and despair in the world. But that’s why the second prong of His approach is so important. The Savior is not asking us to do anything that He has not done Himself. He was already perfect, and so He didn’t need these experiences to figure out how to live happily in an eternal setting. With His sacrifice, He chose to step into that water to feel it firsthand. And then He chooses to be with us as we struggle through those same experiences in our own life. I am quite adamant in my parenting approach to let my kids struggle through things. I think it’s so critical to their growth. It’s absolutely essential to their becoming a well-adjusted adult. Sometimes this makes my kids feel unsupported and unloved, but that’s far from the case. I do it because I love them. This is the same with the Savior. He sent us here because He loves us. Our struggle is evidence of His love, not the other way around. But He takes it beyond wisdom. His approach is not, “Go get in those baptismal waters and put yourself under and come back up.” His approach is, “I will follow you where you have to go to get where you need to be.” He follows us into the water and brings us closer to Him. He is willing to follow us the rest of our lives through every “water” we have to walk through. We have to believe that He’s walking with us and mourning with us, or His sacrifice won’t have much effect. Even though He follows us, it won’t bring much comfort unless we believe it and allow that belief to fill us with the relief He is offering. Dead works The next detail about baptism that I want to talk about is found in Section 22. The Saints had not yet grasped the idea of proper authority and so the idea of getting rebaptized confused them. This is how the Lord explained it. Doctrine and Covenants 22:2 Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works. I understand the need for proper authority, but this verse originally confused me. In my mind, the Lord was telling His people to not trust in dead works. The Israelites used to believe that following the Law of Moses would save them. They didn’t realize that the Law of Moses was supposed to bring them closer to the Savior who would save them. This also makes sense to me. The part that confused me was the fact that baptism can be considered one of our “works.” He commanded the Israelites to keep the Law of Moses, and He commanded us to be baptized by proper authority. The difference (and the detail I want to expound on) is that one work is “dead” and one work is not. Performing the work of baptism is different from other commandments (not all commandments, but some of them). It is an essential ordinance. The Savior is the one who saves us, but it is baptism that pulls us into a covenant relationship with Him so that He can save us. This is also why the Lord commands us to perform vicarious ordinances for those who weren’t baptized. Everybody needs to have the work done. We don’t go out and mow a neighbor’s lawn vicariously for someone else. We don’t follow the Word of Wisdom or pay tithing on behalf of those who didn’t do it in their own lives. There are commandments that are given to us to bring us closer to the Savior so He can save us. Going out and mowing a lawn can help us understand sacrifice and charity. Following the Word of Wisdom can help us have healthy bodies and keep our minds clear and free. Paying tithing allows us to learn how to trust in the Lord. All of these things help us get closer to Christ who will save us, but they are dead in and of themselves. Baptism obviously brings us closer to the Lord and helps us understand Him, but baptism does more than that. It binds us to Him using His own power and authority. Regular men on earth do not have the power to seal in heaven. They can baptize you with their religious degree or their certifications from their churches, but power given from regular old human to regular old human is not sufficient to bind in heaven. Only the Savior can give that kind of power. In this manner, when we die, that baptism has the ability to follow us into heaven where the Savior still holds power. It keeps us bound to Him on both sides of the veil because the Savior holds enough power to accomplish that, and He lends that power to us. It’s still His power. Baptism (and other covenant-entering ordinances) are essential. They are literally binding us to the Savior. That’s why the Lord treats that commandment differently than other dead, Law-of-Moses type commandments. This also enlightens us as to why we should never tear down baptisms that are done without proper authority. I once heard a missionary describe someone’s baptism into another church as an abomination. It went over well (*sarcasm*). The Lord did describe these works as dead because they were done without proper authority. However, He also described the Law of Moses (the one that He specifically gave to His people) as dead. He’s not saying that it’s worthless. He gave the Law of Moses so that the Israelites could draw closer to Him and become ready to receive Him. Baptism into other Christian churches holds that same ability. They can (and often do) bring people closer to Christ and help them become ready to receive Him more fully. There’s no reason to ever tear down someone’s decision to try and draw closer to Christ. I testify of a Heavenly Father who set up a perfect Plan of Salvation. I testify that His words are so consistent. I have often run into ideas, stories, and words that I did not originally understand. There have been times when I have found myself confused about details or things that didn’t seem congruent with what I understood of a loving Heavenly Father. I have also learned that as I choose to be patient, new understanding comes to my mind and clarifies what I didn’t yet know. The more I study the gospel, in all of its rich details, the more I understand the character of my Heavenly Father and Savior. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 20–22 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 19 – Autumn Dickson 26:25

منذ 7 weeks26:25

26:25

Truths About Eternal Punishment by Autumn Dickson My message this week is given through a couple of verses in Section 19, but it’s also given through a couple of quotes that are found in the institute manual. These quotes expand our understanding of the verses found in this week’s section. The Savior has said a lot of things throughout the scriptures and to His prophets. Only when we take them all in holistically do we find the true nature of His character and gospel. Here is one instance in which He chooses to clarify some of His other words that were given to imperfect vessels for different purposes. He is describing hell and damnation. Doctrine and Covenants 19:6-7, 10-12 6 Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. 7 Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name’s glory. 10 For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore— 11 Eternal punishment is God’s punishment. 12 Endless punishment is God’s punishment. It seems to indicate here that God isn’t planning on banishing anyone to hell forever. When He says eternal or endless, He is merely naming Himself as the deliverer of these punishments. In verse seven, it sounds like He’s explaining His use of passionate language; He wants it to work in our hearts. In this same section, He warns Martin that the pain of not repenting will be exquisite. He wants us to avoid that and so He uses inflammatory language to work in our hearts. However, this is an instance where He is clarifying what He means. “Endless” might not mean exactly what we think. Here is the related quote in the institute manual; it’s long but worthwhile. Elder James E. Talmage taught, “To hell there is an exit as well as an entrance. Hell is no place to which a vindictive judge sends prisoners to suffer and to be punished principally for his glory; but it is a place prepared for the teaching, the disciplining of those who failed to learn here upon the earth what they should have learned. True, we read of everlasting punishment, unending suffering, eternal damnation. That is a direful expression; but in his mercy the Lord has made plain what those words mean. ‘Eternal punishment,’ he says, is God’s punishment, for he is eternal; and that condition or state or possibility will ever exist for the sinner who deserves and really needs such condemnation; but this does not mean that the individual sufferer or sinner is to be eternally and everlastingly made to endure and suffer. No man will be kept in hell longer than is necessary to bring him to a fitness for something better.” I love this quote. It makes perfect sense to me, and it fits in perfectly with the character of the God that I know and worship. Punishment that never ends (even after it has changed the sinner) seems incongruent to me. I feel like everything God uses is to help us progress and hell is no different. It’s not really about punishing us because we disobeyed Him and He’s offended. He is trying to teach us, and sometimes we’re stubborn and will only learn the hard way. I would be remiss if I didn’t pause here and say that there are definitely quotes given by general authorities out there that would negate this idea, the idea that there is progression after Judgment Day. The truth about progression after this life isn’t entirely clear because the Lord hasn’t chosen to make it completely clear. However, I want to talk about the gospel for a while under this kind of context, vague as it may be. I’m not perfect. I won’t express my thoughts perfectly, and heaven knows I’ve probably got some of my understanding wrong. Luckily, the Spirit is there to help us discern truth and learn. I believe that exploring these principles, even before we have a perfect knowledge, can be useful as long as we remember we haven’t been given definitives. Let’s talk about progression I think sometimes we picture progression towards salvation as this linear path. We start at the baptismal gate, and then the path includes ordinances, covenants, and keeping the commandments. Then, at the end of it all, Heavenly Father pats us on the head and bestows salvation. There is merit to this rendering of the path of salvation. I have recently started to look at it a little differently. Rather than picturing a linear path, I have begun picturing all the aspects of salvation in a circle. Here is the picture in my mind: A couple things to note. All of the sections represent an aspect of salvation; this is obviously not a comprehensive list. It’s more just to give you an idea of what I’m picturing. The sections are colored to different degrees because at different points in our lives, we are building these kinds of salvation in our lives. At any given point, we are experiencing varying degrees of salvation and damnation, heaven and hell. Note that some of the sections aren’t colored at all because there are some aspects of salvation that we will only experience on the other side. If you look at the sections, you’ll note that these are all characteristics of the Savior. He is obviously experiencing full salvation. In my mind, repentance has expanded beyond paying for what you did wrong. Anytime we progress within any of these sections, we are repenting. Repenting is about overcoming sin, not just saying sorry but also about reaching a sense of peace within yourself. It’s about healing so that we can feel okay in difficult circumstances like the Savior feels. It’s about learning to be happy in the realities that exist around you. If you think about it, the realities that exist around our Savior and Heavenly Father are not completely different from our’s. They know what it is to be mocked, ignored, and hated. They know what it means to be patient when someone doesn’t deserve it. They know what it is to find joy in fulfilling relationships. They have mastered this whole reality thing, and They know how to glean every possible ounce of joy from it. They’re not trying to teach us that someday all of those circumstances are going to disappear. They’re trying to change us so that we can be happy in the midst of these realities. This model makes sense for different reasons than the linear path makes sense. For one, it has helped me understand why some people feel happier after they leave the church. You can be in the church and not find freedom from sin or fulfilling relationships; we see this happen all the time. Satan loves to skew the gospel so that we’re working hard but not reaping the benefits. When someone leaves the church, maybe they shed the weight of the guilt they weren’t supposed to be carrying anyway. In this specific aspect (namely freedom from sin), they have become more like the Savior and so they’re going to experience that particular benefit. Yes, I believe we have a responsibility to keep to our covenants, and I believe that covenants are crucial to our eternal lives. Please don’t misunderstand me. What I’m trying to express is that it’s very possible to live our covenants wrong, to live them in a manner where we’re denying ourselves salvation. So let’s talk about true progress and finding true salvation. Finding true salvation (finding the true blessings of the gospel) comes from our hearts changing. That’s why the Lord judges us by our hearts. It is only as our hearts change that we can find these feelings that are available in eternity. As we live honestly, we find peace. As we trust and accept the Savior, we taste freedom. The list goes on and on when you explore these different aspects of salvation. Elder Oaks taught it this way, “Many Bible and modern scriptures speak of a final judgment at which all persons will be rewarded according to their deeds or works or the desires of their hearts. But other scriptures enlarge upon this by referring to our being judged by the condition we have achieved… The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts––what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts––what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.” The commandments So if the final test is who we’ve become, where do the commandments truly fit? The commandments are the vehicles by which we grow in these sections. For example, we’re commanded to forgive. There are a lot of people who think that they feel better if they hold a grudge and that they have a right to hold a grudge. Maybe they do have a right. However, the grudge is only hurting them. Coddling that hurt and nourishing that anger only takes away from their own peace and salvation. The Savior doesn’t even have to “punish” us when we refuse to forgive. We’re punishing ourselves. It is the same for each of the commandments. They are tools that we utilize to grow in the feeling of salvation. Hopefully, we eventually realize that we’re experiencing crappy consequences from nursing grudges and we wake up and change. The commandments are vehicles for change. If they’re not allowing you to change and find salvation in greater measure, then you’re living them the way that Satan would have you live them. We can also utilize the tools incorrectly. For example, you can hold the commandments over your head and beat yourself up with them. This greatly diminishes your feelings of freedom from sin, and it therefore diminishes the level of heaven that you’re experiencing. Don’t use your tools incorrectly; don’t use them as Satan would have you use them. You’ll build the wrong project entirely, and you won’t find salvation. Rather, focus on developing your relationship with Christ (that was an important section I should have included) and use the commandments to pull you into the peace that He experiences. One of the commandments includes trusting Him and His ability to save. Make sure you’re utilizing that tool as well. Back into the context of eternal punishment Let’s talk about this perspective of progression in the context of what we were discussing from Section 19. Have you ever met someone who didn’t know how to be happy? Maybe they kept getting married and divorced over and over again because they didn’t know that real love looks like choosing the same person through difficulty and boredom. They oftentimes found themselves confused as to why they couldn’t find real love and why it always seems to fizzle out. As another example, maybe it’s a person that just kept pushing others in damaging ways because they believed that eventually everyone abandons them; maybe they didn’t realize that it was their damaging choices that led to these abandonments. These are varying hells. These are all aspects of hell that people have to work through in order to find heaven within themselves. These are big examples of hell, but there are smaller examples too. Heavenly Father allows the consequences, the eternal punishment, His punishment, so that we stop acting in ways that bring hell into our lives. When we shed some of those damaging behaviors, we naturally find a little more salvation in our lives. Let’s explore a different example, this time in the context of the next life. You know that doctrine about ministering angels? If you don’t choose to be sealed, then you’re going to end up being a ministering angel to someone who did choose to get sealed. At first glance, this sounds like some bizarre form of unending slavery. This is incongruent with the God that I know. Rather, I believe it looks a little more like this: If you choose not to be sealed (and vehemently stand by that choice) then you get assigned a family. You’re not a slave. You don’t have to help. However, as “time” moves on throughout eternity, you realize you’re completely without purpose. There is no reason to live forever. It’s monotonous and downright awful. Slowly, you take advantage of the opportunity to serve a family. You start to learn that happiness in eternity requires losing yourself in the service of other spirits who are starting their journey of progression. Some would describe this role of ministering servant as a form of damnation. I would agree with this assessment. You’re damned (stopped up) from experiencing a full measure of joy because you chose against a sealing that offered purpose in an endless existence. You’re trying to hold onto this false view that happiness means focusing on yourself and not adding extra “burdens” like posterity. Hopefully, you wake up one morning in the midst of your eternity and realize, “Hey, I feel a lot happier and more fulfilled when I go and help take care of others.” Hopefully, you shed the sinful notion and step more fully into salvation. It could be easy to view this title of ministering servant as a punishment in the form of slavery. It could be easy to believe that God was mad that you didn’t choose what He wanted so He made you a servant. In truth, He offered you an opportunity to learn salvation. And if we take those verses in Section 19 and that Talmage quote at face value, then maybe you get to progress beyond this as soon as you figure it out. Maybe there is an exit to this damnation, to this hell. There are so many ways that this principle can be expressed. Heavenly Father utilizes the consequences we impose on ourselves to teach us. Hopefully (and I believe there is), there is an exit to these damnations and eternal consequences as soon as our eyes open to reality and we adjust our lives accordingly. I’m not 100% sure what eternity looks like. I do know a couple of things though. I know that the God that I worship is fair and continually turned towards saving His children. I know that we are already in the midst of eternity. You don’t die, get to the other side, and all of a sudden, Voila! Eternity! You’re already living in eternity. You’re already choosing varying degrees of damnation and salvation. I testify of a Heavenly Father who teaches us what eternity looks like, and I testify that He knows what He’s doing. It’s wise to follow Him. And then, of course, I testify of a Savior who paid for the whole experience. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 19 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 18 – Autumn Dickson 16:16

منذ 7 weeks16:16

16:16

Christ Will Lead You by Autumn Dickson As we prepare for this week, understanding the context for what we’re reading can help us understand what the Lord is saying and why He is saying it. It becomes a conversation with God rather than commandments and doctrines loosely tied together without much rhyme or reason. It also helps us connect to those who were receiving these revelations so that we can receive those same messages more effectively. One of the background pieces for this week is the fact that Joseph and his associates are looking to officially create the church. A prophet has been called, and the Lord has revealed more of His word, but there is no organization to help keep doctrines correct and believers supported. A church creates a home to carry the gospel, and Joseph and Oliver wanted to do it correctly. The Lord encouraged them to study The Book of Mormon and what it taught about having a church. The portion of this section that I want to focus on today revolves more closely around a few specific verses that have helped me in my relationship with Jesus Christ. It starts with some of the words He shared with Oliver specifically. Doctrine and Covenants 18:2-3 2 Behold, I have manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true. 3 And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written; Here, the Lord is tenderly reminding Oliver that he has been given knowledge of the truth through the Spirit. He is encouraging Oliver to trust that. As I’ve been pondering some of these early supporters, specifically Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, I’ve been thinking about just how difficult it would have been to lean into the restoration. Joseph’s story was quite miraculous, and it already had plenty of opposition. I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to place my weight on it or to even give it a chance to be true. I likely would have scoffed if someone told me they had plates but couldn’t show them to anyone. Apparently, that was the case for many of the early believers as well. There are many times where the Lord encourages Oliver and specifically tells him that he has received revelation. As I read these sentiments from the Lord, I see that Oliver was exercising faith and getting involved, but that it was also likely difficult for him when he wondered if he was being deceived. I’m sure these moments of extra encouragement from the Lord were helpful. I think of Martin. I feel like there were a couple of times in Martin’s history where he seems to be saying, “Okay. This is it. I know now. I know it’s true.” For example, I think of how Martin was given the privilege of seeing the plates. He cried out, “Tis enough! Tis enough! Mine eyes have beheld! Mine eyes have beheld!” This is completely my own opinion, but I feel like Martin was looking for this ultimate moment where he would no longer have to fight off doubts. He wanted to have this experience that he couldn’t question, almost as if he didn’t want to have to exercise faith anymore. I don’t blame him. I don’t think he was necessarily opposed to faith; he just wanted to feel secure that he’s moving in the right direction (especially since it was so new and small and different). I think each of us know how these men feel. I don’t know that I would have called Oliver and Martin faithless for needing encouragement or wanting security in their belief. Rather, I would describe them as people who wanted to avoid being deceived. This is actually a wonderful trait to have. We should all seek to avoid deception, but it’s a fine line to walk. We’re trying to allow enough room for faith that the Lord can help it grow, but we’re trying to avoid being led down paths that will take us away from Him. But the very basis of faith means we don’t know if we’re on the right path. We don’t want to open ourselves up if we’re on the wrong path, but we also don’t want to close ourselves off if we did happen to pick the right one. As you can see, it can feel messy. The Lord is in a tricky position here. He has to require faith. Faith is the only avenue by which He is able to help us grow into exaltation. Acting by faith was necessary, but the Lord knew that the other side of this coin meant that there would be some fear and missteps. Sure, perhaps your path feels good, but is it truly the only true and right path? Tricky, tricky. Context of the church This paradox is even more interesting in the context of the church where we’re taught that we have the correct path. In many other denominations, it’s much more acceptable to sway between preachers and differing interpretations of the bible. If you decide to be Methodist after growing up in a non-denominational home, you likely won’t get as much kickback from home. You also probably won’t feel a ton of fear that you’re moving in the wrong direction because a portion of your beliefs rests in the fact that you’re saved so long as you believe in Christ. The stakes rise in a church that claims to be Christ’s true church on the earth. This can create more fear which is hugely counterproductive to faith, and that fear often gets multiplied when outside pressure argues that you’re no longer following the true Christ. So how do we cope? How do we face the mounting pressure with faith? How do we reconcile unknowns when the church is teaching us that we need to follow the correct truth but we have to coexist with the fact that faith is required? How do we seek to follow the correct truth and be content with faith at the same time? I’ll give you my favorite answer. Develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s go back to what we were talking about in the beginning. Oliver and Joseph were trying to form a church. They had already been given a lot of doctrine, and a prophet had been called, but the Lord wanted to organize a church. Why? The church was always meant to support the gospel; it’s not the gospel. Don’t get me wrong; the church is very important. However, it is the gospel and proper authority that are necessary for salvation. Perhaps separating the two may seem nuanced and silly, but Satan loves to distract us from the gospel by using the church. He wants us so caught up in the commandments that we forget the commandments were meant to bring us to Christ and his gospel. Christ gets cut from the equation, and we end up dissatisfied and fearful. We wonder if we’re in the right church. We wonder if all of the extra stuff we follow is necessary or superfluous. We wonder if we’re on the right path. This is actually just another manifestation of hyperfocusing on the church rather than allowing the church to bring us to Christ. Let’s step away from the church aspect of it and look specifically at Christ. Let’s temporarily step away from the question of whether we’re in the right church and on the right path. Who is Christ? He is the source of our salvation. That doesn’t just mean He lets us into heaven. It means that drawing closer to Christ naturally brings us into a state of salvation. We experience aspects of salvation regardless of whether we’ve been freed from mortal constraints yet. Perhaps our church is His church on the earth, but let’s not explore that specific concept too closely as of yet. What else do we know of Christ? We know He is perfectly fair and loving. We know that He seeks our salvation. We know He is immensely powerful, that He knows us so well, and that wants to help us come home. If we truly believe these things about Christ, the fear dissipates. If you get to know Christ as He is , you know that He can lead you along. You feel that He won’t abandon you for missteps. You can feel that He is not the type of Being to cast you off in impatience. He stands ready to walk you through nuanced lessons that clarify truths about Him. As you draw closer to Him, you feel salvation more and more in your life. Now let’s bring in this portion about church. Everything we find in church was simply meant to facilitate that relationship. The Word of Wisdom keeps us free from potential addictions that make it really, really hard to hear Him. Going to the temple, taking the sacrament, all of these things were meant to point us to Christ where we find freedom from hell and its associated aspects of fear. We wonder and worry whether we’re in the right place. We stress about our salvation. These feelings often come from focusing on church as our salvation rather than as a facilitator of a relationship with Jesus Christ who is the true author of salvation. You find heaven with Jesus Christ because He is heavenly to be around. If He was truly the type of Being to cast off spirits into eternal fiery pits because they were born into circumstances that kept them from the truth, then I’m not so sure I would feel heaven around Him. I’d probably just be afraid of Him. Which is ironic. Because fear is associated with hell. Back to our previous context… Let’s put it back into the context of Oliver and Martin. They were afraid of being deceived. Awesome. We don’t want to be deceived. But place that fear in the context of Christ. If those men had understood and trusted in the Lord as He is, they would have known that God doesn’t just say He is loving. He doesn’t just profess to be fair and to seek our salvation. He actually does so. They didn’t have to be scared if their hearts were truly seeking Him without guile; He has the power and desire to lead us. If they had truly misstepped by following Joseph, they merely needed to cling to Him and He would have led them along where they were supposed to go. I believe in a Savior who actually saves. I believe that He seeks us out and leads us along. I believe that as we seek Him back, He can usher us in the right direction and we don’t have to live in fear of missteps. I also believe that as we cling to Christ, we are drawn towards this church. If we are utilizing the church to get closer to Christ and to feel Him, we will find Him. The Book of Mormon has brought me closer to Christ. My temple covenants have brought me closer to Christ. Priesthood blessings, listening to prophets, and all sorts of church-specific things have brought me closer to Christ. And it is in Christ that I have found Someone who knows me perfectly. He knows how I want to do the right thing and follow Him. He knows my desire to be obedient to what He wants, and I know He doesn’t want to cast me off when I don’t have everything right. Rather, I trust Him to keep leading me. If He is as perfect and fair and loving as He says He is, He’s not going to abandon me. I seek Him, and He will lead me. Thus far, I have felt that I’m headed in the right path and I trust Him to help me continue on towards Him. I personally testify that this is Christ’s church. As I have leaned closer to Christ, I have felt drawn closer to the covenants I’ve made here. I have come to deeply appreciate all the support systems He has given me to remain close to Him. I have found answers that make sense, and I have found assurance when I don’t understand. I have found so many aspects of salvation today ; I don’t have to wait to experience that goodness. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 18 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 4, 11–12, 14–16, 18–19 – Mike Parker 47:41

منذ 8 weeks47:41

47:41

Joseph Smith’s early revelations to family & friends; restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood (D&C sections 4, 11–12, 14–16, 18–19) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading There has much scholarly debate on the date of the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood. The traditional view is that it took place in late May or early June 1829, within a few weeks after the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood. A handful of scholars argue for a later date, however—some time in the summer of 1830. For an examination of the historical evidence, see Brian Q. Cannon and BYU Studies Staff, “ Priesthood Restoration Documents ,” BYU Studies 35, no. 4 (1995): 166–73. Larry C. Porter argues for the earlier date in two articles: “ Dating the Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood ,” Ensign (June 1979): 5–10 and “ The Restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods ,” Ensign (December 1996): 30–47. In support of the later view, see Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1984), 162–63. Ben Park sums up the argument for the later date in “ Dating the Melchizedek Priesthood Restoration ,” The Juvenile Instructor , 4 August 2008. Michael Hubbard MacKay argues that the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored over a series of angelic and inspired events in “ Event or Process? How ‘the Chamber of Old Father Whitmer’ Helps Us Understand Priesthood Restoration ,” BYU Studies 60, no. 1 (2021): 71–101. John S. Thompson makes a similar argument in “ Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood ,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 62 (2024): 263–318. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 4, 11–12, 14–16, 18–19 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 12–17; Joseph Smith—History 1:66–75 – Autumn Dickson 14:29

منذ 9 weeks14:29

14:29

An Uncomfortable Offering by Autumn Dickson This week, we learn about some of the men and women who supported Joseph in the early days of the restoration. He was supported through friendship as well as monetarily as he worked to complete the translation of The Book of Mormon. We also learn about the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist came to Joseph and Oliver and conferred that authority upon them. Plenty could be written about the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, but there was actually another part of this event that I wanted to speak about. Though I am far from qualified in historical perspectives and details (especially pertaining to ancient Israel), I do believe that there is insight that I can give. Here is the one verse that describes the restoration of this preparatory priesthood. Doctrine and Covenants 13:1 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness. The portion that I would like to try and give insight on is the last phrase, “until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.” This verse, accompanied by many quotes in the Doctrine and Covenants institute manual, teach that there will be a literal animal sacrifice at some point in our dispensation. It will be performed when the sons of Levi can do so in righteousness. The sons of Levi were priesthood holders in ancient Israel, and so we can understand that this is talking about modern day priesthood holders. Will they be specifically from the tribe of Levi? Maybe. The manual simply states that they will be priesthood holders. There will be some who cry that the Law of Moses was done away, and they are absolutely correct. It was done away. However, animal sacrifice existed before the Law of Moses and so there’s no reason to assume that it was permanently done away with the rest of the rights and rituals included in the Law of Moses. One quote from President Joseph Fielding Smith stated that this sacrifice would be done in the beginning of the Millennium when Christ is already on the earth. Even when we take into consideration the logical arguments for the restoration of all things, this is simply not one of our friendlier doctrines. It’s not necessarily one of the things that we like to expound upon and focus on. It’s uncomfortable. And therein lies my exact insight. Let’s explore. Uncomfortable As I was reading about this sacrifice from the sons of Levi, I remember trying to think of how I would explain something like that to a friend or even to my children. I don’t know how to describe the necessity of animal sacrifice when I’m not even sure why it’s totally necessary. I tried picturing what that sacrifice might look like, and once again, all I could feel was extreme discomfort. Society has definitely evolved away from this kind of death. People used to raise their own meat and personally slaughter their dinners. If they didn’t personally raise the meat, they hunted wild game and still personally slaughtered their dinners. We have begun to feel that we’re more sophisticated because we get to eat the meat without watching the animal die. It offends our more sensitive natures because we’re just not used to it anymore. I’m not saying this is necessarily a bad thing. I don’t think there is anything wrong with sensitivity towards death. However, I wonder what we have lost when we’re so far separated from the process that we don’t appreciate what occurred to put that meat on our table. I promise this isn’t a discourse on being vegetarian, and I do have a point. This is an uncomfortable doctrine for us, in a different way than it was uncomfortable to ancient Israelites. The point of animal sacrifice was to teach the Israelites about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But why does an innocent animal need to suffer so we can learn a lesson? And then it hit me. How much more poignant could we get? An innocent, perfect Man sacrificed Himself so that we could come to earth to learn the lessons we needed to learn in order to live an eternal life. We rejoice in this doctrine. We’re grateful for it. It is our central doctrine that the Savior offered Himself up so that we could be saved. It’s easy to reflect on the gratitude; it’s much more difficult to grasp the sacrifice. The ancient Israelites were probably not as sensitized to animal death as we are, and so the lessons probably felt a little different. They understood that meat on their table meant death. We’re far removed and so we don’t often think about it, but perhaps that just drives the lesson home even more. Animal sacrifice feels uncomfortable, even wrong. Isn’t there some other way we can learn about the atonement of Jesus Christ? Now take these direct feelings and apply them to the sacrifice of the Savior. Expand this poignant lesson to exactly where it’s supposed to be: our Redeemer. I wonder what kind of emotions would be evoked if we could see a vision of the Garden of Gethsemane and the cross before our eyes. It would certainly be uncomfortable since most of our modern societies have moved away from brutal torture methods. I wonder if it would also evoke emotions such as, “This is wrong. He is good. Why are we letting this happen? Surely there is another way!” It is not enough to logically understand the atonement of Jesus Christ. If we want to feel the depth of the love He holds for us, if we want to experience gratitude to the level it deserves, if we want His sacrifice to change us, we have to experience the atonement emotionally. I’m not saying we go out and sacrifice an animal to let the lesson hit home. I’m just going to leave those particulars to the Lord when He gets here. But as much as we love the atonement of Jesus Christ and all that it brought us, do we also understand the depth of darkness that accompanied it? Do we feel gratitude because we understand on some kind of level, just what He had to innocently go through in order to save us and give us an opportunity to come here and learn? In some ways, you might argue that the atonement of Jesus Christ isn’t even one of our friendlier doctrines. There was so much love associated with it, and I believe it is absolutely right to celebrate that love and the victory. I believe it’s also important to recognize what that victory cost. Abraham and Isaac It makes me think of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham was commanded by the Lord to offer up Isaac, his only son, as a sacrifice. I always hated this story in the Old Testament. What kind of God would command His child to sacrifice their posterity? It seemed so jarring and so incongruous with who I believed God to be. It wasn’t until I studied this story during Come Follow Me that I noted something I had never seen before. Abraham was commanded by the Lord to offer up his son as a sacrifice, but the Lord never intended on actually accepting the sacrifice. It was never part of the plan for Isaac to actually be sacrificed. Some would argue that it was cruel of God to put Abraham through such an ordeal. I can’t imagine the agony. I think about one of my kids dying, and I can’t breathe. I don’t know if I would have had the strength to follow that commandment even if it did directly come from God (and that’s just plain honesty on my part). I would probably assume I had gone completely mental and checked myself into a hospital. But once again, Isaac wasn’t ever actually going to be sacrificed. I wonder if Abraham just kept repeating to himself that Isaac would be resurrected one day, and they would be reunited. I wonder if that brought him any comfort because I don’t think it would have brought me any comfort. Though it was harrowing, absolutely excruciating to have experienced the trek up that mountain, understanding what was at the end of it, I wonder if anyone understands the atonement on the level that Abraham understands. When the angel came and stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, I picture Abraham falling over himself to hug Isaac, sobbing into his neck. I picture the tears of joy that his son was mercifully spared. And later, when things got quieter and Abraham had some time to ponder, I picture more tears as Abraham finally understood just what it meant that Heavenly Father had sent His innocent Son to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. I picture the depth of gratitude Abraham must have felt that while he didn’t have to sacrifice his own son, Heavenly Father had chosen to send Jesus for our sake. Maybe Heavenly Father kept reminding Himself that Jesus would be resurrected and returned to Him. I wonder if that helped, or I wonder if the nature of a parental relationship denies the ability to skip the pain in favor of the ending. Heavenly Father didn’t turn away from the brutality that was necessary in order to save us. The least we can do is appreciate that on some level. I testify that rejoicing and gratitude and worship are all wonderful things that the Lord encourages. I testify that our salvation was worth it to the Savior. I also testify of uncomfortable doctrines that were necessary. I testify that saving us required a sacrifice, a sacrifice that we are hard-pressed to comprehend because of the elevated and sanitized societies in which we now live. That’s not to knock the progress we’ve made as humanity away from public executions by crosses, but it is to help us understand that the atonement of Jesus Christ carries a depth of pain that matches the depth of joy that has been offered to us. Appreciating that on some level (because heaven knows we can’t yet fully understand and appreciate it) goes a long way in pushing us towards the Savior for what He did, and that is a worthwhile endeavor to find that appreciation. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 12–17; Joseph Smith—History 1:66–75 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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The Cause for Christ Episode 3: Faith, Psychology, and the Power of Worldviews with Jeffrey Thayne 52:31

منذ 9 weeks52:31

52:31

In this episode, Ryan welcomes Jeffrey Thayne for an insightful discussion on worldviews and their profound influence on discipleship and beliefs. They explore the role of psychology in both conversion and deconversion, the powerful impact of media on our perspectives and psychological intuitions, and the fascinating dynamics of fast vs. slow thinking. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on the intersection of cognitive psychology and the gospel. Dr. Jeffrey Thayne graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology. He completed his doctorate in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University. He spends time mentoring students at Brigham Young University-Idaho and writing about the intersection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and culture. Ryan Sorensen is a native of Cache Valley, Utah. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at BYU-Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Abilene Christian University, with plans to become a chaplain after graduation. Ryan previously hosted a podcast called The Whom Shall We Go? Podcast. In his spare time, he enjoys being involved in interfaith work, reading about Latter-day Saint theology and history, training for triathlons, and spending time with friends and family. The post The Cause for Christ Episode 3: Faith, Psychology, and the Power of Worldviews with Jeffrey Thayne appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 10–11 – Autumn Dickson 18:06

منذ 10 weeks18:06

18:06

Hyrum’s Influence by Autumn Dickson When I was younger, I wanted to be a famous singer. This desire followed me into college where I temporarily dropped out of school to pursue a music career. I wanted it so badly. I remember wanting it so much that it would hurt to listen to music on the radio. I ended up getting really sick, and I left Provo behind. I lived with my parents for about a week before moving in with my sister and her family for six months. Most of my connections were back in Utah, but I kept clinging to that desire. I was doing everything I could to keep my dream going from far away. I remember sitting on my sister’s bed and talking to her about it. She was trying to talk me out of remaining in the music industry because she knew the dangers that existed there. It wasn’t until later that my eyes finally opened to everything I was being exposed to during that period of my life, and so I didn’t see anything wrong with my pursuing a music career. I didn’t feel like there was anything innately wrong with my desires, and I didn’t plan on letting go of my testimony either. I felt that I could be an example to a lot more people with a microphone in my hand. My sister responded with a very valid point that Jesus had gone about his gospel very differently. He preached to crowds, but He didn’t seek huge crowds and stadiums. He often ministered one by one. This principle has expanded in a great many directions for me, but let’s take a quick look at Hyrum before diving further into this principle. Hyrum Hyrum sought out Joseph so that he could learn the will of the Lord concerning himself. There were a few things that the Lord counseled him on, but here is one such thing the Lord told him. Doctrine and Covenants 11:8 Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be done unto you; and, if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation. Hyrum did desire to do good, and Hyrum did do good. Now a grand majority of us know who Hyrum Smith was. We know he was the brother to the prophet and that he was a martyr right alongside his brother in Carthage Jail. However, how much do we really know about Hyrum? What “important” callings did he hold? Where did he serve missions and how many people did he baptize? Who was he married to and how many children did he have? How many stories do we have of times when Hyrum supported his brother in the very heavy mantle of dispensation head? In what ways did Hyrum directly contribute to the restoration of the gospel? I’m sure there are plenty of people who could answer these questions and give us very clear pictures of how Hyrum contributed to the restoration of the gospel in our dispensation. However, I would argue that there are also plenty of people who don’t know much about his specific contribution, myself included. When you extend that beyond members of the church, I would venture to guess that a huge majority of people on the earth know nothing about Hyrum Smith. Many people have likely heard of Joseph Smith, but no one knows about Hyrum despite the role that he played in restoring Christ’s church on the earth. We logically know that we can do “much good” without getting any recognition, and yet, has that knowledge sunk into our hearts? Do we believe that we can have a profound influence in God’s kingdom in these latter days? What does a profound influence look like in your mind? At what point would you look in the mirror and think, “There it is. I have made a difference”? Do you only picture general authorities, temple presidents, mission presidents, and social media influencers? There are two truths I want to share. One, you are capable of doing much good, just like Hyrum. And two, it is highly likely that your indelible mark will be obscure, but no less important for it. You are capable When someone tries to tell you that you can change the world, perhaps you laugh and think, “I could never speak to huge crowds, and I’ll never hold a ‘big’ calling.” If we want to step up and step into the roles that God has prepared for us, we need to redefine the characteristics of having a profound influence and we need that new definition to sink into our hearts to the extent that it changes how we act on a daily basis. When we understand what “profound influence” looks like, we feel differently about ourselves and it changes the actions we prioritize. When we shed erroneous ideas that our influence has to look a certain way in order to be “world-changing,” we open the door for Heavenly Father to utilize us in His powerful way. When we have faith in Him to the extent that we believe He can magnify our abilities, we step out of our own way. We allow Him to be powerful through us. Heavenly Father’s plan was meant to be built on the shoulders of millions; He set it up that way on purpose. The biggest successes in Heavenly Father’s plan are souls that want to go home to Him, and the biggest influence in that specific kind of success happens on a very individual basis. I’m not looking to make this political, but I believe it illustrates a very physical aspect of my point. I recently learned about how one of the American presidents tried to make college more affordable by utilizing government funds to help students go to school so that they could become successful. The colleges simply responded by raising their rates. I remember thinking and thinking and thinking. When it comes to big systems, I feel like there is always some unintended reaction that nullifies the good that could have come from the original action. I was sincerely trying to figure out a way to empower those who needed a leg up without bringing these unintended consequences. It occurred to me that the Lord never meant for everyone to simply be taken care of by some huge system. He wanted us involved on personal levels, not only giving financial assistance where needed but also providing the immensely necessary support to empower themselves. This is not a commentary on what we should do on a government level because there are plenty of nuances to consider. It is a commentary on the fact that I believe Heavenly Father meant for all of us to be involved in the lifting on a personal level. He wanted each and every individual to make a difference. This was the most powerful way to actually make a difference, and it would change us. He wants you to be involved. He wants you to believe that you can make a difference no matter what you look like, how good you are at speaking, and how talented you are at proclaiming your testimony. He wants you to believe that you can utilize you as you are, to utilize the unique gifts that He gave to you to make an enduring mark on the world. It comes quietly… Because He wants everyone to be involved on an individual basis, it makes sense that most of the marks that we leave will not likely be recorded in history books. This has a couple implications. If you find yourself questioning your ability to really change anything for good, then you can take comfort in the fact that your quiet, daily discipleship is likely already making the difference the Lord wants you to make. If you find yourself wanting to make a “big” difference, then you probably need to redefine “big.” Think about it. Even if you have been foreordained to hold some of the “louder” roles, a lot of the actions that led these famous characters to those historic roles came quietly. Paul wrote letters in a prison. Abinadi died without knowing how his words would hold any effect or that his story would be recorded and passed on through generations, and I would be willing to bet that some of Hyrum’s most influential contributions to the restored gospel came in the form of his quiet and simple belief in his brother’s calling. The weight that Joseph carried was heavy, and Hyrum’s support helped to carry it. It enabled Joseph to carry it. It enabled the gospel to be restored. And let’s not forget that the single most important event in the history of the earth happened with one Man in a garden. His friends fell asleep, and He was alone. Even if you can trace your testimony back to one incredible insight given by a speaker in General Conference, a study of neuroscience teaches us that our brain is built slowly through repeated experiences. Even if it took one conscious comment in Conference, your brain was being prepared far before that. The gospel spreads person to person, and it is retained as we interact and have positive individual experiences with good friends, family, and especially the Savior. More than likely, the incredibly important influence you will have on the world will come in the form of a link in a chain. It may not sound like the most romantic way to change the world, but it is no less significant. My great, great grandmother taught her children the gospel. I don’t know all of my great, great grandmothers’ names, but I know that because they chose to teach the gospel to their children, I have the gospel in my life. Because they chose to teach their children and not break that link, it made its way to me. The testimony and lessons from my great, great grandmother’s life have found their legacy within my own life. Her influence (though I do not know it directly) has done more to help my conversion to the gospel than any “famous” gospel influences. Because she loved and taught her children, my grandmother did the same. Then my mother. And now me. What you give gets passed on, even if your name isn’t passed along with it. I testify that Heavenly Father wanted each of us to take a role in His work. He wanted us to experience the happiness that He experiences as He works with us. He wanted us to feel the joy of working individual by individual, and He wanted us to observe the effectiveness of His plan for everyone to be involved with helping everyone. None of us need to feel more or less important. The only one keeping you from completing a work that is incalculable in nature is you. I testify that He can help you accomplish your great work in surprisingly small and quiet ways. Perhaps we are not aware of the influence that Hyrum had in this vital gospel dispensation, but the Lord is and that is the measure that matters. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 10–11 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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The Cause for Christ Episode 2: Scrupulosity (moral and religious OCD) with Dr. Debra McClendon 1:09:19

منذ 10 weeks1:09:19

1:09:19

In this episode, Ryan sits down with Debra McClendon to discuss religious OCD, also known as Scrupulosity. Debra shares valuable advice for those navigating Scrupulosity while striving to stay faithful within the church. They explore what approaches tend to be effective, what often falls short, and dive into topics like consecration, burnout, and finding balance. If you or someone you know struggles with Scrupulosity, anxiety, or toxic perfectionism, we hope this conversation offers insight and support. Debra Theobald McClendon, PhD is a licensed psychologist in the state of Utah and has interjurisdictional authorization to work with clients in most U.S. states. She specializes in treating those with scrupulosity, a religious and moral subtype of OCD. She is the owner of The OCD & Scrupulosity Clinic (ocdscrupulosityclinic.com) and is a member of the International OCD Foundation. She has been interviewed on podcasts, published articles, and published the book: “Freedom from Scrupulosity: Reclaiming Your Religious Experience from Anxiety and OCD.” Ryan Sorensen is a native of Cache Valley, Utah. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at BYU-Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Abilene Christian University, with plans to become a chaplain after graduation. Ryan previously hosted a podcast called The Whom Shall We Go? Podcast. In his spare time, he enjoys being involved in interfaith work, reading about Latter-day Saint theology and history, training for triathlons, and spending time with friends and family. The post The Cause for Christ Episode 2: Scrupulosity (moral and religious OCD) with Dr. Debra McClendon appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 6–9, 13 – Mike Parker 43:43

منذ 10 weeks43:43

43:43

Oliver Cowdery became Joseph Smith’s scribe; restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood (D&C sections 6–9, 13) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Elder Boyd K. Packer, “ The Candle of the Lord ,” Ensign , January 1983, 51–56. Elder Packer shared his insights into how the Holy Spirit communicates with us. Jeffrey G. Cannon, “ Oliver Cowdery’s Gift ,” Church History: Revelations in Context . Cannon, a member of the Joseph Smith Papers team, examines the meaning of the “gift” the Lord spoke of in the earliest revelations to Oliver Cowdery ( section 6 , section 8 ). Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 6–9, 13 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 6–9 – Autumn Dickson 16:39

منذ 10 weeks16:39

16:39

In Every Thought by Autumn Dickson The Lord is speaking to Joseph and Oliver in the sections that we read for this week. There is a lot of fantastic material about how the Lord sets us up to try something new, knowing we’ll fail, but also knowing that we have to begin in order to learn. There are principles of revelation and how the Lord utilizes our desires to build up His kingdom. One of the principles that the Lord speaks about is pretty straightforward. Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. Let’s talk about these phrases. Look unto me in every thought “Look unto me in every thought,” is a rather lofty goal. I can hardly keep my focus when I’m praying, let alone when I’m trying to do anything else in my life. Perhaps there will come a day when the Savior takes up a grand majority of my thoughts, but I want to propose another interpretation of this phrase. Perhaps the Lord did mean that He wanted us to have Him at the forefront of our minds constantly, but perhaps He also meant it more along the lines of, “View your thoughts within the reality that I’ve created.” Every thought isn’t necessarily going to be directly about the Savior, but we can take any thought and put it in the context of the Savior. Let’s look at just one example. Lately, my family has been trying to find somewhere to live back on the east coast. There are a million moving parts, and we’ve found some places that we love. However, every time we start to move forward in a specific direction, the door gets closed. There was one house that we loved. It had been on the market for over a year. The second we started to take action to put in an offer, it was snatched up. This has happened repeatedly. It’s gotten discouraging, and I have found myself inadvertently disengaging from the process. We’ve been in limbo, between houses and apartments for over three years now. I think what I crave most is some kind of plan. Luckily, I write my prayers every day and I figured it would probably be good to talk to Him directly about it rather than trying to squash any rising hopes or trying to talk myself out of discouragement. Instead of trying to force myself into faith, I decided to turn to Him so He could give me a different perspective. I wanted to be able to see the situation more clearly, and I knew He could talk me through the discouragement and get me to that point. And He did. As I prayed and told Him about my discouragement, I felt the whispered perspective, “Do you really want Me to ignore My plan and just give you something now?” It almost felt as if He was telling me that He was willing to grant my desires even though they were contrary to His own. It completely flipped over everything in my mind. I don’t want my plan. I want what’s best for my family which is why I want His plan. I want Him to close the wrong doors and choose His timing. I don’t need to be discouraged because He’s setting things up for us. Why on earth would I choose anything else? Why am I discouraged when He has helped me know that He’s leading us right to where we’re supposed to be? I took my original thoughts (discouragement, desire for permanency) and I looked at them through the lens of Christ; this made my thoughts feel very different. Gratitude replaced discouragement. Excitement replaced weariness. The Lord is guiding us. Instead of hurting over some of the places we had really wanted, I felt so grateful that He took it away from us because I was reminded that He has a plan. I want His plan. This is not just true of situations that feel discouraging. If there is a thought that won’t leave you alone, that drags you down and holds you in place, put that thought in the context of Christ. If it’s difficult to see a clear picture, then pray about it. You don’t even have to figure out the Christlike perspective on your own; He did it for me! All I did was turn to Him, tell Him how I felt, and listened so that I could hear His response. He rearranged my perspective. He helped me look to Him in the thoughts that were pressing in on my mind. And this goes for any thought. Thoughts of weaknesses and failures. Thoughts of blessings that were taken away. Thoughts of being treated unfairly. We can take our very real feelings and thoughts to the Lord, and He can help us see it through Him and His promises. As we see things the way He sees them, we change because we start operating off of clearer perspectives. Let’s review that process again I want to take the experience I had with framing my thoughts through the Savior, and I want to take the general principles so we can apply it in our own individual situations. Looking unto Him in every thought and having it change you is not something you do on your own. Or, at the very least, it doesn’t have to be something you do on your own. When I went to Heavenly Father with my concerns over moving, I told Him everything I was worried about. HE reframed my thoughts in His image. Concrete example time! Sometimes my four year old gets into tiffs with his little four year old best friend. They usually do pretty dang good for four year olds, but every once in a while, they get worked up about something and it devolves pretty quickly. It’s funny because they often both go home (we live a house apart), they last no longer than an hour, and then they’re back to being buddies. This is not my expectation in the slightest for my four year old, but imagine for a second that he had the maturity to pause before the tiff escalated. Imagine that he was able to reign in his exhaustion from playing in the sun all day and he was able to take a step back from all of his big feelings, and he suggested to his buddy, “Hey let’s go talk to my mom about this. She can help us.” That’s not going to happen, but imagine how much easier it would be for him. I like to think I’m more mature than a four year old, but if we’re going to scale this, then I’m probably still spiritually around four years old when we’re comparing me to our Heavenly Father (why yes, that’s a completely arbitrary age that I threw out). My situations have often felt far more dire than the arguments I observe between my son and his best friend, but then again, my son seems to feel that their arguments are pretty dire. I can only imagine that my Heavenly Father sees the things that are troubling me and views them with more wisdom and more compassion when compared to how I view my son’s best friend issues. My son is not capable of this yet, but I would imagine that he would feel a lot better about his arguments if he remembered how often I told him that I loved him. I would imagine that he would feel a lot happier and safer if he could remember to take a step back and ask me for help navigating the situation. I believe that things would run pretty smoothly if he trusted my love and wisdom enough that he turned to me in those precarious moments. Unfortunately, he’s young and often just reacts to what’s in front of him. That’s okay. That’s often how we learn, but let’s take this to what we were speaking about before. Our situations may feel dire. They may feel like the end of the world. They may feel like it’s going to last forever. We may just simply react to whatever is put in front of us. But imagine how different things might feel if we turned to the Lord and let Him help us navigate things instead. If Warner took a step back and thought, “How would my mom handle this situation?” I would be flabbergasted to say the least. If he actually successfully imagined how I would handle the situation, I would be even more blown away. But here’s the cool thing in our scenario. We don’t have to guess how our Heavenly Father would react! We can ask Him, and He can reframe our thoughts for us with His wisdom! Sometimes we think faith says, “I can get over this. This isn’t a big deal. I just have to get it together and trust Him.” Maybe faith does look like that sometimes. But often enough, I have found that my more effective faith says, “I can turn to Him, and He can help me reframe my worries.” I don’t just tell myself He’s going to handle it; I allow myself to trust Him enough to handle it (or at least to walk me through it). The next phrases in that same verse say, “Doubt not, fear not.” Perhaps those were two new commandments, and perhaps they were simply extensions of the first commandment. When we look to Him in our thoughts, when we remember His love and His promises and when we remember that He wants to support us, our doubts and fears naturally go away. It’s not something we force. We invest our energy into developing the relationship with Him so that we can trust and believe in Him, and then the negative takes care of itself. I testify of a Heavenly Father and Savior who love us. I testify that Christ wants us to remember Him. He wants us to remember Him, not because He gets a kick out of being worshiped, but because He knows that our trust in Him has the power to change our perspectives on everything. He knows that remembering Him and all He sacrificed for us will bring us peace and joy, and that brings Him peace and joy. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 6–9 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 3, 5, 10, 17 – Mike Parker 50:01

منذ 11 weeks50:01

50:01

Translation of the Book of Mormon; the Three Witnesses (D&C sections 3, 5, 10, 17) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Learn more about the Three Witnesses and their testimony at WitnessesOfTheBookOfMormon.org , a website created by the Interpreter Foundation . A complete list of all the witnesses who saw or handled the gold plates or saw or participated in the translation process is available in Royal Skousen, “ The Witnesses of the Book of Mormon ,” The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, Part Seven: The Transmission of the Text , Vol. 3 of The Critical Text of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2021). Matthew McBride, “ The Contributions of Martin Harris: D&C 3, 5, 10, 17, 19 ,” Church History: Revelations in Context . Elden J. Watson, “ Approximate Book of Mormon Translation Timeline .” Robert F. Smith, Gordon C. Thomasson, and John W. Welch, “ What Did Charles Anthon Really Say? ”, in Reexploring the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book / Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1992), 73–75. “ Book of Mormon Translation ,” Gospel Topics Essays . This article published by the Church explores how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and what physical instruments he used in the translation process. Richard E. Turley Jr., Robin S. Jensen, and Mark Ashurst-McGee, “ Joseph the Seer ,” Ensign (October 2015): 45–55. Turley (who was Assistant Church Historian and Recorder) and Church historians Jensen and Ashurst-McGee examine what the historical record reveals about how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. Richard Lloyd Anderson, “ ‘By the Gift and Power of God’ ,” Ensign (September 1977): 79–91. From the Church History Department: Mason Allred and Mark Ashurst-McGee discuss the various historical accounts of the Book of Mormon translation process , including accounts of Joseph Smith using a seer stone to translate. [The below is additional content not included in Mike Parker’s original lesson] The Interpreter Foundation is offering free viewing of their “Undaunted” film about the 3 witnesses for a limited time. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 3, 5, 10, 17 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 3–5 – Autumn Dickson 14:24

منذ 12 weeks14:24

14:24

Joseph’s Repentance by Autumn Dickson This week we find Joseph in an early difficult lesson. Martin Harris had faced mounting pressure from his family to abandon Joseph, and Martin wanted to show the early manuscript to his family to gain support. Joseph asked the Lord multiple times despite receiving no’s, and the Lord finally told him to do what he wanted. Martin took the manuscript and lost it. Joseph was devastated and experienced a season of repentance. There are some very poignant details that can teach us very direct lessons about the atonement of Jesus Christ and how it works in our lives. It also includes details that teach us about repentance and progression. Nothing need be lost First detail. It teaches us about the atonement. I want to draw your attention to the fact that nothing was really lost. Doctrine and Covenants 3:1 The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. In this verse, the Lord was teaching Joseph that nothing was truly in danger. A long time ago, the Lord had prepared the way so that nothing truly needed was lost. Nephi had repeated some of Lehi’s information because the Lord knew that Lehi’s information would be the portion of manuscript that was lost. What’s the implication here? In my mind, I believe the Lord is trying to tell us that if we utilize His atonement, nothing really needs to be lost. In one example, if you’re excommunicated and rebaptized, your record shows your original baptism date and not the date of the second time you were baptized. This is exactly what the atonement of Jesus Christ is about. When you make a mistake (even a mistake big enough to require excommunication) and combine it with true repentance, Christ’s atonement does something really special. It doesn’t just cleanse you. It takes the sin and turns it on its head. Look at Joseph’s story. He lost the manuscript. What was the end result after true repentance? He was still the prophet that restored the gospel. We still have The Book of Mormon with all of the crucial details we needed previously. Joseph was cleansed and left with only the lesson he needed in order to be prepared to live with Heavenly Father again. The only lingering “consequence” was that Joseph learned better, grew stronger and wiser, and was protected from bigger consequences in the future. This is the essence of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It cleanses us, but it also leaves us with the best of the best. That was the entire point of the Plan of Salvation. We could come down here and learn all the necessary lessons, gain all the necessary strength, develop all of the Christlike attributes, and Christ’s atonement would ultimately take care of all of the negative consequences. No negative consequence will follow us permanently. Sometimes we may still have to fight lingering guilt. Maybe sometimes we’ve developed an addiction or formed a weakness that we’ll fight for the rest of our lives. However, none of it will follow us permanently. If we continually use the atonement of Jesus Christ, then it will actually just help us accumulate further strength. Nothing need be lost. No opportunity, no blessing, no period of time is truly lost to us when we connect our lives with Christ’s atonement. Even the worst of sins can be flipped on their heads and turned into valuable lessons and strengthening experiences. The atonement leaves us with the good. The definition of sin The concept of repentance and what it truly is has expanded since I’ve started preparing these messages. I suppose the same has happened with the definition of sin. The concept of sin hasn’t exactly “expanded,” but it’s been made clearer in my mind. Let’s look at Joseph’s heart again. We can’t judge exactly where his heart was, but we do know a couple of things. We know that Joseph loved the Lord. We knew that he wanted to do what was right by the Lord. We also know that he was deeply grateful to Martin and recognized what Martin had done for him. Joseph’s recognition of Martin’s support and his desire to please Martin wasn’t evil; in fact, it was the opposite. Those are usually marks of a good person. And yet, the Lord allowed Joseph to believe he had lost his soul for a while. Why? Perhaps Joseph took his own guilt too far, but I have a different theory. The “type” of sin I’ve most often pondered on over the past couple years is the sin of the heart. When we’re being ungrateful, using people, being selfish, and seeking our own ends at a high expense. I have learned just how significant it is that the Lord wants us to simply be good people who contribute to the atmosphere of heaven. I think this was a perspective I needed to focus on in my life so that I could let go of perfectionism and focus on the most important types of growth. However, perhaps it’s time for me to shift my own focus just a bit. Sin does include times when we disobey God even when our hearts are still primarily good . Joseph would walk a fine line throughout his life. There would be no ceasing on the part of the devil to claim his soul. When it came to this particular sin of Joseph’s, it was not a horrible reflection on his heart. Yes, he was putting Martin above God and that’s an important lesson, but I don’t think I would classify Joseph’s heart as evil. And for me, this has been important to understand. We know that progression continues after we die. We know that we will still have to work towards perfection as we reach the other side. Perhaps our hearts are good and we will know how to live in harmony with others around us, and this is an extremely important portion of being prepared to live in the Celestial Kingdom. But I have a sneaking suspicion that preparation for the Celestial Kingdom extends beyond that. Perhaps there are paths of progression that we don’t fully understand yet, and it will require us to walk a line as fine as Joseph’s. When it comes to this type of sin, perhaps we don’t need to be crying out, “Oh I’m this terrible, horrible person!” but we do need to understand the gravity of obedience and its ability to keep us safe. Plain and simple obedience protected Joseph. His heart was good, and this was crucial to the Celestial Kingdom but so was plain and simple obedience. He needed that obedience to survive the process of exaltation, and so do we! Your heart can be good and pure, but if you’re not prepared to try and be obedient to all of His commandments, then you’re not going to be fully prepared for the Celestial Kingdom. There are aspects of the kingdom that we don’t understand; only God does. If we’re not ready to follow His words very closely, we’re never going to achieve the progression we need to reach our full potential. That kind of obedience includes adherence to the words of the prophets even when we feel like their advice isn’t a big deal. It means following our temple covenants, including the covenant we made to wear our garments. There are lots of commandments that don’t necessarily pertain directly to having an evil heart, but they are still extremely significant to our safety. Let me give you a physical example of this. The Lord told the Saints that Zion would be built in Missouri. He then told the Saints to not move there all in a rush. He said that He would lead who moves and who stays, and He would direct the timing of them heading down there. The Saints ignored this, rushed to Missouri, and there was a major conflict. The Saints had good hearts. They wanted to live in Zion. They wanted to build Zion. There is nothing evil about this desire in their hearts, but the truth of the matter remains. They didn’t follow the Lord closely enough to be obedient, and it cost them their ability to stay safely in Zion (the earthly equivalent of the Celestial Kingdom) and build it. There is a spiritual lesson here. If we can’t follow the Lord in obedience, we will not be prepared to receive all that He has even if our hearts are in a good place. The Lord knew something they didn’t about their journey, but they ignored Him. Their hearts were good, but it wasn’t enough. I am not preaching perfectionism. Don’t turn it into perfectionism. The Lord took me on this whole learning journey where I learned the significance of the heart of the matter so that I could personally step away from perfectionism. Now that I’m really thinking about it, this is still about the heart. Your heart needs to be good and turned outwards towards others, but it also needs to be so firmly planted in the Lord that obedience to His simplest commands comes naturally. You trust that He knows what He’s talking about, and you follow it. I testify of a Heavenly Father who forgives. I testify that Christ suffered so that we could come here to gain everything we need and walk away with all the good things if we choose to follow Him. I testify that there is a purpose to obedience, that it protects us and allows us to walk that fine line all the way towards our exaltation. I testify that Christ’s standards are high because He loves us. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 3–5 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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The Cause for Christ Episode 1: “Uncovering the Truth About Grace” by Ryan Sorensen ft. Brent Schmidt 47:27

منذ 12 weeks47:27

47:27

We are pleased to introduce a new podcast series that will be hosted by Ryan Sorensen. In this first episode, he talks with Brent Schmidt about “Uncovering the Truth About Grace.” Brent’s book may be downloaded here . Brent J. Schmidt earned degrees in history and classics from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in classics from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He teaches in the religion and humanities departments at BYU-Idaho. He specialized in Greek and Latin moralistic literature and he wrote and later published his dissertation on ancient utopian communities. He has published works on Biblical subjects including word studies about grace and faith. He is an author and editor of the BYU New Testament Commentary series. He enjoys reading, especially the Book of Mormon and Bible, gardening, collecting ancient coins, world travel, skiing and learning ancient and modern languages. For fifteen years now he has read at least one academic book a day. He and his wife, Judith, are the parents of one son. Ryan Sorensen is a native of Cache Valley, Utah. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at BYU-Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Abilene Christian University, with plans to become a chaplain after graduation. Ryan previously hosted a podcast called The Whom Shall We Go? Podcast. In his spare time, he enjoys being involved in interfaith work, reading about Latter-day Saint theology and history, training for triathlons, and spending time with friends and family. The post The Cause for Christ Episode 1: “Uncovering the Truth About Grace” by Ryan Sorensen ft. Brent Schmidt appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 2; Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65 – Autumn Dickson 13:21

منذ 13 weeks13:21

13:21

What is Required of Us by Autumn Dickson Like last week, I’d like to dive into Joseph’s story and find parallels to our own stories. We were not given the responsibility to restore the church in the last days, but we do have responsibilities given to us by the Lord. Every single one of us will hold callings, but even beyond that, every single one of us has more to give. When I speak of responsibilities given by the Lord, I am expanding that definition beyond formal church service. There are other labors you have been given to perform in this life. Some of those labors may include things like career choices and hobbies. We all have gifts to give. As we read Joseph’s history, we get to watch as he learned difficult lessons. Hopefully, we’re wise enough to learn through him rather than through our own mistakes. We will always make mistakes, but hopefully Joseph’s openness about his own can help us avoid a few of them. The principle in Joseph’s story that I want to talk about for this post is found in the following verse. Joseph Smith History 1:59 At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected. This is such a great microstudy on what Heavenly Father expects from us in our responsibilities. Honestly, it even extends beyond our formal callings and promises we made before we came here; this verse can teach us about what the Lord expects from us in this mortal life when it comes to being worthy to return to Him. It’s actually on Him I want to draw your attention to the very last phrase in the verse. Moroni tells Joseph that if he will use all of his endeavors to preserve the plates, “…they should be protected…” Note that this verse didn’t say, “If you use all your endeavors to protect them, you will be able to keep them safe.” It’s a small thing, but it holds a large key to our understanding. The success of the Plan of Salvation rests on the head of the Lord. Making sure we’re clean enough to stand in the presence of God, temple work, missionary work, any and all worthwhile work is going to be done by the Lord. He frequently describes it as His own work throughout the scriptures. Even if Joseph had not been diligent and the plates fell into the wrong hands, do we really believe that would be the end? Do we really believe that it’s just too bad? The plates are gone. There is no Book of Mormon. The Restoration falls apart, and with it, the salvation of us all. Obviously not. What kind of Lord would He be if He let the failings of one man doom the rest of us? It’s utterly ridiculous if you actually believe in the perfect fairness of the Lord. The angel Moroni warns Joseph that if he doesn’t work diligently and responsibly, he will be cut off and he will lose the plates. But the plates were never actually in danger, not in the least bit. Even if Joseph had failed, the Lord had everything completely under control. Which can be extremely comforting. It can also help us know what we need to be focused on. But He still requires the work Despite the fact that the Lord has everything well in hand, He requires the work of us. Even though the plates were never in any real danger, He required Joseph to work really hard to protect them. Why? For Joseph. Here is an imperfect concrete example. I have a daughter in gymnastics who learns stunts that I certainly can’t do. For a long time, the coaches will be right underneath her guiding her movements and keeping her from falling on her head. As time moves on, they remove the supports appropriately so that she can learn to do it on her own. They’re not afraid of her making mistakes along the way. They want her to be a gymnast which means she has to slowly learn to do it on her own. She has to put in work, but if they’re really good coaches, then she’s not really in any danger. This imperfect example doesn’t translate completely, but it can help our understanding along. The Lord already has that gold medal coming in that competition regardless of whether you decide to participate. The work will get done. It’s His performance that ultimately matters when it comes to end results. However, He didn’t just want a gold medal. The gold medal is important, but so are His developed gymnasts. We aren’t working hard in the gym so that we can win the gold medal. It’s already won. We’re working hard so we can simply develop into gymnasts because being a gymnast is worthwhile in and of itself. This is similar to our responsibilities as well as the whole of our salvation and exaltation. If our responsibilities are crucial to His plan, then the end results are already guaranteed. What is not guaranteed is our development and preparation. The ends for which the Plan of Salvation was created have already been won; it is not in any danger. However, if we’re not given the opportunity to work and develop, then we can’t reap the beautiful rewards of being a developed Being, and the Plan of Salvation ends up being a bust anyway (at least in our personal lives). Our team may have won the gold medal, but we won’t feel all the rewards of that gold medal because we didn’t grow. This is true of our responsibilities. It is also true of our salvation. The Lord could easily continuously cleanse us and keep us in the presence of our Father in Heaven without burning up. However, we wouldn’t actually be feeling the Celestial Kingdom if we didn’t put in the work to become developed Beings. Implications of this There are some implications that come with this understanding. When we view it from the outside without this perspective, here is what we see. Joseph worked really hard to protect the plates, following promptings and trying to be creative in how he kept them safe from people who would try to take them. Nothing happened to plates. Therefore, Joseph protected the plates. It would be easy to believe that Joseph had protected the plates, but not so. The Lord protected the plates, and Joseph grew. Yes, it could be argued that Joseph did contribute to protecting them, but that’s like saying my son keeps our house clean because he picks up his toys when I ask him to. My house was going to be cleaned either way; he was just able to accumulate growth and go outside because I didn’t ground him in order to teach him. So what are the implications here? There are a few. The first implication is that we let go of the pressure. Don’t let go of the striving, but let go of the pressure. The Lord already won. Successfully implementing the Plan of Salvation (or any plan, responsibility, etc.) is not on our heads. He will open the right doors, close the wrong ones, and give us the power to overcome obstacles when He deems necessary. If we are trying and taking advantage of the growth opportunities we’ve been given, we have nothing to fear. The second implication is the fact that trying hard does matter but not for the reason we so often believe. We often believe that we have to try hard so we don’t fail. We’re supposed to be trying hard so we grow. Think of the gymnast coaches. They’re not trying to get my daughter to try hard on her own so that she can avoid mistakes; they’re trying to make her a skilled gymnast. The mistakes are inevitable but they’re so unimportant in the scheme of growth. The gospel according to Autumn teaches this (and yes, that’s a disclaimer): a grand majority of the peace and joy we feel in the Celestial Kingdom comes internally. It’s not an externally granted blessing. We’re not going to be in heaven, receiving some divine equivalent of drugs that keep our bodies in a continuous state of euphoria. Celestial feelings come from becoming a celestial Being. And you have to try really hard to become a celestial Being, not because you’re capable of doing it but because that’s the only way you grow into one. This is true of our salvation. It is true of any responsibility we’ve been given. Let’s pretend you were given the responsibility of finding the right plot of land for the building of the temple. I’ve heard of stories where Satan does all he can to stop the building. Angry neighbors, zoning issues, all sorts of legal hoops and prejudice can rise up in a huge wave against the responsibility that was given to a mere human. But if the Lord announced the temple, it’s getting built. Rather than putting the pressure on yourself to make sure it happens (because guess what..it’s gonna happen), view the obstacles you face with the right lens. The Lord isn’t hedging up your way because He is displeased with you. It’s not that you’re not faithful enough to bring miracles. The temple is only a portion of what’s important to the Lord, and He already has that on lockdown. The other portion (the one that is not so locked down) is your very real need for growth so that you can become like Him. The obstacles are not evidence of your failures in your responsibilities; the obstacles are chances given to you to be faithful and grow. You cannot lose if you try so proceed. I testify that He won. All that’s left is our growth. So put in effort and put your heart into it for your growth. Try hard and hold all the gratitude and faith in the world because the ending is sure. You will be successful in all the ways that the Lord deems successful if you are truly trying. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 2; Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Joseph Smith—History – Mike Parker 35:31

منذ 13 weeks35:31

35:31

Joseph Smith’s childhood; the First Vision; Moroni, & the gold plates (Joseph Smith—History) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading “ First Vision Accounts ,” Gospel Topics Essays , November 2013. An excellent summary on the Church’s website of Joseph Smith’s various accounts of the First Vision, along with a response to criticisms that he misremembered or embellished his accounts over time. Dean C. Jessee, “ The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision ,” BYU Studies 9, no. 3 (Spring 1969): 275–94. (The entire issue is devoted to the historical setting of the First Vision.) This article was updated and expanded as the opening chapter of John W. Welch and Erick b. Carlson, eds., Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844 (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press and Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005), 1–33. Dean C. Jessee, “ The Reliability of Joseph Smith’s History ,” Journal of Mormon History 3, no. 1 (1976): 23–46. Jessee explores how the official history of the Church was compiled between 1838 and 1856, the historiographical methods the clerks used, and the limitations of the record. Steven C. Harper, “ Was Joseph Smith a Money Digger? ,” BYU Studies 62, no. 4 (2023): 37–55. Harper evaluates the historical claims that Joseph Smith used his spiritual gifts to seek for buried treasure and find lost items. The First Vision: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast is a six -part documentary miniseries that explores the history and legacy of Joseph Smith’s first vision. T he podcast recreates the world in which Joseph Smith was seeking answers to the pressing questions of his soul. Series host Spencer W. McBride interviewed historians and Church leaders for this podcast. [The below is additional content not included in Mike Parker’s original lesson] Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Joseph Smith—History – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Joseph Smith—History 1:1–26 – Autumn Dickson 14:40

منذ 14 weeks14:40

14:40

Turn to God by Autumn Dickson For this week, we read the account of the First Vision of Joseph Smith. It is nearly impossible to overestimate the gravity of this event in the backdrop of the history of mankind, and we have it readily available to read and learn about it. When we read about what Joseph learned through this experience, we can learn a lot of direct truths that had been lost over time. There were doctrines that were explicitly laid out. There are also a lot of gospel principles to be found indirectly as we read Joseph’s account. As we liken his story to our own story, we can find direction for where we’re supposed to go when we face similar experiences. Here is just one portion of the experience that Joseph recorded. Joseph had watched as religious fervor had overtaken the area and people were branching off into various Christian sects. It was all extremely passionate and intense. Joseph Smith History 1:6 For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions. Joseph found himself entrenched in religious hypocrisy. There are fewer hypocrisies that can be more damaging than the religious type. We testify that we have the restored gospel on the earth. We testify that Christ is leading our church. I believe this to be true. In the same breath, this true church is being guided and utilized and lived by imperfect people. Within our wards and stakes, we find cliques, strife, pride, self-righteousness, Pharisaical zeal, and greed. We find abusers of power and secrets behind closed doors. I’m not trying to disparage the church. I believe we have the truth and authority. I also know that there are problems in numerous circumstances caused by imperfect people, sometimes done innocently and others done with nefarious intentions. Pretending this isn’t true just leads to disillusionment and a lack of progress. Joseph’s parents stressed personal religion but disagreed on some religious aspects. While Joseph’s mother affiliated with the Methodists, Joseph’s father resisted organized religion. He eventually joined a Universalist society that argued religious sects weren’t important. It would have been easy for Joseph to feel rather lost in regards to religion, and in many ways, he did feel lost. He observed his parents moving in different religious directions, and he observed plenty of issues within the church organizations available to him. It would have been easy for Joseph to just turn away from it altogether. It would have been easy to view it as a useless endeavor. Luckily, Joseph’s parents did stress that personal religion, and this is precisely the principle I want to teach today. When in doubt, we turn directly to God. Anything else will be insufficient in the face of confusion and disillusionment. This is precisely what Joseph did, and it was a blessing in his own life as well as millions of others. When we run into issues in the church and feel, “This isn’t right,” we don’t have to turn our back on the entire institution in order to feel peace again. If you turned away from any imperfect system on earth, you would be turning your back on every system on earth. They are all run with imperfect people; there is no getting around that. The only thing that has truly brought me peace as I’ve faced issues in the church is my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have tried various methods throughout the years, and some were sufficient for a time, and some led me in good directions. But ultimately, everything was inadequate without the Lord. I have tried ignoring, explaining away, finding scapegoats, and a myriad of other choices. It is only in the times that I’ve turned to the Lord and remembered my relationship with Him and who He is that I have found the peace that I was looking for. I find that the issues are so much smaller than all that I’ve been given. The hiccups are nothing compared to the goodness I find in the relationship I have with Jesus Christ. A disclaimer… Joseph turned to the Lord and found his very clear answer. He received what he had asked for. This is what many of us are searching for when we find ourselves faced with the same issues of confusion and disillusionment, but I have a disclaimer. Joseph’s story didn’t end there. It wasn’t a happy ending yet; it was the beginning of an arduous journey that would require everything of him. I’m here telling you to turn to the Lord in order to find peace, but I feel that I should also make this disclaimer. Immediately as Joseph turned to the Lord, he found himself plunged into more darkness than he was before. Logically, we would think that the Lord would answer immediately when we have found ourselves in confusion and turn to Him. If He wants us to remain in the church so badly, wouldn’t He make that a bit clearer? But for whatever reason (because there are likely various reasons all tailored to individual circumstances), the Lord doesn’t choose this path. When Joseph turned to Him, Joseph found himself in greater darkness than he had ever yet experienced. It’s laughable to think that Satan would be trying to fight off God to prevent the First Vision. As I originally read this passage this week, I remember thinking, “That’s cute Satan; has that ever worked for you before?” But then I realized that Satan wasn’t trying to fight God and His light; Satan was trying to fight Joseph. Satan can’t beat God, and he knows that. But Satan also knows that he has won against us before, and that is what he seeks to do. If he can sever the connection between us and our Heavenly Father, he wins. But that is only my first disclaimer. When we run into issues with the church and we make the valiant decision to turn to the Lord and rely on Him, we may find ourselves in more darkness than we previously found. This doesn’t need to scare us. We can recognize Satan and thwart him and hold on. Satan has no power over God, and he has no power over us unless we give it to him. There is a reason God allows the existence of darkness; it is not a sign that it’s time to turn your back on knowledge you’ve been given. It is an opportunity to hold out for more light. The second disclaimer is that Joseph’s story still didn’t end there. Joseph received this miraculous vision, and then the heavens went silent. FOR THREE YEARS. For three years, Joseph got nothing. And then even more years passed before the real work of restoring the gospel began. When we choose to turn to the Lord, it doesn’t mean immediate deliverance from confusion. It doesn’t mean immediate answers or even peace. Sometimes it means more darkness. Sometimes there are long pauses and silence. We may find ourselves asking, “Why? I’m trying to follow You! Why are You making it so hard to do so?” I cannot tell you why the Lord allows for periods of darkness, doubt, and confusion, and I can only testify that He does and I testify that He does it for a wise purpose in Him. Facing darkness and doubt and confusion do not have to be the end. We get to choose! We get to choose to remember the moments when He did answer, and we get to choose whether we’re going to remain loyal to those moments that we have received. In the end, we may not get a bigger answer because we held on for longer. It is more likely that in the end, we will be better and stronger and more exalted because we held on for longer. Sometimes, the changes we find in ourselves can be some of the biggest testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify of a wise and loving Savior. I testify that only turning to Him will save us. I testify that having a relationship with Jesus Christ brings more joy and peace than any other avenue. I testify that He and His Father answer our prayers, and I also testify that they allow for periods of time for us to be tested. They know that periods of testing means that we will make mistakes and that some of us will choose to walk away, but there was no other way. They had to provide opportunities for us to choose our relationship with Them to the extent that They choose Their relationship with us. They don’t bail when They run into hiccups with us; the least we can do is hold on and trust. I testify that moments of confusion and darkness and periods of silence eventually give way to two things: greater light and a more exalted us. I testify that we can find these results if we choose to hold on to that relationship with our Savior. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Joseph Smith—History 1:1–26 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 1 – Mike Parker 38:38

منذ 14 weeks38:38

38:38

Introduction; reception, editing & publication of Joseph Smith’s revelations (D&C Section 1) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers (The Church Historian’s Press). A compilation and historical study of the earliest versions of Joseph Smith’s revelations and other texts now found in the Doctrine and Covenants. Includes brief introductions to each section along with an annotated transcript and photos of the earliest versions. ( Also available for Kindle .) Elder Steven E. Snow, “ Treasuring the Doctrine and Covenants ,” Ensign , January 2009, 50–53. James B. Allen, “ Line Upon Line ,” Ensign , July 1979, 32–39. Church history reveals how the Lord has continually added to his people’s knowledge and understanding. Melvin J. Petersen, “ Preparing Early Revelations for Publication ,” Ensign , February 1985, 14–20. Petersen explores how Joseph edited his early revelations into the form we have in our current Doctrine and Covenants. “ Approaching Mormon Doctrine ,” Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , 4 May 2007. “ Mystery Solved: Who Wrote the Lectures on Faith? ,” LDS Perspectives Podcast #44 (12 July 2017). In this illuminating podcast, Noel Reynolds, BYU professor emeritus and a long-time Book of Mormon scholar, discusses who wrote the Lectures and what Joseph Smith thought about them. (You can listen to the interview or read the transcript.) Uncanonized Revelations From the Time of Joseph Smith The Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith that were “ carefully selected ” from all the revelations that he had received. At least forty-three uncanonized revelations and inspired statements made by Joseph and other Church leaders were written down during Joseph’s lifetime. The following is a list of known revelations that were received during the Prophet’s lifetime but not published as scripture: Ca. June 1829: “ Articles of the Church of Christ .” This was an early draft of what became D&C Section 20 ; it was written by Oliver Cowdery by commandment. Ca. early 1830: “ 23 Commandment AD 1830 .” A revelation given to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Hiram Page, Josiah Stowell, and Joseph Knight Sr. commanding them to go to Canada to secure a copyright there for the Book of Mormon. 15 May 1831: “ 53 Commandment, May 15th 1831 .” A revelation given to Frederick G. Williams, Ezra Thayer, and Joseph Smith Sr. regarding the disposition of land in Kirtland, Ohio, that had been consecrated by Williams. 17 July 1831: A revelation to Joseph Smith and other brethren on the preaching of the gospel to the Lamanites who lived in Indian Territory west of Jackson County, Missouri. ( A contemporary transcript of this revelation is not extant; the only known version was written from memory by William W. Phelps in a letter to Brigham Young, 12 August 1861. Because the transcript was prepared thirty years after the fact, its accuracy should be treated with skepticism. ) 31 August 1831: A revelation to John Burk, Erastus Babbitt, and David Elliott , instructing them to travel from Kirtland, Ohio, to Zion, Jackson County, Missouri, in the fall of 1831. Ca. 2 November 1831: “ Testimony, circa 2 November 1831 .” A document signed by eighteen brethren who testified that the revelations that were to be published in the Book of Commandments were “given by inspiration of God & are profitable for all men & are verily true.” ( A similar statement by the Twelve Apostles was published as part of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. ) 27 February 1832: A revelation directing that Lincoln Haskins be ordained and supplied with copies of revelations with which to undertake a proselytizing mission. Ca. 4–20 March 1832: “ A Sample of pure Language given by Joseph the Seer .” A list containing the names of God, the Son of God, angels, and man in a “pure language.” Ca. 8–24 March 1832: A revelation to Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith clarifying the duties and responsibilities of bishops in overseeing the consecration of property to the church. 20 March 1832: A revelation commanding Joseph Smith to suspend work on his revision of the Bible and take paper to Missouri for the printing of the Book of Commandments, given in response to two questions asked of the Lord by Joseph. 5 January 1833: A revelation to Frederick G. Williams , calling him as a counselor and scribe to Joseph Smith and instructing him to consecrate his farm. 27 February 1833: A song sung in an unknown language by David W. Patten and interpreted by the gift of tongues by Sidney Rigdon. ( William W. Phelps turned this song into a hymn and published it in the May 1833 issue of The Evening and the Morning Star .) 28 April 1834: Further information about the reorganization of the United Firm , supplementing what had been revealed five days earlier ( D&C Section 104 ). 5 December 1834: A revelation reprimanding the members of the Church for the informal, casual nature of interaction and discourse between Church leaders and Church members. 18 October 1835: A prophecy of Joseph Smith , received “by the Spirit of Revelation” in the Kirtland Temple, “that the distress, and sickness that has heretofore prevailed among” the Saints in Missouri would “be mitigated from this time forth.” 27 October 1835: The word of the Lord, received by Joseph Smith in answer to prayer, that Frederick G. Williams would arrive soon and successfully assist Mary Bailey Smith in giving birth to her first child. 1 November 1835: A revelation chastising Reynolds Cahoon for “his iniquities[,] his covetous and dishonest principles in himself and family” and for failing to “set his house in order.” 2 November 1835: A revelation to Frederick G. Williams , directing him to not go to New York to take care of Church business, but instead authorizing him to travel to preach the gospel to his relatives. 3 November 1835: A revelation directed to the members of the Quorum of the Twelve , reproving them for covetousness, inequality, lack of humility, and counseling them to repent and “prepare their hearts for the solem[n] assembly and for the great day which is to come.” 7 November 1835: A revelation to Missouri bishop Edward Partridge and his counselor Isaac Morley , commending them for their integrity and labors and commanding them to remain in Kirtland until the completion of the House of the Lord. 8 November 1835: A revelation rebuking William W. Phelps and John Whitmer for their iniquities. 14 November 1835: A revelation praising Warren Parrish “because of his desires to do the works of righteousness” and promising him great blessings for his efforts as a scribe for Joseph Smith. 16 November 1835: A revelation received at the request of Erastus Holmes , directing him to not be baptized in Kirtland and warning him “that there were three men that were seeking his destruction.” 12 January 1836: A record of visions received by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple, the first half of which was canonized in 1976 and is now D&C Section 137 . The uncanonized portion contains a vision of the Twelve Apostles in foreign lands, fatigued and discouraged, with Jesus standing in their midst; Apostle William McLellin preaching and healing in the South; Brigham Young in the desert of the far southwest, preaching to “about a dozen men of colour” in their own language while protected by an angel; the Twelve in the celestial kingdom, the redemption of Zion, and “many things which the toung[e] of man, cannot discribe in full.” 4 September 1837: A revelation rebuking John Whitmer and William W. Phelps and commanding them to repent. November 1837: A prophecy of the Lord that “peace shall soon be taken from the earth,” for “behold saith the Lord, very fierce and very terrible war is near at hand, even at your doors.” ( This prophecy was published in the November 1837 issue of Elders’ Journal as part of a message from Joseph Smith to “the Saints scattered abroad.” Cf. D&C Section 87 . ) 7 January 1838: A letter and revelation to Missouri bishop Edward Partridge , blessing him for his faithfulness and warning the Saints in Far West about “dissensions among them lest the enemy have power over them.” ( A contemporary transcript of this letter is not extant; the only known version is in the handwriting of Edward Partridge Jr., in a book of family history given to the Church Historian’s Office in 1925. ) 12 January 1838 (A): Revealed answers to questions about the procedure for holding a disciplinary council to try the members of the First Presidency for transgression. ( This revelation clarified the instructions in D&C 107:82–84 . ) 12 January 12 (B): A revelation directing that only the First Presidency is authorized to appoint and dedicate a stake of Zion. 12 January 1838 (C): A revelation commanding Joseph Smith and other members of the presidency of the Church to leave Kirtland, Ohio, and relocate their families to Caldwell County, Missouri. 17 April 1838: A revelation to Brigham Young , commanding him to leave Far West and return to his home on Mill Creek to care for his family. 8 July 1838 (B): A revelation directing that Frederick G. Williams and William W. Phelps should be ordained elders and travel, preach, and proselytize. 13 May 1839: A promise of the Lord to Oliver Granger that Oliver would be lifted up and have a “a great name on the earth and among my people, because of the integrity of his soul.” ( See also D&C 117:12–15 . ) 20 March 1841: A revelation to several brethren , directing them to support the building of the Nauvoo House. 2 December 1841: A revelation to to Ebenezer and Angelina Robinson , directing them to provide shelter and care for Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde and her children while her husband, Apostle Orson Hyde, served a mission abroad. 22 December 1841 (A): A revelation appointing Amos Fuller to serve a mission. 22 December 1841 (B): A revelation instructing John Snider to serve a mission to the eastern states and collect donations for the construction of the Nauvoo Temple and the Nauvoo House. 28 January 1842: A revelation directing the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to assume editorial responsibility for the church newspaper Times and Seasons . 19 May 1842: A revelation warning Joseph Smith that Hiram Kimball had been “insinuating evil. & forming evil opinions against you with. others.” 27 July 1842: A revelation for Newel K. Whitney that provided instructions for him to use in performing the sealing of his daughter, Sarah Ann Whitney, to Joseph Smith that same day. ( A contemporary transcript of this revelation is not extant; see the historical introduction on the Joseph Smith Papers website. ) 25 November 1843: A revelation directing Apostle John E. Page to leave Boston and go to Washington, D.C., to preach the gospel there. 14 March 1844: A revelation to the Council of Fifty , giving the council the name “The Kingdom of God and his Laws.” 25 April 1844: A revelation to the Council of Fifty , declaring to its members, “Ye are my constitution, and I am your God, and ye are my spokesmen.” Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 1 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 1 – Autumn Dickson 15:11

منذ 15 weeks15:11

15:11

He Cannot Allow Sin by Autumn Dickson By the time Doctrine and Covenants 1 was written, Joseph had already written 60 revelations. In my mind, I imagine Joseph receiving communication from the Lord and writing it down so that he could try and follow and teach it. As time went on and more and more were received, it became clear that the Lord had plenty to say and that these sacred revelations should be made available to others. It hadn’t been originally considered that these words could be considered scripture; it wasn’t until later that the revelations were recognized for what they were. Joseph Smith and other church leaders decided to put them together in a book; this was obviously an inspired decision because the Lord stood ready to write the preface to His own book. This preface is Doctrine and Covenants 1. The Lord shares a lot of goodness within this chapter. One of the things He chooses to include has been stated often enough before, but for some reason, it hit me a little harder this week. Doctrine and Covenants 1:31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; The word that really hit me as I read this verse was “cannot.” The Lord didn’t say that He refused to look at sin with any allowance. He didn’t say He didn’t want to. He said He couldn’t, and I believe this is significant. I’m sure there are aspects of “refusing” and “not wanting to,” but He chose the word “cannot” for a reason. I believe the word “cannot” (as opposed to the words “will not”) can help us to understand Him a bit better. In verse 24, the Lord talks about how He gives His words to His servants in their weakness. It can be hard to capture His true attitude and meaning; if we’re being completely honest, it’s pretty much impossible to express it completely accurately. But I want to try and help clarify it a bit more, and He can continue to help me know when I’ve erred, instruct me when I’ve sought wisdom, and chasten me when I get it wrong. I already know that I’m not going to get this perfect, but I’m grateful Joseph published the revelations he published despite his own weakness. So let’s explore and add layers to our understanding of the Lord together. Cannot rather than will not Why can’t the Lord look at sin with any degree of allowance? Note that I’m asking, “Why can’t He?” not, “Why won’t He?” Well there’s the obvious. If He is to remain perfect so that He can continue to be our Savior, He can’t let go of the prerogative. He has to remain wholly clean. An allowance of sin would probably forfeit the characteristic of perfection. But I believe it extends beyond that. He can’t afford to look upon sin with any degree of allowance for our sake. It’s important to recognize and feel that because it helps us utilize this doctrine for our benefit rather than to our detriment. When we understand that He refuses to be accepting of sin for us (in comparison to picturing Him scowling down at us in our weaknesses), we understand that He is trying to lift us, not condemning us. In parenting, boundaries are essential to raise healthy, happy kids. Oftentimes, from the perspective of the child, these boundaries can be perceived as a parent being angry or expecting too much (and sometimes that’s not inaccurate because we’re imperfect). However, it is possible to love and accept the child while maintaining the same boundary. I can look at my child and say, “I understand you’re tired, and I understand that you still need a lot of practice with your emotions. I understand that’s why you hit. I love you and will keep you with me. But hitting is not okay, no matter how tired you are.” I’m not expressing that the child is suddenly unacceptable. I’m not telling my child that they are a failure. I simply can’t afford to communicate the idea that it was okay for them to hit someone else. If I communicate, “It’s okay. You’re tired,” then what will my child choose to do next time they get tired? They’ll never seek to control themselves when they’re tired because I taught them hitting is okay when you’re tired. When I approach my child with love and a strong, important boundary, I hope they will receive the right message. I hope they will receive the message that I accept them and love them even though I have to push them to be better and can’t look at sin with allowance. I can’t afford to. I have to (for their sake!) hold that boundary. Sin rather than sinner It is the same with our Savior. He loves us, but He can’t teach us that He’s okay with sin. It would be detrimental to our spiritual health and progression. The word, “cannot” is significant, but so is the word, “sin.” He can’t look at sin with any degree of allowance. His atonement was literally performed so that He can look at the sinner with allowance. The entire reason He sacrificed Himself was so that He could allow repentant sinners into heaven. He looks at us and loves us and forgives us and recognizes our circumstances and weaknesses, but He holds that proper and fast boundary. He holds it because He loves us. Sometimes, like a child, we look at verses like this and think, “He won’t ever accept me. He won’t forgive my sins.” We have to mature to the extent that we realize He can accept us and forgive our repentant hearts while maintaining his refusal of sin. We have to choose to see this verse for the act of love that it is. There are few things more satisfying than when my kids recognize the love I put into my responses. It is so fulfilling when my kids feel grateful that I push them to do chores, to forgive each other, and to learn to control their tempers. I often teach this sentiment directly rather than hoping the message is inherently understood. When my kids are complaining that I’m requiring something of them (and when they specifically complain that I must not love them), I quite passionately explain that I choose to do these things because I love them. It has somewhat sunk in because when my oldest daughter is well-rested and in a good mood, she has expressed a sentiment along the lines of, “Mom, I don’t want to do this, but I know you’re making me do it because you love me.” We are the child in this scenario! We can look to the Lord and say, “I see what You are expressing. I’m grateful that You want me to be more.” Like a child, we can choose to read that verse and see condemnation or we can see the wisdom and love of an Eternal Parent. We can refuse to allow Satan to make us believe that the Lord is turning His back on us because nothing would please Satan more. He wants us to get confused and misunderstand what the Lord is trying to say. He that repents and does the commandments There is a verse that comes right after the verse we read in the beginning. Doctrine and Covenants 1:32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven; This verse can be confusing. The Lord forgives those who repent and follow the commandments, but usually forgiveness and repenting imply the fact that we didn’t keep the commandments. Satan likes to whisper that we have to stop sinning before the Lord forgives past transgressions, but that’s not true either. Let’s look at a parent and child again. There are times in the lives of my children when they need to hear that I love them deeply. A lot of times, this need appears as misbehavior. They’ve done something wrong and if I want them to do better, a huge portion of my message needs to be the idea that I love them and they’re going to be okay. I try to express this, and I try to express it in this extremely specific manner (even if not in so many words). I don’t say, “I love you, but we have to do better.” I say, “I love you, AND we have to do better.” A very small word but a very significant difference. The conjunction “but” implies the phrase, “on the contrary.” However, the phrases “I love you” and “We have to do better” are not contrary; they’re complimentary. I get it. This is such a nuanced little principle, but it’s so significant. If we can teach our loved ones and if we can learn this principle for ourselves, it will change the nature of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We will hear phrases like, “Keep the commandments,” or phrases that imply, “We have to do better,” and we will begin to simultaneously hear the message, “I love you.” Because that’s exactly what those phrases are. They are messages, pleadings, and expressions of love. If we can connect those phrases, our children will better recognize the love of their Heavenly Father and Savior, and it will change their entire experience with this high-demand gospel. The high-demand will translate to high-love. I testify of a Heavenly Father and Savior who love us. I testify that whenever They speak to us, there is an implied message of love. They feel that love constantly, and all of Their responses are drawn out of that love. It’s hard to understand and believe that because the responses that we sometimes give to others around us can be rooted in selfishness, but it is never so with Them. We can read any of their words and find the implied, “I love you,” because They perfectly love us. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 15:11

منذ 16 weeks15:11

15:11

Joseph Trusted by Autumn Dickson This week, we are studying the bicentennial proclamation called, “The Restoration.” It has been approximately 200 years since the beginning of what we call the Restoration in which the Lord once again actively taught His gospel to a prophet on the earth. With the clarified doctrine came the priesthood authority to bind us to the Savior in a way that He could save us. Proclamations are interesting things. They are official statements given by our leaders. They reaffirm and clearly teach exactly what we believe. Oftentimes, proclamations are given for specific audiences whether for the church as a whole or even to the world outside church membership. It can be extremely informative to those who know nothing about what we believe. As for the rest of us, it can seem like a summary of things that we have been taught repeatedly throughout the course of our lives. I can find summarized accounts regarding the Restoration in a million places. Why did we need to send out yet another message with the same information? Then again, why do we have stories in the scriptures that teach the same principles over and over? Why do we have monthly testimony meetings in which we hear the same basic idea that the Savior supports us? Why do we continue to go over the same material in general for years and years? There are a lot of answers to this, but one pretty thorough answer is that we need to apply the gospel to our lives. Because our lives are constantly changing, the need to process and apply the gospel in different ways is necessary. This may be called a proclamation rather than scripture, but in so many ways, they are incredibly similar. They are inspired words written by holy men. So in many ways, we can apply our same scripture study tactics when we read these words. What do we learn from the Restoration Proclamation this week? How do we apply it in our own lives? Surely there are many different ways to liken these words to our lives as there are many different lives being led right now; let’s just talk about one. The Restoration Proclamation testifies of Joseph Smith’s First Vision in which he went out into the woods to pray. He was confused about what he needed to do, and so he decided to turn to the Lord about it. In the words of our proclamation, “He had questions regarding the salvation of his soul and trusted that God would direct him.” The salvation of his soul At first glance, it may feel as though we don’t often turn to the Lord with the specific concerns that Joseph did. Perhaps we are seeking to follow the Lord and protect the state of our souls, but how often do we directly approach Him about the salvation of our souls? And yet, how often do we approach Him with variations of that same question? If we really think about it, aren’t most of our questions regarding the state of our soul in one way or another? Whether we’re seeking answers to questions or pleading for help because we’re worried about something going on in our lives, it can often be drawn back to the fact that we’re looking to be safe and happy in our futures. In this manner, we all can relate to Joseph. We all want to know that we’re on a path that’s going to lead us towards an eternal future that is going to be content and okay and happy. Even those living without religion in the world are seeking that same end; they just want to know that their future is going to be okay (no matter how long or short they may believe it to be). It’s the next part of that sentence that not everyone relates to, and it’s that part of the sentence that can actually change our lives. Trusted that God would direct Him Joseph believed in a God who wanted to answer his prayer. He trusted that God would lead him in the right direction. Joseph did not have a lot of knowledge by the world’s standards. His education was short-lived, and even the short-lived formal schooling was spotty at best. There were a lot of things that Joseph didn’t know, even religiously. I think of one experience Joseph had while translating The Book of Mormon. Emma described Joseph as becoming pale and asking her if Jerusalem had a wall around it. When Emma replied that it did (because it was described in the bible), Joseph was relieved because he was worried he had been deceived. Joseph definitely learned the gospel throughout his mortal life and by the end of it, I would guess that he knew a lot about a lot, specifically in regards to spiritual matters. However, he didn’t start out that way. He started out very unlearned, but he knew the most important things. Potentially one of the most essential pieces of knowledge that Joseph had was that he knew God would answer His prayer and lead him along. A knowledge of truth, any truth, is commendable and good. However, some truths are far more valuable than others. I grew up learning the gospel in my home and at church. I could recite any number of doctrines that we believed, not to mention different things I had learned at school. However, it took me a while to trust and feel and know that God wanted to lead me along in my life. Since I have become confident in that fact, my life has changed and become hopeful. Do you know that God wants to lead you along? When you kneel down to pray, when you are faced with uncertainty, when you don’t necessarily hear any direct answers from Him, do you have a confident knowledge that He is there guiding the details? Do you feel safe in His ability to save you, in any aspect of the word “save?” Confidence in every aspect of the word Faith in a specific principle changes how you live your life. When you have faith that you’re going to be alive tomorrow, you do your laundry and eat food and set things up to be prepared for the next day. When you have faith or knowledge (or if you find yourself at any point on the scale between those two) that Christ is actively involved, loves you, and has the power to deliver His promises, you look at everything differently. Moments of limbo aren’t necessarily fun, but they don’t induce panic. When He is quiet, you aren’t scared that He’s mad at you; you trust that He will respond in a way that you can hear Him if He needs to respond. When you repent, you rejoice in the fact that your place with Him is secure because of His immense power. When you have a major certification test that will largely determine your career or when you are jumping into the unknown with your entire family, there may still be some hesitation and anxiety, but it doesn’t produce despair. Things may not turn out how you like, and it’s okay to feel disappointed about that. However, when you ultimately know that the Lord will guide you in the salvation of your soul, it ultimately trumps all the other emotions. You look forward to the future, when the Lord is going to fulfill all His promises, and it affects how you look at today. This is true of any question we’re bringing to the Lord. It is true from the smallest details to the catastrophic times in our lives. The Lord will guide you in your salvation, and salvation includes the very mortal aspects of life that you’re experiencing now. He will guide you, but until you trust that He’s guiding you, you’re going to continue to struggle in ways that are unnecessary. So work on building that trust and knowledge. Enabling power When you know the Lord is going to guide you in the salvation of your soul, it changes how you feel about your day and your future. Beyond that, trusting in the Lord’s ability to guide your salvation makes you powerful. I am convinced that it was Joseph’s trust in God that prepared him to open up the restoration and change the world. It was that specific knowledge that enabled him to survive his chaotic, traumatizing life, and it was also that specific knowledge that enabled him to move mountains. He knew that God, the Omnipotent and loving Being, was on his side. How could he fail? When we experience God, both in our temporal lives and in the worshiping tools we’ve been given, we collect moments of trust. When we come to trust Him as Joseph trusted Him, not only will we feel more hope, but we will be the powerful tools He wants us to become. I am a powerful mother who changes the lives of her children because I believe (and therefore, allow) God to guide me in how I choose to respond to the agency of my children. I am a powerful wife because I believe (and therefore, allow) God to guide me regarding how to be happy in my marriage. I am a powerful person because I believe (and therefore, allow) God to guide me in any aspect He chooses to do so. And when He feels quiet, I allow my confidence in His ability to reach me bring the peace I need to move forward of my own accord. I testify of a Heavenly Father and Savior who are actively involved. I have seen it again and again and again and again, and thus far, it hasn’t gotten old. I have much more confidence in Him than I used to, but I still often find myself surprised by how prepared He is to pull me in the right direction. I testify that He is powerful enough to deliver, and I testify that He wants to deliver. If you do not feel at peace, then the only missing ingredient is your trust in Him. You don’t need to beat yourself up about that; it takes time to build trust. Don’t beat yourself up; rather, take the opportunity to get to know Him and allow Him to prove Himself to you. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Christmas – Autumn Dickson 16:48

منذ 17 weeks16:48

16:48

As He Is by Autumn Dickson The message I want to share about Christ today is a message I have taught indirectly through other topics for some time. It is a message that has changed my relationship with Him, and therefore, it is a message that has changed my life into a joyful and hopeful one. I am so immensely grateful for it. This year in Come Follow Me, we have read The Book of Mormon. It is called The Book of Mormon because of the prophet, Mormon, who compiled all of the records together so that they might one day be turned into a book. There is a book subtitle that is extremely important; book subtitles are meant to give context and help a reader prepare to look for the message that was meant to be received. The subtitle of The Book of Mormon is, “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” The entire book was written with that purpose in mind. Every chapter was crafted to help us understand Him and how He works among the children of men. There have been a great many times in my life where I have misinterpreted this book, and there will likely be many more times in the future where I likewise continue to misinterpret it. Because of these misinterpretations, I have often assigned characteristics to my Savior that simply don’t fit Him. I have seen anger and wrath, rather than desperate attempts to wake His children up. I have seen condemning warnings, rather than loving advice that was meant to challenge me and push me to live my life at a higher plane. I testify that The Book of Mormon testifies of the true Christ, and I testify that the Spirit can help us to know Him as He is. An extreme level I want to teach what I mean on an extreme level. I teach it this way for two reasons: one, because I believe that seeing it in an extreme case can help us decipher it in more subtle cases and two, because I have observed a common phenomenon that I think could use a direct approach. I have a dear friend that I grew up with; she was abused by her father. For a long time, she stayed close to the church and tried to follow its teachings. She went to church with her family as she watched her abusive father get called as a priesthood leader in the ward, and she would go home and listen to him scream at her family as they ate Sunday dinner together. In fact, she talks about how she can still smell the pot roast and hear her father yelling. He was manipulative and sneaky. He was narcissistic and controlling. When he praised his kids, it was because it made him look like a good father. When he spoke of his love for his wife, it was in his own defense of how he always treated her right. He was extremely insecure, and those closest to him suffered because of it. And yet, despite the turmoil at home, many people at church adored him. Our brains are funny things. The Lord created our brains in a very specific manner. Your experiences, especially those very early experiences at home, often form the framework with how you view the rest of your life. Your brain does this on a literal scale. It’s physically forming connections that push your thoughts in certain directions. The Lord built our brains like this on purpose. When you put your hand on a hot stove, you learn very quickly that you don’t want to do it again. He did this because in many ways, it protects us. Babies, in their first few years of life, form millions of neural connections every single second. This pruning and building in the brain is happening at a much faster rate than any other point in our lives. Everything a baby experiences forms one of these connections, and this is how they learn so quickly. Let me put that in the context of my friend. Because of her early experiences at home, her brain taught her to mistrust certain characteristics. This is what we know as “triggers.” She has an extreme mistrust of the prophets and apostles because those men have similar characteristics (white, male, priesthood leader) to someone who was harmful towards her, and her brain sends flashing warning signals in her mind whenever she hears them speak. She finds them creepy; she assumes their dishonesty. She believes they’re simply seeking their own benefit. Our blueprint for everything gets originally created at home when we are young children (hmmm I wonder why families were so important to the Lord…). This blueprint can change, but it is very difficult to physically alter some of those connections that were so thoroughly put in place when we were simply babies, especially connections that were formed, repeated, and cemented over and over and over and over and over again. After everything she experienced at the hands of her father, after all the harm it caused her, is it any wonder that her brain would send neon flashing signals that she needs to be wary of these other men who reflect her father? Is it any wonder that she imagines those men, preaching at the pulpit, going home to be unkind to their families? Is it any wonder that she doesn’t want to hear about a Savior who preached about Himself? No matter how many good actions we can read about the Savior in the scriptures, she will see the facade that her father created. Needless to say, she’s not a member anymore. The more subtle connections Now, like I said, this was an extreme example, but the principle remains and it has plentiful implications. What you experience at home is the blueprint through which you view everything, including religion, leadership, and God. What you know about Christ often starts with how your parents loved you. So when I read The Book of Mormon, or any words about Christ, I am going to interpret how Christ is acting according to what I learned at home. Implication number one. We take the name of Jesus Christ upon us when we are baptized. One of the ten commandments is to not take His name in vain. Surely, we don’t need to be saying unholy variations of “Oh my gosh,” but more importantly, we need to act in a way that reflects Christ if we’re going to try and call ourselves members of His church. The damage that can be caused by people who call themselves Christian but act decidedly un-Christian is immense. This doesn’t mean we have to act perfect because that’s impossible. No one will be able to perfectly reflect the Savior even when they’re the prophet, His literal mouthpiece on the earth. There is a responsibility on the part of the giver to try and reflect the Savior, but there is also a responsibility on the part of the receiver to be compassionate to weakness, to decipher honest but imperfect attempts to resemble Him, and to separate the imperfections of their daily interactions with the perfection of the Savior. Which leads me to my second implication. To know Him Home is the blueprint in which we view the Savior. This doesn’t mean we go and blame our parents if we don’t feel close to the Savior. As I have become a parent, my eyes have been opened to just how hard it is to do the right thing. My parents did a fantastic job, and because of that, I know that my brain was literally set up to have healthy relationships as well as a good foundation to build upon. My parents were not perfect, but they gave me a pretty dang good starting place with which to know my Savior. There are other reasons we don’t blame our parents for the gaps in understanding about our Savior. There have been times when I have tried to communicate to my children, “I love you so I’m setting this boundary, and I’m pushing you to be independent even though it’s uncomfortable for you.” I fully, whole-heartedly (mostly because they tell me in plain terms) that the message that was received is, “You don’t care that I’m uncomfortable; you must not love me.” The blueprint we form at home comes from direct instruction and actions from our parents, but it’s also formed on erroneous interpretations that came about because we were tired toddlers or angsty teenagers. All of this is important to understand because it empowers us to change our blueprint on purpose. It empowers us to change the lens in which we view the Savior. It allows us to disengage with the characteristics we projected onto the Savior that simply aren’t there. If you often feel like you’re annoying, this is going to affect your relationship with Christ. If you feel like you’re a constant burden, you’re not going to turn to Him for help. If you think nobody cares what you do or how you act, this is going to be reflected in how you choose to follow God. The Savior is perfect. He perfectly loves you, and He is perfectly capable of saving and supporting you. He wants to be around you. He wants to be reunited with you. Is that what you see when you think of Him? Or do you see the imperfections of this world and project them on to Him? When you read The Book of Mormon (or any account of the Savior), are you interpreting His actions as they are? Or are you looking at Him through a distorted, damaged lens? The best thing I ever did was try and embrace my Savior as He truly is, to embrace His love, to view His actions as extensions of that love. If you are one of those who find themselves with a truly broken blueprint (or even just someone with the normal errors), then my message is the same. The Savior is perfectly able to heal, uplift, and bless you, but you have to believe. You have to choose to see Him in the proper light. He can’t force you to believe that He is who He says He is. No matter how often He has professed His love or chosen His actions according to that love, it will not matter if you refuse to believe His intentions were love. It won’t matter if you stubbornly hold to the blueprint that was handed to you rather than allowing Him to heal you and change your life. I testify that He is all who He says He is. I testify that everything we read about in The Book of Mormon this year teaches us about Him, but we have to interpret those words with the help of the Spirit. I testify that He can heal and change lives. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Christmas – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 10 – Autumn Dickson 16:57

منذ 18 weeks16:57

16:57

Belief to Knowledge by Autumn Dickson This week, we are left with the final testimony given in The Book of Mormon. Moroni testifies of The Book of Mormon, spiritual gifts, and Christ’s ability to perfect us. Moroni also speaks about revelation. He talks about how to know whether The Book of Mormon is true (as well as the truth of all things), and he also speaks about the role of the Holy Ghost in this process. Moroni 10:7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever. The word “know” can be a heavy one in our religion. What does it mean to truly know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? What does it mean to truly know that He sacrificed Himself for us? What does it mean to truly know Him? We often use this word, “know.” I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using it; I don’t think that needs to be changed. On the flip side, I’m also grateful for the conversations that have opened up about the importance of belief. Distinguishing between belief and true knowledge has been a nuance that has both comforted and enlightened me. It has comforted me in the sense that belief feels more sufficient than it previously did. It has enlightened me in the sense that I recognize the eventual goal of “true knowledge,” and the Lord has been able to teach me the process of attaining it by utilizing belief. Today I want to talk a little bit about the importance of belief, and I want to talk about the process of true knowledge. The place of belief When we talk about true knowledge, I’m talking about the point where you don’t have belief any longer. It has completely given way to knowledge and you don’t have to believe in something you can’t see because you know. When we talk about knowledge in this manner, it can often feel like belief is “lesser.” Our goal is to reach the point where we don’t need faith any longer, almost like the stage of belief was always meant to be overcome. The belief stage (in comparison to the knowledge stage) is not something to be overcome. Yes, we are working towards a true knowledge of Christ. However, the goal of the belief stage is not simply to overcome. There are lessons and strengthening exercises that can only be acquired when we are still in that belief stage. There is a reason Heavenly Father sent us down to earth with a veil placed over our eyes. He was wise enough to know that there were characteristics we could only develop in this manner. If I truly saw the Lord, would I be following and trusting Him or would I be seeking out a selfish, personal reward? Would I be developing that relationship with Christ or would I just be doing the logical thing so that I wouldn’t be miserable for eternity? Requiring a belief stage enables us to dig deeper within ourselves and grow to be like Christ, rather than simply trying to gain a reward. It forces us to go through the process of experimenting, and as we experiment, we change and become like Him and develop the innate desire to actually be like Him. Let me try explaining it in this manner. Let’s pretend that Heavenly Father sent me to earth without the veil. I get here, I know what’s on the other side, so I do what I’m told because it would be ridiculous to do anything else. I’m just trying to make sure I’m not miserable for eternity. There isn’t anything really required of me. It doesn’t force me to actually go through the process of figuring things out. I can “succeed” by going through the motions. But He did send me with a veil. And because He did, the process looks different. If I want to learn whether the truth is here and whether there is a Heavenly Father who loves me, I have to experiment. As I experiment, I still don’t fully know whether I’m on the right path. However, I do start to learn that I innately want to live my life in this manner. I learn that focusing on others frees me. I learn that being honest helps me avoid a lot of cringey feelings. I learn that relationships should be prioritized because they bring happiness. I change according to what I’m learning during my experiment. Part of Heavenly Father’s character is knowledge of the reality of eternity. He follows these laws of His own accord, not because He wants to gain a reward, but because He knows that it’s the true path to eternal happiness. He asks us to follow Jesus Christ, not as the goal in and of itself. He asks us to follow Jesus Christ so that we can learn for ourselves . He wants us to innately know and feel the nature of good and evil. Experimenting allows us to focus on whether the path is truly making us happy beings. It allows us to learn for ourselves. The belief stage is critical to exaltation. We don’t need to be ashamed of being in the stage where we have faith, where we believe rather than know. It’s an important stage. Do not simply seek to get through this part to the knowledge part. Appreciate the belief stage because it is a necessary step in your progression. How we actually achieve knowledge Now that was a bit of a tangent off of the verse that I wanted to talk about for today, but I felt it was an important tangent. Appreciating the belief stage sufficiently and understanding Heavenly Father’s tools accurately can help us on the path to knowledge. Let’s look at that verse from Moroni again. “Ye may know that He is.” We can know. The veil doesn’t need to last our entire lives. And yes, I am talking about being redeemed from the fall and being brought back into His presence. It’s an exciting notion, and it’s a notion I’ve been fascinated with since before my mission. That being said, there are some powerful and humbling lessons that I’ve received on this journey of learning about the process of knowing. The first lesson is found in the very next phrase in Moroni’s verse. “By the power of the Holy Ghost.” A true knowledge does not stem from seeing the Lord. Laman and Lemuel saw an angel, and it didn’t do anything for them! They were physically shaken by the Lord and the effects on their hearts were minimal. There were plenty of people who saw the Lord and still didn’t know. True knowledge of the Savior can only be acquired through the Holy Ghost. And this is precisely why it’s so important to appreciate the belief stage. A desire to overcome the belief stage is often a sign of misunderstandings about how true knowledge of the Savior is acquired. Sometimes we think the process goes like this: I build up my faith sufficiently over time until I’m finally good enough that the Lord lets me see Him and then I know He is real. My belief stage is over and replaced with knowledge. The process actually goes like this: We build up faith and utilize faith to grow sufficiently; we go through that process of learning about the nature of good and evil for ourselves. We appreciate faith, and it helps us appreciate the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the messenger by which we acquire true knowledge. Seeing the Savior is a beautiful experience (at least I assume it is), but it’s not necessarily part of the process of acquiring a true knowledge of Him. You CAN know the Lord; you can also have an absolute knowledge of Him without seeing Him. True knowledge of the Savior comes from the Holy Ghost. Being brought back into His presence is a separate experience. I’m sure they can happen at the same time, but they are distinct experiences. Knowledge of spiritual things is transmitted through the Holy Ghost. When I say that a desire to “overcome” the belief stage implies a misunderstanding of the process of acquiring true knowledge, it’s because a desire to overcome often disallows the process of embracing faith. Embracing faith is necessary to appreciating the Holy Ghost, and it is the Holy Ghost that helps us acquire knowledge. Let me explain it concretely. If I’m trying to overcome the stage where my kids are little, I’m often focused on surviving and getting through it. Don’t get me wrong; sometimes surviving is necessary. What I’m trying to illustrate is the fact that if I’m surviving, I’m usually not embracing or appreciating. If I’m thinking, “Man, I just want to know. I don’t want to have to wait and believe,” then I’m going to miss out on internalizing messages from the Holy Ghost that will actually bring the knowledge. If you’re constantly trying to have big, crazy experiences that you erroneously assume will give you knowledge, then you’re not actually going to be able to acquire that knowledge. It only comes through the Holy Ghost! When you understand that true knowledge comes from the Holy Ghost, you cherish the small whisperings. You collect them. You embrace the strengthening exercises when you have to follow the Lord without knowing. You experiment and go through the process of learning the nature of good and evil for yourself. And as you work through these strengthening exercises and as you innately understand the nature of good and evil, you finally become ready for true knowledge. You don’t need faith anymore because you have gleaned all that you can glean from faith. In summary Elder Hales taught, “Our faith prepares us to be in the presence of the Lord.” In summary faith enables us to be prepared because of two reasons. 1) It pushes us through the process of experimenting and innately learning the nature of good and evil, a characteristic that is necessary to develop if we want to be like Heavenly Father. 2) It pushes us to lay hold of our experiences with the Holy Ghost. Because the Holy Ghost is the true avenue of acquiring knowledge , we need to appreciate those small experiences and collect them. Moroni talks about truth often throughout this chapter. He talks about how we can know the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon through the Holy Ghost, and he also teaches us that we can know the truth about all things by embracing the Holy Ghost. I am grateful that Heavenly Father was wise enough to require a belief stage. I’m grateful that the experiences He pulls me through are so nuanced and perfect for me to learn from. I’m grateful that He knows how to bring about the immortality and eternal life of me, and I’m grateful He sent His Son to pay for my learning experience. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 10 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 7–10 – Mike Parker 38:14

منذ 18 weeks38:14

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Additional teachings of Mormon; Moroni’s final witness (Moroni 7–10) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Mormon₂ wrote of “the light of Christ” ( Moroni 7:15–19 ) and Joseph Smith revealed more about the light of Christ in D&C 88:5–13 . C. Kent Dunford explains what we know about this power that emanates from God: “ Light of Christ ,” in Encyclopedia of Mormonism , ed. Daniel H. Ludlow, 4 vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 2:835. Moroni chapter 8 is Mormon₂’s epistle on the salvation of little children. For more on this doctrine, see Robert L. Millet, “ Alive in Christ: the Salvation of Little Children ,” in Fourth Nephi, From Zion to Destruction , eds. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 1995), 1–17. Latter-day Saint scholar Royal Skousen believes, based on internal evidence, that the term “pleasing bar” in Moroni 10:34 and Jacob 6:13 should read “ pleading bar,” a legal term referring to the bar in a court of law before which a defendant pleads his or her case. See Skousen, “ The Pleading Bar of God ,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 42 (2021): 21–36. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 7–10 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 7–9 – Autumn Dickson 14:03

منذ 18 weeks14:03

14:03

May Christ Lift Thee by Autumn Dickson I had an experience right before I went on my mission. An article had come out about Texas making abortion more legal and accessible. I want to be very clear here in the beginning that this post is not about abortion itself. This is the story I’m choosing to tell in order to teach my principle, but the principle isn’t actually regarding abortion. Anyway, the article that I read actually went into detail about abortion. It outlined different ways in which babies are aborted. In fact, it actually went into graphic detail about how some abortions are performed. There was one method in particular that was especially brutal, and it included pictures and diagrams. There is a lot of scientific debate regarding when fetuses develop the ability to feel pain. Regardless, this article haunted me for quite some time. I couldn’t stop thinking about it whenever I had a moment to myself. I remember seeing those pictures and diagrams every time I closed my eyes. I remember thinking about how confused and hurt these tiny babies must have felt when their warm little world was suddenly interrupted. I remember wondering if a spirit was already inhabiting the body and whether they went straight back to Heavenly Father, disappointed that their opportunity had been cut short. I know abortion is a messy subject. I know that there are girls out there who had to make decisions alone, and those decisions were based on fear. I know that there is a lot of pain surrounding the topic, and I don’t want to further inflict pain. But I share this experience because I feel like it highlights a true principle. As this article stuck to me, I remember I couldn’t sleep very well. I just kept seeing all those babies. I remember I finally got out of bed and knelt down to pray about it. I hadn’t prayed about it before because I figured there wasn’t anything Heavenly Father could do. He had allowed for agency. Abortion was likely to stick around until Christ came again. I figured the only way I was going to find comfort again was when the issue finally stopped, and that wouldn’t be for some time. But it got to the point where I wasn’t coping or sleeping so I prayed about it. It shocked me the comfort that was immediately granted to me. I had a picture of Christ welcoming those spirits back. Their pain was comparatively short lived, and Christ wouldn’t allow them to truly miss out on any opportunities. I remember them feeling comforted and being healed. This was probably one of my first experiences with Christ’s atonement where it was specifically utilized to make up for tragedy that couldn’t be explained on earth. I could feel that those spirits were okay. As I’ve grown older, I’ve also come to appreciate His ability to heal the mothers. He can heal any pain that we have caused to others, and that can bring immense relief. This is the experience that I thought of when I read Mormon’s words to his son. Moroni 9:25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. There is so much tragedy in the world. I am so grateful that I’ve had experiences with Christ’s atonement that have left me feeling hope. I am so grateful for the experiences I’ve had of Christ that taught me innocents are ultimately healed and blessed beyond measure. For those we love Christ’s atonement applies to the innocent, but it also applies to those we love. I had a good friend whose father went off the deep end. After living a “normal” life, he quickly turned to vices that led to his death. He abandoned his family, got into drugs, racked up immense amounts of debt in the form of money and pain, and then he ended his own life. My friend loved his father and was trying to serve a mission despite the fact that all of this had happened within the previous year. I applaud him for trying. I also applaud the fact that he had wise leaders who sent him home to heal from the overwhelming tragedy. As he was attempting to serve, he started asking questions about where his father was. Despite the pain that had been caused by his father towards the end of his father’s life, my friend had mostly grown up with a stable home life. He loved his father. He had many good associations with his father. He didn’t want his father to suffer. He didn’t want to serve and testify of the eternal nature of families when he was so deeply hurting over the pain within his own family. I don’t know where his father is. I can’t testify that the atonement has saved him because I don’t know if he accepted it. I have hope. Though I don’t condone or encourage suicide, suicide can be an indication of remorse which is a step towards the atonement. I hope that remorse stayed and propelled him in the right direction. That likely would not have been comforting to my friend who just wanted to hear that his father was being taken care of. Luckily, I can testify of this. Every choice the Lord is making in regards to my friend’s father is the wisest form of care. Sometimes we want to just take away all the pain and make it go away, but this is not always the best care we can provide. The Lord knows that, and He provides what is truly needed. That’s the power of the atonement. Every single portion of it is merciful and just. The part where Christ withholds the power of His atonement from those who refuse to repent is easily seen as just, but it is also merciful. It is an attempt to bring that soul back because if that soul doesn’t repent, then they will continue harming others and themselves. The pain continues. There would be no reason to even apply Christ’s atonement because the harm would continue on without changing. Why even put on a bandaid if you’re just going to take a knife to it again anyway? I often picture the experience in the spirit world being akin to the story from “A Christmas Carol.” The spirits who chose wrong on earth find themselves in a “prison” of sorts, but I don’t picture an actual, physical jail. I picture these spirits becoming vastly aware of their choices in their previous life. They can see us more than we can see them. They are forced to acknowledge the pain they caused without being able to fix it since they have already passed on. This definitely feels like a prison; it can feel so painful; it is a life without the atonement. But it can also provide the bridge towards true healing. Scrooge was offered an opportunity to go fix his life. The spirits who have moved on from this stage of existence can’t go back and fix things, but they can embrace Christ’s atonement, and it can free them in the same way. Which leads me to my last point. For the guilty The atonement of Jesus Christ is surely good news to the innocent. It is good news to those who have loved ones who have chosen wrong. Eternal life will be made truly available to all, including those who were born into circumstances where they never even really had a chance to rise above. It is available to those who wouldn’t even know how to accept it in this life. This is all extremely comforting. The atonement can also bring a lot of peace to the guilty, and I’m not just talking about the fact that you had your sins paid for. I’m talking about the aspect that Christ heals others from the pains you brought. The repentance process can be uncomfortable for many reasons. One of the reasons is that you recognize the harm you caused others. In many cases, it may feel better to continue on in your path rather than turn around and acknowledge that you may have caused irreparable pain. However, if we can accept Christ’s atonement and if we allow that painful recognition to change our future choices, we find freedom from the knowledge that we hurt others. And this is the true difference between those who inhabit spirit paradise or prison. Everyone who comes to earth hurts others. We have all caused pain. I was literally thinking about some of my worst moments last night when I was trying to go to bed. We all wince when we remember times that we really hurt someone. The difference between those who find paradise and those who find prison (in this life or the next life) is a knowledge of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I have often found myself cringing when I think of how I’ve hurt others throughout my life. The only thing that has ever brought me relief (i.e. paradise) is my trust that the atonement can heal those I’ve hurt. Because I’ve felt Him heal me, I know He can heal others. It doesn’t have to kill me forever. He can fix the mistakes I made and bring relief and happiness to everyone. We can all be okay again. I’m grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. In so many ways, I know that I’m oblivious to the true depths of the atonement because I know that I have not suffered as some have suffered. But I have had experiences with His atonement, and I do know that it’s real. Those experiences are real enough that I have cause to believe that they extend even deeper and further than I understand. Christ heals. He heals the innocent. He heals those we love. He heals the guilty. The hope of His glory and eternal life can rest in our minds and free us from spiritual prisons. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 7–9 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 1–6 – Autumn Dickson 14:03

منذ 20 weeks14:03

14:03

Moroni and Loneliness by Autumn Dickson Moroni understood the concept of loneliness. Even before all of his people were wiped out, Moroni practiced his beliefs on his own except for his father. He likely found himself surrounded by his peers, unable to connect with them because of gaping differences in beliefs, desires, and values. People probably didn’t understand him, and though he loved his people, he probably still felt awfully alone. And then came the genocide. Moroni was the last Nephite prophet to live upon the land. He had the authority to lead the church on the earth, and yet, he was the last one in the church to lead. According to the institute manual, Moroni lived for 36 years after that last battle between the Nephites and Lamanites in which all of his loved ones were destroyed. He lived alone in the land except for the Lamanites who were trying to kill him because he wouldn’t deny the Christ. Like I said before, Moroni knew the concept of loneliness. Let’s talk about a couple of things that might have been adjacent to this loneliness. He thought he was done with the work Moroni wrote a couple of things in his father’s book after his father died. He then abridged a record of the Jaredites. After completing this specific work, he thought he was done. Moroni 1:4 Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord. From previous writings, we know that Moroni didn’t feel like a very strong writer. It wasn’t his forte. Perhaps he was a great soldier, considering the fact that he outlived everyone else who was destroyed. He was a survivalist as he spent decades alone. Honestly, I’m the exact opposite. I can write, but I’m pretty sure I would have died within the first couple of weeks of being on my own trying to avoid getting killed. Moroni had his talents, and perhaps writing really wasn’t one of them. It didn’t matter though. He was the last Nephite prophet, and because of that, the Lord had some work for him to do. I wonder if Moroni wished he didn’t have to do it. I wonder if he looked at the records and knew that there was plenty of doctrine. Moroni saw our day, and he likely saw the restoration of the gospel. He chose to include some of the ordinance wording and instructions despite the fact that he knew these things could easily be restored through Joseph Smith. There were a great many ways that the teachings of Moroni could have reached us without him having to deal with it on top of everything else he was dealing with. It wasn’t like he could just hide the plates in a compartment in his car and run off with them at the first sign of trouble. Moroni had to protect the plates, find time to “write” in them, and he did all of this on top of his grief. He fulfilled his prophetic role while simultaneously doing everything that was needed to simply survive. The Lord doesn’t choose to give work according to what’s convenient. It’s simple enough for him to enable us throughout our circumstances. Rather, He gives us work that we need. Though Moroni did not feel like a strong writer, and though he had plenty of other things weighing on his mind, I can only imagine how these extra responsibilities turned into a blessing rather than a hindrance. It might not have felt that way at first, but I imagine that this process made his 36 lonely years bearable. Consider what Moroni had to abridge within the record of the Jaredites. The people completely destroy each other at the end, but there is one prophet left: Ether. Ether was left behind by the rest of the people so that he could witness what had happened and record it. Moroni recorded the last words of Ether: Ether 15:34 Now the last words which are written by Ether are these: Whether the Lord will that I be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved in the kingdom of God. Amen. Ether may not have been standing directly in front of him, but here was a deep connection between the two men. Both men knew what it was to watch their people destroy each other unnecessarily. They had watched their people drown in violence rather than heed simple warnings. They had both been left to observe it and record it for future generations. Obviously, I’m pulling in details that may or may not have happened, but imagine Moroni for a moment. Imagine him trying to be strong, even as he is alone and drowning in grief. I imagine him asking the Lord, “So how do I die then? How long do I remain here and then what is the end? Why am I still here?” And then imagine him finding those last words in the records. “It mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved.” Moroni knew what it meant to be saved. He knew the Savior. He was a strong and good man. But most of us know what it means to be saved. Most of us know the Savior and are strong and good people. However, how many times have we still needed those reminders in the midst of grief? How many times have we needed those tender mercies regardless of the knowledge that the Lord had already given? Moroni didn’t want to write. He didn’t think it would necessarily help anyone because he didn’t believe he was a good writer anyway. He had other things on his mind, and yet, I can’t help but wonder if the writing saved him time and again as he was given opportunities to reflect on the Lord. I wonder if the responsibility to write and abridge records is what gave him the strength he needed to finish his work on the earth. The sacrament As I mentioned already, Moroni was a prophet to himself. He didn’t have a church to lead, but he still had the authority to perform ordinances even if they were just for himself. If he followed the pattern of weekly sacrament meetings, then Moroni took the sacrament alone approximately 1,872 times. Perhaps it wasn’t weekly, but we know that the church was the same in ancient times as it is now. Moroni took the sacrament often enough to renew his covenants. The responsibility to write and abridge blessed him, but I also wonder if these regular ordinances strengthened him. Every week, he was reminded of the Lord’s atonement. The Lord’s atonement is so broad and infinite, and yet, it was also individual and specific. The Lord knew Moroni’s loneliness. He knew Moroni’s fear. He knew what it was to lose a father, to lose your entire people to violence. Each week, or at least regularly, Moroni was given an opportunity to remember that he wasn’t truly alone. Regularly, Moroni was given an opportunity to remember that the deepest tragedies can be healed by the Savior. He was given opportunities to remember that he would be reunited with his father as well as other believing Saints. He would be given an opportunity to connect with Ether the prophet who so poignantly understood his pain. The same goes for us. Oftentimes, I believe that Satan likes to compound our mortal miseries with making the church feel like a burden. He likes to whisper in our ears that we’re too depressed, weary, lonely, and anxious to go and partake in regular worshiping activities. I know he’s whispered those things in my ear. Satan has most definitely tricked me into believing that life was too heavy, and he has definitely whispered that I didn’t need to participate every single time. And to an extent, he’s right. He does love to give partial truths. Missing the sacrament one week doesn’t have to knock your entire eternal life off balance. However, the real problem with his whisperings is the idea that these worship activities are burdens. The times in my life where worshiping has felt like a burden almost always point back to the fact that I’m “worshiping” wrong. I’m going through the motions. I’m fulfilling church duties. I’m doing it because I’m supposed to. In other words, I’m not even truly worshiping; I didn’t make it about the Savior at all! The times that I have felt like “worshiping” is a burden are the times that I have taken the Savior out of the entire equation. When I actually keep the Savior in the ordinance or worship activity, they are always a blessing. When I actually remember Him, I remember all He has given and all He continues to give. I remember what He sacrificed and felt on my behalf. I remember the opportunities He has provided me with to become like Him. I remember that I’m not alone in my grief, and I remember that He has the capacity to provide happy endings. So go to church. Take the sacrament. Go to the temple. Wear your garments. Read your scriptures. Speak to Him and listen for Him. And more importantly than anything else, include Him. If you truly include Him in those activities, you will find the same blessings Moroni felt in the midst of his grief, uncertainty, and loneliness. I know these things to be true. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 1–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 12–15 – Autumn Dickson 21:10

منذ 21 weeks21:10

21:10

Valuable Weakness by Autumn Dickson For the chapters this week, we go back and forth a bit between Moroni speaking directly and his abridgment of the Jaredite record. Whenever Moroni is directly speaking (and this is true of the chapters that we read in Mormon as well), we find that Moroni is really concerned about his weakness in writing. He talks about it plenty in Mormon, and he brings it up again during these chapters in Ether. He did not believe himself to be a strong writer, and this was probably exacerbated by the fact that he was simultaneously dealing with a myriad of personal problems. But it’s beautiful that Moroni was meek and open about his weakness. Because he chose to be vulnerable and talk to the Lord about it, the Lord was able to teach all of us specific principles about weaknesses and their place in the Plan of Salvation. Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. The Lord taught us that He gave weakness to us, and then the Lord taught us that He can make weak things strong. He gave us weakness There is a phrase in verse 27 that’s super important. The Lord proclaims that He gave weakness to us. It’s important to understand that weakness can stem from a lot of places. For example, when we fall into temptation and sin, we carve out a weakness that can last for a long time afterwards. Not all weakness is given directly by the Lord, but He does clearly teach us that giving weakness is something He does. This is significant. Not only does the Lord allow for weakness and take care of weakness through His atoning sacrifice, but He also gave weakness. We often look down on weakness, especially in ourselves. We resent our own weaknesses for inhibiting us from truly being able to serve the Lord. But here this verse is teaching us that the Lord gave it to us. Like a gift. How does this change how you view your weakness? This didn’t necessarily make sense to me as a teenager. If the Lord is trying to make us like Him, wouldn’t He give us strengths when we ask for them? I feel like I’m still trying to fully wrap my head around the concept, but I believe that the only way for us to truly develop specific Christlike characteristics is to have to earn them the hard way. Let me give an example. If I were looking to develop more compassion, I could pray for it. It would be easy for the Lord to just “give” me extra compassion, and I believe that sometimes He does that. Perhaps I need compassion for someone in my ward that I don’t get along with. Let’s say the Lord chooses to bless me with that temporary compassion, my eyes are opened to the reality of this ward member, and I’m changed because of the experience and feel a desire to show more compassion in the future. Sometimes, the Lord gives us strengths. But sometimes, when we pray for something like compassion, He answers us by giving weaknesses. The Lord loves to support us and teach us and give us what we need to develop into a Being like Him. Part of developing into what He is will require us gaining the experiences we need to be compassionate without His constant, direct interference. To stick with our same example, He wants us to learn to be innately compassionate and not just lean on His compassion. When the Lord opens our eyes and gives us some of His compassion, it can be very powerful. It can be just as powerful when He answers that plea with weakness. Sometimes I get depressed, and there have definitely been a million times in my life when I’ve resented it for being a stumbling block when I’ve been trying to do what the Lord wants. It makes it harder to feel connected to my husband, and I get testy with him. It makes it harder for me to engage with my kids when I want to hide in a closet. It makes it harder to find messages in the scriptures and teach because my own mind is my stumbling block. I can’t say for sure whether this is one of those weaknesses that Heavenly Father gave me, but whether or not He directly gave it to me, He definitely allowed for it. It is very easy to see how it’s a weakness. I can name a million times that it interfered with who I wanted to be. On the flip side, it’s taught me things that I couldn’t have learned in any other way. It’s given me opportunities to develop characteristics that will serve me well as I engage in the same work that He is engaged in. I have had moments where He has given me something beyond myself, and it has blessed and taught me something. I’ve also had plenty of significant moments where He answered my pleas with weaknesses that pushed me to develop in ways I could not have developed in any other way. Because of those weaknesses, I have benefited in ways I couldn’t have benefited otherwise. Weak things strong The Lord gave us weakness, but He also promised to make weak things become strong unto us. I think there are a million different ways He can answer this promise. Let’s talk about three specific ones. I used to believe it only meant that He would give me strength beyond my own to overcome the obstacle. To put it in more concrete terms, I believed that it meant He would take the difficulty out of it. I would be given a moment of time in which I operated off His goodness, rather than my own. As we’ve discussed previously, He does this sometimes depending on what we need. I was depressed last year as I headed off to FSY to teach. I remember sitting in some of the meetings and wondering how on earth I was going to get through it all because I felt so numb. How was I supposed to bring the Spirit when I couldn’t feel it? How was I supposed to help these kids feel valued when I was so dissociated that nothing felt valuable to me? However, with each class I taught, I watched as He lifted me out of those numb feelings, helped me engage while I needed to, and then removed that extra support as my classes would end. Sometimes, the Lord fulfills our promise to strengthen our weaknesses in the most obvious way. But other times, He makes our weaknesses strong in more subtle ways. We can turn to Moroni to find a solid example of another way that the Lord fulfills His promise to make weak things strong. Moroni is praying to the Lord about his weakness in writing. Ether 12:25-26 25 Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words. 26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness; Moroni was worried that us Gentiles would mock and twist his words. This obviously happens plenty in our day. We see it all the time. People love taking phrases or verses out of The Book of Mormon and twisting those words into something they’re not. I don’t write canonized scripture, but I do write messages about Jesus Christ. I write messages, and I put them on the internet where they are permanently available. I’ve looked over past messages I’ve written, and I’ve realized that there was so much that I didn’t understand yet. I’ve looked over past messages and found everything from silly errors about timelines to messages that could be interpreted too far in one direction and be considered completely false doctrine. I have been weak. I am weak, and I will continue to be weak. And while that weakness is embarrassing and painful sometimes, I have also been strengthened by it. Having my personal messages out there permanently in the ether have made me overwhelmingly aware of those weaknesses, but they have also made me far more meek than I used to be. These specific weaknesses have helped me understand and love the prophets. It has helped me understand that their words hold truth but can also be widely applied depending on circumstances. It has helped me understand that they’re trying to reach many different kinds of audiences with different needs. It has helped me understand that making an error doesn’t mean they don’t know Christ. And because I am more meek than I used to be, I gain so much more from their words. In this way, the Lord didn’t directly strengthen my weakness in writing. He utilized my weakness to develop my meekness. He gave me weakness, I became more meek, and this is a strength. Yet another way He turns our weaknesses into strengths is also more subtle. My husband, Conner, has a unique and strong personality. He’s gifted, like incredibly gifted. He’s the most brilliant man I know; we’re talking autism-genius scale. It’s a good thing he doesn’t listen to these, or he would kill me for saying so. Anyway, I have watched people look at Conner and misunderstand him. They have wondered why he won’t just let go of things or why he can’t let things lie or why he can’t be silent about things that bother him. They see him grip tightly to things that complicate his life, and they think he’s crazy for it. Because I have a front row seat, I see it a little differently. Some of his stronger characteristics have definitely caused him problems in his life. They have made certain aspects of his life more difficult than they needed to be. But in the same breath, I have seen those same strong characteristics be the making of him. I have seen very specific examples where his strong characteristics have enabled him to complete the unique work that he was given to do while he’s here on earth. He would not have been able to fulfill his promises otherwise. The Lord knew that some of these characteristics would bring weakness into his life, but the Lord was also wise enough to know that these characteristics were necessary to make him strong enough to fulfill his mission. That doesn’t mean we can’t work on the weaknesses portion of our characteristics, but sometimes it helps to recognize that some of our supposed weaknesses are also the very strengths we desperately need. In a simpler example, I once had a friend who complained about how she hated being so sensitive. Being sensitive had definitely caused her problems in her interactions with others; it caused her plenty of heartache that she might not have otherwise experienced. However, she was also one of my most trusted friends during a time of dark confusion. She was able to be that trusted friend because she was sensitive enough to recognize the situation more clearly, and she was delicate enough in how she approached me about it. Weakness can be painful, but it can also be ironically powerful. The Lord is wise enough and loving enough to give it to us. He is also powerful enough and loving enough to not allow any weakness permanently interfere with our ability to become like Him in time. Rather, He is powerful enough and loving enough to utilize those very weaknesses to exponentially increase our progress towards becoming like Him. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 12–15 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 6–11 – Autumn Dickson 13:22

منذ 22 weeks13:22

13:22

A Tiny Hinge by Autumn Dickson In the chapters of Ether this week, we watch kingdoms rise and fall with few details. There were plenty of general patterns of righteousness and wickedness, and we likely missed a great many details in the abridged version. On the flip side, there were certain stories that Moroni chose to include. Recognizing which stories and details he prioritized can help us understand the gravity of certain principles. In one of the stories that included more of the detail, we read about a girl who wanted her father to be happy again. Of all the stories that Moroni likely could have chosen from, he wanted our day to read about a critical juncture in the history of the Jaredites where secret combinations were reintroduced among the people. Considering the ability of these secret combinations to destroy entire nations, it’s no wonder that Moroni would want to include this story. When we zoom out from some of the included details, we can find parallels in our day of which we can choose to be wary and cautious. Details surrounding the daughter of Jared Let’s cover the story of the daughter of Jared (not to be confused with the brother of Jared we covered in the last video) in a manner that can allow us to draw out these parallels. It all begins with the daughter noticing the unhappiness of her father. Ether 8:7-8 7 And now Jared became exceedingly sorrowful because of the loss of the kingdom, for he had set his heart upon the kingdom and upon the glory of the world. 8 Now the daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert, and seeing the sorrows of her father, thought to devise a plan whereby she could redeem the kingdom unto her father. Her plan included reintroducing secret combinations through a man named Akish. She would marry him in exchange for Akish killing her grandfather, Omer, and putting Jared back on the throne. For all the tragedy that occurs in this specific story as well as its repercussions, it seems like a small enough beginning. We don’t know everything about this daughter. We don’t know how much she was motivated because she wanted to be the daughter of a king again. We don’t know the exact manner in which she was raised. Was she truly just trying to make her father happy or did she value the same things he did because that was the environment she had been given? Did she understand the consequences of what she was bringing into the world she lived in? Maybe she didn’t care about certain consequences, but if she had been allowed to observe that last battle of her people, would she have reconsidered putting it into the heart of her father? It starts in the heart Great wickedness doesn’t start out as great wickedness. It starts out as problems in the heart. These grow and develop. They can lead to actions that can tip the scales of tragedy in an entire nation or even just in our own lives. I believe in the power of righteous disciples of Christ, but I also recognize the fact that our individual decisions to reject the idea of secret combinations (or any other tempting crossroads) may or may not have an effect on whether they take hold in the countries where we live. So let’s take a second and simply look at the daughter of Jared and what these secret combinations brought about in her own life. Her father desired power, and she wanted to give that to him. She danced before Akish and achieved her wishes. Akish brought about secret combinations and delivered the kingdom to her father. Akish then swiftly turned on his father-in-law by the same means he had utilized to uphold his father-in-law. It’s ironic, but this daughter lost her father because of what she brought into his life to make him happy. And the story doesn’t get better from there. Her father was killed by the husband she had sought out to kill her grandfather. Then her husband starved her son to death, before the rest of her sons went to war against their father. This war killed everyone except 30 souls who fled to Omer. Omer was once again placed on the throne. More patterns of wickedness and secret combinations follow after this specific timeline, but even when we isolate this specific story, we find the patterns of eternity. The daughter of Jared swung the door of destruction on a very tiny hinge. It wreaked havoc in her own life, among her people, and for generations afterwards. A crossroads Recently I came to a bit of a crossroads myself. I made some mistakes this past week that I won’t go into detail about. I’ll simply teach what I learned from the experience. After these mistakes, I recognized that I wasn’t really experiencing consequences. It wasn’t hurting my life. It wasn’t hurting anyone around me. I knew what I had done was wrong, and yet, it’s difficult to flip around and do what’s right when the negative consequences haven’t sunk in. Luckily, I’m old enough now to recognize the tiny hinge. I was at a crossroads. I was not hurting myself yet, at least not to any truly visible degree. But I also fully recognized that continuing on could lead to long-lasting problems that would dramatically affect me and my family. I knew that I never wanted to get to the point where I was experiencing those consequences. I didn’t want to have to live the rest of my life with consequences. I wanted to make the right choice now before any real harm was done. So I prayed for help. I prayed for help recognizing what my life could turn into if I gave in and continued down this path because I figured it would motivate me to get it together. I also just prayed for help in general in moving forward. I ended up having one of the most spiritual Sundays I’ve had in a very long time, and I believe it came as a result of how hard I was trying to repent proactively. There were frequent moments throughout the day that I would be surprised by the forcefulness of how strongly I was feeling His love for me. Great wickedness doesn’t start out as great wickedness. It starts out very small in the heart. In the case of the Jaredite secret combinations, it started out as a man who couldn’t appreciate the fact that he had been given so much after causing so many problems within his own family; I mean consider his context. Jared had put his father into captivity so he could rule. His brothers got mad at him, beat his armies back, spared his life, and even allowed him to get his own house. It also started in the heart of a daughter who wanted to help her father gain his power back rather than recognizing what that road held in store for her. Recognizing the hinge I have observed that the hinges we usually start out with happen in relation to the words of the prophets. Oftentimes, we sacrifice obedience to the words of the prophets because we do what we want and find that we aren’t experiencing any consequences. It’s natural for humans to act and observe what the actions bring them before adjusting their next actions accordingly. We do this as children, and oftentimes, we do it as adults. We think, “Hey I did this even though the prophet said not to, and I still feel really good. I still feel close to God, and I still feel my testimony. I still believe in the church so Heavenly Father must be fine with me doing this. I can handle it.” In some cases, this may be true. The nature of prophetic warnings is to provide a fence between you and a cliff. Climbing over the fence and taking a couple steps towards a cliff doesn’t mean you’re going to immediately free fall over the side. You may climb that fence and still feel your testimony. You may live your whole life playing on the land between the fence and the cliff and never fall off. You may entertain your pride, just as the daughter of Jared did with her father, and you may never bring about the destruction of a nation or the destruction of your family. But one of the things I have learned from delving deeply into Come Follow Me each week is that you are missing out when you ignore the words of the prophets, no matter how small or silly or unnecessary or outdated you may believe they are. You are missing out on privileges that were meant to be your’s. Life is not just about avoiding hell; it’s about experiencing heaven. There are aspects of heaven that you miss out on when you ignore the prophets. These small hinges may not bring about devastating destruction, but they can still close doors to blessings that you didn’t even know were available to you. I testify that these small hinges wield great power. Not only do they protect you from the possibility of specific tragedies you would not otherwise have to experience, but they catapult you further towards privileges. You have a Lord who is willing to reveal all things to you, just as He has to His prophets. He is simply waiting for you to be ready, and whether we like it or not, a huge portion of that readiness is developed by being mature enough to recognize the hinges and act before experiencing consequences. A huge portion of that readiness to receive is developed when you have the faith to utilize those hinges instead of doing what you want with them because they are not destroying your life as they did with the daughter of Jared. I testify of a Heavenly Father who has far more to offer than the cliff, or even just that little spot of land where you can look at the cliff. I testify of a Heavenly Father who works through His prophets, who promised us to work through prophets. I testify of a Heavenly Father who rewards faith in the smallest principles by bringing huge miracles. He wants us to trust Him in everything, and He offers so much in return. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 6–11 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 1–3, 6–11, 13–15 – Mike Parker 52:33

منذ 22 weeks52:33

52:33

The rise & fall of the Jaredites (Ether 1–3, 6–11, 13–15) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes [The below is additional content not included in Mike Parker’s original lesson] This video by Charles Dike from FAIR’s 2023 Defending the Book of Mormon Virtual Conference offers additional insights on the Jaredite voyage: Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 1–3, 6–11, 13–15 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 1–5 – Autumn Dickson 23:05

منذ 23 weeks23:05

23:05

Faith-Building Experiences by Autumn Dickson We have now moved into the book of Ether. Though the people described in the book of Ether occurred before the rest of The Book of Mormon, this record was inserted towards the end of The Book of Mormon. Moroni was the one who worked to add these plates to the records that had been kept by the Nephites. Though the book of Ether ends in tragedy, there are also recorded stories of extremely righteous people. The brother of Jared was one such righteous person. After a series of experiences led by the hand of the Lord, the brother of Jared had the veil removed from his eyes and he was able to behold the Lord. Ether 3:13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you. The brother of Jared achieved the end that we should seek. He was redeemed from the fall and brought back into the presence of God. I often speak about how heaven can be experienced on earth. I’m convinced that this is yet another aspect of heaven that we can receive before we cross over to the other side. The Lord isn’t waiting for us to die before He redeems us from the fall and pulls us back into His presence; He is merely waiting for us to be prepared. The book of Ether is one of my favorite books of scripture because on a minute, digestible scale, the Lord teaches us the kind of experiences we need to have in order to be prepared for what He wants to give us as soon as we are ready. There are many events and principles experienced by the brother of Jared in preparation to receive the Lord. I won’t be able to cover all of them. However, let’s cover a couple of the experiences that build enough faith for the Savior to take full effect in the life of an individual. Observing, listening, and asking As Jared and his brother watched the people around them building the Tower of Babel, they grew concerned. They were in the midst of wickedness. Jared asked his brother to pray to the Lord for deliverance from the confounding of languages. The Lord did so. This is something that is often natural. Something frightening is happening around us, and we want to be protected from it. As the Lord shows up repeatedly, our faith builds in His abilities and desire to take care of us. But there’s another part of this story that I think comes less naturally. It’s no less important; it just tends to require a bit of extra conscious effort. Not only does Jared ask his brother to pray to the Lord to avoid the language problem, but he specifically asks the following. Ether 1:38 And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance. This request from Jared is a little bit different than the other one. It’s different from the time that Lehi and his family were warned by the Lord to flee Jerusalem. This extremely specific question indicates a spiritual maturity in Jared. When I read that verse, I see how the Holy Ghost has been whispering to Jared, hinting at future events and actions that need to take place. Not only does Jared ask, “Should we leave?” Jared sensed that there was something prepared for his family, and proactively worked to achieve that end. I think it’s important to understand that each of us has somewhere we need to be. Maybe it’s not a specific location or job or ward. Maybe it’s not a specific park at a specific time to meet a specific person who needs our specific help. However, we all made promises before we came here. Understanding that can help us to proactively seek out any steps we might be missing. It helps us work to be anxiously engaged. A few years ago, I watched my husband’s assumed and hoped-for future taken away from him. And though I knew it was important to let him deeply grieve what he had lost, the Spirit was whispering to me that there was somewhere else he needed to be to fulfill the promises he had made before coming here. I could feel it so clearly. It took years, but we’re starting to see the path he’s been led to. We are not the Lord’s prophet. We do not have jurisdiction over the church, to guide it and receive revelation about where to take it. But we do each have a jurisdiction, even if it’s just in our families. I believe there are sacred times in our lives where the Lord will whisper to us about future events; He will whisper to us that we should make proactive changes that will take us places we would otherwise miss. Being prepared to receive those small-scale prophesies on behalf of our families increases faith. And it is faith that prepares us to be redeemed from the fall. We see the opposite side of this, when Jared and his family were not being proactive. The families went as far as the seashore, pitched their tents, and they simply stopped. They stayed there for four years. Maybe they completely forgot the Lord and didn’t call on Him at all. Maybe they simply got distracted in the midst of trying to survive, and they stopped listening for the next steps they needed to take. They didn’t go anywhere. They weren’t moving forward. They were living, but they weren’t moving. It’s important to note that following the path the Lord would have you take isn’t always super clear. There have been plenty of times in my life where I felt really insecure about where I was supposed to be. There have been plenty of times that things have felt blank, and He hasn’t been telling me anything. I have learned that sometimes we’re already on the right path, and He doesn’t need to change anything so He doesn’t say anything. Just because you’re not directly feeling those whisperings doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. I’m not telling you that you’re messing up if you haven’t felt those whisperings. I’m trying to encourage you to develop that open stance towards the Lord. I’m trying to encourage you to direct your eyes toward Him, make decisions about what you want in life, and keep an ear open in case He has something to add. Sometimes He is leading us quietly towards those promises we made without whispering ahead of time. The key is to be the kind of person who’s listening so He can easily speak. Obeying and planning After building the barges and coming across two new obstacles, the brother of Jared once again turns to the Lord. He asks how they’ll be able to get air and how they’ll be able to get light. The Lord teaches the brother of Jared what to do in order to get air, and the brother of Jared obeys. He then asks the Lord once again about the light. This time the Lord responds differently. He asks the brother of Jared what he wants the Lord to do for him. The brother of Jared decides to prepare stones for the Lord to touch and light up. The Lord acquiesces. These are two principles that I paired together hoping that the contrast between the two would help us better see them as separate experiences. It’s important to have both kinds of experiences to build our faith. The first is simple obedience. Obedience builds faith because we follow the Lord according to His foreknowledge and later on, when we see the blessings of that obedience, we realize the Lord really does know what He’s talking about. Obedience is taught often. Most of us have an understanding of the principle of obedience. The second experience is slightly different. It’s not just obedience. The Lord is pushing the brother of Jared to choose for himself. The Lord wants him to solve the problem, and He will provide the support. If you’ve studied child development or parenting styles, you learn just how cool the Lord is. We have learned that doing everything for our kids can actually cause a lot of problems. When we step in again and again to solve things for them, we’re teaching them that they can’t do it. We’re teaching them that they’re inherently too small or unskilled to handle problems and come up with solutions. The Lord wants us to feel a power within ourselves, a power that is inherently there because we are His children. I had a friend once express to me that she thought it was pretty sacrilegious to believe that the Lord was trying to exalt us, to push us to grow and develop. She believed we were sent here to simply worship and praise and let Him carry us. I don’t mock this belief; sometimes I think we need more of the belief that He’s willing to carry us more than we allow. However, I want you to imagine these two different parenting styles in a home. One parent is allowing their kids to struggle and come up with solutions. They’re providing grounds for creativity and offering support as needed. They want this child to grow to be independent, to love themselves and feel capable and confident. They want their child to experience all of the joy that comes with consciously building a full life. They want their child to have everything they have, if not more. The second parent handles everything. The overarching theme in the home is that the child is simply unworthy and can’t do anything, and mom and dad are just these fantastic people who are going to swoop in and take care of absolutely everything. The idea that the child should grow up independent and capable is actually kind of offensive. The parents should handle everything, and they should be utterly admired for it for the rest of their lives. I ask you. Which home produces the child who “worships” their parents more? Which child is going to grow up believing that their parents really did give them everything? Which child feels like the parent is focused on them rather than on their own personal, high status? Being obedient absolutely builds our faith. I will also tell you that the opportunities I’ve had to make decisions and be supported by a loving Father in Heaven has built my faith just as much, if not more, than the simple decisions of obedience. I feel an immense amount of hero-worship and gratitude towards the Lord when He has allowed me to build and create and learn something for myself. I have felt my faith develop as I’ve recognized how my obedience to His word has uplifted, blessed, and protected. I have also felt a tremendous amount of faith develop when I’ve felt Him building me, investing in me. He’s not looking to keep me down and feeling unworthy on some level far below Him. I know I’m unworthy. I know I didn’t earn these gifts He’s giving me. I also know He loves me enough to build me beyond that unworthiness, and I love Him all the more for it. There are many sacred mini-stories and principles here in the first few chapters of Ether. We have heard of prophetic experiences and visions of the Lord. This is one of those times that we get to watch the brother of Jared move through his life, learning the lessons and building the faith that will prepare him to welcome the Lord into His life. I testify of a Heavenly Father who loves us. I testify that He wants to lead us through specific life experiences that will build our faith sufficiently that we can be prepared to enter His presence again. I testify that Christ paid for us to come down here and have those specific experiences. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 1–5 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Me, My Shelf, & I – Are Prophets Infallible? 1:57:39

منذ 23 weeks1:57:39

1:57:39

In this special episode, Sarah Allen and Zachary Wright host a panel discussion on the question “Are Prophets Infallible?” Panel participants: Don Bradley: https://gregkofford.com/collections/don-bradley Ben Spackman: https://benspackman.com/ J. Max Wilson: https://www.sixteensmallstones.org/ The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Are Prophets Infallible? appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 8–9, Ether 4–5 & 12, Moroni 1–6 – Mike Parker 41:27

منذ 23 weeks41:27

41:27

Moroni’s commentary on the Jaredites & the Nephites (Mormon 8–9, Ether 4–5 & 12, Moroni 1–6) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Sidney B. Sperry, professor of religion at BYU (1932–1971), conjectured that Moroni₂ wrote his material in the Book of Mormon in several stages, composing the Title Page in between. See “ Moroni the Lonely: The Story of the Writing of the Title-Page to the Book of Mormon ,” Improvement Era 47, no. 2 (February 1944): 83, 116, 118. Moroni₂ informed us that the script he and other Nephite writers used was called, by them, “the reformed Egyptian” ( Mormon 9:32 ). There are numerous examples of Egyptian writing being modified and used by other cultures; see William J. Hamblin, “ Reformed Egyptian ,” FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): 31–35. Both Moroni 4:2 and D&C 20:76 instruct the entire congregation to kneel when the sacrament prayers are offered. This practice was observed in the restored Church during the nineteenth century, but slowly fell into disuse in the early twentieth century. In 1902 Church President Joseph F. Smith wrote an editorial instructing that this practice “may be regulated by the presiding authority, according to local surroundings, circumstances, and conditions.” Joseph F. Smith, “ Questions and Answers: On Administering the Sacrament ,” Improvement Era 5, no. 6 (April 1902): 473–74. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 8–9, Ether 4–5 & 12, Moroni 1–6 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 7–9 – Autumn Dickson 22:32

منذ 24 weeks22:32

22:32

Trusting the True God by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, Mormon writes his last testimony before Moroni takes the record and begins some of his first writings. Moroni is alone. His people have been wiped out. His father was killed. He has no friends. Even before everyone was wiped out, he was surrounded by people who were bitter and bloodthirsty. Moroni knows what it means to be lonely. As he is wandering the wilderness, grieving and listening carefully for the Lamanites who are hunting down all the Nephites, he chooses to engrave upon the plates left by his father. In the midst of everything that must have been pressing in on him, Moroni chose to share messages that would point us to Christ. Here is one such message. I share only the beginning of the verse. Mormon 8:10 And there are none that do know the true God save it be the disciples of Jesus… The true God was unknown to these people. Moroni goes on to testify of a time when the knowledge of this true God would be restored to the people, but it would be a long time before that occurred. The Book of Mormon would be brought forth for the express purpose of helping restore true knowledge about God, but for now, these people lived without that knowledge. What do our lives look like when we know Him? How do we feel? How do we change and act when we know the true God? The next step in faith When we know the true God, with all of His loving and wise characteristics, we change how we interact with Him. Knowing Him, in the way you know any kind of trustworthy and uplifting person, changes how you approach Him and how you follow Him. I’ve talked a lot about faith in the form of obedience as well as faith in the form of trust. Both are absolutely essential, but I want to talk about faith in another light today. It goes along with the same idea of trust, but I’d like to delve deeper into that specific avenue. There comes a point in your faith where you really believe He is there. You start to feel a quiet confidence that He is present and has blessed your life. This makes you feel safe about your future. It’s a good feeling to believe that there is a wise, loving, and powerful Being on your side. But Heavenly Father likes to take our faith beyond that step. He wants to turn our transactional faith into a transformational faith. Heavenly Father wants to bring our faith to the point where we trust Him and not just the positive outcomes in our lives. It’s no longer about following Him because we get a reward when we do what is right. Learning to trust in this manner is a process that occurs in your mind and heart and can feel somewhat nebulous. Let’s look at it in a more concrete example so that we can more readily apply it internally. I’m imagining a child. This child has good parents who have shown up repeatedly to help them have the resources and support they need. These good parents have also helped the child to grow independent in appropriate ways. The child sees the good outcomes, and they choose to follow their parents because they see that it’s bringing what they need. Now I imagine the house of this child is on fire one night. The child wakes up and finds it difficult to breathe. They’re old enough to understand that there’s danger, and they want to get out of the house. They climb off their bed and open their door to find their dad on his hands and knees in front of the door. The child trusts dad so they follow his example and get lower. But here comes the difference between trusting God and trusting positive outcomes. The child is primed to start crawling down the stairs after dad to get out of the house as quickly as possible, but dad does something unanticipated. He does not start crawling towards the stairs, but instead, he starts crawling the opposite direction back towards his room. The child logically knows that the wise move would be to get out of the house. Why is dad taking them away from safety? Doesn’t dad love them and want to protect them? Doesn’t dad know better? There is a crossroads here that would likely occur in a split second in the situation of a house fire, but in real life it might take a lot of time and a myriad of decisions. We all come to a crossroads in our life where we have to decide whether we’re going to follow our Heavenly Father in a direction we don’t understand or even like. We all are going to arrive at a critical juncture where we decide whether we’re going to try and convince Heavenly Father to follow our knowledge or whether we’re going to trust what we’ve experienced of Him. We’re going to reach a point where we say, “Why are things going this way? Can’t you change this?” This is the moment where we decide whether we trust God as Himself or whether we trust the positive outcomes He’s given us so far in our lives. In regards to our fire example, the child doesn’t understand why dad is headed away from the front door. The child knows that getting to the front door and out of the house is the right choice. But the child also inherently feels this trust in their father that has been built from a lifetime of choices. The child chooses to follow dad back to his room. Once they’re in the room, the child feels dad putting his hands on their waist before being hoisted up and out of a window into mom’s arms to climb down a ladder that is hanging over the side of the window. Do we trust outcomes or do we trust God? There is a difference. Trusting God means following Him when you feel like He’s headed in the wrong direction (or even not moving fast enough in what you perceive as the right direction), whether that’s in your personal life and circumstances or things you don’t understand in the church. Allowing the struggle instead of explaining Himself It would be so much easier if God would just explain that He was leading us to the window, but if He did, it wouldn’t give us the opportunity to trust Him as He is. And trusting Him on a deeper level is crucial to our development. He has to give us opportunities for imperfect circumstances so we can choose to trust Him and not just rely on the positive outcomes. Allowing us to struggle in our understanding of His decisions takes our relationship with Him beyond the transactional into the transformational. The world will tell you to trust yourself and demand better. I’m telling you that God sees things you don’t and will lead you towards the right path according to everything He sees. You’re going to have to make the decision about which path you’re going to take. You’re going to have to reflect on your own experiences and make decisions about whether you believe God is involved and whether He is worthy of your trust. Withholding your heart prevents the process If you’re going to make the decision to follow God, you have to do it with your heart. Simply doing it with your actions will simply leave you feeling conflicted. When you choose to act without your heart, all you receive is a feeling of cognitive dissonance. Merely acting is insufficient; it will only leave you with discontent. Let’s make it concrete again. Following the Lord and doing what He says but withholding your heart looks like the child who decided to follow their father but is following him while crawling backwards and constantly looking at the stairs. The child isn’t going to feel peace while staring at the stairs and wondering if they really made the right decision to follow dad. They’re going to be constantly worrying. In our imaginary scenario, the child will likely make it to the bedroom and out the window before they decide to bolt for the stairs. But in real life, that hallway can get really, really long. It can stretch out for a long time before you get to the window. There are answers and perspectives that can bless you just as the window blesses the child, but you won’t stick around long enough to find those blessings if you withhold your heart from the Lord in the process of following Him. You’ll leave for the stairs before He can lead you to the window. On the plus side, that hallway can stretch on forever, but it doesn’t have to be a painful experience. If you choose to turn around with your heart and trust the Lord (not just follow, but trust), He can give you the assurance you need to make it to the window. If you’re going to try the experiment of following Him, it won’t do you any good unless you surrender your heart. You have to say, “Okay God, I don’t understand but I’m going to trust you. Please don’t let me down.” You may not get to the window immediately, but you’ll feel enough peace to believe that the window exists. You’ll feel enough peace to keep moving down the hallway after Him. This process will likely need to get repeated over time, whether with new circumstances or the same issue over and over and over. Moroni trusted the true God Moroni trusted his Heavenly Father. After talking about the destruction of his people as well as his immense loneliness, he testifies that the hand of the Lord “hath done it.” Moroni’s life was tragic. From what we know of his life, I don’t see much respite. I don’t see the positive outcomes. But I know what Moroni saw. No matter how cruel life can get, it feels different when you have a loyal, wise, good friend to stand by you. Moroni experienced the Lord as Himself. He experienced the true God. He was probably given tender mercies along the way, but the real experience that Moroni had was getting to know Christ as He was. I can be going through something terrible and still be able to recognize the goodness emanating from one of my friends. My children build their trust on the positive experiences they have with me. They are learning to continue trusting when I choose things for them that they don’t like. Moroni had moved beyond this elementary understanding of, “I do this good thing and get this good outcome.” Moroni trusted God and not just his immediate outcomes. Moroni experienced the true God, and it enabled him to stick around in the midst of tragedy. I testify of a Heavenly Father who is worth trusting. I testify that He is leading us exactly where we are supposed to be. I testify that He can lead us individually, to enlighten and teach us, and I also testify that He guides the church through His prophets. We can trust the prophets. I testify that He can bring peace when we choose to surrender our hearts so that we don’t have to wander in complete darkness. He can help us understand we’re on the right path even if we don’t see the window yet. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 7–9 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 1–6 – Autumn Dickson 17:39

منذ 25 weeks17:39

17:39

Irreplaceable to Him by Autumn Dickson When I read Mormon, I feel as though I’m reading his journal. He had been commanded by Ammaron to find the records that had been hidden and add his own observations. These sacred writings were always meant to come to us, the House of Israel in the latter days, and yet, Mormon also seemed to simply write about his own experiences and life. Here is one of the things he expresses. Mormon 2:18 And upon the plates of Nephi I did make a full account of all the wickedness and abominations; but upon these plates I did forbear to make a full account of their wickedness and abominations, for behold, a continual scene of wickedness and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man. Throughout his life, Mormon saw the worst of the worst. He saw plenty of bloodshed on the battlefield, and he saw the utterly wasteful destruction of women and children to idols. He spoke about being forbidden to preach the gospel to his people. He talked about refusing to join them, about being an idle witness to all of the darkness. Mormon watched these things and yet, he continued to love them. Because he loved them, he suffered long. In this manner, Mormon is a type of Christ. Mormon as a type of Christ There are many ways in which Mormon is a type of Christ. He was quick to observe. He was obedient. He was prepared and sober. These are all incredible qualities that can teach us about Christ. However, there is one specific characteristic that I want to talk about that helps us really learn about our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Mormon’s love and long-suffering towards his people depict exactly how Christ feels about us. Think about each of the following actions, feelings, and thoughts from Mormon. How do we see Christ represented in each individual aspect? Mormon tried to preach to his people until he was forbidden to do so. He led his people and fortified their cities to the extent that he could. He got excited when they started to mourn because he hoped it would lead to their repentance, and he felt immense sorrow that they continued to harm themselves and others. He tried to encourage his people with great energy when they were facing off in battle. He stood with them against terrifying odds. He continued on fighting for them even though he knew the end. He refused to help them when they wanted to go to battle for the wrong reasons. He couldn’t help himself from praying for them, even though it was without faith because he knew they were choosing their own destruction. He delivered them from their enemies multiple times. He went back and helped them again in battle after observing them being swept off in a wave of destruction. He fought for them and sacrificed even though he knew that they wouldn’t choose to be saved. His soul was rent with anguish. Those are many of the experiences that Mormon had throughout the six chapters of this week. I can’t imagine the kind of man that was required to be deeply aware of their impending destruction and simultaneously continue to fight for them. That was the man that Mormon was, and that is the man that Christ is. Christ’s motivation is love, not perfection Christ didn’t cut corners and only pay for the sins of those He knew would repent. He didn’t just suffer the agonies of those who were going to come home. He took care of all of it. He sacrificed and fought for those despite being deeply aware that there would be many who would refuse to be cleansed and healed by Him. I think that oftentimes we pictured Christ doing all of these things because He was perfect and fulfilling God’s plan. These facts are true, but when we look at Mormon as a type of Christ, we see that Christ didn’t do these things because He was perfect, and that’s an important distinction. He did them because He loved us. He couldn’t help Himself from trying even though He knew the end. I think of righteous parents who can’t stop hoping for their wayward children. They can’t stop the hope that rises each time they repent. They can’t help but feel agony when it doesn’t play out. They can’t help but feel misery when they know deep down that their children are not yet ready to change. Despite everything that the child has done, all they want is for their child to come back around, make amends, and move forward. They would be willing to let go of the past if the child would simply turn around. Within each of us, He has planted glimpses of what He experiences so that we can understand Him. Like Mormon, we all know what it is to watch someone you love hurt themselves. We know what it is to fight for someone who doesn’t want to be fought for. We know those experiences and those feelings. They are Christlike feelings. Christ has those feelings. Christ feels. He doesn’t do these things as a perfect robot. He doesn’t do these things because He had to as the perfect, oldest Child of Heavenly Father. He is driven by a deep love. This deep love has caused Him a lot of pain, both as part of His atoning sacrifice that would be left on the shelf by many as well as the sorrow He feels watching them hurt and reject it. Replaceable In Doctrine and Covenants 35, the Lord tells us that He gave the keys of the kingdom to Joseph Smith. If Joseph chose to abide in the Lord, he would keep those keys. If he didn’t, another would be placed in his stead. This makes a lot of sense. Heavenly Father wouldn’t throw His entire plan off kilter because Joseph couldn’t get it together. He would have enabled someone else to come and restore the kingdom. It makes sense, but I personally took this principle beyond its proper bounds as I was growing up. I thought that this sentiment meant I was easily replaceable to the Lord, and He was perfectly willing to leave me behind. As I have reflected on my own, God-given feelings as mother, I have been able to better place myself in His shoes. If one of my children ever decided to totally destroy their own lives, I would keep moving forward for the sake of the rest of my children. You don’t sacrifice all of them because you lost one. But despite the fact that I would keep moving forward, despite the fact that I would delegate their family responsibilities to my other kids, despite the fact that I would “replace” them, I would never forget them or stop hurting over them. When Mormon continued to pray and fight for his people, he was without hope because he knew they were choosing their own destruction. He knew that the Lord would stop protecting them. I think sometimes we subconsciously equate that lack of protection and moving forward with Him being angry and not loving us anymore. This is absolutely false. If one of my kids got deeply into drugs, continually stole from me, and perpetually hurt their siblings, I wouldn’t house them any longer. I would cease protecting them and move forward. Depending on age, that might mean sending them to a rehabilitation center or simply kicking them out if I didn’t have the legal power to take them to rehab. But I wouldn’t house them any longer. At least, my completely inexperienced and naive self believes this is how I would react. I can understand the sentiment of parents who are in this situation and feel things such as, “I love them. How can I abandon them when they need me the most?” I get that. I really do. True love brings out the desire to forget about yourself and protect the one you love. This isn’t an evil or morally wrong sentiment. I’m also not telling anyone they need to be kicking their kids out because everything is so situational and only the Lord can help you know the right course to take. I’m not telling anyone they are wrong for how they’re choosing to handle difficult situations like this. What I am trying to do is help us understand how Heavenly Father feels. When it comes to Heavenly Father, He ceases the protection at a certain point. This is not because He abandons them when they need Him most. It’s not because He loves His other children more. Heavenly Father ceases the protection because He loves the wayward child. He is wise enough to understand that people often have to hit rock bottom if they’re ever going to turn around. He loves that individual child too much to enable them. He loves them too much and knows that He can’t teach them, “You can still have everything you want and need. I will protect you no matter what you do. You can keep hurting yourself and your siblings.” Instead, through His actions, He teaches, “It is more important for you to learn the hard way. I’m giving you a gift by teaching you to live better. I love you too much to do anything else. I will still be waiting when you’re ready.” That was a long tangent that was meant to help us understand the mind of God as He handles His children here on earth. It is meant to help us understand the love He feels as He wisely chooses His reactions. I share this tangent for two reasons. One. We need to comprehend that Heavenly Father isn’t some nebulous Being that administers mercy and justice in perfection. Rather, He is a loving, feeling Being. He perfectly loves, and that perfect love helps Him perfectly know how to administer mercy and justice according to our needs. Two. It is essential to understand that even though Heavenly Father may have to move forward without us, even though He may choose to cease protecting us, we are irreplaceable to Him. Even if I had to make the decision to let my child hit their rock bottom, I would never forget them. I would miss them for as long as they chose to remain separated, even if it meant that I would miss them forever. I would be long-suffering. In other words, I would suffer long because I would love long. It is the same with our Heavenly Father. Just because He chooses certain reactions in response to our rebellion does not remove His love, it is evidence of His love. Just because He has to administer justice and have a Judgment Day and move forward with those who want to move forward doesn’t mean He will ever stop feeling the ache of the child He lost. You are irreplaceable to Him. You will never be forgotten if you choose to remove yourself. I testify of a Heavenly Father and a Savior who act out of love. I testify that we have been given a glimpse of how They feel as we work to react to those we love around us. We were given these feelings so that we could understand Them. I testify that They will wisely do the right thing, but I also testify that you will leave a hole if you choose to not follow. You are essential and important to Them. They will suffer long without you. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 1–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 4 Nephi, Mormon 1–7 – Mike Parker 33:43

منذ 25 weeks33:43

33:43

Mormon led his people; the end of Nephite civilization (4 Nephi, Mormon 1–7) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading The archaeological record of western New York is persuasive evidence that Book of Mormon peoples d id not liv e in that region. The Cumorah of the Nephites (Mormon₂’s hill) and the Cumorah where Joseph Smith unearthed the gold plates (Moroni₂’s hill) are not the same hill. Dr. John E. Clark, professor of anthropology at BYU, explores this in his article “ Archaeology and Cumorah Questions ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13, no. 1–2 (2004): 144–51, 174. In the second half of the nineteenth century, a legend about a cave in New York’s hill Cumorah began to appear in the writings and sermons of several Church leaders. This legend claimed that the hill contains a cave in which there were hundreds of different records written on plates; however, all of the accounts of this story are late and secondhand. See Cameron J. Packer’s article, “ Cumorah’s Cave ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13, no. 1–2 (2004): 50–57, 170–71. The numbers of war dead described in the Book of Mormon are massive—so large, in fact, that it’s quite likely that Mormon₂ and Moroni₂ were purposely exaggerating. See Stephen Smoot, “ Why the Book of Mormon’s Battle Numbers Don’t Add Up (And Why That’s Evidence for Its Authenticity) ,” Ploni Almoni (blog), 9 May 2016. Is the hill near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith received the plates of Mormon the same hill where the final battles between the Nephites and Lamanites took place? Book of Mormon Central examines the evidence in KnoWhy #489 . Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 4 Nephi, Mormon 1–7 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 27–4 Nephi – Autumn Dickson 14:18

منذ 26 weeks14:18

14:18

A Utopian Society by Autumn Dickson Fourth Nephi describes a people who were all converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ together. It talks about what their lives looked like and how they felt. Fourth Nephi also describes how everyone was wicked again within three hundred years. Fourth Nephi describes exactly why the Lord has a Judgment Day. It can also help us see what’s going to be necessary before the Saints are allowed to go and build up Zion again. Judgment Day Fourth Nephi can help us better understand Judgment Day and the Lord’s purposes. Heaven is bestowed, but it is also created by those who live there. Heaven is bestowed in the manner that Christ paid for our sins so we could be cleansed to return to Heavenly Father. He also died so that we could be resurrected and receive perfectly whole bodies; this is another important aspect of heaven. Heaven is also bestowed in the manner that Heavenly Father has created a beautiful, glory-filled place for all of us to live after we die. But even though there are certainly aspects of heaven that are given to us as gifts, there are also aspects of heaven that the people create. Listen to the heaven that was created by the people who lived after Jesus Christ visited the Americas. 4 Nephi 1:3, 15-17 3 And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. 15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. 16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. 17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God. What is heaven? What does it mean to live in heaven? Heaven is living with our Heavenly Parents and Jesus Christ again. It is living with everything we need and never worrying about having enough. It is having perfectly whole bodies that don’t decay or have infirmities. Heaven is also being surrounded by people you can trust. You can look around you and be completely selfless. You can completely let go of what you need because you know that your neighbor is likewise looking out for you. You never have to be wary of people who might hurt you because everyone you’re surrounded by loves you, and you love them. That’s not something Heavenly Father forces. That’s something that we have to be. Look at what happens later in the chapter after some time passes from when Christ visited. 4 Nephi 1:24-25 24 And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world. 25 And from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them. Their little heaven had burst. I picture myself living during that time. Perhaps you’re willing to be selfless and have all things in common among everyone, but because there are selfish people who want to have more , you actually have to be careful. There will be people who will take and not support back. The entire utopian society collapses if you can’t trust those around you to also be giving and work hard to help support everyone. In Doctrine and Covenants 90, the Lord counsels Joseph Smith Sr. to keep his family small as pertaining to those who didn’t belong to his family. The Lord counseled Joseph Smith Sr. to be wise in how much he opened his home to those in need. We want to help everyone we can, but if everything is gone, there will be nothing left with which to help. Because we do not yet live in heaven, we have to be wise in how we distribute. You don’t leave your own family destitute by giving away everything to everyone else. And this is precisely why the Lord has to have a Judgment Day. This is why He has to judge and separate us. Otherwise we would just keep living the way we’re living here except with resurrected bodies. There has to be a Judgment Day so there can be a heaven to live in. This isn’t just applicable in regards to temporal wealth; it’s applicable in every aspect of how the Lord asks us to treat one another. Zion Zion is a fascinating concept to me. I’ve always pictured what it would be like for the prophet to tell us it was time to head to Zion. I think a lot of us have imagined what that day would be like. Like heaven, I think sometimes we believe that Zion will just be handed to us on a silver platter. Nope. Zion is something that we create. We don’t get to go build up Zion until we’re ready to be a part of it. When we have created Zion within our homes, wards, and stakes, then the Lord will know we’re ready to create it altogether in one place. Zion doesn’t just happen. It’s not given to us. We make Zion if we want to enjoy Zion. Now we still live in a mortal, fallen world. The Lord doesn’t expect us to start living in a utopian society where everything is common among everyone. We can’t survive a completely utopian life in a world that doesn’t reciprocate. It’ll just ruin us. The Lord is wise about this. So we don’t necessarily start living that utopian lifestyle in that manner yet. However, Zion starts in an individual heart. It is built heart by heart, person by person. Zion means you stand ready to forgive and let go of old grievances so that there can be peace. Zion means you stand ready to let go of your possessions and trust that the Lord has surrounded you with people who are like-minded. Zion means that you stand ready to give people the benefit of the doubt in any interaction. Once again, we don’t live in a utopian Zion yet. There are people who want to cause harm and hurt others, so we should be wise in how we interact with others. But we can prepare ourselves and others will prepare themselves. The wheat and chaff will be separated, and we will be able to enter into that Zion society with the purest hope that we can experience as much heaven as is available here on earth. As a child, I remember learning that Satan would be bound in the Millennium for a thousand years. I remember asking my dad why they let him go at the end of the thousand years. Was it prophesied that he would “escape” somehow? Obviously, my literal and limited understanding as a child has grown to understand that Satan didn’t have his hands tied behind his back. The world was simply choosing to be righteous enough that Satan had no effect. We choose Zion, and the Millennium, and heaven. We create it. In the last April General Conference, Elder Holland posed the philosophical question, “…it has always been intriguing to me that Jesus felt the need to pray at all. Wasn’t He perfect? About what did He need to pray?” Elder Holland gave his beautiful answer, and I add my own philosophical opinions to it. Asking the question, “Why did Jesus have to pray if He was perfect?” carries the implication that we have the wrong definition of perfection. In our world, we think that being perfect means you can do everything and not need anyone. You can be happy completely on your own. You are a self-sustaining, blooming little island. This is utter garbage. Real perfection is connection, the kind of connection we observe in 4 Nephi. Heaven is connection. It’s connecting with people who want to genuinely, peacefully, good-naturedly connect with you. This doesn’t mean that every introvert suddenly needs to become an extrovert. It doesn’t mean that you have to be connected to every single person at any given moment. I believe it means you truly treasure the most important and long-lasting sources of happiness, your family and close friends. It means that you can have a boundary without worrying about anyone purposefully crossing it. It means you won’t have to worry that others will assume the worst of you when you have a boundary because they will also be the kind of people who give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Zion, the Millennium, heaven are going to be rather pleasant. The people in the beginning of Fourth Nephi were experiencing a heaven on earth, and it eventually fell apart because the people destroyed it themselves. Someday we won’t have to worry about that anymore. Someday we will be given the opportunity to go live with our Heavenly Parents and Jesus Christ. Christ will make sure we’re cleansed, and He will help us don our resurrected bodies. If we choose to follow Christ, to trust His judgment of others, and stand ready to freely give to those who freely give back, we will be prepared to go there. I’m grateful that I have Heavenly Parents who were wise enough to create this plan. I am grateful for a Savior who enabled this plan. I am grateful that They were wise and kind and selfless enough to teach us how to be like Them. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 27–4 Nephi – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 20–26 – Autumn Dickson 18:54

منذ 27 weeks18:54

18:54

Keeping a Sacred Record by Autumn Dickson Christ continues His teaching and prophesying amongst this portion of the House of Israel. He teaches about the sacrament, keeping records, and the last days. He teaches them to study and appreciate the words of Isaiah. There is a lot of content here. At one point in time, He asks Nephi to bring forth the Nephite records that had been kept. After looking through them, He notices that the account of Samuel the Lamanite is missing. Samuel had been commanded to go and warn the Nephites that Christ was coming; Samuel did so. There is a faith-inspiring event that occurs because of Samuel’s prophecies in which the believers are about to be put to death by the unbelievers if Samuel’s prophecies don’t come true. The details had been prepared beforehand by the Lord, and the believers are saved by His timing. It’s wonderful and there are a myriad of principles we can draw from that story. When Christ notices that this account is missing, He turns to Nephi. 3 Nephi 23:12-13 12 And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written. 13 And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded. Keeping adequate records was obviously important to Christ. He’s a busy Man, and He knows how to fill His time with the most important priorities. Why does Christ ask us to keep records? How to keep a sacred record Before we delve into the reasons why, I’d actually like to talk a little bit about what I believe Christ means when He talks about keeping records. Nephi may have been commanded to write on gold plates, but things are different now. On a surface level, I think that keeping a record can be far more broad than we once assumed. It’s so easy to take pictures nowadays; take pictures of the things that matter to you. You can write in a journal. You can type a journal. I type my journal on Google Docs so that I can access it from my phone wherever I am. You can even just open up the notes app on your phone and record something quickly. Start a gratitude journal; it was actually this specific habit that started my regular journal writing. Make a video or photo book with captions about things that are important. You can even use voice recordings that you transfer to your computer once a month and sort into files according to date. So much of the scripture that we read was given orally and recorded afterwards. There are likely even free programs out there that will dictate your recordings into typed pieces that you can put in a safe place on your computer. Record your testimony twice a year at Easter and Christmas. What I’m trying to say is, you don’t have to be a good writer to record important things. What will it look like in your life? The second principle (and probably more important principle) stems from the Lord’s commandments in general. When the Lord gives us a commandment, He is usually trying to change us somehow. If your record isn’t changing you, then you’re not getting the best return on your investment and you’re going to discontinue the practice. Record a hard lesson you learned. Record how the Lord helped different details come together. Record a dream that felt different than your other dreams. Record your feelings and not just events. Record the feelings that don’t necessarily feel perfect or worthy. Record yourself as you are and simply allow the Lord to be a part of it. When the Lord gave the Law of Moses to the Israelites, He wanted them to draw closer to Him. He didn’t really care about sacrificing animals; He wanted them to understand Him and draw near to Him in ways that they could comprehend. It is the same with any commandment that we receive today. It’s not about the recording. It’s about utilizing a powerful way to draw closer to the Lord. When you’re recording, include the Lord in the process. Even if you’re recording silly details, include Him. Maybe even record them to Him. He likes to hear about all of it. Ultimately, keeping a record can be much broader than it used to be. We don’t have to engrave upon plates. We don’t even have to write on paper. The most important principle is that the process changes you. What are you going to record that’s meaningful? How are you going to record it? If you’re going to make a goal about keeping records, make a goal with those questions in mind. My sacred record There are likely a myriad of reasons I haven’t discovered yet, but I’d like to cover a few of the ways that keeping a sacred record has changed my life in powerful ways. The most overarching change it has created in my life has been increased faith in Jesus Christ. It sounds super simple, but the effects are potent. There are two specific ways records have helped increase my faith. Keeping a record has increased my faith because it allows me to process my life with God. There were so many times in my life when difficult things would come up, whether from my own flaws or from the nature of mortality. Sometimes, I’d put my head down and muscle through on my own because I was stubborn or self-destructive. However, other times I did it on my own because I’d simply forget to include God. Sometimes difficulties would come along, and it wouldn’t even occur to me that I should turn to Him because there was no habit to do so. I didn’t have a strong enough relationship with Him that it was natural to turn to Him. Keeping a record has been instrumental in changing that. I’ve kept a regular journal since I was 14 because I love writing, but it wasn’t until the mission that I really started to include the Lord as I recorded. And because it became a habit to include Him, it didn’t change when I talked about difficulties that came up. As I learned to include the Lord and as I would write about something difficult, I could be inspired by how He would respond. I would be thinking about the difficult thing, and I would remember to include Him. This would naturally lead to me praying for help. Here’s a real life example to illustrate that process. When we were living in that hotel in Virginia, I would start writing about all of my fears so that I could release them. Because I had learned the habit of including the Lord, I would naturally start to view these fears in a new light. I would be afraid of making a mistake and missing out on the path that the Lord wanted us to take, but when I wrote it down and put it into the ether, it made it easier to examine my thoughts and find which ones were based on faulty understandings of the Lord. It made it easier to look at the thoughts and change them according to what I had been taught about the Lord. Or if I was angry at someone, I would write about it. Putting my thoughts outside of my brain where I could look at it enabled me to observe my thoughts in a more objective way. When I also chose to include the Lord, it made it that much easier to change those thoughts to be closer to the reality of eternal things. Observing them so consciously allowed me to change my thought patterns with the Lord, and it allowed me to change. Keeping a record has helped me “watch” the Lord influence, support, and stretch me; it has increased my faith. The second way keeping a record has increased my faith is by allowing me to see more than I saw before. I debated whether to tell this story, but if President Monson can share a story about almost starting a forest fire, I can tell this one. In family home evenings lately, we’ve been talking about fire safety. I taught my kids to not open the door if smoke was filling their room. I taught them to open their windows and scream for help if they could, and we review this quite regularly. I was so proud of myself for being so prepared and teaching my kids. But unfortunately and fortunately, my four year old is particularly adventurous. He’s capable and smart and brave, and this comes with pros and cons from the viewpoint of a parent. One evening, my son opened his window, pushed the screen out, and climbed onto the roof. Luckily, our neighbor across the street saw him, yelled at him to get back inside, and texted us. Needless to say, he’s learned his lesson, but here’s the part that is particularly relevant to this post. I type my prayers at least once a day. The next day, I opened up my computer to delete the old prayer and start typing a new one. As I went to delete the old one, my eyes locked on one of the things I had been inspired to pray for the day before. I prayed that the right adults would be in the lives of my children at the right time to protect them. I hadn’t thought of it in this specific context, but the Lord had. The Lord likely would have protected my son anyway because apparently it’s not his time to die despite his frequent escapades. However, because I recorded something sacred, I saw the Lord’s hand where I wouldn’t have recognized it previously. The Lord inspired me to pray for the right adults to be there (because I knew I wouldn’t be there all of the time), and then I was able to see how He manipulated the details and protected Warner. This has happened over and over and over. I record things, and my eyes are spiritually opened and all of a sudden I see that the Lord was directly involved. He would have been involved anyway in some cases, but it was much more powerful because I knew that He was involved. I watched Him easily sway the currents that were moving in my life. I watched Him show up and prepare me. I saw it happen repeatedly in the past, and it has helped me trust that He will show up in the future. Conclusion As I’ve written down my experiences, observed them with the Lord, and changed accordingly, I’ve learned to see how He’s supporting and stretching me in all of the best ways. I’ve been able to observe my thoughts more objectively and more accurately apply what I knew about the Lord rather. As I’ve written down prayers, things I’m worried about, things I need help with, or things I’m grateful for, the Lord is given consecrated time to work with me and open my eyes to how He is handling all the details that come my way. The more I record, the more I see the Lord. The more I see the Lord, the more I trust Him. The more I trust the Lord, the happier my life has been. It’s as simple (and as powerful) as that. I know from personal experience why the Lord asks us to keep records. My records aren’t always about traditionally spiritual things. Oftentimes, they’re about very temporal things. And yet, they have become sacred to me because keeping a record has taught me that the Lord is involved in all aspects of my life. He is involved in your life. He is manipulating the details in your favor, whether that is in the form of a trial or a tender mercy. He will continue to be wholly involved in your life regardless of whether you recognize Him because that’s simply how much He loves you. But until you’re able to recognize Him, you’re going to continue to fret and worry about what’s coming next. The most powerful blessing I’ve received from keeping a record is that I recognize the Lord, and it has enabled me to live my life with a peaceful faith and trust. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 20–26 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 19–30 – Mike Parker 29:25

منذ 27 weeks29:25

29:25

Jesus Christ’s ministry among the people of Nephi, part 2 (3 Nephi 19–30) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading The words doctrine and gospel have very specific definitions in the Book of Mormon. Noel Reynolds explores this in two articles: “ The Gospel of Jesus Christ as Taught by the Nephite Prophets ,” BYU Studies 31, no. 3 (Summer 1991): 31–50; “ The True Points of My Doctrine ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5, no. 2 (1996): 26–56. When Christ was with the Nephites, he felt it was important to bless each of the children one by one and pray to the Father for them. Those children were to become the second generation of the Zion people that Christ was forming; as such, their preparation was vital. See M. Gawain Wells, “ The Savior and the Children in 3 Nephi ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 62–73, 129. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 19–30 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 17–19 – Autumn Dickson 12:35

منذ 27 weeks12:35

12:35

Experiencing Christ by Autumn Dickson I want to highlight the timeline of events in chapter 17. Jesus has just spent a ton of time with these people. He has come to them in glory, not as the mighty but humble mortal who lived in Jerusalem. He has taught them and blessed them, and He recognizes that their capacity to receive more is already bursting at the seams. Receiving spiritual knowledge and spiritual things extends far beyond sitting in front of the risen Christ. It requires a built up tolerance for spiritual things. It requires a strength we can’t observe, an endurance that can’t be measured in mortality, and these people had maxed out. The Lord invites them to go home and pray and ponder. The people didn’t ask Him to stay, but they wanted Him to. He felt this, and He decided to put aside His to-do list for a short time and show compassion. He healed many of them. They worshiped Him. He blessed their children. Then something rather interesting happens. Christ commands everyone to kneel, and He joins them. I want to share three verses. 3 Nephi 17:14 And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel. Christ is troubled by the wickedness He views on earth. He begins an incredible prayer that couldn’t be written. 3 Nephi 17:18 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome. The people were overwhelmingly happy after hearing Him pray. 3 Nephi 17:20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full. There are characteristics of Christ that we can pull from this happening. There are principles we can learn from Christ and how He felt during what was occurring around Him. Where His feelings came from Before we delve into His specific feelings, I want you to reflect on your own life. During this reflection, I’m trying to conjure up memories of when you were overwhelmed at all the problems in humanity. There might have been a myriad of things that evoked these emotions, but it’s the memory of the emotions I want to bring about. Perhaps you read a horrible news article. Perhaps you heard some incredibly startling and troubling statistics. Perhaps you observed patterns of poverty or abuse. Maybe it was a documentary or a dramatization of true events. There are a million different events across the world that can evoke these emotions. Personally, I get these emotions whenever I think about the mothers and kids who are affected by wars. Those are always the stories that get me. And then I want you to try and conjure up feelings of when you were surrounded by people you loved and people who loved you back. Maybe it was family; maybe it was a group of really good friends. Maybe it was a parent, a sibling, or a single friend. For this particular “feeling” memory, I recall quite a few different times. I remember how it felt as a kid when all of my seven siblings would come home to visit for holidays. I remember a specific group date with two other couples where we literally laughed so hard we were crying. By recalling these memories of times when we have felt certain things, we can find ourselves relating to Christ. I think it’s important to be able to relate to Him. If we ever want to have a personal relationship with Him, relatability is crucial to that connection. I believe that sometimes we create Christ as this “other.” Obviously, there are things about Christ that we can’t comprehend yet. There are aspects of Him that we worship even though we can’t process exactly what it means. This is good. It’s important to recognize these things. But I still hold to the idea that it’s important to humanize Him in order to connect with Him. Christ was looking at these people around Him. He was experiencing really beautiful things, and He was surrounded by children who loved Him and He was able to bless them. Somewhere in the midst of that experience, His mind caught hold of unpleasant circumstances that were happening around the world. Maybe as He looked at the faces of the children, He remembered other children who weren’t finding themselves in such beautiful circumstances. It affected Him, just as it affects us. And then soon afterwards, He was brought back into the present moment as He looked at all the people around Him. He loved them, and He felt their love returned. It made Him happy. I’m not trying to bring Christ “down” to our level where we can understand Him better. Rather, I’m trying to highlight the very real pieces of Him within us. The entire spectrum of feelings we experience in mortality are divine. From the heartbreak and compassion we experience over tragedy to the deep joy and contentment we experience amongst someone who accepts and loves us, all of these feelings are Christlike. They are all essential parts of eternal life. These feelings are part of what makes us like Christ. Those emotions we describe as so very human are actually like God. Living forever would be empty with the full spectrum of experience and feeling. We came to mortality to feel all of these things so that we could better understand God because until you’ve felt it, you simply can’t understand. It was the people The other principle I want to draw from observing Christ’s feelings is the fact that His joy was made full from simply being around these people. I remember thinking about what it meant to worship Christ when I was younger. I used to try and determine what it meant to worship Him in very black and white terms. I wanted to know what specific acts of worship there were. It’s interesting because I think I used to imagine experiences based off of what I knew from idols. It was about abasing yourself and putting God up on the pedestal. That’s what I believed of worship. I have now come to believe that the central aspect of worship is connection with God. The acts are less significant; it is about the feeling. There are acts of worship that more readily evoke this connection that is essential to worship, but the act itself isn’t necessarily relevant. The moments I have held God in the highest esteem have been the moments that I have felt close to Him, not the moments where I separated myself from Him because of my unworthiness. Even now, as I picture King Benjamin’s sermon about us being less than the dust of the earth, I don’t picture a scowling king telling his people to bow down and pray to a Being that towered over them and loved to rule over them. Surely King Benjamin was right when he said we were less than the dust of the earth, but this knowledge doesn’t have to mean any level of hatred towards ourselves. I know that’s how King Benjamin felt because I’ve felt it. I know what it means to have my eyes opened to how the Lord has been patient with me and to have that accompanying feeling of, “Thank you. I can’t believe You did that for me.” If we do it right, the knowledge of our nothingness should be accompanied by a deep reverence and gratitude and connection with the Lord for loving us anyway. Which brings me back to this account of the Lord being filled with joy as He was surrounded by people who believed in Him, utilized His gifts, and loved Him. Perhaps other apostate gods that we read about in literature desire different kinds of worship. They want to be admired and placed up higher than everyone else. However, the true God, the God that we worship just wants to be close to us. If we want to worship Him, we have to draw near to Him. If we truly want to please Him, we need to allow Him to stand near us through everything. He won’t force Himself on us, but we have to learn that He wants to be with us. That’s what pleases Him. That’s what fills Him with joy. That’s what makes His sacrifice worth it. He just wants to be near us, love us, and feel our love in return. We feel a desire for unity. We desire acceptance. We desire to sustain and support those we love. We desire closeness and understanding. These are not weak, human emotions. They are Godlike emotions. This is what Christ desires; He doesn’t need it, but He sure wants it. I’m grateful for a Savior who loves me. I’m grateful that I was sent here to mortality so that my eyes could be opened to this human and divine spectrum of emotions. I’m grateful He created the earth so that I had a place to come down and feel what He feels. I’m grateful that He has opened my eyes and helped me to understand that so many of the feelings I experience here are reflections of His life. I’m grateful that He has helped me see that there is so much of Him within me. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 17–19 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 12–16 – Autumn Dickson 11:51

منذ 29 weeks11:51

11:51

Be Perfect by Autumn Dickson The Savior appears and starts teaching the people immediately. He elaborates on fulfilling the Law of Moses and lays out His higher law for the future. He teaches them about a million different things from prayer to judging to His personal characteristics. There is so much. In the very first section of the Come Follow Me manual, we find one of the most intimidating exhortations. 3 Nephi 12:48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. The Lord commands us to be perfect. I think logically we all understand that the Lord doesn’t expect us to be perfect just yet. We understand that the entire reason He suffered the atonement was because He knew that we wouldn’t be perfect. So why command it? Why give us what we can’t live up to? There are two critical understandings we need in order to understand how and why the Lord gave us the commandment to be perfect. Waiting until we were “ready” Understanding why the Lord would give us such a commandment can be better understood when we observe the context of the rest of His teachings in this chapter. Christ is teaching about his fulfillment of the Law of Moses all leading up to that last verse in chapter 12 where He asks us to be perfect like Him and His Father. The sequence of this is significant, and it can teach us a lot about what He is asking and why He is asking. Context and purpose are everything if we hope to fulfill what He desires of us. Let’s look at the context of what the Savior is teaching so that we can understand His purpose. The Lord gave the Law of Moses back in the time where the Israelites had just been freed from slavery. He didn’t do this because He has lesser standards for different groups of people. In the end, we will receive all that the Lord has by living as the Lord lives. There is no other way to find those blessings. And yet, the Lord gave the Law of Moses because He understood that they had just come out of slavery. Their understanding of morality was childlike at best. They likely believed that life was one big test of whether you get caught when you do something wrong rather than doing right when no one is looking. The Lord understood this, and He didn’t punish them for it. He never lowered the standards for the Israelites; He merely gave them a stepping stone. One day, if we wish to live the kind of life that He lives, every single one of us will have to live according to this higher law and we will have to live it perfectly. But the Israelites needed a stepping stone before they were prepared as a whole society for a higher law, and the Lord is wise enough and loving enough to give that stepping stone. As the people spent more and more time away from slavery, and as generations passed and trauma slowly healed, the people became more prepared for this higher law. However, it’s significant to understand that even though they were becoming more prepared, they weren’t “ready” for this higher law in the sense that they would be able to keep it immediately. They had grown in their capacity to do what’s right after having the Law of Moses for so long, but they still weren’t capable of living the higher law perfectly yet. The Lord didn’t give them the higher law because they could live it perfectly; He gave it to them so that they could become capable of living it perfectly. And that is critical understanding number one: The Lord gave us the commandment to be perfect because if He had waited until we were ready to be perfect immediately, we would have never become perfect because we wouldn’t have strived for it. The only way for us to fulfill that commandment was to begin striving for it. Think of it in this manner. I teach my kids to control their tempers and not hit each other. My six year old isn’t even ready to live this law perfectly. When Warner comes after Evelyn, torturing her over and over, she eventually gives in and chases him around the house until she catches him and can tackle him. Emotionally, she is unprepared to live my law of loving her brother enough to control her temper. Logically, she’s not capable of sinning yet because she’s not eight. One could make the argument that I’m cruel for expecting something of her she can’t do, something that she’s not even guilty for yet. But I feel like most of us can understand that that’s a stupid argument. I give her the law. I don’t do it because I believe she’s capable yet. I don’t have expectations for her to fulfill it perfectly. I give her the law because I want her to start practicing. She will never learn to not hit if I wait until she’s ready to live it perfectly before I give it as a law. The same goes for the exhortation to be perfect. He didn’t give us this commandment because we were ready to live it right now. He didn’t give it to us so He could hold it against us. He gave it to us so we would have a standard to look to, something to work towards, something to strive towards. The perfecting process would have been held off indefinitely if it wasn’t given as the standard. The Lord already won When I think about the Lord commanding us to be perfect, I think of Nephi. Nephi was commanded to go and get the brass plates in Jerusalem. He hadn’t even left for Jerusalem when he testified that the Lord never gives a commandment unless He opens the way to fulfill that commandment. Nephi “failed” more than once in his attempts. He didn’t agonize over his failed attempts. He didn’t worry that the Lord had disowned him. He kept believing that the Lord would provide a way, and the Lord did. Each misstep and obstacle that Nephi experienced weren’t true failures; they were steps he had to live through in order to be ready to be led by the Lord. Because of his simple belief that the Lord would provide the way, Nephi had already won the battle. He had basically already received the plates before even leaving for Jerusalem because of that simple faith that the Lord would provide the way. You can’t fail with the Lord on your team. Our second critical understanding in relation to the commandment to be perfect is this: The Lord already provided the way. He already won. Our destiny to be perfect is set and coming if we simply continue trying. The Lord has provided the way for us to become perfect. He believes in us. He stands ready to teach us everything we need to learn, to guide us through each experience and failure we desperately need in order to actually fulfill that commandment to become perfect. Like Nephi, we have nothing to fear. If we love the Lord and keep trying, then we are 100% safe. The Lord paid for our sins and already won the battle. That means that all of the missteps and failures and obstacles are not evidence that we have failed His commandment; they are opportunities to step towards that commandment. They are precisely what we need to become perfect. The commandment to be perfect is a gift, not a measuring stick with which to beat ourselves. If we look at it in the manner in which the Lord gave it to us, we will see it for what it is. We will see it as a glimpse of what He has in store for us. We will see it as our ultimate end, our literal destiny, if we simply continue trying. The commandment to be perfect is the ultimate testament to His love, a sign that He literally wants everything for us. Being perfect was always your destiny. It is your birthright as a literal son or daughter of God. It is something you will grow into. It was given to you now so that you could work towards it, not so you get it right the first time. In summary, there are two critical understandings when we think about the Lord’s commandment to be perfect. If the Lord had waited to give the commandment, we never would have made it because we never would have strived for it. He had to give it to us before we were ready so we could grow. The second critical understanding is that the Lord will provide the way. Work towards that perfection without all of the pressure. The pressure adds nothing to your journey except discouragement and extra exhaustion. The pressure was on the Lord to live perfectly and fulfill the atonement, and He already won. Now we just keep practicing, and we’ll get there. I believe in a Lord who does everything for our benefit. I believe that every tender mercy comes from Him, and I believe that all of the obstacles and failures we’re experiencing on earth can be turned into gifts when combined with the power of His atonement. They can become contributions towards that ultimate goal of perfection because they can be powerful learning tools. We have every reason to rejoice in the Lord and trust Him. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 12–16 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 8–18 – Mike Parker 36:38

منذ 30 weeks36:38

36:38

Jesus Christ’s ministry among the people of Nephi, part 1 (3 Nephi 8–18) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the content for the next two weeks, plus part of the following week.) Class Notes Additional Reading John W. Welch explains that everything in 3 Nephi, especially the ministry of the Savior, echoes themes related to the temple and the presence of the Lord in the Holy of Holies. Welch, “ Seeing Third Nephi as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon ,” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19, no. 1 (2010): 36–55. The great destructions and thick darkness in the Book of Mormon lands described in 3 Nephi 8 have all the indications of intense volcanic activity. Several Latter-day Saint scientists have written about this; their conclusions are summarized in these brief articles from Book of Mormon Central: “ What Caused The Darkness And Destruction In The 34th Year? (KnoWhy #197) ,” 28 September 2016. “ Is There Evidence of Sunken Cities in Ancient America? (KnoWhy #429) ,” 1 May 2018. “ Is There Evidence for Great Destruction in the Land Northward at the Death of Christ? (KnoWhy #530) ,” 6 September 2019. Immediately before Jesus’s appearance at the temple in Bountiful, the people there “were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place great” ( 3 Nephi 11:1 ). What was this “great and marvelous change”? Clifford Jones argues that it refers to “the essential, infinite change wrought by the Atonement.” (Jones, “ The Great and Marvelous Change: An Alternate Interpretation ,” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19, no. 2 (2010): 50–63.) When Jesus appeared at Bountiful, “the whole multitude” of the people there “fell to the earth.” ( 3 Nephi 11:12 ) This description echoes Lehi₁’s dream of the tree of life, in which he saw “multitudes” of people who “did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.” ( 1 Nephi 8:30 ) For more on the connections between these two passages, see Matthew L. Bowen, “ ‘They Came Forth and Fell Down and Partook of the Fruit of the Tree’: Proskynesis in 3 Nephi 11:12–19 and 17:9–10 and Its Significance ,” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 5 (2013): 63–89. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 8–18 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 8–11 – Autumn Dickson 13:38

منذ 30 weeks13:38

13:38

Giving Your Broken Heart by Autumn Dickson We have reached the crowning jewel of The Book of Mormon. We have reached the climax, the epitome, the purpose of The Book of Mormon. Christ has arrived to reach out to His people in other parts of the world. When Christ’s voice pierces the darkness that the Nephites and Lamanites had found themselves in, He started to teach them immediately. He proclaims the destruction, but He also invites them to come and be healed. Before He even directly appears before them, His voice teaches them that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled. Of all the things the Lord could have chosen to express with His voice through the darkness, one of the things He chose to tell them was that the Law of Moses was no longer in effect. While this may seem like a slightly less significant happening when compared to all the destruction and His literal presence amongst these people, it heralded the incoming of a higher law. It brought about the new way to draw closer to Christ, and this new way would become the standard for all the generations afterwards (including our’s). It was a big deal that the Law of Moses had been fulfilled. It is a big deal that we have been given new ways to approach Christ and learn of Him. Christ visited the Nephites and Lamanites. Living according to His new law is how we invite Him to visit us, to make Him a part of our lives. Here is how Christ told them about the fulfilled Law of Moses. 3 Nephi 9:19-20 19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. 20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not. Christ will no longer accept sacrifices according to the Law of Moses. He doesn’t want burnt offerings or the shedding of blood. He wants a different kind of sacrifice. He wants us to offer the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The way this is worded is fascinating to me. When we think of sacrifice, we often picture giving up something we really love and adore. We believe that we’re going to receive something back which is the whole reason we agree to it. However, we are still giving up something that holds worth for us. Which is why I find this new law so interesting. I can understand why Christ would ask for a broken heart and contrite spirit. It makes sense when you understand that the Lord is trying to change us, and a willingness to change often helps that process. However, Christ specifically asked for these things as a sacrifice . What can we learn from the way He worded this? Broken hearts hold value If Christ is asking us to offer up broken hearts and contrite spirits as a sacrifice, it implies the idea that these things are valuable to us. If you were to list things that were valuable to you, a “broken heart” might not be at the top of the list. And yet, sometimes our actions and underlying feelings can give us greater hints about what we value than our logical minds. For example, I can talk all day long about how much I love my kids. However, I remember an experience one day where I was praying for them. I wasn’t at my best at that particular point in my life and so I started praying that they would feel my love even though I wasn’t showing it very well at the time. I think there are appropriate times to pray for that. However, in that particular moment, the Spirit whispered to me that I had prayed for the wrong thing. I loved my kids, but I wasn’t valuing them sufficiently at that time. How could I expect the Lord to just help them feel prioritized when I wasn’t actually prioritizing them? I could talk about how much I loved them all day, but until it changed how I was acting and feeling, then I was really just loving myself. I could tell you that I loved my kids more than myself, but my actions and underlying feelings during that time period were hinting at something different. The same goes for a broken heart. We may not consciously value our broken hearts, but why do we sometimes withhold our broken hearts? Why do we hide our vulnerability? Why do we often continue to kick against the pricks rather than allowing our spirits to feel contrite? We’re not doing it for funsies, so there must be some reason we want to hold onto these things rather than handing them over to the Lord. I had an experience some time last year; I believe it illustrates a time when I was withholding my broken heart and when I finally released it to the Lord and the resulting experience. I want to try very hard to maintain the point of me sharing this and not get distracted by the actual subject matter. It’s important to me that we take the principle I’m trying to teach so that we can apply it to all of our different situations rather than trying to hyperfocus on what my broken heart was about. Last year, I had a quiet moment where I started thinking about Heavenly Mother. It had never bothered me before that She was relatively unknown or that we didn’t talk about her. I hadn’t put much thought towards it up until the time I became a mother and learned what it meant to be a mother. Her role is likely far more significant than we realize, and I started to wonder if She ever felt unappreciated because everyone was so quiet about Her. She likely has much more perspective than I do, but it affected me. I held onto those feelings for a while, not willing to give up how I felt about it. It suddenly felt all wrong, and I felt very right. I held tight to that feeling of my being right. But then I started to reflect on the relationship I had with my Heavenly Father. I thought about the Savior and how He had sacrificed so much for me. I thought about how He had shown up for me multiple times, and I reflected on how I had sincerely felt His love. I didn’t understand why Heavenly Mother wasn’t more openly appreciated, but I decided that I’d had enough experiences with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that I still trusted Them. Instead of holding onto my rightness, I held onto the relationship I had with Them. I turned to pray, and I remember asking, “Why?” but how I asked that question had suddenly changed dramatically. Rather than asking, “Why?” in my determined rightness, I asked, “Why?” but I also mentally said, “Okay.” I let my heart feel sad over the issue, and I turned to Him for comfort regarding the issue. I gave Him my broken heart. I’m not going to go into detail regarding the answer I received. It was very personal to me, and I believe that my answer was for me. He spoke to me in a way that I understood, and it changed everything. I don’t want to talk about how He answered me. I want to highlight the fact that giving my broken heart to Him changed things for me. I had held onto my broken heart believing that I was right in doing so, but the experience of giving it up had been beautiful, and I’m so grateful I did. Different circumstances require giving up your broken heart I believe that with certain issues throughout our lives, it’s going to be an elaborate dance as we work towards having that kind of experience. Handing your broken heart to the Lord has to be done in your heart; it’s not something you can fake or force. It requires examining where you’re at and accepting where you’re at so that the Lord can work with where you’re at. I have very little advice on how to go about this elaborate dance of handing your broken heart over to the Lord because that process has been so different for different circumstances in my life. The Lord has had to patiently walk me through that process because half of the time, I didn’t even realize I was withholding a broken heart. He would have to guide me in how to experience my feelings before handing them over to be worked through with Him. I guess my only true advice is to turn to Him. You can even ask Him to walk you through the process because you don’t know how to do it on your own. You don’t have to know how to hand it over to Him; He can teach you how if you ask. I believe that handing over your broken heart can be related to issues you don’t understand in the church. I believe that it can relate to personal circumstances when you don’t understand why He allowed you to enter into certain trials. I believe that anything that can break our hearts can be taken to the Lord. I also believe that handing over your broken heart or finding your way towards a contrite spirit can often feel like a sacrifice. You have to sacrifice your pride and question whether you see the whole picture. You have to sacrifice your desire for Him to just fix things instead of allowing mortality to take its course. You have to sacrifice your desire to keep yourself safe and allow Him to step in. I testify that it’s worth handing over. I’ve never been disappointed when I’ve handed my heart over to the Lord. I’ve also learned that the process of truly handing my broken heart over can take years of trying and failing and patience. As I’ve accepted the need to work through things and not just come to simple, clean answers, I’ve learned that this process of submitting your heart to the Lord has been a worthwhile experience. I trust Him. When He opens my eyes to the details He has adjusted in my life, I see that He has never let me down. Just like with any sacrifice, the Lord offers more than He asks for. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 8–11 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 1–7 – Autumn Dickson 15:05

منذ 31 weeks15:05

15:05

Nephi Waited All Day by Autumn Dickson The chapters this week are full of some intense events that all occurred within a very short span of history. Within approximately 30 years, we find the almost-genocide of a religion, a major war in which an entire nation comes together to live in the same place, and a governmental collapse. I mean…how long did people even live during this time period? That’s quite the life to have. Though there were many tragedies and anxiety, there were also great miracles. One such miracle was the birth of Christ in Bethlehem with its accompanying signs in the western world. Before this grand event, we find that almost-genocide. Non-believers were convinced that the prophesied signs of Christ’s birth had past, and they were prepared to put the believers to death. Nephi, an immensely righteous prophet of the Lord, found himself in charge of a people who were condemned to death. Here is where we find Nephi at this particular point. 3 Nephi 1:12-13 12 And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: 13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Nephi prayed all day, and the Lord’s voice came to him, comforting him and telling him that the sign was coming soon enough to spare his people. We love the Lord who delivers us. We love the stories of miracles when He comes in and saves the day, and we testify boldly of His sacrifice that made Him the ultimate hero. However, do we also love the Lord who waited all day before responding to Nephi? Do we trust Him when we’re in the middle of a crisis and receiving nothing? Do we have faith in the last-second Lord and the Lord who allows for tragedy? Nephi was a good man In the first chapter of 3 Nephi, we find Nephi who is the son of Nephi who is the son of Helaman. Just to give you a quick recap, Nephi Sr. (the son of Helaman) was the guy who preached to the people on his garden tower about the death of the chief judge. He was also given the sealing power from the Lord in which he called down famines and wars. He was a great man. This Nephi, the son of Helaman, “departs” within the first few verses of 3 Nephi. We don’t know much about his departing, but we know that’s the last we hear of him. Nephi Sr., son of Helaman, also named his son Nephi. So Nephi Jr. is who we’re working with right now for this post. He is the leader of a people who is about to be put to death for believing in a coming Messiah; he has also just apparently lost his father. The combination of his father’s departure and the new mantle of leader over a threatened people likely weighed on him. Think of all the new leaders we hear from. How many times have you heard them describe their feared inadequacy? How many times have we heard about new leaders feeling overwhelmed and scared of the mantle they were being given? Nephi (I’m dropping Jr. now since we know who we’re talking about) had this mantle placed upon him at a particularly tumultuous time, both in terms of the church and his personal life. The Lord didn’t pull any punches. If my child came to me in these particular circumstances, praying about whether they were going to be okay, I feel like I would have responded immediately. That would have my natural inclination, to immediately ease their worry and suffering on top of so much they were already feeling. I would have worked quickly to remove any burden they felt as they were trying to lead my people to be faithful. But not so with the Lord. A day might not seem like very long to wait relatively speaking. However, the Lord was really cutting it close to crunch time. Nephi was counting down the time to the impending death of himself and his fellow congregants, awaiting the Lord’s response. I’m sure Nephi was pleading with the Lord for comfort, but I also imagine that Nephi was pleading with the Lord for direction. Should the people depart? Should they arm themselves? I’ve gotten answers to “wait” before, but Nephi was getting nothing for a while despite his seemingly pressing need. An effectual struggle A few months ago, we talked about Limhi and his people and their effectual struggle. As a reminder, “effectual” means to bring the intended result. We discussed how Limhi’s effectual struggle taught the people what they needed to learn. They were repenting of sin, and being released immediately from any effects of their sin would have likely just taught them, “I can do whatever I want and not experience consequences. Look! I sinned a ton, and I didn’t have any problems. I can definitely go back to sinning.” The effectual struggle did not pay for their salvation, and it wasn’t a result of the Lord exacting vengeance. The effectual struggle was a merciful, beautiful lesson given to the people of Limhi to drive them to be better and avoid their bonds. Since that lesson, I have been taught that every struggle in mortality can become an effectual struggle with the Lord. Even when we are righteous and seeking the Lord like Nephi, the Lord still has lessons for us to learn. Effectual struggles are essential for those lessons; we couldn’t learn what we needed to learn without them. More importantly we couldn’t become what we need to become without them. For instance, patience is a highly underrated characteristic of the Lord. We hate learning and practicing patience, but patience is one of the most beautiful characteristics the Lord has. Can you imagine where we would be if the Lord grew impatient with humanity? Someday, we will hopefully step into the shoes of the Lord and do as He does. However, that is going to require a patient being. Patience isn’t something that comes with a perfect life. You don’t learn patience as you receive enough rest, get enough alone time, or have everything sufficient for your needs. Those are beautiful gifts of eternity, but those gifts will not help you develop the patience you need to do what the Lord does, namely being patient when everything seems to be going wrong. Only an effectual struggle can help you develop that resilience. Sometimes we experience trials for “no” reason. We get to the end, and it didn’t feel like there was an overarching lesson or purpose. It feels random and tragic and unnecessary. However, as we turn to the Lord, perhaps we’ll recognize that sometimes the purpose is to stretch and practice our patience. You can’t become patient unless you’re given an opportunity to practice it, and we have to become patient to be exalted. The lesson for Nephi and his people I don’t know what lesson Nephi specifically needed to learn as the Lord remained quiet during a crucial time. Perhaps there were many lessons. Perhaps all of the followers had different lessons they needed to learn as they waited on the Lord to let them know it was going to be okay. I know that the Lord wasn’t ignoring Nephi because He was too busy, because He wanted Nephi to squirm and struggle, because He was insensitive to the things that Nephi was experiencing. No, the Lord was providing an effectual struggle. I can guess at one potential lesson. Just like with patience, we need an opportunity to practice faith in order to increase our faith. There comes a point in your testimony where you start to feel pretty sure that God is there and aware of you. You have learned that lesson. God has shown up enough in your life that you know He’s got you. You have developed that faith. But the Lord calls on us to stretch and grow our faith beyond that. After you know He’s there, He wants to push us to trust that He’s going to show up at the right time with everything you need. You’re not going to have to practice faith with nothing to lose. Imagine if the story we were reading was different. There was no antagonism towards the believers. There were people who didn’t believe in Christ, people who believed that the time for the sign had passed. However, these non-believers didn’t give a rip about whether others believed a sign was still coming. The believers might have still looked forward with faith or the sign to come, but they had nothing to lose. If it never came, they didn’t really lose out on much. There was no test. There was no stretch. There was no effectual struggle. There was no opportunity to really decide whether you were going to hold on because it didn’t actually matter if you held on. The Lord gave them an opportunity to stretch when He remained silent for a time. It was an opportunity , not a punishment or a sign that He didn’t love them. It was the only way for them to become like Him. Surely these trials can take different forms. There will be times in our lives where we receive respite and care, and we’re immensely grateful for those times and we enjoy them. However, those effectual struggles are actually the tender mercies that we came to earth for. Utilize them. You don’t have to love them. Christ didn’t love the idea of suffering in Gethsemane so don’t put pressure on yourself to grin and bear it. But utilize the opportunities you’ve been given to stretch your faith and patience and whatever other gifts come from being tested. Recognize what they are for. Don’t use them as “evidence” that you’re being punished. Use them as evidence that the Lord is preparing you. Understand that there was no other way to give us what we had asked for: a chance to be like Him. I testify that you’re safe. I testify that the Lord is going to show up at the right time. I testify that you’re not going to be abandoned. I testify that the Lord’s overwhelming love is what drives Him to push us beyond what’s comfortable. I testify that appreciating the purpose of the effectual struggle of mortality can make our lives a fulfilling and less bitter process. If you wait on the Lord and trust Him, you are in no danger. Not really. Not when we’re talking about the eternities. We have already won so take your turn being stretched and recognize the struggle for what it is. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 1–7 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 13–3 Nephi 7 – Mike Parker 31:55

منذ 32 weeks31:55

31:55

Samuel prophesied; the Gadianton War & collapse of Nephite society (Helaman 13–3 Nephi 7) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the content for the next two weeks.) Class Notes Additional Reading Daniel C. Peterson compared the style of warfare used by the Gadaniton robbers to historical tactics employed by irregular and insurgent forces, a type of warfare that Joseph Smith was unlikely to have been familiar with: “ The Gadianton Robbers as Guerrilla Warriors ,” in Warfare in the Book of Mormon , ed. Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book/Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990), 162–63. The ritual surrounding Zemnarihah’s execution ( 3 Nephi 4:28 ) has strong connections to Old Testament practices. See BMC Team, “ Why Did the People Cut Down the Tree after Hanging Zemnarihah? (KnoWhy #192) ,” Book of Mormon Central , 21 September 2016. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 13–3 Nephi 7 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 13-16 – Autumn Dickson 11:54

منذ 32 weeks11:54

11:54

Foretold Promises by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, we find Samuel the Lamanite. His title, “the Lamanite,” is actually very telling for this particular passage in The Book of Mormon. All throughout the history of The Book of Mormon, the Lamanites were traditionally the ones who rejected the gospel. And yet, we’ve reached a point in the timeline where the Nephites had grown extremely wicked. The Lord sent a Lamanite to go to the Nephites and preach the gospel to them. Samuel listened and did so. He warned them of all sorts of scary things that could happen if they didn’t repent, and he was miraculously preserved as he delivered his message. He also testified that Christ was coming. Helaman 14:2 And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name. Samuel told the Nephites that Christ would be born back in Jerusalem in five years. Even though Christ would be born an ocean away, there were going to be all sorts of signs that would precede His birth. The night before His birth, there wouldn’t be darkness in the night. A new star would appear. There would be many signs and wonders, and many would fall to the earth in amazement and wonder. Even though many of Samuel’s prophecies can be considered frightening, it didn’t need to scare anyone who chose to repent. Samuel even teaches that Zarahemla was currently being preserved because of the righteous people who were still in the city. Prophets prophesy of things to come. They foretell of signs to look for. They encourage us to change our lives according to the events on Heavenly Father’s timeline. Let’s talk about it in a modern context so that this can be a more relatable principle. In our day I want you to imagine that President Nelson told us all that Christ was returning in five years. This will likely not happen since we’ve been taught that no one, not even the angels, know when Christ is coming. However, for the sake of applying the scriptures, let’s pretend that he did. I’m sure there would be plenty of mockery in the world, just as there was with Samuel the Lamanite. I wonder how many people who are not of our faith would become curious over this miraculous and bold announcement. It would be an interesting day on social media to say the least. But how would you respond? What would you change? If Christ was really coming within the next five years, what kind of feelings would you experience with this announcement? President Nelson did not come forward last General Conference and announce the coming of the Savior, but he is a prophet and he has made pronouncements. He has admonished us in specific ways but because there is no deadline, sometimes we underestimate the importance of such guidance. I can think of two specific ways that President Nelson’s (along with other prophets) pronouncements should change us. I want to cover the first, but I want to focus on the second. Behavior The first way it should change us is in our behavior. If I knew Christ was coming, I’d probably get a bunch more food storage. I’d spend more time with my family and at the temple. I would probably cut out a lot of extra things that once felt so important to me. I would probably spend more conscious time considering how I spent my free time, reading books with tons of value in comparison to these cheap filler novels I can find on Stuff Your Kindle day. I’d spend my money differently knowing that things would change after He came. To an extent, it’s wise to consider how we would change. It can help us refocus our priorities and remember what has true value. However, I want to highlight the phrase, “To an extent…” It’s also important to remember that we might live another hundred years before He comes. There’s a balance there. For example, I mentioned how I would change the way I spent my time and money. We just spent the last two months trying to fix up our yard. Would I have bothered to fix it up if I knew Christ was coming? Maybe. I definitely would have reconsidered if I knew that the world was going to look different in five years. We can’t drop everything and live our lives as though Christ is coming in five years because we don’t know whether He is, but we can consider how we would change. Pondering this idea may not dramatically change our current actions, but they might realign what we’re focusing on and worrying about. Which leads me to my second point that I truly want to hone in on. How we feel would change I hope that an announcement regarding the coming of the Savior would make you feel hope over despair. I hope that the idea of facing Him would fill you with all the best kinds of anticipation. I hope that your life would feel lighter. When we have something really exciting to look forward to, all of the days leading up to that event can often feel more exciting even though the event isn’t there yet. When you’re looking forward to a cruise or the last day of school, the anticipation can be just as fun as the event itself. I remember I used to love Fridays at school because it meant the weekend was coming. Friday was technically the same as any other day at school, but Friday felt different because I was looking forward to something. During a district meeting on my mission, we all made lists of the blessings that we were most excited for. It was actually a really fun exercise and made me feel lighter and better even though nothing had really changed. It simply brought the anticipation of the promised blessings of the Savior to the forefront of my mind where I could enjoy them even though they weren’t here yet. We listed blessings from the ridiculous to the deep. We were excited to hold our children, to be happy and safe in a marital relationship. We were excited to be able to fly (I don’t know if that was ever directly promised, but one could argue it’s implied). We were excited to see a beautiful world that was even prettier than what we already have. We were excited to not get the flu anymore, to see loved ones who had passed on, and to pet lions. Like Samuel, we have modern day prophets who have warned us. However, also like Samuel, we have prophets who have taught us about the Lord’s promises, and we have every reason to rejoice in those blessings today. If we are repenting, remaining close to the Lord, and trying to be a good person, we have every reason to believe that He will bestow all that the Father has on us. That means whole and healed family relationships, healthy bodies that can move and act in tremendous and free ways, and a gorgeous setting to enjoy all of it in. What is hurting you? What has the Lord promised you that’s adjacent to that hurt? Can you visualize it? Can you visualize the fulfillment of His merciful promises? We don’t have to be afraid of getting our hopes up. Christ has the capacity to fill our hopes beyond what we could have dreamed of. Sit in that visualization of that fulfilled promise, and let it fill you with faith. Let it fill you with a sweet and healing gratitude for your Savior. The Savior has promised tremendous blessings. Make a conscious list of them and allow yourself to hope for them. It’s okay to still feel hurt and disappointment and sacrifice in this life as we ache to have those blessings fulfilled now. The Savior does not begrudge us feeling misery when He built the world for the very purpose of experiencing the full spectrum of life. However, when you’re ready to step out of the misery and you’ve allowed yourself to feel it sufficiently, let His promises be a balm to you. Let your anticipation of the fulfillment of these promises be as exciting as the event itself. I testify of a Savior who is coming again even if we’re not sure when. I testify that He has the capacity to fulfill His promises; He already won! He already secured the right to give us everything our hearts desire. I testify of a Savior who also has the capacity to help you strive and reach and repent so that you’re ready to experience those blessings. If you’re worried about being able to receive those blessings because you’re worried about your ability to follow Him, then visualize the promise that there is no darkness too far where He can’t reach you and save you. And beyond pulling you from that darkness, He wants to give you more than you can imagine. He can give you more than you can imagine. Hold those promises in your heart, and let them fill you now. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 13-16 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 7–12 – Autumn Dickson 14:59

منذ 33 weeks14:59

14:59

Healed by the Savior by Autumn Dickson The theme of remembrance is abundant in the chapters we’ve been reading lately, and that does not cease for this week. Nephi is preaching to the people from the tower in his garden, and he starts to bring up stories that they should remember. One such story is succinctly taught in these verses. Helaman 8:14-15 14 Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come. 15 And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal. Nephi teaches the people of a story found in our Old Testament. The Israelites had been bitten by serpents and were dying. Moses lifted up a brazen serpent, and if the Israelites looked at it, they would be healed. Many looked and were saved; many did not and perished. Such a simple concept. The Israelites were members of the church who had made covenants with God. They still found themselves in trouble throughout their lives, and in this particular instance, the solution to their problems was to simply look at a brazen serpent. We are likewise members of the church who find ourselves in trouble throughout our lives. Is it really as simple as looking to the Savior? Is this just another way to teach the theme of remembrance? If we can simply remember to look towards the Savior, will we really find the solution to our problems? I wholeheartedly argue yes. Interaction with the Savior Let’s look at the woman with the issue of blood as an example. This woman in the New Testament had been sick for years and years. She had a blood disorder of some kind that made her continually unclean. When you dive into the Law of Moses, you learn that women who were bleeding were not to be touched. They were unclean, and if you touched them, you became unclean. Though this sounds awful, I believe the Lord was actually protecting the health of His daughters during vulnerable times. After a woman was done bleeding, she needed to go and do specific washings to become clean again. Then she was allowed to be touched again. This woman wasn’t supposed to be touched. No matter how many washings she went through for the Law of Moses, she couldn’t be healed. No matter how obedient she was to the Law of Moses, it was insufficient. Doctors during this time period couldn’t help her either. It likely didn’t help that the Jews during this time period were all about the Law of Moses. There were all sorts of extra rules that made sure you were following the Law of Moses. It was a badge of honor to be following the Law of Moses “perfectly.” The outward ceremonies and acts of worship had become dramatic, and the people had forgotten that all of these ceremonies were meant to be pointing them towards a Savior that was coming. Obedience to the Law of Moses was inherently worthless without the coming of the Savior. And we see the physical manifestation of this truth in this story. The woman could not wash herself clean or heal herself with obedience. She could not return to her relationships because she was untouchable. The only thing that healed her was approaching the Savior and touching the hem of his garment. It was not obedience that healed the woman; it was approaching the Savior in faith. That’s an important concept to master. I’m not trying to teach that obedience is unimportant. Obedience is vastly important, but it’s important for different reasons than we’re often seeking. We’re looking for obedience to save us, to heal us from our maladies, to make us happy, but obedience cannot provide that. Only a relationship with the Savior can do that. Obedience offers many blessings. The Law of Moses was important because it was meant to open the eyes of the people so that they could recognize their Savior. It was meant to help them understand their Savior on a deeper level. It protected them. It pushed them to rise above earthly circumstances. It prepared them. But it could not save them. We don’t go to the temple to be healed. We go to the temple so we can more easily feel the Savior who can heal us. We don’t read our scriptures to make us happy. We read our scriptures so we can feel the Spirit and catch a glimpse of the presence of the Savior to make us happy. We don’t pray to get what we need; we commune with our Heavenly Father and Savior so we can find solace, adjust our lives according to their foreknowledge, and learn to trust in Their abilities and promises. All of the acts of obedience and worship are inherently worthless without the aspect of the Savior. We obey and perform and show up and follow the primary answers because they more readily facilitate a relationship with the Savior. If you’re focused on completing the obedience and tasks, you’ll miss the blessings. Let that knowledge change your worship. Let it change how you attend the temple, church meetings, and service. Let it change how you pray and read your scriptures. We don’t necessarily need to give more; sometimes we just need to adjust our focus to our purpose – the Savior. A more specific example This is an example that is more specific in nature, but I feel prompted to share it so here ya go. I have found that I cannot feel the Savior in the same ways when I’m depressed. This makes perfect sense because I often feel disconnected from people in general when I’m depressed. No matter how I engage or invite, I feel oddly alone and cut off. This problem is exacerbated when we remember that I can’t even physically see the Savior show up like I can with my other relationships. So when I’m in a dark place, I try to apply the same principles to the Savior that I do to my friends and family. Even when I feel depressed and disconnected from my friends, I talk myself through it. I feel dark, but they don’t hate me. They don’t think I’m annoying. They’re still here, and they’ll still be here when I come back out of it. I can’t feel the connection with them right now, but I know that’s just something in my brain. That connection was and is real. The same goes for the Savior. He doesn’t hate me. He’s not disappointed in me. He hasn’t fled from me because I’m doing something wrong. He’s not annoyed with me. He’s still there, and He will still be there when I come back out of it. It’s just something in my brain that was given to me for a wise purpose in Him. That connection was and is real, even if I can’t currently feel it. I take what I’ve been taught about a perfect Savior, and I apply it to my situation. His promises are still real. His concern and desire to push me farther are still real. This is not always practiced perfectly. Sometimes I forget or stumble and stay on the ground. But practicing has been worthwhile anyways. Looking to the Savior Nephi asked his people to remember how looking towards a representation of the Savior had saved their ancestors because he wanted his people to look to the Savior so they could be saved. In any aspect where you find yourself troubled, you can look to the Savior and include Him. I promise for any problem you find yourself facing in life, there is a corresponding miracle, story, principle, or promise adjacent to the Savior that can either solve your problem, help you understand the purpose of your problem, or lift your sights, and strengthen your faith that deliverance is coming. Every single aspect. Include Him. And when I say include Him, I mean actually include Him. Don’t include some skewed version of Him that is inaccurate. I used to do that. I pictured the Savior, but I never pictured Him helping me, offering mercy, lifting me up, and encouraging me on. For some bizarre reason, I pictured Him angry with me. The Savior is a perfectly loving Being who is constantly pursuing us. If He’s disciplining His people, it’s being done out of love to bring them back. All of His acts are acts of love. His no’s, His silences, and His deliberate choices to allow your struggles are all proof of His love. That’s the Savior you need to bring into your life on purpose. That’s the Savior you need to turn to with each obstacle you face. That’s the Savior who won’t let you down. It takes a lot of mental strength and patience to develop a relationship with a Being you can’t see. It takes a lot of energy to develop and maintain a relationship with anyone, let alone a Being you can’t see. However, I testify that it is infinitely worth it. I testify that on the days I remember to include the Savior in every aspect of my life, I am changed and happy. Life is worth living. All the wilderness we’re asked to endure and walk through is worth it. I testify that He, and He alone, heals and saves. Worship and obedience are beautiful principles, but they were only ever meant to point us to Him because He is the only path to salvation with all of its accompanying goodness. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 7–12 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 1–12 – Mike Parker 41:55

منذ 34 weeks41:55

41:55

The ministries of Nephi & Lehi; Nephite spiritual decline (Helaman 1–12) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the content for the next two weeks.) Class Notes Additional Reading What does the mention of concrete in Helaman 3:7 tell us about where the Book of Mormon could have taken place? See Matthew G. Wells and John W. Welch, “ Concrete Evidence for the Book of Mormon ,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon , ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1992), 212–14. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 1–12 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 1–6 – Autumn Dickson 11:46

منذ 34 weeks11:46

11:46

Treasure in Heaven by Autumn Dickson Helaman had two sons whom he named Nephi and Lehi after their forefathers. He named them this so they could remember the good works of their ancestors and try to follow their examples. Helaman wanted his sons to have constant reminders to do good. Helaman also taught his sons this: Helaman 5:8 And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers. Helaman wanted his sons to do good, but he wanted his sons to do it for the right reasons. When it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the right reasons are indispensable. It is the right reasons that change us and prepare us to actually receive eternal life because it is only through becoming like our Eternal Father that we can experience the kind of life He lives. Helaman knew this and so he didn’t want his sons to do the right things so that they could boast and be proud of their good works. He wanted them to lay up a treasure in heaven for themselves, namely eternal life. This was an interesting way of phrasing this because some might argue that Helaman was teaching them to do good works so that they could receive a personal reward. Let’s talk about this personal reward so we can discuss what Helaman was truly teaching when he phrased it in this manner. What is this treasure in heaven? When we’re discussing the concept of “treasure” in heaven, we have to understand that this is symbolic. Treasure on earth is valuable, but the traditional treasure that we think of will not be valuable in heaven. It’s too plentiful to be valuable. Everyone will receive a healthy, resurrected body. Everyone (except for those few sons of perdition) will be living in a world that’s better than the one we have. Everyone will have what they need to be sustained forever. So what’s valuable in heaven? When you do good works, you’re not earning a mansion and an unending supply of gold and jewels and other nonsense. I have a sneaking suspicion that those things will be rather worthless on the other side because of their inability to provide anything for us. Money has its place here and can provide some measure of security, peace, and happiness. However, on the other side, where the Lord has already promised each of us a place in a kingdom that is above anything we’ve experienced here, I’m going to guess that your money is going to be laughable. No. This treasure is not a reward in that manner. In fact, I believe that the true treasure is nothing more than a deep realization of how to actually be happy in the context of eternity. That is what’s going to be valuable on the other side. The implications that follow this deep realization are all a part of this treasure in heaven, and when we understand this treasure in heaven, we will understand that Helaman was not encouraging his sons to seek a reward in the traditional, selfish sense. Valuable treasure in the context of eternity So let’s cover some of the realities of the context of eternity. We find ourselves in a world more beautiful than the one we’re living in now. Everyone has everything they need as well as perfectly healthy bodies. There is no such thing as having more than another person because every person pretty much gets whatever they want. The only thing I want to alter about these realities (in order to drive home my point) is the fact that in my scenario, everyone remains exactly who they are. How would you spend your time if this were your reality? Where would you invest your energy? Obviously, we’re going to spend our energy in a way that makes us happy. How long will your investment bring a return? How long will it take before your investment grows unbearably dull and miserable as you view your unending life? Real and lasting happiness requires drama and hardship. Nobody wants to watch a movie where the main character goes through nothing, learns nothing, and is just fine for two hours. In real life, having moments of reprieve where nothing is going wrong is absolutely appreciated. But it’s only appreciated because we know what it feels like when things are going wrong. Otherwise, it’s literally just boring. And in the context of eternity, I would imagine it can actually become unbearable. I’ve watched my sister experience this on a smaller scale recently. She has ten kids. Needless to say, her life has been chaotic and constant movement for years on end. She has finally reached the point where her kids are growing up. They’re all in school. One is married. Another is off at college, and another is on a mission. She found herself in a period of time where she could finally catch up on reading and watching TV, and she definitely took advantage of it. She had solidly earned that reprieve. But after some time passed, she got bored. She needed a challenge. She needed more than constant downtime. So she enrolled in school again. Such is the case with eternity but on an even more extreme level. We will have nothing but constant “downtime.” We will need something to challenge us, or things are going to get dreadfully monotonous to the point where we have nothing to live for. So here comes our Plan of Salvation in which the Lord allows us to have eternal posterity. Here comes our challenge to love and help someone who needs us, someone we can love more than ourselves. Here comes happiness and an appreciation of it. But in order to take advantage of that potential happiness that is being offered to us, we have to be willing to look outside ourselves and our own needs. In order to be happy in the context of eternity, you have to let go of yourself and be turned outward like our Heavenly Father. That’s the big secret to happiness. That’s the key. That’s the treasure in heaven. When Helaman teaches his sons to pursue this treasure in heaven, he wants them to learn the value of turning beyond yourself and the best way to learn this principle is to live it. You can read about serving others all day long, but you don’t change into an others-oriented kind of person until you practice what you’ve been taught. We have to act in order to change. Helaman’s sons were being given opportunities to practice turning outward so they could change and be prepared for the reality that was heaven. That was the treasure that was being offered to them. Eternal life and its true treasure is being surrounded by loved ones and helping others progress. All of that other stuff (healthy bodies, homes, all of our needs met) is going to be wonderful and a necessary part of our eternal happiness, but those things are insufficient for happiness. Look at real-world examples. There are plenty of rich people who are unhappy and plenty of poor people who are happy so it’s not truly about having resources. The valuable treasure available in heaven is the knowledge that forgetting about yourself is where happiness lies, because it is only in forgetting about yourself that you find something worth living for: eternal posterity who can grow and progress. I testify of a Heavenly Father who lives and loves His eternal life. I testify that He loves us enough to offer it to us. I testify that He has a complete understanding of eternity and that He’s trying to give it to us. I testify that He set up this entire plan, made possible by Jesus Christ, so that we could come down and gain the necessary knowledge and change to be prepared to live like He does. I testify that performing good works presents that specific opportunity to morph into the kind of person who can appreciate eternity. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 1–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 53–63 – Autumn Dickson 15:40

منذ 35 weeks15:40

15:40

To Support and Suffer by Autumn Dickson One of the most well-known stories in The Book of Mormon is that of the stripling warriors. Though their story is replete with inspiring stories and principles, I want to actually discuss their fathers, namely the Lamanites converts who changed their name to the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. These Anti-Nephi-Lehies came to dwell with the Nephites, and the Nephites offered them protection as they had taken oaths of pacifism because of their past dealings with violence. When Lamanites came to battle against the Nephites, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies did not participate in the war despite the fact that they were beneficiaries of the bravery of the Nephites. Consider the whole of the story. These Nephites, who had once been mortal enemies with the Anti-Nephi-Lehies they were now protecting, were going out to war to protect all the people. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies helped support the war effort by helping to provide for the armies; however, before the stripling warriors, they offered up no warriors. The fathers had made an oath not to fight. Though I would have whole-heartedly supported these Anti-Nephi-Lehies in keeping their covenant of pacifism, I acknowledge that this might have been difficult for some to swallow (maybe it wasn’t hard for anyone, I obviously don’t know because it doesn’t say specifically). I wonder if any Nephite mothers felt unwanted resentment as they sent out their husbands and sons, knowing that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies were not contributing in the same manner. Perhaps, in the minds of some, they felt that it was actually morally wrong that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies wouldn’t contribute similarly in the middle of a war. It wasn’t just about their own deaths; it was about helping to protect Nephite lives as well. We know this wasn’t a completely absent opinion because before the stripling warriors stepped forward, their fathers (who had taken the oath of pacifism) wanted to break their oaths and help fight alongside the Nephites. I don’t point out this side of the story to cause discontent or even to play devil’s advocate. I point it out so that we can better understand the principle I want to teach today. That principle is found in the following verse. Helaman is writing to Captain Moroni and explaining that he didn’t want the Anti-Nephi-Lehies to break the covenant they had made with God. Alma 56:8 But I would not suffer them that they should break this covenant which they had made, supposing that God would strengthen us, insomuch that we should not suffer more because of the fulfilling the oath which they had taken. Because this was a war and because we live in a fallen world, there was going to be suffering and sorrow and loss. However, Helaman testifies of a benevolent God who would not allow the Nephites to suffer more because they had made the decision to protect the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. The Nephites were making a sacrifice, a potentially heavy sacrifice, in order to support someone else following the Lord. And yet, they were not truly going to lose. There are a lot of modern day applications to this principle. There were sacrifices made by the saints in the early period of this dispensation as they buried family members, lost limbs, and suffered extreme depravities to provide a safe place for the church to grow for the countless people in generations to follow. There are also modern day implications that are likely more relatable because they aren’t a life or death situation. Serving missions, serving in time-heavy callings, and serving in general can take time away from other important priorities. All of the people who choose to answer the call and volunteer when called upon by the Spirit are sacrificing something potentially important, and yet, no one has to truly lose. Not really. There are two points I’d like to cover. A supposed sacrifice Even if we were to end up sacrificing more than we would have otherwise, the Lord has every right to call upon us. I want to look at the idea of sacrifice as if we were truly sacrificing on behalf of others to better highlight the rightness of sacrifice. I was called to serve in a primary presidency a week before I gave birth to my second child. Our ward had an enormous primary, and each half could hardly fit into the primary room for singing time. Needless to say, there was some time involved in the calling. It wasn’t even necessarily an extreme amount of time. However, as it came at the inopportune moment of delivering my second child, I was feeling a bit bitter. It didn’t help that my postpartum depression raged harder after my second child than with any other child. I felt stretched to the limit in many capacities. Conner’s schedule was absolutely chaotic, and Sunday was the only real day that I could have him home with the family with any kind of regularity. I wanted that time as a family, and I also wanted my nap time that I felt I desperately needed. But alas, Sunday was the only day that worked for the presidency to come together. I fulfilled my responsibilities, and I believe I did so with a brave face (though it’s hard for me to tell…when I’m depressed, I have a hard time adequately gauging the success of my social endeavors). However, despite the brave face, I was angry and resentful of having this time taken away from me. I didn’t want to leave my house to take care of other kids. I wanted to stay home with my new baby. I wasn’t even offering up my life like the Nephites, and yet, I felt cheated. I’m not sure how long it took for my heart to soften enough that the Spirit could chastise me. But I remember walking around, delivering little packages to the primary families in the surrounding neighborhoods, when the Spirit helped me to see the kids who didn’t have what my kids had at home. I was missing out on a couple hours max with my little baby who was safely tucked away at home napping or with dad, but some of the kids that were on my list needed the gospel and they weren’t getting it at home. The Lord needed someone else to bring it to them. My bitterness dried up quickly as my mind cleared to see the situation accurately. With everything beautiful that had been given to me, how was I to turn my back on the Lord and say He was asking too much? How could I deny these tiny sacrifices that had the potential to bless kids who needed it so badly because of the circumstances they were born into? Perhaps the Nephites were wiser than me and recognized this. Perhaps they saw that these former Lamanites had been born into circumstances that were harmful. Perhaps the Nephites had their eyes opened, and they were completely taken aback as they recognized the strong spirits who had turned away from their previous traditions because of their immense faith. Perhaps the Nephites saw the situation for what it really was, and because of what they clearly saw, it was easy to make the decision to protect them even when it might have been perceived as “unfair.” Which leads to my next point. The Savior didn’t have the same promise but sacrificed anyway No one has sacrificed more than the Savior. No one has given up what He gave up to save us. If He had been born into our circumstances, He still would have chosen to be perfect. And yet, despite the fact that He didn’t need to operate with the humble understanding that Heavenly Father would have tried to save Him in our circumstances, He still sacrificed. From our viewpoint, we can have the humble realization that we are no better than those we sacrifice for. For His viewpoint, He is better, but that’s not what mattered. What matters is that He loved everyone enough to want them to come home and so He sacrificed accordingly. He sacrificed for each of us individually. He asks us to be like Him, to let go of what we believe we deserve, to sacrifice on behalf of those who can’t do it for themselves. There was no one to promise the Savior that He wouldn’t have to suffer more for choosing to step up for those who couldn’t step up for themselves. And yet, He did it. And because He did it, He offers us the promise that Helaman testified of, namely that He will not have us truly sacrifice anything that matters when we’re stepping up to sacrifice for another. I also know this to be true. There have been a million moments in time where I have asked the Lord why He has asked me to do this blog when all I ever wanted to do was be a mother. There have been moments where I have failed my kids because I’ve been sacrificing to try and share these messages. There have been plenty of moments of bitterness where I have felt like He’s asked me to set aside my family in order to fulfill this responsibility He’s asked me to do. When looking at those individual moments, it would be easy to become confused and believe that it’s wrong to make these sacrifices when my priority should be my family. And yet, when you step back and look at the scales that include all of the blessings and sacrifices that have been made, I cannot testify enough that no one has been blessed more than me and my family. So much of what I love about myself has come because of these “sacrifices” I’ve been asked to make, and I know that these powerful beliefs about my Savior and myself will be passed on to my children. Though there are moments of sacrifice, my children will ultimately receive far more than they would have gotten otherwise. Be willing to make the sacrifice with a willing heart, and you will also find the overwhelming blessings I have found on behalf of yourself and those you love. The Nephites did not suffer more for being willing to uphold the Anti-Nephi-Lehies as they kept their covenants with God. I know it because I have had the same experience in my small way. The Lord is overwhelmingly good, and when He has asked us to step up and serve on behalf of others, He will turn again and bless us. If we follow Him with all of our hearts, we will never be able to repay Him for what He offers in return. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 53–63 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 43-63 – Mike Parker 58:52

منذ 36 weeks58:52

58:52

The Zoramite, Amalickiahite & Lamanite Wars (Alma 43–63) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the content for the next two weeks.) Class Notes Additional Reading This important book examines Book of Mormon warfare from many different aspects, including Mormon₂’s reasons for including these accounts in the text: Warfare in the Book of Mormon , eds. Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book / Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990). Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 43-63 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 43–52 – Autumn Dickson 15:34

منذ 36 weeks15:34

15:34

What You Choose to See by Autumn Dickson We have arrived at the war chapters. Within these chapters are plenty of principles that we can still spiritually engage with despite the fact that the events are taking place on a battlefield. During one such battle, Captain Moroni bears his testimony to Zerahemnah (one of the antagonizing military leaders) regarding the protection of the Lord. He testifies that they have the true faith and that the Lord strengthened and protected them because of their belief and worship. After bearing testimony, he commands Zerahemnah to make an oath that he and his men will never come against the Nephites again. Otherwise they will commence the battle and wipe out the remainder of the men. Zerahemnah delivers his weapon to Captain Moroni but refuses the oath. Zerahemnah gives this as his reasoning: Alma 44:9 Behold, we are not of your faith; we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you. Captain Moroni believes that they won because of their faith. Zerahemnah believes it was because they were good at war. Note that both sentences contain the word “belief.” People can find evidence of whatever they choose to look for. Captain Moroni found evidence of the Lord’s protection, and Zerahemnah did not. What we choose to see I taught a man on my mission who had lost his faith. He had grown up a devout Catholic. He attended mass regularly, and after marrying his wife who was a member, he also started attending church meetings with us. He met with us regularly, read The Book of Mormon, and participated in other faith-promoting activities. And yet, if you were to ask him, he would have maintained that he didn’t feel any faith in God. He had watched a movie that had asked a question, “What if it’s not true?” or something along those lines. That question had stuck with him, and he had not been able to feel faith since. My companion and I worked over and over and over to teach him to look for those good feelings from God. We wanted so badly for him to find that faith he had lost. There was one evening where the Spirit was so powerful. We had randomly chosen to sing a hymn or primary song (can’t remember which one). He, his wife, my companion, and I found ourselves in tears. It was “thick” in the room. But still, our friend could not bring himself to attribute it beyond good hormones that were conjured up with beautiful music. He still could not bring himself to see God in it. I’ve learned since then that faith is a choice, both when it comes to obedience and when it comes to seeing God in our lives. My friend participated in faith-promoting activities but wasn’t choosing faith; he wanted faith to descend upon him. Where we felt the presence of God, he felt good feelings that didn’t necessarily come from Him. People can look at the same event and draw completely different conclusions. When I pray about finding my lost keys, I can choose to believe that God helped me find them or that it was a coincidence. When I feel good emotions associated with church, I can believe that the Lord is making His presence known or that I simply have positive pathways built in my brain when it comes to church. When we look at mistakes leaders in the past and present, we can choose to see fallible humans who are still generally led by God or we can see evidence that they can’t really be prophets if they had flaws. When Alma faced off with Korihor, he testified that all of creation was a witness of God. Obviously, there are millions of people throughout history who have come to a completely different conclusion. The truth remains that you can find “evidence” to support your beliefs no matter which beliefs you ascribe to. I feel that almost most everyone goes through moments in their lives when they ask, “What if it’s not true?” Though these moments can be a little scary, both for ourselves and those we love, these moments can be defining. They can be the threshold in our lives where we really decide where we are going to invest our belief, and that’s incredibly powerful. We may be tempted to desperately avoid questions such as, “What if it’s not true?” However, rather than avoiding them, we can examine them closely and try to include the Lord we’ve been taught about. We can use it as a testing ground rather than unraveling because we’re afraid of it. Why should I choose to invest in faith? So let’s say we’ve reached that threshold. We’ve asked ourselves, “What if we were wrong about everything? What if I was just seeing what I wanted to see?” If you can find “evidence” of whatever you believe in, why should you choose faith? Unfortunately, this is an extremely personal question that gets handled by the Lord according to each individual. I can only share my experiences. For a long time, I’m not even sure I had a good reason for choosing to invest in faith because I’m not sure I was consciously choosing it. I was afraid to consider the alternative of leaving the church, and I had found enough goodness and evidence that I felt okay moving forward. I invested in faith because I had been taught to invest in faith. I believed that my good feelings were coming from God because I had been taught to believe. I’m so grateful for that gift. I’m also grateful that I reached the point where I’ve made my own, conscious choice to continue investing in faith. It was scary facing some of those questions at first, but walking through those low points created an opportunity for me to invest on my faith on purpose, and that has been far more rewarding. I still receive all those good feelings and quiet moments and associate them with God, but those are not the reasons I choose to keep investing. Those are rewards I receive from investing, but they are not the reasons I continue investing. I think my most definitive reason for investing right now is how I’ve felt guided. Over the past couple years, I have been watching the Lord guide my prayers before something happened and then watching them be fulfilled before my eyes. I’ve told the story before, but as we were moving to Virginia, I opened my journal and prayed for absolutely everything I wanted. I left nothing out, no matter how silly or artificial it seemed. At a time when my husband was under immense stress trying to find something we could afford that wasn’t a box in an alley, I was feeling pretty good about everything and asking for whatever I wanted. Sure enough, seven months later, we were led to a temporary home that had every single thing I had asked for. Not to mention, it was given to us at a price that was unheard of, and we did absolutely no work to get it. It quite literally fell into our laps. I would have been fine if the Lord had given us a tiny apartment without all the extras and I told Him that too, but it was one of those moments where one of the most important lessons He taught me was, “I heard you.” Maybe in and of itself, this can be considered coincidence, but this has been repeated over and over and over. I pray. I am guided as I pray. Things come together, and I recognize the Lord’s hand because He told me to pray for it. He would likely still bless my family, but because I prayed for it, I was given the tremendous gift of recognizing that He was speaking to me. Maybe this is how Captain Moroni felt. Maybe Zerahemnah was impressed with their shields, breastplates, and cunning, but maybe Captain Moroni had felt something nagging at him ahead of time to prepare his men in precisely this manner. Then, when he saw everything come together, he quietly thanked the Lord for preparing him ahead of time. Or, maybe Captain Moroni had enough experiences of that manner that he knew the Lord had been guiding them, even if he hadn’t felt any specifics in that particular moment. Right now, prayer and its results are the reasons I keep investing in faith. I have had other experiences where my prayers have been much shorter and involved far less of my silly, little wants, and I have seen how those prayers were also guided because He led me towards something that I wasn’t expecting. I have had even more experiences where I did pray for everything I wanted, but I felt this little nagging feeling that I wasn’t going to get it. And sure enough, I was led elsewhere. The Lord could lead me for my entire life without me knowing it. But because He has commanded me to pray, He has been able to guide my feelings ahead of time so that I can recognize Him later. And isn’t that just a beautiful reason to pray? Prayer isn’t about getting what we want. It’s about helping us find our Heavenly Father, and it has surely done that for me. I testify of Heavenly Father who hears and answers prayers. I testify that He can guide our prayers and feelings if we practice that skill. I testify that He can make Himself known to you should you choose to invest in faith and ask for help in recognizing Him. The experiment surely won’t hurt you. You have nothing to lose by asking Him to help you see Him if He’s really there. The rewards I have personally experienced have gone far beyond what I could have imagined, and I know it all comes from a loving Heavenly Father who loved me because He made me. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 43–52 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 39–42 – Autumn Dickson 14:21

منذ 36 weeks14:21

14:21

Perspectives on Corianton by Autumn Dickson In the chapters we’ve been reading lately, Alma is counseling with his sons. We read so many incredible sermons of missionaries and prophets to their people, but these are incredible messages given from father to sons. One of these messages is especially relevant today as Alma talks to his son Corianton. Corianton had been guilty of sexual sin. As the Come Follow Me manual so eloquently puts, it can be hard to know how to help our loved ones when they’ve made a big mistake. I believe there are a couple of perspectives that can help us when we’re trying to know what to say or how to support. People can feel how you feel about them, even if it’s just subconsciously. If we have the right perspective going into the situation, they will be able to feel how we feel about them, and it will make all the difference in how they perceive whatever words come out of our mouths. There is no perfect way to respond, but if we have a correct knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and an accurate perspective of what we’re really looking at, it can be easier to set aside our own personal feelings and be there for those who need it. The gravity of certain sins Here is one of the things that Alma said to Corianton. Alma 39:5-6 5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost? 6 For behold, if ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea, I say unto you, my son, that it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness. So sexual sin is pretty high up there on the list of sins. If we were to weigh the gravity of sins, the most serious would be denying the Holy Ghost (this is a specific sin that most of us aren’t capable of). The second highest is shedding innocent blood, and the third is sexual sin. A couple of weeks ago, I actually found myself pondering this idea of the gravity of sins (I suppose the Lord was preparing me for this week), and I remember distinctly thinking that it was interesting to find sexual sin right next to murder. Heavenly Father judges us by our hearts, and I want you to consider for a moment the state of the heart of those who murder vs. those who commit sexual sin. I would wager that those who shed innocent blood have pretty dark hearts. Now compare the hard heart it would require to murder someone vs. the heart that commits sexual sin. I fully recognize that there are plenty of people out there who commit sexual sin with the intent to hurt, and I believe that there will be reckoning for that. However, consider the hearts of those who made a mistake. Consider the hearts of the young teenagers who found themselves with too much freedom and undeveloped brains. Consider the hearts of two people who are about to get married. Please do not mistake me. I’m not seeking to excuse sin. I’m merely pointing out the difference in the hearts of those who murder and the hearts of those who commit sexual sin in a moment of weakness because there is a difference. Heavenly Father knows this. So if Heavenly Father is judging us by our hearts, why is sexual sin right up there next to murder? This is the perspective I wish to share that may help you know how you should approach your loved one. Namely, sometimes the gravity of sin is not weighed by our hearts but by the potential of consequences and the required healing. A lot of the hearts that commit sexual sin are nowhere near as dark as those that commit murder. And yet, the fact remains. Even if your heart wasn’t dark, the potential for consequences and the need for healing remains. Even if it was a moment of weakness in the midst of a million successful evenings, the consequences can be painful. The world doesn’t like us teaching the consequences of sin because they believe that we’re trying to scare people into doing what’s right. There are many positive reasons to keep the law of chastity, but it’s not wrong to teach my kids about how sexual sin can hurt them just like there’s nothing wrong with teaching my kid that they can get hit by a car for running out into the road. Having all the information, good and bad, can help our children make the right decisions. I don’t want to hyperfocus on the consequences because this post isn’t about not committing sexual sin; it’s about having the right perspective to approach those we love. I believe that most adults can easily imagine all the potential consequences of sex, from a baby (and all of the options in that scenario) to how it changes a young brain. So instead let’s focus on how this perspective of hearts can change how we approach our loved ones. The other side of repentance Much of repentance is a true recognition of how sin affects us and others. It’s a realization that we don’t want to bring those kinds of results into the world, and it’s about rising above and choosing to live our life on a higher plane. But the other side of the coin of repentance is healing. It is essential that we don’t neglect this portion of repentance if we truly want our loved ones to live at a higher plane. We don’t want them limping around the rest of their lives, carrying shame in a desperate attempt to not make mistakes anymore. No. We want them to fully heal. If you really want someone to choose the right, one of the most essential ingredients is that they need to feel good about themselves. Punishing myself and hating myself never led me to goodness, just perfectionism and there is a difference. When I learned to love myself, I wanted to treat myself better and take care of myself. Hating myself made it harder to do what was right because I didn’t care what happened to me. The other positive aspect of healing is that it can nurture a deep appreciation for the Savior. If we can help our loved ones approach the Savior, they’re going to find something way more powerful than anything they can find in this world. At the end (and all throughout!) the repentance process, we want them to be feeling the effects of the Savior and His ability to wash away the darkest of sins. If you want your loved one to do what’s right, you introduce them to the Savior. Introducing them to the Savior means personally recognizing the state of their hearts, their need for healing, and then helping to deliver those things. Their deep gratitude for the Savior offers a deep propulsion to turn around and live happier lives. The moment we offer love is important Alma the Younger is the one delivering the message to his son, and this is so perfect. Alma the Younger came to a deep awareness of his sins. When did he start to feel better? The second he reached for Christ. His sins were washed away, and he praised the Lord. The Lord didn’t wait to deliver His love and healing and acceptance until after Alma went out and started trying to make up for his sins. No. The Lord flooded Alma with His love the second Alma’s heart was prepared to receive it, and because Alma was flooded with that love, Alma wanted to go out and do what was right. The order of that is important. I feel like sometimes we want to withhold our love because we want them to feel the consequences of what they’ve done to discourage them from making those mistakes again. Ironically, it often comes from a place of love because we want them to be better. Unfortunately, it’s also coming from a place of fear which isn’t as helpful. Consequences can be a great way to not repeat mistakes, but only to an extent. Think about how the Savior does it (because He obviously does it perfectly). He wields consequences, but He usually does so in response to hard hearts as He tries to soften them. He often responds to soft hearts with love, and that love changes them and turns their lives around. And let’s review what we know about the hearts of those who commit sexual sin. Yes, there are those who have hard hearts, but there are many who have made mistakes and need love instead if we want them to heal and come back from those mistakes. Love immediately. Put yourself on their team immediately. Recognize that they’re going to experience consequences regardless of whether you deliver them yourself, and recognize where their hearts are sitting. You can help them understand the gravity if necessary, but in most scenarios, they’re already going to know and feel it. What they don’t know is whether you still love them and whether you’ll still accept them. Helping them feel loved and accepted will be a precursor to their ability to let the Savior in to love, accept, and heal them to the extent that they are changed and want to be better. I believe in a Savior who understands the consequences of sin. I believe that sexual sin can cause a great amount of heartache which is why the Lord seeks to protect us from it. I also believe that the Lord wants to heal and love, especially when we’re seeking, and I believe that allowing that love and healing throughout the entire process is more effective than sharp disapproval, cold shoulders, and fear. Love them so much that they love themselves and want better for themselves. Love them so much that they catch a glimpse of the Savior’s love and are able to accept His atonement on their behalf. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 39–42 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 36–42 – Mike Parker 43:51

منذ 38 weeks43:51

43:51

Alma’s counsel to his sons Helaman, Shiblon, & Corianton (Alma 36–42) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the content for the next two weeks.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading Alma₂’s testimony in Alma 36 is one of the longest and most complex examples of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon; it is a poetic and literary masterpiece. See See John W. Welch, “ A Masterpiece: Alma 36 ,” in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon , eds. John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), 114–31. Michael R. Ash, “ The Sin ‘Next to Murder’: An Alternative Interpretation ,” Sunstone 143 (November 2006): 34–43. Mike Ash argues that the serious offense for which Alma₂ chastised his son Corianton was not sexual sin (although that, in itself, is serious), but rather destroying their testimonies of the Zoramites₂ through his bad example. In effect, Corianton committed “spiritual murder.” See also “ KnoWhy #147: Why Was Corianton’s Sin So Serious? ,” Book of Mormon Central , last modified 20 July 2016. For the doctrinal reasons behind the seriousness of sexual sin, see Jeffrey R. Holland’s 12 January 1988 BYU address, “ Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments .” In 1856 Brigham Young delivered an address in Salt Lake City in which he discussed, at length, the location of the post-mortal spirit world. See Journal of Discourses 3:367–73 . This chart shows the major chiastic elements in Alma 36 . Stephen Ehat explains chiasmus and how Alma₂ used it to explain the atonement of Christ in Alma 36 . (From Book of Mormon Central.) Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 36–42 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 36–38 – Autumn Dickson 18:48

منذ 38 weeks18:48

18:48

Diligence is Underrated by Autumn Dickson There was a period in my life where my stress levels grew to problematic levels that were consuming me. I was experiencing some postpartum depression, and that was combined with responsibilities that threatened to drown me. I was tired all of the time. I was waking up at the crack of dawn with a toddler (after waking up with the baby throughout the night), and I would move from task to task to task to task until as late as 10:00 pm. This was compounded by health problems that I started experiencing. For weeks on end (maybe even a few months), it felt like there wasn’t a reprieve. There wasn’t any time to pull my head above water for a breath. Conner was swamped with his own work, and so we were both just surviving. My sweet mother kept telling me to simplify my life, and I truly tried to do so. I looked at what tasks were filling my day and genuinely considered which of those tasks could be dropped. I wanted to simplify my life, but there really wasn’t anything that I could let go of. I was taking care of small children and all the endless tasks that required. I was making sure my house was a sanitary enough place even if it wasn’t always tidy. My health problems grew better when I started cutting out certain ingredients, but that meant I had to cook a lot of things from scratch which was also time consuming. I couldn’t give up my kids or all the tasks associated with them. I couldn’t give up the extra cooking unless I wanted to have chronic pain again. We didn’t have the resources at the time to take on some of my tasks. The only thing I could really give up was the blog. But alas, the Lord said no. Quite forcefully actually. I even asked one too many times, and He essentially answered with, “Stop asking or you’re crossing over into disobeying Me.” So I stopped asking, but I remained frustrated. I felt like He didn’t care that I was destroying myself. Every once in a while, I would feel a whisper that I didn’t have to destroy myself; He would enable me to do what I needed to do without carrying the weight of the world. For some bizarre reason that I don’t understand, I didn’t listen. I suppose I didn’t trust Him sufficiently yet. I felt like I had to carry myself because no one else would pick up the slack. It would have been easy for Him to remove my stress and let things flow easily. He could have minimized other tasks quite easily for me or brought in resources that would have enabled me to delegate tasks. Some might even believe it was cruel that He simply watched me struggle for so long; there were definitely times that I subconsciously thought so. But the Lord wasn’t there to make my life easy. Honestly, I see now that He was wise enough to let me push myself until I broke. He knew that there was no other way to soften my heart and help me learn those lessons the easy way. So He let me suffer in my bullheadedness, and He waited to teach me a lesson that would change how I lived the rest of my life. I know that comparatively, I was blessed. However, I also know that I’m not the only one who feels like they’re being run ragged while trying to do everything they’re supposed to be doing. I know I’m not the only one who has been afraid of failing if I didn’t martyr myself. I know that each of us will have to go through periods in our life where we have to learn to trust the Lord with what needs to be accomplished. Helaman is given a responsibility Alma has a son named Helaman, and this week, we read the chapter where he passes the sacred responsibility of the plates down to his son. He admonishes his son to treat them with gravity, to be steadfast in his obedience to the Lord so that he could fulfill the responsibility which he was given. Over and over and over in Alma 37, we learn about a small principle that can make a big difference in our life. Let’s start with this verse. Alma 37:20 Therefore I command you, my son Helaman, that ye be diligent in fulfilling all my words, and that ye be diligent in keeping the commandments of God as they are written. Diligence is a remarkably underrated Christlike attribute. It’s definitely not one of the first qualities I think of when it comes to Christ, but it has made a surprisingly large difference. According to Preach My Gospel, “Diligence is steady, consistent, earnest, and energetic effort in doing the Lord’s work.” I have learned that the Lord doesn’t ask for some all-consuming, overwhelming effort that completely takes over our lives; He asks for diligence. Diligence is an act of faith where we show up with willingness, and the Lord helps us do what we need to do. When I finally hit my breaking point in my stress, I turned to the Lord. I told Him I would do what He wanted me to do, and I told Him that if everything totally failed and died, I couldn’t be blamed. I had given everything I felt I could give, and if it wasn’t good enough, well…then that was just too bad. I didn’t have anything else. The Lord taught me that I wasn’t giving everything; I was withholding my trust. Accurately practicing diligence also requires a faith that He can quicken our abilities, magnify our efforts, and bring miracles where we fall short. Another phrase found in this chapter is, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings…” So that’s what I did. Every morning, I would wake up, look at my to-do list, smirk at the fact that there was not enough time in the day, and then I would tell the Lord to tell me what He wanted. For a while, I had the training wheels on. For a short period of time, I felt guided in every section of my day. I knew when I needed to fold laundry, when it would be wisest to work on the blog, and when I needed to let go of responsibilities and focus on my kids. I even felt very deliberate pushes to rest, nap, or read a book. He gave me way more breaks than I had given myself. And you know what happened? It all got done. When I needed to work on the blog, the kids would miraculously play well together, and I wasn’t a constant referee. Somehow dinner made it onto the table, and my kids got an occasional bath. I had the same tasks, and sometimes the tasks still lasted into the night, but the weight was gone. I had hit my breaking point and so I finally handed the weight over to the Lord; I physically couldn’t carry that anymore so I handed Him my trust. I still have lots to do, but the weight is gone. The stress is gone. I guess I should be careful saying that because I’m still imperfect and get tired and fall back into old neurotic habits, but it’s not killing me anymore. A couple lessons I have seen this principle of diligence take on many forms. I have learned that diligence looks different at different times in my life. For a while, when I was really overwhelmed, it looked like the Lord guiding my day to know which activities to perform. Sometimes it looked like me closing my laptop because I was beating my head against a wall, and I knew that the Lord would give me what I needed when He was good and ready. There was no need to force it. Right now, it looks like a goal and a prayer. When I found out I was pregnant again and needed to be preparing extra videos for when the baby came, I made a goal with God about how much I would work on it. I do my best to hit that goal, and I pray hard that my diligence will be sufficient and that He will help me finish what I need to do in the time I’ve been given. Under normal circumstances, I’m not sure I would be investing enough time. Under my current, miraculous circumstances, I feel like the Lord is going to bring a miracle I need. So even when I worry about deadlines, I remind myself that He has the power to accomplish whatever needs to happen in the time He has given me. I don’t have to carry that weight because He does. Another way I saw it manifested is when I recently got called to teach Youth Sunday School. I was pumped, but that also meant more gospel study on top of the other messages I was already trying to prepare. When our bishop came to ask me, he spoke about how he had found himself immersed in the scriptures for way longer than he had ever been. He talked about how he felt a deep need to prepare and do his best for these kids. I smiled as I thought about the very individual lesson that the Lord was teaching him. And rather than putting pressure on myself to spend multiple hours a week preparing lessons for the youth, I had a testimony that the Lord could work with the time I had. I spend about an hour a week preparing the lessons for the kids, but I’m constantly immersing myself in the scriptures and trying to be worthy of the Spirit. Even if I can’t dedicate seven hours to their specific lesson, my spiritual diligence in general counts towards preparation for them. The principle of diligence evolves and looks different at different times in our lives. Sometimes, He’s telling me to stop being idle. Other times, He’s telling me to stop trying to carry the weight by myself. I can do the tasks without carrying the immense pressure. When I work in this manner, I find that I can still get everything done that I need to and the tasks are much more fulfilling because they don’t feel like they’re killing me. It’s on Him The task that was given to Helaman was not an easy one. He was asked to engrave the records of the people on the plates. I’m sure this was not the only responsibility Helaman had, and I highly doubt he was getting paid for it. Think about all the tasks Helaman must have had to just survive in a pre-electricity world, not to mention his other extra religious duties. This was an extra responsibility that was given to him by his father. Despite the extra task he had been given, his father also gave him this promise: Alma 37:16 But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you…behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. There are a couple of keys here. If you do what the Lord commands (not what you command or society commands or outward pressures command), then no power of earth or hell can stand against you. God will help you do the task He has given to you. Whether it’s acquiring the brass plates or finding time to invest in extra responsibilities, He will provide a way for you to accomplish the thing He commands. You will have what you need if you diligently show up with willingness. So be diligent. Show up regularly and allow Him to work with you. Give the pressure to Him because He’s the one truly doing the work anyway, and small means will show you marvelous works. I know that the Lord can move mountains through me. I know that He can help me find out ways to carve time into my schedule. I know that He can help me know how much time is sufficient. I know that He can help me accomplish the tasks He’s given to me, and that it doesn’t have to be at the detriment of my health or the happiness of my family. I know that I can trust Him to bring the miracle if I’m simply willing to diligently show up and be utilized. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 36–38 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 32–35 – Autumn Dickson 13:29

منذ 39 weeks13:29

13:29

Nourish Belief by Autumn Dickson This week, we find the well-known sermon taught by Alma about planting a seed of faith and nourishing the tree. Alma is approached by the poorer class of people who have been cast out of the synagogues because of their coarse clothing. Alma then begins to preach unto them, teaching them about worship and belief. Here is the beginning of the analogy he teaches to the people. Alma 32:28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. When you nurture a seed of belief, it grows within you, whatever it is that you choose to nurture. I believe that many of us read this sermon and apply it to our own faith, but I’m not sure how many of us have recognized the implications for belief in general. A sentiment I often hear is that it’s arrogant to believe you have the real truth when so many others believe the same thing about their own faith. One of the principles I pull from this verse is that what you nurture grows. My husband often talks about how most people don’t know whether what they believe is true. They believe, but they don’t know. He talks about how any time you take time to nourish belief, that’s where you’ll continue to build and find evidence of your beliefs. You find what you look for. If you invest and nurture belief in pretty much any positive belief system, you’re going to find “evidence” for what you believe. This has a million implications. All truth will find a tree One of the implications is the fact that all truth produces good fruit, not just truth that is directly taught by those within the restored gospel. We believe we have found the truth in Jesus Christ. However, people who belong to the Islamic faith also believe they have found the truth. They have nurtured their belief and found good-tasting fruit in those beliefs. When we look at it from the perspective of the seed analogy, it makes complete sense. Whatever bit of truth you’ve found, you’re going to find good-tasting fruit. There was a time on my mission where we knocked on the door of a Muslim family. They invited us in, fed us, and they even took The Book of Mormon. They weren’t interested in the gospel, but they were so kind. They asked if we had any rules about the book, whether it should be kept off the ground or anything like that because they wanted to respect something that was sacred to us. If they treated most of the things in their lives the way they treated us, of course they were going to find good-tasting fruit. If you’re respectful to others, you find fulfilling relationships and that feels good. That’s just how things work. And as these people practiced these good principles, they were going to find the same blessings. In my mind, they were practicing Christlike principles even if they didn’t yet know Christ, and He still rewarded them and blessed them for that. Because they were living their lives in a good manner, they were going to find good fruit. They were going to find “evidence” that their beliefs were producing something, and so they were going to continue to invest in those beliefs. This may feel extremely confusing for some. How are we supposed to find the truth, if any bit of truth that gets nurtured grows into good-tasting fruit? If everyone is tasting good fruit within their own religions, how are we supposed to differentiate who has the truth? This is a legitimate concern. It would make things a bit more confusing if you’re trying to look for the truth. However, look at the Lord’s alternative. What if He only helped the tree grow when it was a perfect seed? What if He only sent good fruit when we had every bit of truth rather than just a portion of it? This would be disastrous for a million reasons. I grew up in the church, and my seed (my understanding of the truth) still isn’t perfect. What if He had never let any of the tree grow because my seed wasn’t perfect? What if I had never tasted anything good because my seed wasn’t perfect? The consequences would be disastrous because nobody would ever take the time to nourish anything. If I had never had good experiences with the gospel, I wouldn’t have nurtured anything. I would only have a dormant seed. In another less-extreme, alternative plan from the Lord…what if He only let your tree grow within the restored gospel? Surely, this would help people recognize the truth when they found it more easily. No one would get confused about other religions if their religions weren’t producing fruit. However, would anyone seek religion at all? Can you imagine if no one got good fruit unless they had been taught the restored gospel? Once again, the results would be disastrous. The world would be a terrible place filled with people who had never tasted good fruit and probably wouldn’t be willing to try it even if it was offered to them because life would suck. No, the Lord chose to send good fruit to anyone who was nurturing any bit of truth. It was the only legitimate way to bring as much good into the world as possible. It gave His restored church the best chance to flourish, and it would give people the best chance to find it in comparison to never receiving good fruit at all. Sure, it sometimes makes things confusing as people find good fruit and “evidence” in all sorts of different churches, but the alternative option for the Lord was worse. And that’s actually another reason I love our beliefs so much. The Lord picked the best option for this fallen world (namely sending good fruit to anyone who nurtured any goodness). This had some tricky consequences because of our fallen world; namely, it made it a little more confusing to find the truth when everyone found evidence within their own good beliefs. However, we believe in the Plan of Salvation. We believe in a perfect God who allows all of His children to truly hear and accept the gospel. Everyone will get a real chance. We don’t have to be scared of the tricky consequences because we believe in a perfectly fair God who sent His Son to perform the atonement and make sure we all really had a chance to go home. Planting weeds There is another implication to the idea that whatever we nurture, grows. This isn’t just true for good truth and good fruit. Nourishing the negative will bring in bad fruit. If you nurture weeds, they grow. Eventually, you don’t even have to nurture them anymore, they stick around all on their own. And weeds are tricky, tricky little things. What have you been nurturing lately? What resources have you been bringing into your life and do you feel more faith or discontent when you’re done utilizing those resources? Whatever you feed, grows. There was a time in my life where I was consuming far more social media than spending time in the actual scriptures. This doesn’t have to necessarily be a bad thing; social media doesn’t have to be evil. However, I found that I was listening to lots of voices. Some of those voices even came in the form of members of the church, but they were sowing discontent. I took a step back from some of the accounts I was following and made a goal to spend more time simply reading The Book of Mormon with no outside commentary. The faith crisis I had been feeding went away rather quickly, and I found that despite my questions and concerns, I felt different. I felt more compassion towards the imperfections. I felt more faith towards a more perfect future. I fed my hope. What you feed, grows. Some may argue with me that I was unwise to turn a blind eye towards issues, and that’s fine. I don’t feel blind; I just feel more faith. There are some who believe we have a duty to churn up the issues and make our voices known about it. That’s fine too. You can choose to feed that. But my personal experience is this. I wasn’t happy listening to the discontent. It wasn’t right for me. There are times when I listen and explore and turn to the Lord with concerns (and that’s important and can lead us to more truth), but there are also times when that discontent grows out of balance. I’m happier seeking out faith over bitterness and discontent. I’m happier when I feed my faith sufficiently. I feel close to God, and my testimony that He’s there seems to grow stronger. I know we find evidence of what we’re nurturing, but I like what I’ve built and worked towards. I like what I’ve nurtured, and I like the fruit I’ve found. I believe it’s a happy way to live. So picture your future. What do you want your life to look like? What fruit do you want to be experiencing? Do you want to feel closer to God? Are the resources you’re using nurturing that belief in Him? By their fruits, ye shall know them. I believe in my Heavenly Father. I believe there’s a reason we’re counseled to seek out voices of faith, and I have found more faith and more happiness as I’ve listened to that counsel. I have found that I want to nurture what I’ve been finding even more. I believe in a loving Lord who provides fruit to help us understand what we want to nurture, and I’m grateful He’s chosen to give good fruit for any goodness we choose to follow. It isn’t a perfect system, but it’s the best plan He could have chosen for our fallen world, and I believe that He sent His Son to make up for the gaps in that imperfect system. I’m grateful for Them and the peace I’ve received investing in Them. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 32–35 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 30-35 – Mike Parker 44:25

منذ 40 weeks44:25

44:25

Alma contended with Korihor & led a mission to reclaim the Zoramites (Alma 30–35) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the content for the next two weeks.) Class Notes Additional Reading Gerald Lund explored Korihor’s teachings in “ Countering Korihor’s Philosophy ,” Ensign , July 1992, pp. 16–21. Who were the separatist Zoramites₂ and where did they come from? Sherrie Mills Johnson suggests some answers to those questions in “ The Zoramite Separation: A Sociological Perspective ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 74–85, 129–30. Matthew L. Bowen, assistant professor in religious education at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, has argued that the syllable ram —found in both the names Zoram and Rameumptom —could come from the Hebrew for “the one who is high/exalted,” which fits both the Zoramites₂’ pride and the high tower upon which they prayed. See his article, “ ‘See That Ye Are Not Lifted Up’: The Name Zoram and Its Paronomastic Pejoration ,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 19 (2016): 109–43. Which spirit is the “spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life”? ( Alma 34:34 ) See John A. Tvedtnes and Matthew Roper, “ Do Not Procrastinate the Day of Your Repentance ,” Insights 20, no. 10 (October 2000): 4. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 30-35 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 30–31 – Autumn Dickson 15:53

منذ 40 weeks15:53

15:53

Hearts of the Zoramites by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, we read an interesting account about some Nephite dissenters known as Zoramites. These Zoramites had stopped following the Law of Moses and taken to a new form of worship that astonished Alma and the other missionaries. Once a week, on the “day of the Lord,” the Zoramites would gather at the synagogues they had erected. Then, they would all take turns standing up and reciting the same prayer. After this worship experience, they would head home, never speaking of their worship again until the next time they gathered in the synagogues. Here is some of the prayer they would recite: Alma 31:16-17 16 Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ. 17 But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God. Many of us scoff at the idea of the Rameumpton, this great standing place where each of the Zoramites would offer the same prayers. And yet, are we really so different? Observe some of the actual problems these Zoramites were dealing with. The concept of rote prayers was not actually the problem; we have plenty of ordinances and ceremonies that are to be performed with the same words over and over. No, the actual problems of the Zoramites were found within their hearts. For example, they only thought about God once a week. Their hearts were set on money. They didn’t believe in Christ. They believed they were special, better than others because they believed they had the truth. All of us are guilty of these issues to one extent or another, and if you think you’re not, then you should probably pray for the Lord to open your eyes. Do we keep Heavenly Father in our minds, allowing Him to participate with us throughout the week? Do we set our hearts too heavily on things that can’t fulfill us? Do we believe in Christ to the fullest extent in which it influences all of our actions, uplifts all of our worries, and turns our hearts towards others? And then, of course, there’s the last one. The Zoramites believed they were better because they believed they had the truth. Hmmm. This is the one we’re going to talk about today. We believe we have the truth. Our doctrine is pretty straightforward and frequently taught. We believe that the Lord restored the true gospel and true authority through Joseph Smith. We believe we belong to Christ’s church. Do we also believe we’re better because of it? Our jerk reaction may be to say no! Logically, we may understand that we’re not better, but has that understanding penetrated our hearts to the extent that we see others clearly? There are many ways that this particular attitude can manifest. It can manifest in how we treat others who belong to other systems of belief, in how we approach missionary work. It can manifest in our attitudes regarding whether we can learn from other belief systems and whether we recognize the Christlike attributes of those who do not yet know Christ. Interestingly enough, it can also manifest within our own system of belief. Sometimes we believe we have more truth, more understanding, and more obedience than those who share our same faith. “More” is a relative term that can cause lots of problems. It can be difficult to measure “more,” not to mention, there are millions of different experiences that offer new perspectives and require varying levels of strength. Let’s talk about it. Inside the church Sometimes, we think we’re better because we see ourselves as living the gospel more accurately than others. Even if this is true in regards to observing the outward performances and standards of the church, our hearts are going to be what’s judged at the last day. And if we’re harboring and inadvertently nurturing thoughts that we’re better (rather than actively fighting against and rooting out those beliefs), then we’re going to be the ones with a problem. There was a point in my mission where some of my mission leaders weren’t being exactly obedient. None of us are perfectly obedient; I understand that concept. However, I had noticed the issues and I also saw that some of the other non-leader missionaries had noticed the issues. I remember it being difficult. Some of these missionaries were trying to be really obedient and were meeting minimal “success.” They watched their leaders baptizing often enough and training them in our frequent meetings, but they also watched their leaders doing things we had been asked not to do. I remember taking this problem to the Lord. I was angry. These non-leader missionaries were righteous missionaries who felt like they were being swept aside even though they were trying hard to do what’s right. These were righteous missionaries who had started asking, “Why bother?” when their leaders weren’t even following the rules and seemed to be met with success. This was actually a huge turning point in my life. I was filled with what I believed to be righteous indignation towards these leaders who were being bad examples. As I opened the scriptures for my personal study, I found that I was about to read the story of the stripling warriors. I was a little excited because I felt justified in my anger as I thought about the exact obedience of these young soldiers. But boy was I in for a different lesson than I was expecting. As I read the story about these young men, the Spirit rather forcefully whispered to me that if these missionary leaders had been in the position of the stripling warriors, we would be reading the same story. They would have been exactly obedient. My eyes filled with tears as the Spirit also whispered that I had no idea what some of these missionaries had sacrificed to go on a mission. I was floored. Who was I to think I was better? I had happily married parents (which actually makes all the difference in the world). I had been actively taught the gospel and protected from nefarious influences as I was growing up. I didn’t have much trauma. I wasn’t worried about my family back home and whether they were okay. I had never struggled to overcome serious sin because I hadn’t even really had an opportunity to commit serious sin. The gospel was handed to me on a silver platter. I was given a lovely environment to learn about it and love it. A huge majority of my experiences with the gospel were positive. What these missionary leaders had chosen to do of their own accord with minimal support was awe-inspiring. They had pushed much harder and farther than I had ever had to push. They had to build up a strength that had never been required of me. And this happens all the time. When a youth has a difficult time being reverent, when an adult is rough around the edges, we can be guilty of this. We think they should know better. We scoff that they can’t get it together. And yet, we never stop to consider how we would be acting if we had grown up in their shoes with their perspectives and experiences. This doesn’t mean we treat them kindly and then feel proud of ourselves for being charitable to people who we’re actually viewing as lesser. No. This means we pray for eyes to see them clearly and step back as the Lord shows us what we couldn’t see on our own. The tricky part Now this is all a little bit tricky. We’re taught to share our light, to love those who need support, and to share the message of repentance. All of these messages can intrinsically hold some measure of, “I’m better than you and need to share all of my righteousness with you.” This is exactly the attitude that turns so many people off. So how do we accurately apply these principles of sharing our own light while simultaneously sloughing off attitudes that we’re so great? I have 1000% been guilty of this sin. I have worked to reach out to those who weren’t as “strong” and been proud of myself for being compassionate and giving them all of this fantastic advice about being more righteous. There has been one understanding that has really helped me work towards casting out this inaccurate attitude. This understanding can easily be defined as, “I don’t really know. Maybe I think I know, but I don’t really know.” In a more concrete analogy, this would be like looking at someone next to me at the gym and assuming I’m stronger because I’ve done more reps. It would be me arrogantly walking over to encourage them that they can do more reps, faster reps, and still have plenty of energy like me. Awakening to a proper understanding of the world around me would look like the realization that this person I was trying to bless is actually lifting five times the weight that I’ve been lifting. There are times when it’s appropriate to correct. Even when someone is lifting ten times your body weight, it can still be helpful to tell them that locking their knees isn’t going to help. However, the delivery feels so different when you simultaneously have the realization and respect that’s due for what they’re carrying. I think it’s also helpful to recognize that sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is realize and respect what they’re carrying. I had another mission leader who used to do exchanges with us. At the end of exchanges, you’re supposed to tell the missionary what they’re doing wrong and then also encourage them a ton in what they’re doing right. This sister missionary was likely very wise when she taught me that she rarely told people what they were doing wrong. In her words, “People already know what they’re doing wrong. You don’t usually have to tell them.” I have found this to be true. There will be times when you’re encouraged by the Spirit to correct. However, I believe that a grand majority of the time, you’re going to find you’re more effective at helping someone when you genuinely seek out their friendship with a deep and abiding knowledge that they’re children of God, regardless of whether they’re different from you. Not only are you more effectively helping them, but you’ll find that your life is much more blessed and full for having known them and learning from their example too. I have found that if I’m applying this principle correctly, I feel like I’m the one who’s blessed for knowing them and not the other way around. I believe in a Savior who loves us. I believe in a Savior who judges perfectly according to our experiences and gifts. I believe that if we can recognize and cast out our own attitudes that reflect the Zoramites, we’re going to find a much fuller life because we’re going to be blessed by people we didn’t know we could be blessed by. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 30–31 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 23–29 – Autumn Dickson 15:10

منذ 41 weeks15:10

15:10

He Relentlessly Pursues Us by Autumn Dickson In chapters 24 and 25 of Alma, we read about the details of a war between the Lamanites, Nephites, and the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. Let’s cover the timeline of this story so we can pull out details of how the Lord works with His people. In chapter 24 of Alma, we see the Lamanites originally coming upon the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. These converts of Anti-Nephi-Lehi had buried their weapons and as they were being slain, they raised their hands and praised the Lord. Over a thousand of these converts were slain before the Lamanites pulled back and couldn’t do it anymore. All of them stopped killing the converts, but there were still two different reactions among these aggressors. More than a thousand of the Lamanites were so affected that they joined the church that day. First of all, that experience in and of itself is mind boggling, both on the part of the killed and those doing the killing. Let’s say you’re in the group that was attacked; you’re watching a thousand of your family members and friends being killed. The second the killing stops, you jump in to help comfort, teach, convert, and welcome those who had been killing. Wild. I also think it’s wild that so many of those who were doing the killing were able to jump so quickly into redemption. It’s hard to forgive yourself, but these guys did it and it’s remarkable. But there was also a second group of Lamanites. These guys couldn’t stomach the idea of killing the defenseless people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi any longer, but their hearts were still hard. In verse 1 of chapter 25, we learn that they decided to direct their anger towards the Nephites instead. I want you to try and comprehend the switch. These Lamanite hearts are soft enough that they can’t handle killing someone stretched out on the ground before them, but their hearts are still hard enough that they can’t let go of their anger. I would imagine this is partially because they can’t bring themselves to accept the reality of what just happened. The Lamanites were raised as a wild and bloodthirsty people, but sin always affects the sinner. These experiences stayed with the Lamanites and facing the reality of what they had done to the converts was probably harder than redirecting their anger towards a different group of people who would fight back. So that’s what they did. They turned their anger to the Nephites and were like, “Yeah. This was definitely all the fault of the Nephites. Let’s get vengeance on them instead.” Their hearts were still too hard to break unto the Lord; their hearts were hard enough that they still felt that killing was the answer. As the Lamanites turned to the Nephites, they killed all the wicked people in Ammonihah before being driven back again and again. They could not overpower the Nephites, and so we find this experience next. Alma 25:6 For many of them, after having suffered much loss and so many afflictions, began to be stirred up in remembrance of the words which Aaron and his brethren had preached to them in their land; therefore they began to disbelieve the traditions of their fathers, and to believe in the Lord, and that he gave great power unto the Nephites; and thus there were many of them converted in the wilderness. Many of the leftover Lamanites converted as well. There are only a bajillion principles in this timeline ranging from forgiveness and charity to the merits of defending yourself vs. pacifism according to the will of the Lord. I can’t cover them all so the one I want to cover today is summed up nicely in the words of Elder Patrick Kearon in his conference address from this last April. God is in relentless pursuit of you. How many chances qualify as sufficient? There were three chances (that we know of) that this last group of Lamanites received to accept the gospel. The first chance came in the land of Nephi. Ammon, Aaron, and their brethren came to the Lamanite lands to preach the gospel. Many converted, and it would have likely been impossible to miss the surge of religious fervor in the area. These Lamanites had been given a chance to hear the gospel and accept it. We know that they heard some of the message because in the verse we read (Alma 25:6), it talks about how they remembered the words of Aaron. Though many joined the church, there were still plenty who rejected it. The second chance came after they literally went to war with the converts who had come to be known as Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Not only did they reject the gospel, but many Lamanites actively sought against it. Think about the state of their hearts. They killed one thousand and five converts who were laid out on the ground in front of them. The people they killed were praising God as they were slaughtered. Think about what you understand of war and what it requires to actually kill someone. Then think about how much more it would require of a man to stab a defenseless person with a sword because you were mad that they had joined a church. So much of war these days is impersonal, bombs dropped where you can’t see the people you’re affecting. Even shooting a gun is less personal than having to use a sword. I don’t bring up these facts to be gruesome. I bring them up because I want to highlight the state of the hearts of these Lamanites; understanding how far “gone” they were can help us understand just how much the Lord pursues us. I mean, we get discouraged when our friends don’t accept a copy of The Book of Mormon or an invitation to church. These Lamanites were killing, and yet, the Lord didn’t abandon or give up on them. The Lord relentlessly pursued their souls despite everything they had done, despite the state of their hearts and their willingness to kill. There came a point where even the most hardened Lamanites couldn’t kill any more defenseless people. It was too much. A large number of these Lamanite hearts broke as they acknowledged that the killing they had participated in was wrong, and the Lord was standing there, ready to forgive and heal them from the trauma they had brought on their own heads. The Lord brought them in and worked with them as soon as they were ready for it. As soon as they were ready to join hands with those who had been their “enemies,” as soon as they were ready to look into the faces of the family members of the people they killed, the Lord was ready to gather them in. I also find it beautiful that the family members of the murdered were standing ready to be the hands of the Lord and welcome them in, to show these broken Lamanites just how far the Lord was willing to go for them. But the story doesn’t even end there! Though many of the Lamanite hearts broke unto the Lord, there were still many who refused to acknowledge that maybe they were on the wrong side here. There were many who refused to consider that maybe they were only hurting themselves by continuing to kick against the pricks. Their hearts were still hard! They could no longer stomach the idea of killing defenseless, happy people, but they refused to let go of their anger and hard hearts. Instead, they just decided to go and kill the Nephites because apparently that made loads of sense to them. They couldn’t kill the converts anymore, so they decided that all this apparently revolting (in their eyes) religious conversion was definitely the fault of the Nephites so they decided to go and kill some more. The combination of Aaron’s warnings and being beaten down by Nephites finally did it for them. Their hearts finally softened and broke, and they finally considered that maybe they had been looking at the entire situation wrong. And there was the Lord, ready to accept them into the folds through the medium of baptism. If you were in the Lord’s shoes (exactly as you are, not perfect like Him but as you are now), when would you have given up on these Lamanites? When would you have said, “Okay. Enough is enough. I’m done trying to save you; you refuse to be saved.” In the midst of all this overwhelming tragedy, this one principle screams through. The Lord’s love for us runs deeper than we can truly fathom, and He absolutely, unendingly, relentlessly pursues us. We may give up, but He does not. Even when it seems like the end, His actions are still demonstrative of His relentless pursuit. As the Lamanites suited up for war against the converts, many of us would have believed, “They’re placing the last nail in their own coffins.” As the killing began, our hearts would have broken for those who were being killed and maybe even for the Lamanites who were hurting themselves. We would have thought, “Surely, they can’t come back from this.” We would have been floored with surprise as many of them threw down their own weapons in their first act of conversion, and hopefully would have cried surprised tears of joy as they entered the waters of baptism. As we watched the rest of the Lamanites angrily march off to go and kill Nephites instead, we would have thought, “Okay if that experience didn’t change them, they’re never going to change.” We would have given up, but the Lord never does. Where we saw acts of rebellion that surely announced the bull-headed desire to be damned, the Lord saw opportunities for the Lamanites to finally figure it out. When Satan started to rejoice over the powerful hold he had over the Lamanites, the Lord was just warming up and utilized all of Satan’s chains to wake them up. We are not the Lord, but let’s not forget the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies, more than any other group, held a balm for these broken-hearted Lamanites that sealed their budding conversion. These converts, who had been changed themselves, believed that the Lamanites could change and welcomed them into their homes and families. The Lord loved and relentlessly pursued, and He utilized the Anti-Nephi-Lehies as one of the extensions of that love. He can likewise utilize us. I testify of a Lord who never gives up, and I testify that if we choose to offer the same grace, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance towards our enemies, we will find greater peace than we ever thought possible. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 23–29 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 17-29 – Mike Parker 44:53

منذ 41 weeks44:53

44:53

The Lamanite mission of the sons of Mosiah (Alma 17-29) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the content for the next two weeks.) Class Notes Additional Reading Cutting off the arms of one’s enemies (as seen in Alma 17:37–39 ) is an ancient practice around the world; see: John M. Lundquist and John W. Welch, “ Ammon and Cutting Off the Arms of Enemies ,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1992), 180–82. Bruce H. Yerman, “ Ammon and the Mesoamerican Custom of Smiting Off Arms ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8, no. 1 (1999): 44–47, 78–79. The presence of horses in the promised land is mentioned eight times in the Book of Mormon ( 1 Nephi 18:25 ; Enos 1:21 ; Alma 18:9–12 ; 20:6 ; 3 Nephi 3:22 ; 4:4 ; 6:1 ; Ether 9:19 ). Archaeological evidence for the presence of the horse in the pre-Columbian Americas is scant and inconclusive. The following articles explore the possibilities that horses survived to Book of Mormon times or that the Lehites called a similar animal by a familiar name: “ Book of Mormon Evidence: Horses ,” Evidence Central , 16 January 2023. “ When Lehi’s Party Arrived in the Land, Did They Find Horses There? (KnoWhy #649) ,” Book of Mormon Central , 17 October 2022. Daniel Johnson, “ ‘Hard’ Evidence of Ancient American Horses ,” BYU Studies Quarterly 54, no. 3 (2015): 149–79. Duane Boyce explored the views of the people of Ammon toward war in “ Were the Ammonites Pacifists? ”, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 18, no. 1 (2009): 32–47. At end of Alma chapter 22, Mormon₂ left a detailed explanation of the geographical layout of the lands where the Nephites and Lamanites lived (see Alma 22:27–34 ). Why did he do this? And how can understanding the internal geography of the Book of Mormon help us understand the text better? Book of Mormon Central examines this topic in KnoWhy #130 . Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 17-29 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 17–22 – Autumn Dickson 20:09

منذ 42 weeks20:09

20:09

The Power of Women by Autumn Dickson Just as a heads up, I will be speaking about Ammon this week, but it takes a bit for me to segue into it so stay with me. In the March 2024 Relief Society Broadcast, J. Anette Dennis, the first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency taught, “There is no other religious organization in the world, that I know of, that has so broadly given power and authority to women.” This has caused quite a backlash on social media. I’ve read a lot of the comments regarding it, and though there are too many to cover, I’d like to talk about one common argument. There are many women who feel silenced in the church. They may receive priesthood authority to perform their callings, but there are still male leaders who hold authority over their authority. This can lead to feelings of being stepped on, passed over, and ignored. I don’t disbelieve that this occurs. I know many faithful women who have had experiences where their voices didn’t matter; their perspectives were invalidated, and their opportunities to make a difference felt cut off. On top of that, because of our belief in organized priesthood authority, it can feel like there’s little room for redress. I believe in priesthood authority. I believe it’s given to men and women to perform various callings on the earth to help build the kingdom. I believe that the Lord leads His church, and I believe that His church policies change according to His will. I believe the general authorities in the church are good people who seek out the Lord’s will to the best of their abilities and that they do a really great job of it. I believe that despite the issues caused by the fact that we are all imperfect people, the system given to us by the Lord is generally effective and gives us opportunities to grow. I also believe that any of the imperfections we experience in this priesthood system given to us by the Lord cannot truly take away our power nor does it need to impede our personal growth. Let’s talk just a little bit about this structure, and then we’re going to talk about Ammon. The priesthood system of management There are a couple of facts we need to be aware of that can help us recognize what’s really happening around us. Understanding these facts can help us understand what issues we may run into, and it can also help us solve any problems that come as a result of imperfect people. Our first fact is that a majority of the callings with higher authority in the church are held by men. This is difficult for a lot of faithful women who feel that whatever authority they’re supposed to receive can be usurped and passed over. There are two perspectives we need to take into consideration here. I don’t believe it’s a problem rooted in sexism. In other words, I don’t believe that’s the cause. I have seen my husband have his authority usurped by other men who hold authority over his authority. I’ve had male friends asked to be released because they felt that their opinions never mattered, and they were always being passed over. This is not to diminish the problems a lot of women face, but I think it’s important to recognize what’s really happening in order to fix the problem. I don’t believe this is a sexism problem. I believe it’s a bad management problem. The second perspective is to recognize that it happens disproportionately to women because of the nature of the structure. Men often hold more authority which means they have more opportunities to usurp power. Women often hold less authority which means more plentiful opportunities to have power usurped. I don’t know if things are going to change. I don’t see everything that the Lord sees. I don’t know why women have priesthood power and authority but do not hold priesthood offices. I don’t know why the Lord has organized his church in the way that He has. There are plenty of theories out there, but we have to be careful with theories. We should not try to definitively explain the Lord’s mind when He has not chosen to do so Himself. So we believe in the Lord. We believe that He guides His living church. We also believe that He loves His daughters as much as He loves His sons. Sometimes this can cause some cognitive dissonance. How do we reconcile the imperfections of the priesthood structure with the fact that He (at least for now) has chosen this structure? How do we reconcile that with our belief that He loves all of His children equally? There are two perspectives I’d like to share. The first perspective is that there are no perfect systems of governance in an imperfect world. There will be pros and cons to each system of governance. There will always be chances for corruption. I don’t know what the Lord sees, but I know that He set things up this way for some reason. I don’t know if He plans on changing the priesthood structure during this mortal period of the earth or if He’s laying the groundwork for change, and it just takes a while. I don’t know. I do know He sees more than I do. For the second perspective, I’d like to take a look at Ammon. It is Ammon that inspired the message for me this week. Ammon’s “illogical” decision This week we read about Ammon going to the Lamanites to try and teach the gospel. As he enters into the land, he is taken and bound and brought before King Lamoni. King Lamoni speaks with him and ends up liking him so much that he offers his daughter to Ammon. Alma 17:25 But Ammon said unto him: Nay, but I will be thy servant. Therefore Ammon became a servant to king Lamoni. And it came to pass that he was set among other servants to watch the flocks of Lamoni, according to the custom of the Lamanites. Though we don’t find much detail about this daughter that was offered up to Ammon, it was this daughter that drew my attention to this issue I’ve been pondering so much. Here we find a woman who is a commodity, and we find Ammon turning down the offer. Ammon could have gotten married and exercised his newfound authority to try and spread the gospel far and wide. But he didn’t. Ammon chose to be a servant. Some would have found this approach illogical. How much good could Ammon do as a servant in comparison to being a son-in-law to the king? Despite any arguments about the illogical nature of his choice, this is the route Ammon chose to take. And this is precisely where we find a key to our problem. Ammon turned down authority to become a servant, and it was this exact process that made him the powerful missionary that he was. Authority does not equate to power I have a feeling that if I were to ask some of these women why they wanted more authority, many of them would answer things like, “Because I want to help” or “Because I want to build the kingdom and I feel like I’m not allowed.” Many of these women have likely been in situations where they felt like they had received revelation about how to make a difference, and someone had prevented them from acting on some of that revelation. It can be extremely frustrating when you’re trying to help, and you’re feeling rebuffed over and over. Interestingly enough, if we can take on the same perspective as Ammon, we will find far more power to do good than we previously dreamed of. Ammon chose to be a servant. Perhaps Ammon knew that authority doesn’t always equate to power. Or, in the very least, Ammon chose to follow God and God knows that authority doesn’t always equate to power. God doesn’t care if you’re a bishop. I repeat; God doesn’t care about whether you’re a bishop. But Satan does. If Satan can convince you that you’re being held back because you’re not allowed to have more authority, then he can distract you from rising to your true power. You can be a nursery leader for the rest of your life, male or female, and make as big of a difference as any bishop, stake president, or prophet. We see this with Ammon. He was watching over sheep, and it was this very position of servitude that opened the path for him to change the lives of thousands upon thousands of people. You do not need authority to have immense priesthood power. I know some may argue that this is a copout for a structure that naturally puts women at a disadvantage, but I truly believe it. I am a daughter of God. I am immensely powerful, with or without a specific priesthood jurisdiction. If we’re diminishing our power to only our formally held callings, then we are holding everyone back, not just women. You are important. God believes you’re important, but until you believe that you have power within yourself (regardless of what calling or authority you’ve been given) then the only real limiting factor here is you because God is ready to take you above and beyond. Even if people with more authority than you can override specific revelations you have received for your calling, you have not lost your power. Let’s say you find yourself in this specific situation. You’re a Relief Society President and feel really strongly about changing something in your realm of priesthood authority. Let’s say your bishop tells you no. What is the reality of this situation? Perhaps your bishop has an ego problem, and it’s affecting his management. This does happen sometimes. Perhaps he’s a good man who the Lord is molding and pulling along; it’s just taking a bit (because hello…we’re all stubborn and often need to get pulled along). Either way, we’re feeling like our power has been limited, but is that really the truth? I don’t believe so. I believe that if something truly needs to happen, the Lord can move heaven and earth to make it happen. The Lord will handle the bishop, whether he needs to be humbled or have his eyes opened. But you still have everything you need to make the difference that the Lord wants you to make. You have all the power you need to bring His children home to Him, because that’s really our goal in the end, isn’t it? It’s to bring everyone home. Sometimes we equate power with authority and the ability to make decisions without anyone stopping you, but that is a slim definition of power. True power is a recognition of who you are, who the Lord is, and how He wants to propel you further in life than you could have ever imagined. Sometimes we equate power with a microphone in a large auditorium. But if you’re looking for true power, do you know what you’ll find? You’ll find that wrapping your arm around a friend holds more power than the lesson that was chosen to be taught in Relief Society. You’ll find that your broken hearts and compassion will far outweigh the influence found within decisions that are far removed from personal, individual relationships. Your prayers will have eternal consequences that can’t be touched by who gets to teach at the stake fireside. You will find creative solutions that allow you to stretch your wings and bless many despite any authority “over” you. Think about your own life. What has held more influence over your actions, life perspectives, and testimonies? A talk given by a prophet or the involvement of a parent? Surely a talk given by a prophet can do much good, but a talk by a prophet means nothing without a foundation laid by an individual, personal interaction with a disciple of Christ. We have all of the power AND opportunity we need to influence the world in incredible ways. None of our systems are perfect because none of our people are perfect, but isn’t that the point of the gospel? There are “problems” with each of the decisions that Heavenly Father has made in regards to our salvation (agency, priesthood authority structure, etc.), but we have the atonement of Jesus Christ. And the atonement of Jesus Christ means there’s always a loophole, there is always a way for things to turn out for our good. I believe in a Heavenly Father and Mother who made decisions together for the benefit of Their children. I believe They lead, guide, and love. I believe we have everything we could ever need and want to make the specific differences They want us to make, and I believe that Their specific paths for our lives are the most powerful paths we can take. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 17–22 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 13–16 – Autumn Dickson 15:04

منذ 43 weeks15:04

15:04

Foreordained by Autumn Dickson As we begin the chapters for this week, we find Alma preaching to the people regarding a variety of topics. One of these topics is how high priests are foreordained and sent to the earth to fulfill special callings. Alma 13:3-4 3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such. 4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren. According to these verses, people are foreordained according to their faith and good works before they came here. Men and women were chosen and prepared to do specific things in their lives as dictated by their actions in the premortal existence. I think of all the men and women who are leading the church and building the kingdom in significant ways. And I also thought about the fact that there are many of us who aren’t chosen as general church leaders. I think about those of us who have quieter callings. What does that say about us? I used to think it meant that I simply wasn’t good enough, that I hadn’t been strong enough to choose or that I didn’t have it within me to be one of these foreordained. Interestingly enough, the second verse teaches us exactly what keeps someone from having the same great privileges as their brethren, namely a hard heart and blind mind. Let’s talk about those two things in the context of being foreordained. A blind mind What does a blind mind look like in the context of foreordination? When I think of blind, I obviously think of someone who can’t see. So we’re talking about not seeing this concept of foreordination clearly. I’m sure there are a million ways this can manifest, but there is one that I’m thinking of specifically and would like to talk about. My husband, Conner, is the one who helped me see in relation to foreordination. I don’t think he ever meant to. I don’t think we’ve ever had a conversation about the doctrine of foreordination. However, observing him has brought about a dramatic shift in how I view callings in life. Conner is not what I thought I would marry. I knew that I wanted to marry someone spiritual, but my view on what it meant to be “spiritual” was very narrow. I was naive, and I thought that being spiritual included long patterns of praying, reading scriptures, and pondering. Interestingly enough, these are all things I’m relatively good at. My sometimes-neurotic personality means that my family reads the scriptures, prays, and goes to church very regularly. Conner and I go to the temple. We have family home evening with all the prayers and songs, and all of the lists get checked off. In my young and limited world view, I believed that this list checking signaled spirituality, and I believed that these were habits that could be easy to anyone who simply chose to prioritize them. Then I got to know Conner. He was chaotic and impulsive. If he’s holding still during a church meeting, it’s because I’m tickling his back or hand. He hardly remembers to eat, let alone daily worshiping tasks. But the more I got to know Conner, the more I heard the Spirit whispering to me that there was something more to him that I couldn’t quite grasp. The Spirit would give me these moments where I could see him as the Lord saw him. I couldn’t describe it but I could feel that Lord was molding Conner into something specific, something very different than what I had pictured. And though I couldn’t reconcile it with my view of what spirituality was supposed to look like, I continued the relationship. Now please don’t get me wrong. I obviously whole-heartedly believe in regular worshiping activities. I do believe we need to do everything to prioritize them because the Lord asked us to. But I also know now that all of these daily tasks don’t always completely equate with goodness and spirituality, and I know there are far more measures of spirituality to take into consideration. I also know that just because these tasks come easily to my personality, they aren’t easy for everyone. I have also learned that the Lord needed different personalities with different strengths and weaknesses in order to build His kingdom to the fullest extent. And that is precisely what I mean by blindness of mind. For so long, I would read those verses and picture somber people who fit into this very specific archetype, and this extremely narrow view (this blindness of mind, if you will) limited me. There are people who were foreordained to be temple presidents and general authorities, but the Lord didn’t just want temple presidents and general authorities. Can you imagine how limited our world would be if we only had temple presidents and general authorities? We need so much more. God is an extremely multidimensional Being, and all of us reflect something of Him. I used to think I needed to try to tame the chaos that is my husband, but I have since learned that his chaos and all of the unique things about Conner were given specifically to Conner so Conner could fulfill his specific mission in life. There are things that Conner can accomplish that I will never be able to do, and I have a testimony that he can do those things because he is built differently than a temple president. When it comes to foreordination, sometimes blindness of mind means that we have this idea in our heads of what foreordination is supposed to look like and only some people qualify for it. Only some people fit into the mold, and all of a sudden, we’re leaving out remarkable people who had specific jobs too. Yes, men were foreordained to be high priests, but there were so many more callings to give out. It’s easy to see how my work (my blog, Youtube channel, and podcast) require revelation from the Lord. It requires me to regularly seek Him out, but I have learned that Conner is just as inspired and attuned to revelation in his work. I have watched him sink into these trance-like states as he ponders specific engineering problems, and I have watched him come out on the other end after he has been inspired with solutions. I am convinced that he receives revelation as regularly as I do; it just looks different than what I receive. We need to broaden our perspective on what foreordination can look like. You were foreordained to build the kingdom, but there are a million ways to build that kingdom. What principles did the Lord use to create the world? Physics, engineering, biology. These are spiritual principles to Him. Your calling to build the kingdom may very well look like something that is traditionally viewed as secular. But we have to expand that view. We have to cast away that blindness and realize that the Lord wants to utilize each individual in beautiful, specific ways. There are so many kinds of work, and just about every single one of them can be turned into spiritual work if we’re simply willing to include the Lord. And when we broaden our view of foreordination and realize that our “secular” work can include the Lord, He vastly expands our capacities and influence for good. Believing that our work is lesser because it isn’t “spiritual” keeps us from stepping into that foreordination we were given and doing all the good we’re capable of doing. A hard heart And this is where the “hard heart” principle comes in. Are our hearts soft enough to believe that He can work with us? Have we softened towards Him enough to believe that He loves us, made us as we are, and gave us specific gifts to fulfill specific roles that look different than the roles of others? Can we allow ourselves to believe that He can utilize us to influence the world in powerful ways? Can we trust Him to take us where we can make a difference? Can we trust Him to help us understand what “powerful influence” means? When we think of changing the world, we often think of people with microphones and stadiums, but Jesus Christ worked with individuals, small groups, and His voice could only carry as loud as He could speak. Let go of your own predilections for what you’re supposed to look like and what it looks like to influence the world for good. Soften your heart, and let the Lord mold you and give you specific experiences so He can utilize you in all of the best ways, the ways that may not make sense to the world but make perfect sense in the context of everything He knows. I testify that no one is special. That would imply that the Lord holds favorites, but the Lord is absolutely willing to work with anyone who wants to be worked with. We are unique, and there are unique callings but there are no secret, special ingredients you have to innately possess in order to qualify as “foreordained.” The only thing holding someone back from their “great privilege” is their own unwillingness to see themselves as the Lord sees them or a hardness of heart that disables them from connecting with the Lord to become all they were meant to become. If you’re worried that you weren’t good enough in the pre-existence, it’s never to start turning to the Lord and allowing Him to work with you. The Lord is willing and capable to turn you into so much more than you have in mind for yourself. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 13–16 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 8–12 – Autumn Dickson 15:50

منذ 44 weeks15:50

15:50

Revelation for Alma by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, we read about Alma and Amulek attempting to convert the hard-hearted people of Ammonihah. In the beginning, we observe Alma as he originally goes into the city to preach to the people. They spit on him and revile him, and he leaves the city with much sorrow. As he is journeying, an angel comes and uplifts him and shares this message. Alma 8:16 And behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea, preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them. Alma takes this message and hurries right back to the city to try again. Now why was this the order of things? Why did Alma leave and come back? The angel could have easily delivered his message before Alma left, comforting him and encouraging him to continue on his work. Is there a reason for it or is it simply a detail of how the story unfolded that doesn’t matter? Maybe it didn’t really matter, and that’s totally fine. Maybe Amulek needed an extra day of heart-preparation before he was ready for the angel to come and talk to him and prepare him to receive Alma. Maybe Alma needed some time to grieve before the angel came in and encouraged him. And once again, maybe it didn’t really matter. There isn’t really an answer, so why is it important? I believe it’s important because despite whether there’s a reason for this turn of events or not, it can teach us about the process of revelation in our own lives. It can help us have the faith we need to do two things: grow in the way the Lord would have us grow and trust that revelation will come as needed. Understanding the purposes of the Lord I believe that in order to understand why and how revelation comes to us, we have to understand the reasoning of the Lord. What is He truly trying to accomplish with us? I think sometimes it’s easy to believe that the Lord is just trying to keep us on a perfect path with as little interference as possible, and even if we don’t believe that consciously, we often act like that’s His entire purpose. Surely, He wants us to follow Him, but His true purpose isn’t avoiding missteps; His true purpose is our growth, and that is essential to understand (even in the context of revelation). For example, we often become paralyzed as we’re trying to make decisions about what to do in our lives because we don’t want to misstep. We really, really, really want to do what the Lord would have us do and so we wait and wait and wait for an answer that may never come rather than acting. I don’t believe the desire to do what the Lord wants us to do is bad (obviously), but I do believe that the fear that sometimes accompanies missteps stems from incomplete understanding about the purposes of revelation. So what is the Lord’s true purpose for us? To put it in incredibly simple terms, He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to make purposeful decisions based on wisdom like He does. He wants us to create the kind of life we desire. He wants us to create goodness without someone pulling us along to do so. What does this mean for revelation? Everything. It explains why the Lord answers in specific ways. For example, let’s look at a college student who is trying to choose a major. If you were in the Lord’s shoes, and you wanted this student to become brave and bold in their decisions, how would you respond to them? Would you simply give them the answer whenever they asked for it? Surely, they could potentially avoid some mistakes and anxiety, but what are you truly wanting for them? There are appropriate times that the Lord gives us an answer directly and quickly. Sometimes He allows us to sink deeper into our faith so we’re prepared to receive more important answers. Sometimes, He is totally silent. Sometimes, He answers and turns us around after we’ve started acting. All of these responses are crafted carefully so that we can be given the tailor-made opportunities to step into His shoes and become like Him. In the context of Alma Let’s look at it in the context of Alma. Now one of the difficulties in the scriptures is the fact that they were abridged. We don’t necessarily have the entire story. We might be missing some details about how Alma decided to leave Ammonihah, but let’s just take the story at face value. Alma was doing the Lord’s work, but we don’t see Alma on his knees for any length of time praying for an answer about whether he should leave Ammonihah and move on to another city that would be more prepared for the work. All we see is that Alma recognized that the people had hard hearts, and he made an extremely logical decision to go find someone who was prepared for the word of God. In missionary work, this is actually tremendously important. Dropping unprepared people in faith is critical because it shows the Lord that we believe in His ability to lead us to people who are prepared. Alma used the faculties of mind he had been blessed with and started to move on. However, the Lord had more information than Alma. He knew that there were a couple people in the city who needed the missionaries, and He also knew that the people were preparing to destroy the liberty of the Nephites. Was the Lord angry that Alma had moved on without asking? No! He sent an angel to course correct. The Lord wasn’t angry at all. Observe Alma’s heart. Alma had enough love in his heart for these people that he was sad for them and their inability to accept the gospel. Alma also quickly course corrected and trusted the Lord immediately upon receiving an answer. Why would the Lord be angry? But are we sometimes worried that the Lord will be angry with us if we choose wrong? Do we sometimes inadvertently believe that the Lord will abandon us to decisions made upon limited information? Do we subconsciously think that if we make the “wrong” decision that the Lord will wash His hands of us and we’re going to ruin our own lives? There are wrong decisions morally speaking, where you’re choosing to cause problems. And then there are wrong decisions where you didn’t choose the path the Lord had in mind, and He course-corrects. He doesn’t get mad over the second kind of “wrong.” He just fixes it. So if your heart is set on following Him, you’re going to be fine. Perhaps we profess faith in the Lord, but do we feel enough faith that we make our own decisions with enthusiasm, believing that the Lord sees the whole picture and will course correct as necessary? Do we feel immense relief over the fact that we know He loves us and isn’t going to abandon us to our limited knowledge? Do we experience gratitude when we think about the fact that He’s given us the opportunity to create what we want our lives to look like while simultaneously promising to guide us along should it be needed? Do we have enough faith in Him to trust that He can give us answers in a way that we will understand? When our desperate desire to avoid missteps overpowers our faith in Him, His purposes, and His abilities to guide us, we will find ourselves at a standstill. We dramatically limit ourselves from accomplishing so much good. We cripple our ability to grow to become like Him. Look at this verse in Doctrine and Covenants. Doctrine and Covenants 58:29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned. We’re damned if we don’t make decisions. We’re not damned because He’s cursing us. We are literally damned in our progression. We aren’t able to grow to become like Him because that’s exactly who He is. He does good of His own accord with His unlimited knowledge. When we stop ourselves from gaining this kind of growth and experience, we’re hurting our progression and damning ourselves. A word of advice on revelation If you really want to seize the opportunities you’ve been given here on earth, there are a couple of attitudes you can adopt to help you along. The test we’ve been given on earth is less of a multiple choice test and more of a final project where you are the product that’s turned in. So rather than focusing on trying to get an answer for every decision and following it perfectly, try focusing on cultivating certain attitudes that will allow the Lord to utilize you in tremendous ways. Honestly, there is one overarching posture that you can cultivate that will enable you to receive everything you need to be successful. Seek a closeness with the Lord. Being close with the Lord will allow you to understand two things: His love and concern for you, and His wisdom. Knowing that He loves you and wants the best for you will allow you to breathe freely. It will help you trust that He wants to watch you soar of your own free will and that your future happiness is very safe with Him. You have nothing to worry about. He will reach you as necessary so go create goodness as much as you can in the ways that you love. Understanding His wisdom will cultivate a natural desire to turn Him and check in. Alma may not have been praying about whether he should leave Ammonihah, but he was turned to the Lord. This made it very easy for the Lord to speak to him, and it also made it very easy for Alma to course correct. When we know who God is, it becomes more difficult to ignore Him and very natural to seek Him out regularly as you would a loving, all-knowing Parent. We have every reason to believe that the best is coming. Even when we know that we’ll be stepping into difficulty and peril throughout our lives, we can know that our ending is perfectly safe. There is no circumstance that can permanently destroy our happiness or take away our eternal reward. Your job is to love the Lord and trust Him, and that love will lead you towards Him and towards perfection. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 8–12 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 8 – Seer Stones w/ Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat (Full Interview)

منذ 44 weeks

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Gerrit Dirkmaat was featured in episode 5 . This is the full interview. Check out Dr. Dirkmaat’s podcast with Prof. Richard LeDuc: https://standardoftruth.com/ Gerrit Dirkmaat is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado in 2010, where he studied nineteenth-century American expansionism and foreign relations. He worked as a historian and writer for the Church History Department from 2010 to 2014 with the Joseph Smith Papers Project. He is the coauthor, along with Michael Hubbard MacKay, of the award-winning book From Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith’s Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon, published by the BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book in 2015. In 2023, they published another book on the topic: Let’s Talk About the Translation of the Book of Mormon. In addition to books, Gerrit is also the author of dozens of academic articles. He currently serves as the editor of the academic journal Latter-day Saint Historical Studies published by the Ensign Peak Foundation. Since 2021 he has hosted and produced a weekly Church history podcast: Standard of Truth. It examines Church history questions and sources. He and his wife, Angela, have four children. Sarah Allen is a senior researcher with FAIR, and the 2022 recipient of the John Taylor: Defender of the Faith Award. By profession, she works in mortgage compliance and is a freelance copyeditor. An avid reader, she loves studying the Gospel and the history of the restored Church. After watching some of her friends lose their testimonies, she became interested in helping others through their faith crises. That’s when she began sharing what she’d learned through her studies. She is a co-moderator the LDS subreddit on Reddit and the author of a multi-part series rebutting the CES Letter. She’s grateful to those at FAIR who have given her the opportunity to share her testimony with a wider audience. The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 8 – Seer Stones w/ Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat (Full Interview) appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 5–7; Alma 8–12; Alma 13–16 – Mike Parker

منذ 45 weeks

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The ministry of Alma & Amulek (Alma 5–16) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the remaining weeks of June.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading Robert A. Rees, “ Alma the Younger’s Seminal Sermon at Zarahemla ,” in Bountiful Harvest: Essays in Honor of S. Kent Brown , ed. Andrew C. Skinner, D. Morgan Davis, and Carl Griffin (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011), 329–43. Why does Alma 7:10 say Jesus was born “at Jerusalem” when the Bible says he was born in Bethlehem? Robert F. Smith answers this question in “ The Land of Jerusalem: The Place of Jesus’ Birth ,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon , ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book / Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1992), 170–72. Thomas A. Wayment, “ The Hebrew Text of Alma 7:11 ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 98–103. Wayment argues that the translation of Isaiah 53:4 in Alma 7:11 is closer to the Hebrew text than the English translation in the King James Bible is. BYU professor John W. Welch explains the Nephite system of weights and measures in Alma 11:3–19 in “ Weighing and Measuring in the Worlds of the Book of Mormon ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8, no. 2 (1999): 36–45, 86. (See also Robert F. Smith’s “ Table of Relative Values ” in the same issue.) Alma₂ forbade Amulek from using the power of God to save the believers in Ammonihah from being killed ( Alma 14:11 ). Why does God permit evil to take place in the world? Elder Spencer W. Kimball gave some ideas in his article “ Tragedy or Destiny ,” Improvement Era 69, no. 3 (March 1966): 178–80, 210–12, 214, 216–17. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 5–7; Alma 8–12; Alma 13–16 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 5–7 – Autumn Dickson

منذ 45 weeks

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The Change of Heart by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, we find various sermons and experiences from Alma as he is traveling from city to city to try and build up the church. In one of the areas, Zarahemla, he found some issues within the church that were plaguing the Saints and taking them away from the Lord. This is another one of those chapters growing up that troubled me and made me worry about my salvation. As I read verses about being stripped of pride and envy (particularly difficult as an insecure teenager), or when I read verses about walking blameless before God, I was convinced I didn’t stand a chance. I never think it’s a bad idea to consider the state of your soul and talk to the Lord about it, but it has to be done right. There have been plenty of times that I’ve examined the apparently black state of my soul growing up and thinking that there was no way I’d ever be good enough to live with God again. This wasn’t uplifting or helpful. It didn’t make me a better person. It just made me focus more on myself. I was doing plenty of good things, but those good things weren’t changing me. Which is rather unfortunate and ironic when you think about the fact that change is literally the entire point of this earthly exercise. A mighty change of heart absolutely includes a desire to do what’s right, to follow the Lord, and serve those around us. However, a mighty change of heart includes much more than that. There is a process to follow that I believe often gets pushed out of order to our own detriment. Let’s observe exactly what Alma is teaching here, and I think we’ll find how to have our hearts changed in a way that is uplifting and joyful. Understanding exactly what Alma is teaching about being prepared to meet God can help us to accomplish more good works than we otherwise would be able to, and it can also help us go about this process in a way that fills our souls rather than leaving us empty. How does the change of heart occur? Alma is addressing the Saints in Zarahemla when he starts talking about remembering the captivity of their fathers. He talks about them being encircled by the bands of death and chains of hell. An everlasting destruction awaited them. Were they destroyed? No. Their restraints were loosed. Alma then asks: Alma 5:10 And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell? That’s what we’re trying to find out here, right? We’ve all found ourselves encircled with bands that we can’t break ourselves. We’ve all sinned. So how did our fathers escape? Because if we can figure out how they escaped, we can know how to escape ourselves. Luckily, Alma describes it clearly. And if I had been able to observe the answer as a teenager, it would have surprised me. Alma 5:12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true. What saved them? It wasn’t an incessant, bullheaded attempt to do everything right. It was faith! It’s so funny because I was absolutely surrounded by Texas Christians growing up who were of the opinion that “works” were completely unnecessary. You were only saved by believing in Christ. We believe in works, and there is a place for works, and we will talk about works. But maybe they were onto something. I feel like we have a culture in the church that talks about our belief in grace and faith as they are related to salvation, but we also inwardly scoff a little. We’re afraid to lean on grace and faith to the extent that we relinquish responsibility for our actions to our detriment. I feel like we profess the idea of grace and faith, and yet oftentimes, our beliefs about our own worthiness and the extent to which we beat ourselves up does not reflect this belief in the Savior’s ability to redeem. And yet, here we have Alma, teaching that it was faith that freed them from their bonds. So let’s cover grace and works again. Where does faith come in and what’s the point of works? How do the two relate together? I’ve only talked about it a million times, but that’s because the relationship between the two is complex. There are a lot of ways to teach it and better understand it. There are layers to it, so we’re going to add another layer here that can hopefully add to what we’ve already studied about grace and works. Works-first method Perhaps we don’t mean to, but I believe we often follow a “works first” method and we believe that the faith (and all the feelings associated with salvation) just kinda descends later. I tried that for a long time, and it never descended. I think sometimes we believe that if we’re following the commandments and standards, those good feelings of freedom and peace and salvation are simply going to show up. Not so. Here is a disclaimer before I start elaborating. Someday perfection will come. Someday, you’ll never have to fall down again. That day is not today, not in this environment on earth. Heavenly Father set you up to fail, not because He doesn’t love you but because we had to fail. We needed to fail in order to become like Him. It had to happen. He wants us to be like Him, and He knew the only way to achieve that all-important goal was if we were placed in an environment with enough opposition to fall down repeatedly. He set us up to fail for a good reason, and He provided His Son to pay for those failures. So stop trying to stop failing. Don’t make that your goal. When we follow a works-first based method, we place all of our hopes on the idea that we’re going to stop falling down. We believe that we have to stop falling down in order to go home. Perhaps we don’t phrase it like that out loud, but that’s what we internally believe. That’s why we beat ourselves up every time we mess up or when we can’t overcome our flaws as fast as we want. That’s why we get discouraged and wonder if we’re good enough. It’s because we subconsciously believe we have to stop falling, and as we covered before, there is purpose in our weaknesses and fallen environment. In a works-first method, we’re placing our faith in ourselves, not in Christ. We claim to believe in Christ. We claim that He pays for our sins and will forgive as often as we repent. However, if we truly believed that, if we truly let His grace seep into our hearts, we would feel joyful about His ability to save us and bring us home. When I say we’re placing our faith in ourselves, I mean that we’re trying to use our own abilities to stop falling down. It won’t work. It will only leave you battered and discouraged until you eventually want to stop trying. Have you ever felt that way? “I can’t do everything. I’m so tired. I want to just give up.” It’s because subconsciously we believe that we have to do everything, and it’s simply not true. Faith-first method Like I mentioned previously, sometimes we internally scoff at people who tell us to stop striving, that belief is all you need. I’m not telling you to stop striving. I’m telling you to change your goal. I’m telling you to switch to a much more effective method of striving. The works-based method and the faith-based method both have the same eventual goal: perfection. However, they approach it in dramatically different ways. Only one is effective: faith-based. When you are following the faith-based method, you know that trusting Christ is the only way to salvation. You stop trying to stop falling down. Instead, you collect strength every time you fall down and get back up. You have faith in a Savior who paid the price so you could be sent here to fail and gain the experience you so desperately needed. And as we choose to focus on collecting strength and developing a deep gratitude for the Savior’s ability to redeem, something absolutely incredible happens. Our hearts change. I have experienced it, and it feels so good. The gospel feels good. Salvation feels good. I do fail. I’m not a perfect mother or wife. I get angry when I feel wronged. I murmur. I can be vain. I can be selfish, and I can hold a grudge. But because I believe in my Savior, I turn to Him. I believe that He adores me, that He thinks I’m wonderful, that He believes in me, so I turn to Him. And as I repeatedly turn to Him with trust, I feel those wonderful feelings of salvation, and I change. It’s difficult to be angry and vain and selfish when faced with the reality of the love of your Savior. My heart changes. I want to do good, and it becomes easier to do good and become good. Faith comes in two forms, or at least that’s how I’m going to describe it so I can make sure I’m really hitting this point home. There is faith in the form of obedience, and there is faith in the form of trusting your relationship with the Savior. Both types of faith are action words. I had to choose to trust my Savior as much as I’ve ever had to choose to be obedient. Trying to choose faith in the form of obedience without faith in the form of trust is the worst. Don’t do it. It’s a miserable way to live the gospel, and it’s completely ineffective. I think sometimes we’re afraid to let go of our own constant nagging towards ourselves because we’re afraid we’ll let go, become comfortable in our sin, and then we’ll actually find ourselves in a ton of trouble. I know I was afraid of that. But it’s not what happens. When we let go of the nagging and embrace the Savior and His ability to save, you find a much deeper motivation to do good and be good. You want to be stripped of envy and pride? Experience the love of your Savior, and you won’t feel a need to compare yourself to anyone. It melts away. Embrace the Savior. Embrace faith and trust in Him. It’s the only happy and effective way to live the gospel. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 5–7 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 29–Alma 4 – Autumn Dickson

منذ 46 weeks

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Mosiah and Amlici by Autumn Dickson Within the chapters this week, we see two contrasted examples of men who are types of the Savior and Satan. It’s remarkable that these two examples were so closely put together within these chapters, and it’s very easy to observe the Plan of Salvation on a minute scale because of it. King Mosiah First, we have King Mosiah. He is obviously the representation of the Savior. He had all of this power bestowed on him, true power that was valid and recognized among the people. Here are two verses that very clearly put forth the Savior’s stance during the war in heaven as we were trying to decide how to proceed with the rest of our very long lives. Mosiah was king over the Nephites and decided to form a new government. The people would elect judges and acknowledge laws and all live according to those laws. This is what King Mosiah had to say about it. Mosiah 29:31-32 31 For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings. 32 And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land. The second verse is very easy to find the parallel. Our Savior wanted us to have our freedom to choose. He wanted us to have the right to design our own eternal lives, to build what we wanted our eternal futures to look like. He was wise enough to understand that this was the only way we could truly be happy, to have the freedom to choose happiness. You can’t force someone into happiness even if you can force them to make choices that were meant to bring happiness. The first verse that I included was also important because it describes the other side of the coin of freedom. King Mosiah teaches his people that sin can be caused by kings which equates to that sin falling upon the heads of the kings rather than on the heads of the people. Responsibility is as crucial to our happiness as freedom. We need the opportunity to take control of our own futures because it is only in the building of those futures that we find true happiness. Let me give an example. I dated Conner for a year and a half before we got married, and I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed for an answer about whether to marry him. I know that some people do receive answers when they pray about that kind of thing which is awesome, but I had a slightly different experience. Heavenly Father never truly answered me, and as I’ve made my way through marriage, I learned why. I chose Conner on my own. I had known him for a very long time. We had seen the worst of each other if I’m being perfectly honest, but we had also seen plenty of good. After we got married, I don’t feel like I was completely caught off guard by choices he made because I knew what I had married. There was beauty in this. I had desperately craved that validation from Heavenly Father, and I think Heavenly Father is wise in whether He chooses to bestow that validation or not because we’re all learning different lessons at different times in our lives. But for me, at this time in my life, He knew that I needed to make my own choice. I needed to make my own choice so that when hard things came up in my marriage (which they inevitably always do), I couldn’t shake my fists at the heavens and ask why Heavenly Father had put me here. I had to look at myself, take responsibility for the choice I had made, and decide what I was going to do with those hard things. That doesn’t mean I leave Heavenly Father out of the equation, to the contrary. I ask Heavenly Father for help all the time. The difference is that I decide to make my marriage what I want my marriage to be. When something difficult comes along, I don’t throw up my hands and say, “Well this is where Heavenly Father put me so I guess I just have to deal.” I decide how I’m going to change, how I’m going to approach Conner, and a million other little choices. I’m very blessed to have a husband who makes these same choices. The Lord let me own my marriage, and because He let me own it, I’ve been able to create something beautiful with my own choices and His help. It’s been an exhilarating and fulfilling process that has brought me far more happiness than I thought possible. It has brought me far more happiness in comparison to hoping that happiness would just fall on me; happiness simply doesn’t happen that way. We need freedom and responsibility to own our lives and build what we want. Sometimes Heavnely Father gives us an answer, and that’s comforting and wonderful and definitely has its purposes in our life that can teach us important lessons. Sometimes He’s silent, not because He doesn’t care or doesn’t love us, but because He’s trying to push us into our big kid shoes. He’s trying to make us like Him , where we get to create what we want. We get to make choices, tell Him what we want, and then He helps us build that kind of future. He does this because He knows it’s an incredible process. King Mosiah also wanted this for his people. Amlici On the other end of the spectrum, we find Amlici. Amlici wanted to get rid of this new system of government five years after Mosiah put it into place; he wanted there to be kings again and he wanted to be king. So everyone got together and put in their votes, and the voice of the people came back. Amlici was not to be king. Not enough people wanted it. When Amlici was not chosen as king, this happens: Alma 2:9-10 9 And it came to pass that they gathered themselves together, and did consecrate Amlici to be their king. 10 Now when Amlici was made king over them he commanded them that they should take up arms against their brethren; and this he did that he might subject them to him. Can we not see the parallels between Amlici and Satan? When Satan lost the war in heaven, he threw a hissy fit and dubbed himself powerful over the world. He enlisted those who had followed him to try and bring as many people under his control as possible. And that is where we observe the true Satan. That is where we get a glimpse of Satan as he truly is, not as he is promoting himself to the people. Amlici wasn’t going around telling people that he wanted to be powerful and rule over everyone. He was arguing the merits of having a king to protect them. He was whispering and promising power to those who would be loyal to him. Amlici’s arguments were attractive. But the second he didn’t get what he wanted, he tried to force them. This is Satan. Satan had an “attractive” plan. Everyone would come home after going down to earth because Satan was going to make sure of it. Anyone who has had a loved one leave the gospel and felt fear or whether that loved one would be coming home can feel the attraction of Satan’s plan. You don’t have to look around you and wonder who is going to be missing. You don’t have to look internally and wonder whether you’re going to be missing. Satan told you he loved you, that he wanted to bring you home, that he would never risk your soul by sending you down to make mistakes. You have a “king” who will protect you and bring you home no matter the cost. And that was precisely the problem. No matter the cost. What was the cost of Satan’s plan? Everything. The point of the Plan of Salvation was to come down here, make mistakes and struggle and grow, and go home prepared to live like our Heavenly Father. It is only in this manner that we can find eternal happiness. Satan’s “Plan of Salvation” would have brought all of us home. But the cost was the entire purpose of the plan. We would have returned unchanged. We would not have been prepared to live like God which means we would have been damned in our capacity to experience happiness forever. We would have been stuck right where we were, forced to do what’s right forever but never tasting the goodness of those right choices because they weren’t really our choices. Amilici didn’t want to protect the people as king. He wanted to own the people as king. He was willing to risk the lives of his followers and those who voted against him because no one mattered to Amlici except Amlici. He didn’t care about those who died in battle. He cared about whether he won. Satan didn’t love us enough to want to bring us all home. He loved himself enough to be willing to sacrifice the happiness of all of his brothers and sisters because he believed that power over us would make him happy. The ultimate narcissist. When he lost, he just went on a rampage working to destroy any shred of happiness on the earth. If he had truly loved us, he would have still worked for our happiness under any conditions he was given. But he doesn’t love us. He loves himself, and he’s willing to sacrifice us. These are powerful stories and characters that can teach us so much about Heavenly Father’s choices for our lives here on earth. We hear people cry about the trauma and devastation on earth, and those are valid cries. But the opposite, a removal of agency, was a fate worse than death literally. It was an eternity stuck in the same state. It was an eternity of boredom and unhappiness and damnation in our progression. Agency was necessary and beautiful. There were some immensely tragic consequences to agency, but we can look to two facts for comfort. One. The alternative was worse. Two. We have a Savior who suffered and promised to take care of everything. No hurt will stay hurt with the Savior. No wound is too deep. No consequence of agency is too far for the Savior to reach. Our Heavenly Parents and Savior love us. They chose this plan for us, and then They took care of absolutely everything. They know how to be happy, and they have provided us with the perfect plan to find that happiness and to build it in our lives forever. And then the Savior paid for it. We are so loved; we have every reason to trust Them. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 29–Alma 4 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 7 – Seer Stones w/ Allen Hansen (Full Interview)

منذ 46 weeks

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Allen Hansen was featured in episode 2 . This is the full interview. Check out Allen’s other work: https://independent.academia.edu/HansenAllen Sarah Allen is a senior researcher with FAIR, and the 2022 recipient of the John Taylor: Defender of the Faith Award. By profession, she works in mortgage compliance and is a freelance copyeditor. An avid reader, she loves studying the Gospel and the history of the restored Church. After watching some of her friends lose their testimonies, she became interested in helping others through their faith crises. That’s when she began sharing what she’d learned through her studies. She is a co-moderator of the LDS subreddit on Reddit and the author of a multi-part series rebutting the CES Letter. She’s grateful to those at FAIR who have given her the opportunity to share her testimony with a wider audience. The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 7 – Seer Stones w/ Allen Hansen (Full Interview) appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 25–28; Mosiah 29–Alma 4 – Mike Parker

منذ 46 weeks

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Conversion of Alma & the sons of Mosiah; commencement of the reign of the judges; Nehor & the Amlicites (Mosiah 26–Alma 4) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the weeks of May 27–June 2 and June 3–9.) Class Notes Additional Reading Elder John K. Carmack, “ When Our Children Go Astray ,” Ensign , February 1997, pp. 7–13. “ How Were Judges Elected in the Book of Mormon? (KnoWhy #107) ,” Book of Mormon Central , 25 May 2016. Matthew Roper, “ For What Crime Was Nehor Executed? ,” Ether’s Cave (blog), 29 January 2016. J. Christopher Conkling, “ Alma’s Enemies: The Case of the Lamanites, Amlicites, and Mysterious Amalekites ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 108–17. Conkling argues that the Amlicites of Alma 2 – 3 were the same group as the Amalekites who appeared suddenly, without explanation, in Alma 21 , and that Oliver Cowdery simply used a different spelling of the same word dictated by Joseph Smith. Benjamin McMurtry, “ The Amlicites and Amalekites: Are They the Same People? ,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 25 (2017): 269–81. McMurtry disagrees with Conkling and argues that that the Amlicites and Amalekites were, indeed, two separate groups. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 25–28; Mosiah 29–Alma 4 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 25–28 – Autumn Dickson

منذ 47 weeks

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Belief Comes First by Autumn Dickson In the chapters this week in Mosiah, we learn about the rising generation who did not believe in the word of God. They had not been around in the time of King Benjamin, and so they didn’t have the same experiences as their parents. There is one verse in there that really has me pondering some of the ways I have framed the gospel in my mind. Mosiah 26:3 And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened. They couldn’t understand the word of God because they didn’t believe, not the other way around. As I’ve tried to engage with some of my loved ones and strangers over the church, I have held onto the belief that if I could simply help them understand, they would believe. Apparently this is a fallacy. If you want to understand God and His plan and His choices amongst the children of men, belief actually comes first. As I look back on my own life, I realize that this is exactly how things work. When I have reached any new understanding of gospel doctrine, belief preceded it. Being aware of the fact that belief precedes understanding can help us know how to approach the gospel personally and with others. Reasoning has a place We live in a world of sophistry, both in temporal and spiritual matters. In temporal matters, it can make sense to engage. I actually read an entire book once about the fact that America was built on argumentation and that effective argumentation can actually bring us closer to our goals. If we can avoid turning those who disagree with us into enemies, disagreement is beautiful because it gives us opportunities to engage, listen, and evolve. When it comes to spiritual matters, reasoning, disagreements, and discussion absolutely have their place. I work with FAIR, and a huge basis for their work is apologetics. For a long time, their entire purpose was to respectfully argue against critics and help people see a wider perspective. They’ve helped so many people better understand issues and history. We absolutely should discuss, explore, and question. The more I engage with doctrine, the more it has made sense to me and strengthened my testimony. But in the end, belief has to come first. Understanding will come. But belief is a precursor to that understanding. Belief first I know that the idea of “believing first” is ridiculous to some, but let’s talk about what I actually mean when I say that belief needs to come first. I don’t mean, “Ignore the things you don’t understand and may even feel harmful. Just believe because I’m telling you that it’s good for you.” This is not what I mean by belief. In order to understand what I mean when I say “belief first,” you have to understand the transition I went through in my own faith. When I have run into things that don’t make sense or when I run into things in the church that even seem hurtful, I have approached those uncomfortable feelings in a myriad of ways. If I’m being totally honest, when I was growing up, I simply didn’t approach them at all. I just pushed them to the back of my mind and forced myself to “have faith.” In case you were wondering, this wasn’t exactly effective. Sure, I held on for a while, but looking back, I can see that this approach couldn’t have lasted. After my period of ignoring things I didn’t understand, I tried to hold onto testimony moments. This meant that I held onto moments where I had felt something beyond myself. These were good stepping stones that pushed me in the right direction, but they were ultimately insufficient in the long term. There were too many questions about whether I was feeling good old-fashioned nostalgia or truly feeling something that was given to me by my Heavenly Father. And though holding onto testimony moments would have been ultimately insufficient for my personal testimony, this process allowed me to build the foundation for what has really helped me develop a resilience against Satan fighting me with things that I don’t understand or don’t have answers to. Just over four years ago, I started the blog, and that’s when things really changed. I consistently speak with my Heavenly Father, and He responds. Now when I run into things I don’t understand, they can still bother me. However, I simultaneously can’t deny what’s right in front of me. I speak with God, and He answers back. That is as real to me as the things I don’t understand. Why place the reality of my concerns over the reality of my relationship with God? He has helped me find peace, helped me to understand, and proved His trustworthiness to me a million times over. I trust Him. I believe Him. Utilizing testimony moments to help build the foundation for this relationship was a big step, but I ultimately had to bring my relationship into the present. I had to talk to Him consistently in order to achieve this feeling of belief. A concrete example I have been married for seven years. Though this isn’t really that long, it has been long enough to solidify my trust in my husband. My relationship with Conner has consisted of moment after moment after moment after moment of evidence of Conner’s trustworthiness. A few years ago, Conner had some major decisions to make in regards to our family. I didn’t understand the choices he was making when the information I had was pointing us in a different direction. I kept bringing this up to him until one day he confided in me that I didn’t have all the information. There were things going on that were beyond our family that he couldn’t share with me, even though they affected my life as well as that of my family. It didn’t even phase me. I told Conner I trusted him, and I did. He had consistently proved to me that our family was his first priority. He had proven to me that he could make wise decisions and that he would make decisions based on our happiness. I had no qualms letting him utilize the information he had to guide our path. I didn’t understand, but I believed in Conner because of the evidence I had observed consistently in our relationship. This is what I mean in terms of belief. When I talk about belief coming first, I mean cultivating a relationship with God. Don’t take my word for it. Get to know Him, cast off imperfect qualities that you’ve given Him in your mind, and you’ll find that He consistently shows up in powerful ways. You’ll find that belief in Him is easy because of who He is. When I talk about belief coming first, I’m talking about real trust based on a real relationship of invested time. I’m not talking about ignoring discomfort or having a death grip on “faith” because you’re supposed to. That’s not what belief is supposed to feel like. It’s not what it has to feel like. Get to know Him. You will believe in Him, and eventually the truth comes. When I hit snags Developing this relationship has changed how I process things when I hit snags. When something comes along that I don’t understand, when I run into information on the news or social media that I can’t disprove, when I hear accounts of history that may or may not have validity, I believe in the very real relationship I’ve developed. Believing in that relationship looks like a lot of things. Sometimes it means that I push the snag away without a second thought because I’m having a really good day, and I’m feeling really close to Him. Other times, it means that I take that snag to the Lord and talk to Him about it. I know He won’t be angry with me for asking because I know how He responds in the relationship I have with Him. I tell Him exactly why it bothers me, why it logically doesn’t make sense to me, or why I feel hurt. Then I usually take some concentrated, conscious time for belief. I reaffirm what I know about Him, His power, His belief in me, His love for me, and my indispensability to His happiness. I think about how wise He has proven Himself in the past. Oftentimes, I find the answer or peace I’m looking for as I reflect on my relationship with Him and as I reflect on who He is and has proven Himself to be. Other times, I find that it softens my heart to the extent that He whispers more words of wisdom or comfort. Either way, I usually find what I’m looking for when I believe in Him first. The understanding comes because I believe in Him. When I read this verse about the rising generation not understanding because they didn’t believe, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first. But as I took the time to reflect on my own life, I’ve realized that is exactly true. When we believe in our Father in Heaven and develop a relationship of trust with Him, understanding will follow. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 25–28 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 18–24 – Mike Parker 46:00

منذ 48 weeks46:00

46:00

Ammon’s expedition; Limhi & Alma’s escape to Zarahemla (Mosiah 7–8, 18–25) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading BYU professor Daniel C. Peterson examines the baptism of Alma₁ in these two articles: “ Priesthood in Mosiah ,” in The Book of Mormon: Mosiah, Salvation Only Through Christ , eds. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 1991), 187–210. “ Authority in the Book of Mosiah ,” FARMS Review 18, no. 1 (2006): 149–85. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 18–24 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 18–24 – Autumn Dickson 16:20

منذ 48 weeks16:20

16:20

They Were Just Dancing by Autumn Dickson This post will probably not be a popular one, at least in terms of the world, but it’s definitely an important one. One of the stories we read about this week is painful and tragic. Mosiah 20:1 Now there was a place in Shemlon where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to dance, and to make themselves merry. While these daughters were dancing and enjoying themselves, the wicked priests of King Noah abducted 24 of them and married them. This actually snowballs into a battle where a lot of people die because the Lamanites blame Limhi’s people for taking their daughters. Now, we have no idea what the scriptures mean by singing, dancing, and making merry. I had dance parties with my girlfriends all the time when I was young. We know that when Laman and Lemuel were making merry, they were sinning, but we don’t know if that’s actually what they were trying to imply right here. I’m not going to assume that these girls were doing anything wrong, but I’m still going to use the story to teach a principle. Perhaps some would argue with me that everything worked out because the daughters end up defending their abductor-husbands later on, but I just don’t buy it. I’ve seen my fair share of abused women defend their abuser. These priests couldn’t go back to their wives so they kidnap women and marry them instead. These priests had spent their time with other women while they were previously married, and they had also abandoned those poor wives! Something tells me they didn’t change just because they got married again. We also know they haven’t changed because when they’re given a bit of power, they use it to abuse other innocent people as well (cough cough Alma). I don’t think these girls were okay. Which leads me to what I want to teach today. The Lord gave us standards to protect us, not to blame victims, but to protect us. Read it again. I want to teach both of those principles today. Not to blame victims I feel like I should start with the “blame victims” portion of the principle so we can appreciate the second portion of the principle as well. The standards weren’t given to punish the victims. The girls were out dancing and making merry, but even if the scriptures were purposefully implying that these girls were sinning, could we accurately blame them for what happened to them afterwards? No. Even if their actions enabled wicked men to take advantage of them, the blame lies with the wicked men. I remember a time when I was growing up and getting ready for a youth conference dance. I was getting ready at my friend’s house, and we went all out for fun. Dance party, face masks, snacks, everything. Getting ready for the youth conference dance was going to be just as fun as the actual dance. But we were also taking pictures. Even though we weren’t quite ready yet (i.e. not modest). There was nothing crazy, but they weren’t great either. They weren’t meant to be anything. If you’re judging us by intent, the pictures were 100% innocent. We were playing and getting ready and taking pictures. There was nothing else there. My mom found the pictures and was understandably upset. She was worried that one of my friends wouldn’t think about it and post some of them online. I learned an intense lesson that day about protecting myself. Here was the reality of the situation: We didn’t sin. I mean, taking the pictures was probably a mistake but we weren’t actively rebelling or sinning. We were young girls getting ready to go to a dance. Heavenly Father was proud of us for going to youth conference and loving it. Here’s the other half of the reality. I could have had a friend post some of those pictures online without thinking about it. And those pictures could have been downloaded by someone gross. And as innocent as we were, it could have hurt us. As innocent as we were, it could have hurt us. I was not a bad person. I was a good, innocent person who loved playing and dancing with her friends and going to youth conference. But the rest of the world is not so innocent or good. Heavenly Father is more aware of this than anyone, and that’s why He gave us standards. I didn’t need to be blamed if those pictures had been used against me. And yet, despite the fact that I am not responsible for the wicked actions of another person, I am overwhelmingly grateful that my mother taught me a hard lesson about protecting myself that day. Things as they are I’m going to use a more extreme example, but I’m actually not going to apologize for it as I often do. The world can hem and haw and complain, but the reality is this: I had too many friends from high school for which this was a reality. I have too many friends who didn’t know what happened to them the night before. I have too many friends who wish they could take back actions or words that occurred because their inhibitions were dulled by alcohol. The world can attack us for using “fear” tactics to try and force our kids to do what’s right, but I call it a reality check. I’m teaching them the truth. As my kids grow older, I will try my best to simultaneously teach them to trust themselves and their instincts, but I’m not going to refrain from teaching them about the very real danger that shouldn’t (but does!) exist in the world. They don’t have to be afraid of the world, but they do need to be able to make their decisions with accurate information. Let’s say my daughter grows up, goes to a party, drinks some of this alcohol, and gets attacked. What is the reality of this situation? What is she going to have to face? Is my daughter guilty because the attack happened because she chose to go to a party? No. we already discussed this. The guilt that should lay on her shoulders should be equivalent to her growing up, going to a party, drinking alcohol, and coming home safely. There was still disobedience and broken promises, but the resulting attack isn’t on her. Since we already talked about that a little more in depth, let’s move to the second part of the principle. I once had a young woman come to me and argue that she should be able to wear whatever she wants, go wherever she wants, and get blackout drunk if she wants, and expect safety. We should be teaching people to protect others, not teaching girls to keep themselves “safe.” I agreed with her. We should live in a world where people are safe even when they’re extremely vulnerable. I will teach my children to protect vulnerable people. I will not stand for behavior that exploits vulnerable people. But I am not the only person on the planet. And so despite the fact that we should be able to expect safety even when we’re vulnerable, that is not the reality around us. So I will teach my children to protect the vulnerable, and I will teach my children to follow the standards given to us by the Lord in order to more effectively protect themselves. I don’t believe the Lord curses those who made themselves vulnerable, but I do believe He is trying to teach us commandments and standards to protect us from pain. And you know what? Sometimes we do all the right things, and those bad things still happen to us. Sometimes we do what’s right, dress modestly, stand in holy places, avoid substances, and those bad things still happen. Sometimes you follow all the standards, and you still unknowingly marry one of those wicked people. That’s why I can accurately say that it’s not your fault if someone takes advantage of you. Because even when you’re doing everything right, it can still happen. We teach that. We make sure our children know that if someone hurts them, they are innocent of the crime that happened to them. But we also teach wisdom. Because even though you can do everything right and still find yourself in trouble, I can promise that the odds of protecting yourself are much higher when you follow the standards given by the Lord. I compare it to locking your door. If you lock your door, someone could absolutely still break the lock, come in, and hurt your family. Is that your fault? No, it lies with the person who chose to do the wrong thing. But it’s stupid to leave your door unlocked because someone could break in anyway. And unfortunately there’s another harsh reality, and I ask you to please not misunderstand me. I will do my best to express my thoughts accurately. When you leave the door unlocked and someone comes in and harms the family, you will be asking yourself, “What if I had just locked the door? Could I have spared us all of this pain?” There is no reason to carry guilt around because someone else chose to do the wrong thing, but a lack of guilt does not equate to a lack of pain. It is difficult to experience those kinds of consequences regardless of whether you made yourself vulnerable. I would argue that it’s especially painful when you wonder if those consequences actually had to happen. I reiterate. It’s not your fault. You do not need to take on the guilt of a person who chose to do something very wrong to you. But I also reiterate. It is painful to find yourself in those circumstances. And even though you can’t perfectly protect yourself, the Lord has given us commandments and standards that do provide a good measure of protection from that kind of pain. I testify of a Savior who gave us commandments and standards because of how much He loves us and because of His overwhelming awareness of the realities of this fallen world. I testify of a Savior who has the ability to heal us, regardless of how difficult circumstances came about because I can testify of a Savior who has saved and healed me when I’ve been imperfect or unwise. I testify of a day when the Savior will judge perfectly and heal those who desire to be healed. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 18–24 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 6 – Seer Stones: Why Aren’t They Used Today? 23:58

منذ 48 weeks23:58

23:58

In this episode, Jennifer, Zach, and Sarah discuss why seer stones are no longer used today. Throughout this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute claims about the seer stones head-on using facts from the historical narrative. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (1:35) Background (13:39) Peace Child (21:11) Conclusion Sarah Allen is a senior researcher with FAIR, and the 2022 recipient of the John Taylor: Defender of the Faith Award. By profession, she works in mortgage compliance and is a freelance copyeditor. An avid reader, she loves studying the Gospel and the history of the restored Church. After watching some of her friends lose their testimonies, she became interested in helping others through their faith crises. That’s when she began sharing what she’d learned through her studies. She is a co-moderator the LDS subreddit on Reddit and the author of a multi-part series rebutting the CES Letter. She’s grateful to those at FAIR who have given her the opportunity to share her testimony with a wider audience. Jennifer Roach earned a Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and a Master of Counseling from Argosy University. Before her conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she was an ordained minister in the Anglican church. Her own experience of sexual abuse from a pastor during her teen years led her to care deeply about issues of abuse in faith communities. Zachary Wright was born in American Fork, UT. He served his mission speaking Spanish in North Carolina and the Dominican Republic. He currently attends BYU studying psychology, but loves writing, and studying LDS theology and history. His biggest desire is to help other people bring them closer to each other, and ultimately bring people closer to God. The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 6 – Seer Stones: Why Aren’t They Used Today? appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 11–17 – Autumn Dickson 17:43

منذ 49 weeks17:43

17:43

He is Justice by Autumn Dickson This week, we find Abinadi standing before King Noah and his wicked priests. They love to lounge around, preaching at people, and spending their strength in highly questionable ways. Abinadi teaches them a plethora of doctrine, the ten commandments, the Law of Moses and its true purpose in the plan, and the coming of Jesus Christ since the House of Israel seems to forget about the Messiah and hyperfocus on a law that was always meant to point to a Messiah. Abinadi teaches them that those who listen to the prophets and hope for Christ will be taken care of. Then Abinadi warns them. Mosiah 15:26-27 26 But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection. 27 Therefore ought ye not to tremble? For salvation cometh to none such; for the Lord hath redeemed none such; yea, neither can the Lord redeem such; for he cannot deny himself; for he cannot deny justice when it has its claim. Abinadi is warning these men that they’re going to miss out if they don’t repent. If you’re spending the time reading and listening to Come Follow Me posts, videos, and podcasts, I’m going to take a wild guess that you’re not out doing the things that these priests are doing, not the least of which is murder. I doubt Abinadi would be calling you to repentance in the same manner that he’s calling these priests to repentance. But there are still principles here for us to learn. There is one phrase in particular that can help us better understand the perfect judgment of the Lord. “…for he cannot deny himself…” One of my favorite topics is the perfection judgment of the Lord because I spent so long calling His judgment perfect and attributing less than perfect judging skills to Him. Let’s talk about what I mean. We’re going to cycle around a bit, but we’re going to come back around to this specific phrase. The definitions of perfection One of the ways that we can understand Judgment Day and the atonement of Jesus Christ is to look at it through the lens of two different definitions of perfection. I say, “one of the ways,” because these concepts are complex ideas, and I have not yet found a way to completely encompass all of the perfect principles that make up these ideas. I have talked about many of them, but here is yet another way to understand them. When we’re talking about perfection in reference to Judgment Day and the atonement of Jesus Christ, you could almost say that there are two different definitions of perfection, and they come into play at different points. The first definition of perfection is the more traditional way we frame perfection. It is to be without sin or flaw. Without the atonement of Jesus Christ, we could not make it back to heaven. We all sin and come short of the glory of God. We messed up, and we don’t deserve it. We have corrupted ourselves, and no corruptible thing can coexist with God or it burns up in His glory. This is our first idea of perfection. Interestingly enough, is this actually fair? Is this truly perfect judgment? Think of all of the remarkable people who overcame great odds and trials and became compassionate, selfless human beings. Do they truly deserve to find unhappiness for an eternity? Is that really perfect judgment? In my unqualified opinion, I think not. We weren’t capable of being perfect. We needed the opposition to grow into perfection so why punish us for something we were incapable of? And yet, this is what had to be. Corruption simply cannot exist in the presence of God. It’s obliterated. We needed to come to earth to grow into perfection and happiness; this absolutely, unequivocally meant that we would corrupt ourselves to a degree. These were the very real facts of our circumstances. A catch-22. Stay in the presence of God and experience damnation in the sense that we were stopped from progressing for forever or leave God’s presence, grow, but be tainted and away from His loving presence forever. But here is where our second definition of perfection comes in. Christ was perfect in the sense of our first definition. He was without sin. We don’t understand how, but He paid for those sins. And because He paid for them, we can be cleansed. Voila. Catch-22 solved. We can go to earth, become corrupted to a degree (because it was inevitable), but we can also gain the experience we need to move past our damnation, our stop in our progression. That corruption gets cleansed, and we can coexist with Heavenly Father without getting burned up in the all-consuming fire that is the glory of His presence. The second definition of perfection includes aspects of justice and mercy. People who are really trying and growing and believing and learning still get to come home even though they’re made mistakes. What is a more “perfect” definition of perfection? The first or second? Which is a more perfect judgment? The one that called for absolute discipline for the imperfect or the one that included the very real aspects of mercy? Once again in my extremely unqualified opinion, the second definition of “perfect” is nicer, but it’s also a more perfect definition of perfect. He became justice Let’s cycle back to the phrase from the beginning: “…he cannot deny himself; for he cannot deny justice…” We have all heard the phrases, “Christ is justice,” and “Christ is mercy.” In some sense, those are literal and accurate statements. Because of what He did for us, that first scenario of perfection is not applicable. There is no more catch-22. There is no more third party justice that disallows us from going back into the presence of our Heavenly Father to be consumed by His glory. Christ’s atonement can cleanse us so we can go back. These are our new and true circumstances. Christ gets to decide whether we come home because He took the place of justice when He paid justice. He is our debtor. He is justice. Our original circumstances that existed with the first definition of perfection are no longer our circumstances, and yet, we keep acting like they are. We keep acting like justice overpowers mercy and not the other way around. In my home, I am justice. I am also mercy. These are temporary roles that were given to me by a Father in Heaven who needed me to teach His children because He couldn’t do it Himself. My husband, Conner, also holds these roles though he practices them less often because he’s gone working. Maybe it sounds silly to say I am justice and mercy, but in so many real aspects of the words, it’s true. The worlds of my children very much fall into what I create for them. I believe that one of the reasons the Lord set up these circumstances in this manner was because He wanted me to understand His atonement. I am wildly imperfect, but I do have some sense of what perfect judgment looks like. I may lose my cool with my kids, but I have my King-Solomon-wisdom moments too. When I take a step back from the overstimulation and chaos, I often know where my kids’ hearts are at. I know if they’ve been stressed with specific circumstances, different triggers for their big emotions, and whether they went to bed on time. I know if Warner was literally trying to play with his sister or whether he was trying to get his kicks torturing her. I know whether Evie meant to push her brother off the couch or whether she’s still learning to control her growing body. As of yet, none of my children have done anything worthy of getting kicked out. They have punched, bit, threw, pushed, and taunted. They have continuously provoked and purposefully broken things, but I’m not crazy enough to believe that merits getting kicked out of my home. I am not perfect, but I do have some immature understanding of perfect judgment. I have some inkling of what it means to wisely distribute mercy and justice according to the needs of my children so that they can grow into well-adjusted adults without banning them from the home. Heaven forbid the day ever came that I would need to kick a teenager out to protect my other children, but I hope I would be wise enough to do that too if the situation called for it. Now let’s take this little home scenario and zoom out to look at the world the Lord created for us. I am imperfect. I am also a good person. I want peace in our “home” here on earth even though I often make mistakes and hurt my siblings. I love my Father and Brother. And in my imperfect sense of perfection, I know that I have not merited getting kicked out yet. He will distribute mercy and justice according to what I need to learn in order to become a well-adjusted Being like Him, but He’s not kicking me out of the house. I made covenants that bind me to Christ and allow Him to cleanse me so that I can coexist with my Heavenly Parents, and I am someone who wants to follow Them. They can work with that. I am saved by the atonement of Jesus Christ. I experience salvation regularly in the forms of peace, hope, and joy in my home. It is a beautiful feeling, and it’s a feeling that my Savior wanted me to experience. He paid an excruciating price so that I could experience it and experience it now, not just in the next life. I am grateful to Him for bringing about the second definition of perfect, for banishing the catch-22, and enabling me to experience eternal happiness. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 11–17 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 7–10; Mosiah 11–17 – Mike Parker 44:22

منذ 50 weeks44:22

44:22

Zeniff’s return to the land of Lehi‐Nephi; Abinadi’s confrontation with king Noah (Mosiah 9–17) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the weeks of May 6–12 and May 13–19) Class Notes Additional Reading These two articles by BYU religion professors address Abinadi’s teachings on the Messiah as the Father and the Son in Mosiah 15:1–5 : Paul Y. Hoskisson, “ The Fatherhood of Christ and the Atonement ,” Religious Educator 1, no. 1 (2000): 71–80. Robert L. Millet, “ The Ministry of the Father and the Son ,” in The Book of Mormon: The Keystone Scripture , ed. Paul R. Cheesman (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 1988), 44–72. How was Abinadi executed? One suggestion is that he was beaten to death with burning torches. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 7–10; Mosiah 11–17 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 7–10 – Autumn Dickson 20:13

منذ 50 weeks20:13

20:13

Limhi and Repentance by Autumn Dickson One of the stories that starts to get introduced this week is that of Limhi and his people. The order of events over the next few (or ten) chapters can be a little confusing because you’re jumping around in the timeline, and you’re following different groups of people. This is also intermingled with sermons that break up the stories and can make it even harder to follow if you’re not really trying. I want to talk about Limhi and his people today. I know that their story is spread out over multiple chapters and weeks, and so if I want to talk about them as a whole, I’m going to have to venture into their story a bit more even if I’m getting ahead of myself in the manual. Luckily, the principles that I want to share are all found within verses that are included for this week. I want to give the full story so we can look at the principles in context. I know I’m omitting some details, but I want to focus on this specific timeline. So the Nephites are all in one big group of people. At one point in time, a man named Zeniff decides that he wants to inherit the land where the Lamanites are living because he feels as though that land was originally supposed to be the inheritance of the Nephites from the Lord. He takes a big group of people, and the Lamanite king lets them settle on some of that land. The Lamanites try attacking Zeniff’s people, the Lamanites lose, and Zeniff’s people are really happy. After Zeniff passes away and time moves on, Zeniff’s people become wicked. Zeniff’s people come into bondage under the Lamanite king and are forced to pay crazy amounts of taxes. The original group of Nephites become curious about what happened to Zeniff’s people, and they send Ammon and a small group of people to go find them. Ammon finds them, and Limhi (the new king of Zeniff’s group) is ecstatic because he wants to free his people from the Lamanites. The scope of today’s message Limhi’s people differ from the other group of people that we read about over the next few weeks in the sense that their sin brought them into bondage. The other group of people (Alma’s people) were brought into bondage despite their righteousness, and they were likewise freed by the Lord. Both this group of people and Limhi’s people are reflective of our own lives. Sometimes affliction happens even when we’re striving to do what’s right; affliction was an essential ingredient to the Plan of Salvation if we really wanted to reach our full potential so even when we’re doing what’s right, the Lord may still allow us to wander into difficult circumstances. On the flip side, sometimes our affliction is brought about by our own sin, as was the case for Limhi’s people. It is this specific circumstance that I want to talk about today. Despite the fact that repentance can be broadened to encompass the growth experienced by Alma’s people, I want to talk about repentance within the scope of overcoming sin specifically. In my opinion, repentance can be any step towards Christ whether that’s in the form of overcoming sin, learning something new about Christ, healing, developing a talent, or getting stronger. But for this particular message, I want to zoom in the lens and just talk about repentance in the form of overcoming sin. It is in this context that we can study parallels between Limhi’s people and our own repentance process. A posture of accountability One of the things that impresses me most about the parallels between Limhi’s people and the general process of overcoming sin comes from Limhi, himself. In truth, we know very little about Limhi. We hadn’t heard of him before this moment even though he was King Noah’s son. We don’t know what his past was like, how often he participated in wickedness with his father, or how involved he was when Abinadi was killed. And yet, we read this from him: Mosiah 7:25-26 25 For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves. 26 And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ. Limhi knew that his people had done wickedly, and he didn’t shy away from that fact. He knew that their bondage was a result of falling into transgression. I want you to think about Limhi for a second. He was raised in a wicked society with an awful father. His experience with religion had been limited to wicked priests that his father had put in place. Not exactly fertile soil. It could have been easy for Limhi to be completely self-absorbed like his father. It could have been easy for him to be vain and surround himself with “religious” men who would stroke his ego. It could have also been easy to turn his back on religion completely considering the fact that his experience with it was full of hypocrisy, pride, and silencing anyone who dared disagree. If this was the God that Limhi was introduced to by wicked priests and his father, why did he want anything to do with it? And yet, somehow, Limhi became an unbaptized convert waiting for the missionaries to show up. How he learned about the true character of God and the nature of sin is anyone’s guess, but somehow Limhi knew. Somehow he shed the example of doing whatever you wanted and calling it righteous. He stepped into the mantle of king over a people in bondage, and he was brave enough to tell them that their own wickedness had brought their destruction, even though Abinadi had been killed for doing the same thing. If we’re looking at Limhi’s people as an example of repentance, we can look at Limhi as holding the primary state of mind. Limhi was ready to repent; he was ready to change. His was a posture of repentance that included several aspects: an ownership of the sins, a willingness to seek help in order to be freed, preparedness for penance (was willing to be slaves to the Nephites even though that idea was shot down fast), and a steadfast desire to avoid running right back into the sins that brought the problem in the first place. All of these attitudes provided a readiness for Limhi and his people to be saved. An effectual struggle When deliverance for Limhi’s people arrives in the form of Ammon, Limhi addresses his people. This is one of the things he says to them: Mosiah 7:18 And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made. Ammon found Limhi’s people, and Limhi is thrilled for good reason. He sees that freedom is possible. They don’t have to remain in bondage and pay forever. However, there is a little phrase at the end that is very telling. “…I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.” “Effectual” means to produce the desired result, and I believe that this struggle was meant to produce freedom in its truest sense. I want you to imagine working super hard to free a people from bondage. You succeed, and it’s wonderful and celebratory and beautiful. But then, they run right back into their bonds that you freed them from. It’s silly, but it happens on a spiritual level quite often. We believe that Heavenly Father requires work and allows for guilt and struggle, but not because He wants to punish us or because we have to pay for our sins. Heavenly Father requires an effectual struggle that will free us from the bonds and keep us from going back to them. Having an effectual struggle doesn’t mean destroying ourselves for imperfection (that would not be effectual in the slightest). Rather, an effectual struggle enables us to appreciate the sacrifice that was made by the Savior. We receive enough of the consequences that we recognize we don’t want those bonds (if we were always bailed out with no struggle, why wouldn’t we keep going back?). And there is also a beautiful kind of growth that is experienced in that effectual struggle. Do not fear the struggle. We want to be freed from past mistakes and the consequences that still seem to haunt us. We want to be freed from flaws that aren’t contributing to our happiness. But the Lord was wise in allowing us to struggle. Limhi teaches one other principle in this chapter that can help us determine our relationship with this effectual struggle. Mosiah 7:33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage. Our true requirement here is to continually turn to the Lord. When we sin, we turn to Him. When we struggle, we turn to Him. When we run into obstacles while trying to do what’s right, we turn to Him. We trust Him. If we do this, He WILL deliver us out of bondage. He will deliver us . It’s going to happen. He’s going to deliver us according to His own wisdom about what’s best for us, but we can lift up our heads and rejoice right now . An effectual struggle doesn’t mean we’re not forgiven. It means we are loved by a Lord who frees us from sin and is wise enough to know the struggle will put us where we need to be. I’m grateful for a Savior who can teach me in whatever situation I need. I’m grateful that I have gained a testimony that He will deliver me, and I’m also grateful He lets me struggle. Or, to be more accurate, I’m grateful for what I get out of the struggle. Even as I face consequences and obstacles, I know that they could easily be removed. I’m not actually in any “danger.” I simply need them to become everything I can be, and I’m grateful the Savior gives that to me. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 7–10 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 5 – Seer Stones: Did the Church Lie? 1:20:04

منذ 50 weeks1:20:04

1:20:04

In this episode, Sarah, Jennifer, and Zach discuss mentions of the seer stones throughout history. Throughout this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute claims about the seer stones head-on using facts from the historical narrative. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (5:44) Richard Bushman Statement (6:11) Overview (8:16) Gerrit Dirkmaat Interview (35:39) Mark Ashurst-McGee Interview (01:12:34) Conclusion Gerrit Dirkmaat is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado in 2010, where he studied nineteenth-century American expansionism and foreign relations. He worked as a historian and writer for the Church History Department from 2010 to 2014 with the Joseph Smith Papers Project. He is the coauthor, along with Michael Hubbard MacKay, of the award-winning book From Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith’s Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon, published by the BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book in 2015. In 2023, they published another book on the topic: Let’s Talk About the Translation of the Book of Mormon. In addition to books, Gerrit is also the author of dozens of academic articles. He currently serves as the editor of the academic journal Latter-day Saint Historical Studies published by the Ensign Peak Foundation. Since 2021 he has hosted and produced a weekly Church history podcast: Standard of Truth. It examines Church history questions and sources. He and his wife, Angela, have four children. Mark Ashurst-McGee is a senior historian in the Church History Department and the senior research and review editor for the Joseph Smith Papers, where he also serves as a specialist in document analysis and documentary editing methodology. He holds a PhD in history from Arizona State University and has trained at the Institute for the Editing of Historical Documents. He has coedited several volumes of The Joseph Smith Papers and is also coeditor of Foundational Texts of Mormonism: Examining Major Early Sources (Oxford University Press, 2018). He is also the author of several articles on Joseph Smith and early Latter-day Saint history published in scholarly journals and popular venues. Sarah Allen is a senior researcher with FAIR, and the 2022 recipient of the John Taylor: Defender of the Faith Award. By profession, she works in mortgage compliance and is a freelance copyeditor. An avid reader, she loves studying the Gospel and the history of the restored Church. After watching some of her friends lose their testimonies, she became interested in helping others through their faith crises. That’s when she began sharing what she’d learned through her studies. She is a co-moderator the LDS subreddit on Reddit and the author of a multi-part series rebutting the CES Letter. She’s grateful to those at FAIR who have given her the opportunity to share her testimony with a wider audience. Jennifer Roach earned a Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and a Master of Counseling from Argosy University. Before her conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she was an ordained minister in the Anglican church. Her own experience of sexual abuse from a pastor during her teen years led her to care deeply about issues of abuse in faith communities. Zachary Wright was born in American Fork, UT. He served his mission speaking Spanish in North Carolina and the Dominican Republic. He currently attends BYU studying psychology, but loves writing, and studying LDS theology and history. His biggest desire is to help other people bring them closer to each other, and ultimately bring people closer to God. The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 5 – Seer Stones: Did the Church Lie? appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 4–6 – Autumn Dickson 17:35

منذ 51 weeks17:35

17:35

Watch Your Thoughts by Autumn Dickson King Benjamin doesn’t mess around with his sermon. He knows what he came to do, and he does it. He doesn’t mince words. He teaches some pretty essential doctrines with no apologies attached. Let’s talk about one of these no-nonsense doctrines. Mosiah 4:29-30 29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. 30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. These are some of those verses that used to haunt me back before I knew how much I mattered to the Lord. There are so many ways to sin and if I can’t watch every little thing about myself, I’m going to perish. There is a reason I can sympathize with those who have left the church and felt a “great burden lifted off their shoulders.” It is because of misunderstanding verses like this. It’s not fun to carry that kind of fear and perfectionism around. And though there is much I could say about sin and its consequences, I actually want to run in a different direction with this verse. Interpreting a tone When my daughter first joined gymnastics, her coach was a lady who had escaped the Soviet Union. She spoke in a thick Russian accent, and there was absolutely no coddling. In a society where gentle parenting has taken a really strong foothold, this was a very different approach. She corrected the girls immediately, loudly, and with no remorse. She also demanded respect from them. Though some parents shied away from this gym for that reason (more power to them, plenty of right ways to parent a child), I chose this gym for that reason. I wanted my daughter to get used to personalities that could be considered abrasive in our culture because I knew there was value there. Evelyn’s coach loved her, and she showed Evelyn that she loved her. She just didn’t show it with smiles and pats on the back. I knew that if Evelyn could learn to internalize the good in an environment that might seem hostile to some, I would be doing her a huge favor. It would have been easy to internalize this coach’s approach as criticsm and wither underneath it especially when you consider how different it is from other approaches found in America. So let’s go back to this verse with King Benjamin. It was very easy for me as a child to read that verse and internalize fear as the motivation for living the gospel. If I didn’t watch myself, I was going to perish. I have seen the church (as well as lots of other churches) get torn apart for teaching this kind of doctrine. “We shouldn’t try to scare people into doing what’s right. It’s so damaging to teach a young child or teenager that they need to behave or they’re going to be destroyed.” In all honesty, I have found that this is true. I have watched friends talk about overcoming religious trauma, and I have had to work through unhealthy religious beliefs as well. Scare tactics aren’t super effective or healthy; THAT is a true principle. In the same breath, I also feel that the critics are missing a couple key points to the story, and it is these very key points that can help us know how to teach the truth about sin while simultaneously helping our children absorb the gospel in the most effective manner. The whole truth So what’s the whole truth here? What parts of the story are missing? What are the critics missing? As I worked through some of my own incorrect, harmful religious beliefs, I remember experiencing the scriptures and conference talks completely differently. As I learned about the atonement, the mercy of Christ, my own divine potential, the freedom afforded me by my Heavenly Father, and His coaching methods, I internalized completely different messages. When I look back on my experience with King Benjamin’s sermon as a teenager, I remember fixating on my own nothingness and the need to desperately watch my thoughts, words, and actions so I wouldn’t perish. Now when I read his sermon, I find myself saying things like, “Yes! That’s how I feel! I have tasted of His love, and I want to remember it and follow Him.” There is an aspect of internalization when it comes to the gospel, and that means there is also a subtle layer of personal accountability. I can only imagine how many times my parents and leaders taught me that I was beloved of my Heavenly Father, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I truly internalized it. My parents did teach the good news of the gospel. I was just a depressed teenager that fixated on the negative. King Benjamin warned us that sin hurts us, and he rightfully did so. It’s true, and it needs to be taught so we can be protected. But he also taught so, so, so much more than that. Read his sermon. Pay attention to the language about Christ, joy, and freedom. I cannot blame King Benjamin for teaching me to be a perfectionist because he didn’t teach that. Satan did, and I let him because I didn’t recognize him. Please know that I’m not trying to pass blame around. Maybe we can do better at making sure every child has internalized what it means to a divine Parentage. But maybe there is something else we can teach in addition to this principle that will help our loved ones (and probably ourselves too) take control of what they’re internalizing in terms of the gospel. Recognizing Satan A powerful tool in combating the self-loathing and perfectionism that is often associated with religion is to recognize Satan at work. I believe that one of Satan’s favorite tactics is making the gospel a painful experience. He loves getting into our heads and screaming half truths as we’re trying to learn the doctrine. He’s trying to brush over and numb the parts that teach us who we really are and Who is standing behind us. If he can turn the gospel into a negative thing, the Spirit cannot testify of it. The gospel suddenly seems like the problem because we’re not actually learning the gospel. We’re learning harmful, partial truths, and we feel extremely burdened by it. When we finally shed those harmful, partial truths, it’s no wonder we feel liberated. I find it interesting that King Benjamin teaches us that we need to watch our thoughts as well as our actions. This could easily be processed as an extreme process to strive for perfection as defined by the world. In relation to what we’ve been talking about, I also believe it’s appropriate to observe our thoughts and try to determine the sources they’re coming from. We watch our thoughts. We look at them. Are they coming from the Spirit? Are they coming from Satan? Are they coming from our own perceived notions and habits? Are our thoughts actually reflecting the gospel or some twisted version of it? If we don’t take the time to watch our thoughts, trying our best to align them with true gospel principles, we may find that Satan has led us to believe in a false gospel completely based on perfectionism and an incessant need to “do” all the things while neglecting the heart of the matter. And what did King Benjamin warn would happen if we didn’t watch our thoughts? He warned that we would perish. Living the gospel in the way that Satan wants us to live the gospel is equivalent to perishing. It doesn’t feel like salvation; it feels like hell (which is Satan’s whole point). Satan wants us to perish and be miserable. We cannot experience a fullness of salvation here on earth. Some of the aspects of salvation will only be unlocked on the other side. However, there is a good amount of salvation that we can experience right now. It includes feelings of peace, confidence in your Savior’s ability to heal and save, and a deep sense of worth. If you’re not experiencing these feelings, maybe ask yourself who you’ve been listening to. Go back and read passages of scriptures, and look at them objectively. What is the actual message being shared and what message have you been internalizing? Are we teaching our loved ones to watch their thoughts and own what they’re holding onto within their own minds? It’s a powerful teaching to own your beliefs and thwart Satan. I testify of a Savior who wants to offer salvation now. He never meant for us to carry around the burdens He paid for or the burden of perfectionism. When He teaches us (through King Benjamin) to watch our thoughts or perish, it’s not because He wants to rain down curses on our heads or give us the evil eye for making mistakes; it’s because He knows that Satan wants to subtly destroy us and make us miserable. He’s trying to prevent our unhappiness, not add to our worries. I testify that He loves you. If you don’t know that, I also testify that He is already doing everything He can possibly do to show you that He loves you. There comes a point where you have to make a choice to trust Him. There comes a point when we will need to choose to internalize that doctrine. There is a measure of personal accountability when it comes to whether we place our faith in that principle. I testify that if you place your faith in Him and His love, you will be happy in the most important sense of the word. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 4–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 1–3; Mosiah 4–6 – Mike Parker 39:52

منذ 52 weeks39:52

39:52

King Benjamin’s temple sermon (Mosiah 2–6) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This post will cover the weeks of April 22-28 and April 29-May 5) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom” (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1998). John A. Tvedtnes, “ King Benjamin and the Feast of Tabernacles ,” in By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley , volume 2, eds. John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990), 197–237. Matthew L. Bowen, “ Becoming Sons and Daughters at God’s Right Hand: King Benjamin’s Rhetorical Wordplay on His Own Name ,” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture 21, no. 2 (2012): 2–13. Bowen argues that King Benjamin’s reference to being “found at the right hand of God” in Mosiah 5:9 is a play on his own name, which means “son of the right hand.” Donald W. Parry, “ Service & Temple in King Benjamin’s Speech ,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16, no. 2 (2007): 42–47. Parry, a professor of Hebrew Bible at BYU, explores how King Benjamin’s speech focuses almost entirely on service, repeating four variations of the word— servants , serve , served , and service —fifteen times in only eighteen verses ( Mosiah 2:10–27 ). Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 1–3; Mosiah 4–6 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 1–3 – Autumn Dickson 15:19

منذ 52 weeks15:19

15:19

The Lord Supports Me by Autumn Dickson Maybe this week’s message was meant for me. I definitely needed to hear it. I feel like every time I’ve sat down to write a message, I’ve been hitting my head against a wall. I had all these goals about getting ahead and being on top of things, and though I have attempted to completely set myself up for success, it feels as though I have found nothing but obstacles. Maybe, just maybe, that’s because I would need this message for this very week. I couldn’t get ahead because it wouldn’t have come at the right time. Maybe, just maybe, it’s a message that you need too. An unexpected turn of events I’m pregnant again. At the time of writing this, I’m not very far along. By the time this message comes around, I will be near the middle of my pregnancy. I had a baby five months ago. No, we were not being irresponsible. It came about because of circumstances that were actually outside of our control. I completely recognize that I am so blessed to be able to bear children. I know that there are women out there who would do anything to be in my position. I would not trade my problems for someone else’s. But I have struggled with this news. My babies will be thirteen months apart. I already feel like I’m going from sunup to sundown with no time to pull my head above water. Add in the nausea and depression, and I’m basically a basket case. Every single time I sit down at my computer to try and share something about Christ, I feel like I’m swimming through mists of darkness. I feel like I’m trying to cut through a nebulous darkness to try and receive something to put on paper. And by the time I’ve been able to start writing and working through my process, I’m so drained. I don’t do well when I’m pregnant. I’m not the mom or wife I want to be. Trying to share messages about Christ when I’m agitated, angry, or despairing feels like trying to climb a sheer cliff face. It is in this state of mind that I read this verse: Mosiah 2:30 For even at this time, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you; but the Lord God doth support me, and hath suffered me that I should speak unto you, and hath commanded me that I should declare unto you this day, that my son Mosiah is a king and a ruler over you. I am not here to declare my child as your king and ruler, but I do feel a kinship with King Benjamin in his other sentiments. I have a message to share, and I’m exhausted. Beyond the emotional toll, my body is worn down. I know that I’m not the only one who has felt too weak to accomplish the tasks at hand, to wonder if God has asked too much this time, to wonder if I don’t have what it takes to choose faith for another day. So this message from King Benjamin is for us. The Lord God will support us, and He will help us accomplish what He sent us here to do. He has taught me how we’re going to get through this together by reminding me of a couple of principles that I easily and often forget. Maybe I can share them with you, and maybe you’ll have a better memory than me. A day at a time The first principle is that we’re going to take it a day at a time. There are appropriate times to plan and make ambitious goals and prepare for future crises. And then there are times when you reach crises, and it becomes appropriate to ration. The Lord can help you know what stage you’re at, but as for me and my house, we’re rationing for the next year. Each day, I’m going to wake up, I’m going to devote whatever time I can to accomplish the work He’s given me (both motherhood and blogging), and then I’m just going to wake up and repeat it the next day. I’m going to push aside my fears that are whispering that there is too much work, that I need to sacrifice more, that I’ll never accomplish it. I’m going to trust that He will give me what I need to accomplish what He wants done. And I’ll fail at that. Heaven knows half of my mental effort these days is solely focused on trying to trust Him and forget about tomorrow. However, in the quiet moments when the wind stops and the darkness dissipates just a little, I know that He will magnify what I can give. It may be measly, but it’s not my work anyway. It’s His, and He asked me to do it which means that He’s going to help me do it. I make a pretty poor partner, but He chose me so that’s on Him. He will carry us There are three little phrases I want to pull out of the verse we read earlier. The Lord commanded King Benjamin to speak to the people. King Benjamin’s frame was literally shaking while he was trying to do this. But the Lord was also supporting him through the process, suffering him to fulfill the work he had been given. The Lord could have asked someone else. King Benjamin could have gotten up and said, “My son is your king now,” and turned the time over to Mosiah. Mosiah made a good king too. I’m sure he had been taught well by his father. He was young, but the Spirit could have just as easily testified of his words to his people as it did for King Benjamin’s words. So why King Benjamin? We don’t know. Which is probably an unsatisfying answer, but it’s also the truth. Maybe the Lord needed a little extra sacrifice to consecrate the speech delivered by King Benjamin for the sake of his people. Maybe King Benjamin needed to feel that unending support, that lesson, again (even though he likely felt it a ton throughout his career as humble and serving king). Maybe Mosiah simply wasn’t ready, or maybe Mosiah needed to see his father supported by the Lord so that he would know the Lord could carry him through his service as king. We just don’t know. So what am I trying to teach here? Because this is all rather unhelpful. I guess what I’m trying to teach is that the Lord has His reasons, and I’ve never known Him to be unwise or cruel. Maybe I don’t know His specific reasons for why an old king needed to overly exert his body after a lifetime of service. However, I do know that the Lord had a very good reason, and I know that King Benjamin wouldn’t regret following Him. I don’t know why I’m having a baby right now. Maybe I won’t know until the next life. I’ll probably have guesses, but it’s very probable that I simply won’t know. But I do know this. I know He is wise. I know He sees way more than I do. I know that He manipulates the details of my life in my favor. I also know this. I know that He is not doing it just to make my life harder. It is a good reason, even if I can’t see it now. I also know that I won’t regret following Him (at least not permanently). I can give you a million reasons why I think this is a bad idea. I have this other work He’s given me, and this makes me vastly more inefficient. I have other children who need a loving mother, and being a loving mother while I’m pregnant and depressed is so hard. Oftentimes, they need far more than I am capable of giving. My cup is often empty when I wake up in the morning. I could accuse Him of making me sacrifice all of these other things, and I could even tell Him no. But I would only be hurting myself. And truth be told, I would probably be hurting my family too. He has His reasons. I don’t know them, but I know Him. I am so blessed to know Him. And because I know Him, I also know this. He has good reasons for what He is doing, and He’s also not going to abandon me. He’s not sacrificing me for some greater good. He didn’t look at King Benjamin and say, “Sorry, but you’re out of luck. It’s either you or all of these other people who need these words.” Everything can be for our benefit. My kids may have a much shorter-tempered mother, but they will also have a mother who knows how to apologize, who knows how the Lord loves her and is cheering her on. They will know how to be compassionate. They will know that the Lord does not abandon His own even if He’s pushing them beyond what they believe are their limits. He has asked me to do something hard, and I love Him for it because I know Him. I may not love my difficult task; luckily that doesn’t seem to be a requirement for celestial glory. But I love how He will carry me through it and bless me and my family for it. If He asked you to do something hard, it’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay for it to feel impossible. It’s okay that you don’t know how you’re going to do it. It’s okay that you’re probably going to fail at it multiple times. Trust Him. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 1–3 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Enos–Words of Mormon – Mike Parker 35:55

منذ 1 year35:55

35:55

Enos’s wrestle with God; Nephite spiritual decline; Mosiah led righteous Nephites to Zarahemla (Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon, Mosiah 1) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading Clifford P. Jones, “ The Prophets Who Wrote the Book of Omni ,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 34 (2020): 221–44. The brief accounts written by Omni, Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki, taken alone, don’t always inspire confidence in their righteousness. Jones argues that, when the specific words used by these men and all relevant context are taken into consideration, it’s reasonable to conclude that each of these authors of the book of Omni was a prophet of God. The people of Zarahemla were the descendants of a group that came from Jerusalem who were led by Mulek, a son of King Zedekiah. ( Omni 1:14–19 ; Mosiah 25:2 ; Helaman 8:21 ) There is no outside historical record of Zedekiah of Judah having a son named Mulek, and the Old Testament record claims that Zedekiah’s sons were killed by the Babylonians in front of him. ( 2 Kings 25:7 ; Jeremiah 39:6 ; 52:10 ). However, an ancient Judean stamp seal has been identified as bearing the Hebrew form of the name Malkiyahu, son of the king , which may refer to the Mulek of the Book of Mormon. See Jeffrey R. Chadwick, “ Has the Seal of Mulek Been Found? ”, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, no. 2 (2003): 72–83. For more information on how the small plates of Nephi became the replacement for the lost 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon, see the notes and slideshow for Doctrine and Covenants lesson 3 . Mosiah chapter 1 is identified as “Chapter Ⅲ” in the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon. This evidence indicates that these two missing chapters from the book of Mosiah were part of the 116 manuscript pages lost by Martin Harris. Royal Skousen, editor of the Book of Mormon Critical Text project, discusses this with Michael De Groote in “ Scholar’s Corner: The stolen chapters of Mosiah ,” Deseret News (24 June 2010). The Words of Mormon describes Mormon₂ finding the small plates of Nephi and placing them with his own record (the plates of Mormon). This diagram from Book of Mormon Central helps to visualize the source materials that went into compiling the final printed edition of the Book of Mormon. Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Enos–Words of Mormon – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR .…

Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Enos–Words of Mormon – Autumn Dickson 24:29

منذ 1 year24:29

24:29

Enos is Changed by Prayer by Autumn Dickson When I was younger, I remember reading the exchange between Enos and the Lord and finding some of the comments kinda interesting. Enos prays for forgiveness and for his people, and it’s beautiful, but the prayer doesn’t end there. As part of his exchange with the Lord, Enos also prays for this: Enos 1:13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation Enos prays very specifically that if the Nephites fall into transgression, He wants the Lord to preserve the Nephite records and bring them forth unto the Lamanites. The Lord answers with, “I will do this at the right time,” and so Enos is like, “Cool. Great. Thanks.” Then the Lord adds on, “Actually, I already told your dad I was going to do this.” In some ways, this all could seem a bit odd. Let’s talk about Enos’ prayer in general and then cycle back around to this specific verse in the context of the whole prayer. Following Enos’ process I think it’s important to note that Enos prayed all day and night. What does this mean? It means that we have an extremely tiny portion of the conversation he actually had with the Lord. He didn’t record the entire prayer. This makes sense because it was apparently really difficult to engraven things upon the plates. So what do we learn from the portion that Enos engraved upon the plates? What do we learn from the fact that not all of it is there? One of the reasons I love this chapter so much is because I write my prayers down too. My process for writing these prayers has given me potential insight into Enos and his prayer. At least once a day, I write my prayer. Usually my process entails opening up a note on the computer and typing everything. It helps me focus at a time in my life where interruptions are frequent. The next day, I erase the whole thing and type a new prayer. Otherwise, my computer would fill up fast. However, if I feel guided by the Lord to pray for something specific that I haven’t prayed before, then I move over to my journal and record it in my journal instead. I keep the significant parts in a place where they’re more permanent. There have been times where I’ve been telling Him what I’m grateful for, and He will open my eyes to a very significant way that He stepped in and coordinated something perfectly for my family. I want to remember those moments so I record them in my journal where they can be kept. There have been times where I’ve been praying for something we need, and I feel guided to pray about something specific that seems to hint at what may be coming for my family. I likewise record that in my journal where I can refer back to it. Enos prayed all day, and then he went and recorded the most significant parts. By observing Enos’ prayer, both the recorded AND unrecorded portions, we can explore what prayer was always meant to look like. Most of us have had lessons on prayer and its true purposes: change, conversion, communion. We all know that prayer is supposed to be a process in which our visions are lifted higher and we change ourselves accordingly. And yet, despite this, we still persist in praying like our Father is a vending machine. Sometimes there isn’t much connection between what we’re putting in and what we’re receiving. Prayer was always meant to be more of a phone call, a communion, where we’re hearing Him and talking and discussing so we can better understand the realities around us and change accordingly. Enos changed during his prayer. We can see it happen. Let’s point out pivotal moments that can help us watch what prayer is really supposed to look like. Two influences As we go through Enos’ prayer, I want to be focusing on the change that’s occurring in Enos. We’ll point out the actual changes that are recorded, and then we’ll delve a little deeper and try to observe some of the influences that led towards that change. Though there are likely many influences that change us while we pray, there are two that I observed regularly through Enos’ prayer as well as my own. The first influence is a given: namely, the direct revelation you’re receiving from Heavenly Father. As you hear from Him, it’s kinda easy to see why it would change you. The second influence is more subtle: it’s when Enos brings in knowledge that he has already received about his Heavenly Father. We’ll point out direct examples of this and why it’s significant. So let’s just look at Enos’ prayer in order and specifically observe the changes he undergoes as these two influences play upon him. In the first part of the prayer, Enos prays for forgiveness and receives it. This is the first time we can easily see Enos change. When he is forgiven, Enos responds with the fact that he knows that God cannot lie. Because of his communication with heaven as well as reflecting on what he already knew about God (specifically God’s unblemished honesty), Enos is changed. More specifically, his guilt is swept away and that is a mighty change. Next, Enos prays for his brethren the Nephites. He describes his prayer as a pouring out of his soul and a struggling in the spirit. That seems like a lot to skip over. What are we potentially missing in all of this pouring and struggling? We can’t know for sure because he didn’t include it; I fully acknowledge that this is all conjecture. However, it still teaches the principle so I’m going to share my conjecture anyway. Enos was praying for the Nephites to be saved. They were his posterity. They were his brethren. They were close to his heart. They were his children and grandchildren. He prayed for their hearts and righteousness. He wanted them to find the Lord and stay with Him, and that’s probably what he was praying about; that was the struggling and pouring. Maybe he didn’t record every detail about it, but he did record what he received from the Lord. The Lord answered him by essentially saying that He would bless the Nephites to possess the land as long as they were righteous. We find two changes that come over Enos after this portion of prayer is over. The first change is that his faith began to be unshaken. This is interesting to me because the Lord’s answer seems to imply that the Nephites will eventually succumb to temptation and be swept off the land (Enos actually does recognize this implication of destruction and we’ll talk about that in a second). You would think that the change that overcomes Enos would be depression. He has just been taught that the Lord will only be able to protect his people for so long, and yet, Enos feels his faith grow stronger. How? How did Enos feel his faith grow stronger instead of just making him sad? I cannot tell you the mechanism. I can merely bear witness that this is a thing. I have had enough experiences where the Lord has seemed to imply that bad news was coming, and yet, I was filled with stronger faith and less fear than when I began praying. I remember one instance in particular. I was praying for deliverance from some people who were trying to hurt our family. The Lord stopped me from praying for this, and it was at that moment that I “knew” that these people would “win” to an extent. And yet, that experience stayed with me and strengthened me for years afterwards. Even as things got crazier and crazier, I knew that He knew where we were, that He needed to act according to His plan and allow for agency and judgment. I knew that He would support us and that we could never really lose. What should have been bad news somehow pushed me closer to the Lord. The second way that Enos changes is what he prays for; this actually leads us to the next section of prayer, a portion that I mentioned in the beginning of the post. Enos prays that if the Nephites are destroyed, he wants the Nephite records to go to the posterity of the Lamanites. Enos had felt what the Lord had implied. He wasn’t sure. There didn’t seem to be any sort of vision of the Nephites being destroyed, but the implication of Nephite destruction affected him enough that his prayers altered. Now here is where we see that interplay of the two influences again. Enos changed his prayer according to what he received from the Lord, namely the implication that the Lord would not always be able to protect the Nephites. But what about the second influence? The knowledge he had previously received? Once again, this is all conjecture, and I know that. But it can still teach us righteous principles. In the beginning of the chapter, we learn that Enos was taught in the language of his father. This could mean a couple of things, but some historians believe that Enos was saying that his father taught him how to write. This makes a lot of sense considering the fact that Jacob left the records to Enos. This would also likely imply that Jacob taught Enos the deep importance of the records. He taught Enos how important it was to record something on the plates so that the records would last a very long time. Here is the previous knowledge at play. Enos didn’t just pray that if the Nephites were destroyed, the Lamanites would eventually find the gospel. No. Enos specifically prayed that The Book of Mormon would be brought forth to the Lamanites. I could be totally crazy, but I feel like there was a moment where Enos’ eyes were opened. There must have been a moment where he was like, “Oh. That’s why we’re doing this. That’s why I need to write on these difficult plates. It’s not for the Nephites. Maybe it’s for the Lamanites.” In verse 15, Enos acknowledges that the Lord can preserve the Nephite records (there is that previous knowledge coming again). He was also alerted to the idea that the Nephites might not be around forever; it changed what he prayed for. What prayer should look like We can’t pray every day all day like Enos did in this particular instance, at least not in this manner. And the revelation we receive will not always look like this either. I’ve had many prayers where I have reached out looking for something with all of the elements we’ve talked about, but the Lord has remained silent for His own purposes. It’s not because we’re doing anything wrong; The Lord has His reasons so trust Him. Oh, but the times when we have these kinds of experiences are so powerful. The times when I’ve been praying and felt guided to pray for something new or my eyes have been opened to something I didn’t see before, when everything clicks into place and I see that He is controlling all the details so perfectly, it has changed me. Interestingly enough, in some cases, I believe that the Lord would have still manipulated all of those details to make things come together. And yet, because I was praying about it, I was able to see His hand before it happened, and it changed me. I would not have changed nearly as much if I hadn’t been praying about it. The Lord would have brought forth The Book of Mormon without Enos’ prayer, but Enos was changed because he was praying about it. Do not get discouraged if you feel like your prayers don’t look like Enos’ every time you pray. Go back to the purpose of prayer: change, conversion, communion. The most intense, eye-opening experiences that I have often occur in the middle of the day during nap time when I have a few less interruptions. They don’t happen every day, or every week, or even every month. But if they’re going to happen, this is usually when they happen because this is when I’m capable of investing the spiritual energy that requires some of those big answers, and Heavenly Father knows this is when He is going to be able to reach me. At night, my prayers are much smaller, but no less important. I have received a personal witness from my Heavenly Father that He doesn’t begrudge me my weak, tired, mortal body that has been looking after kids all day. He understands. So my prayers look a lot less like spiritual strugglings and much more like an acknowledgment of our relationship, some gratitude, and a mental goodnight hug. And even though these are far more simple prayers, they still change me. They still make me feel close to a Father who loves me. If you’re worried about your prayers, reflect on the purpose of prayer. What is going to make you feel close to God as your Father so you can feel changed? What has He already taught you about Himself that you can acknowledge? There are a great many beautiful ways to pray. Enos gave us a really fantastic, drawn out version that can help us study, but his prayer is not the only right way to pray. There are so many good ways to change which would imply the fact that there are so many good ways to pray. I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who has enabled me to speak to Him whenever I need. I’m grateful that He has described Himself as a Father so that I can understand my relationship with Him, so I can understand how He expects to be approached. I’m grateful for a Savior who paid the price so I could have a communion with Him every day. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Enos–Words of Mormon – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR .…

مرحبًا بك في مشغل أف ام!

يقوم برنامج مشغل أف أم بمسح الويب للحصول على بودكاست عالية الجودة لتستمتع بها الآن. إنه أفضل تطبيق بودكاست ويعمل على أجهزة اندرويد والأيفون والويب. قم بالتسجيل لمزامنة الاشتراكات عبر الأجهزة.