First, a note on the edition of the book Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith used in this blog. Back in 1993, I bought an edition of the book titled Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith which took Joseph Fielding Smith’s original version and cross-referenced and footnoted it to the scriptures. This work was done by Richard Galbraith. However, the inclusion of footnotes changed the numbering of the book from the original, which makes things particularly difficult for you the reader of this blog, because all of my cites are to the edition that I own. To help you, I will copy the material into this blog when it is used as the required reading but if it is an additional scripture cited in a “see also”, you’ll be on your own (as in the cite for TPJS 287:2-3 in the second to last question below). Used versions of this book are available pretty cheaply via Amazon, if you want to own your own. Also, when I site material from the book, you’ll see two numbers. The first is the page number and the second is the paragraph number on the page – so TPJS 205:2 means to look on page 205, at the second paragraph from the top.
One final note is that LoF stands for Lectures on Faith, another book I would strongly recommend!
The Throne Theophany
READ 1 Nephi 1:4-5
Where did all of these prophets come from and what was their message?
Was Lehi one of these prophets initially?
What was Lehi praying for?
READ 1 Nephi 1:6-7
Why does Lehi receive the vision he received?
What is the pillar of fire that Lehi sees?
What is implied that Lehi “saw and heard much” from the pillar of fire?
How do we know that this messenger was “true”?
Can Satan come as an angel of light to deceive you?
How does one tell the difference between God and Satan?
What is the significance of the pillar of fire dwelling on a rock?
What is the effect of spiritual experiences from God on the physical body?
READ 1 Nephi 1:8-10
What does Lehi see in Heaven?
What are the words of the song the angels were singing in the ceremony?
Who ministers to Lehi in this vision?
What must Lehi have, to see the face of God and live?
READ TPJS 205:2
“Answer to the question, Was the Priesthood of Melchizedek taken away when Moses died? All Priesthood is Melchizedek,4 but there are different portions or degrees of it. That portion which brought Moses to speak with God face to face was taken away;5 but that which brought the ministry of angels1 remained. All the prophets had the Melchizedek Priesthood and were ordained by God himself.”2
How does one get this priesthood?
What does this imply about what Lehi received from the experience with the Pillar of Fire on the rock?
Read 1 Nephi 1:11-15
What does Christ share with Lehi in His second ministration?
What does this vision confirm to us about Christ and His apostles?
What does this vision task Lehi with doing?
READ 1 Nephi 1:18-20
How do the Jews react to Lehi’s preaching?
The Exodus of Lehi
READ 1 Nephi 2:1-4
What does Lehi do when the Jews try to kill him?
Why does Lehi not take his “precious things”?
READ 1 Nephi 2:11-14
What are Laman’s issues with Lehi?
Why do Laman and Lemuel feel the same way the Jews do about Lehi?
How did Lehi convince them that he was not crazy but had experienced spiritual manifestations?
READ 1 Nephi 2:16
Did Nephi share the family’s doubts about Lehi’s visions?
Why did Nephi not rebel against his father like his brothers had done?
What did this first “visit” from the Lord consist of?
READ 1 Nephi 2:17-24
How does Nephi “act” on his “belief”?
What would have happened if Nephi had not acted on his new found belief?
If Nephi’s first trial of faith is his doubt in the face of his father’s claims; what is his second triall of faith?
How does Nephi react to this second trial?
How does the Lord reward Nephi for passing this second test?
Why was Nephi prepared to receive God’s voice, or even be open to having his heart softened in the first place?
Does Nephi have his prayer answered?
The Brass Plates
READ 1 Nephi 3:1-5
Why did Laman and Lemuel murmur at the request to go back to Jerusalem to get the plates?
Why does God use dreams to communicate with mankind?
Why does the Lord require them to go back to retrieve the scriptures – as Lehi has already stood in the presence of God and can dictate his own scripture?
READ 1 Nephi 3:6-7
Having just spoken to Nephi, what is the Lord doing now?
How does Nephi react to the request?
What is the difference between having faith that God will not require anything of you that He will not help you accomplish vs. believing that God will not ask anything of you that you cannot do?
What does it mean that the Lord won’t give you a commandment that you can’t keep and what is implied?
READ 1 Nephi 3:9-13
Why did they cast lots to see who would go to see Laban?
Why did it not work according to plan?
READ 1 Nephi 3:14-16
How does Nephi react to this setback?
What does the vow “as the Lord liveth” mean?
READ 1 Nephi 3:25
What happened when Laban saw all of Lehi’s wealth?
READ 1 Nephi 3:28-30
Has God been with them throughout their task?
Why did He not make Himself known before this?
Why did the Lord send His angel at this moment?
READ 1 Nephi 3:31-4:1
Why does the appearance of an angel from God produce no faith in Laman and Lemuel?
READ 1 Nephi 4:5-6
How does Nephi see things at this point?
STORY: “You watch, late at night, as a well-dressed man stumbles out of a seedy bar late at night. You watch as he wobbles his way into the alleyway to the side of the bar, lurch against the wall, and collapse in an apparent stupor. You hear snoring. A short while later, you watch as a muscular youth comes up through the alleyway to the passed-out drunk. You watch as the youth draws a pearl-handled, silver revolver from the drunkard’s waistband. You see him hold it up to the moon’s light, and draw a finger over the handle. After about 30 seconds, you watch in horror as the youth puts the gun to the drunkard’s head, and pulls the trigger, blowing his brains out onto the pavement.”
Did you witness a murder?
How would you know?
READ 1 Nephi 4:5-18
Why does Nephi struggle with the prompting he receives to kill Laban?
Why is Laban’s death just?
What is virtue?
What is righteousness?
Does God ever command something that is not virtuous?
What does that imply about a person who is virtuous above all else?
What does that imply about a person who is righteous above all else?
Why was it important that Nephi and not Laman obtained possession of the Brass Plates?
