A New Name
READ Mosiah 1:3, 5
What are the mysteries of God that are contained in the scriptures and how are they “mysteries” if anyone can read them?
· Who God is – an exalted man
· Who we are – God’s spirit children
· Our potential – we can become as He is
· How we can fulfill our potential – we must grow from grace to grace, from eternity to eternity
· What we must do now – rend the veil and be redeemed from the fall, receive the Second Comforter and calling & election – then endure to the end in hope.
· However, the scriptures just give us a clue as to what the mysteries are – God must reveal the specifics to us personally for us to be able to act on them (see Jacob 4:8; Alma 12:9; LoF 6:2-5)
· While many mysteries are “hidden in plain sight” sometimes the language used is somewhat veiled or hermetic
· They are still “mysteries” because the great majority of people who read the scriptures don’t believe that they are really true or at least possible for them to also experience, and that unbelief prevents them from acting in faith in seeking them out; which means that the vast majority never experience these things and as Joseph Smith said, if he hadn’t experienced them himself, he wouldn’t have believed it – you have to experience them to really “know” them; so there is a paradox – you can’t know the mysteries unless you experience them but you won’t seek to experience them unless you have sufficient faith which comes primarily through interactions with God – so the bottom line is that you have to begin by choosing to believe in the face of a lot of plausible reasons not to – then the “proofs” will come.
READ Mosiah 1:11-12
What kind of a name can King Benjamin give his people?
· Unless he has the sealing power that comes with the Priesthood After the Order of the Son of God, Benjamin does not have the power to give the people a name that cannot be blotted out – perhaps he has that sealing power?
· But he could enable them to receive that name by preaching the truth to them with the tongue of angels such that they cannot deny it – and if they will not deny it but seek to comprehend it and accept it, then God may give them each individually a name that cannot be blotted out
READ Mosiah 2:3
What makes a prophet “holy”?
· When the Lord sends someone with a message, they are by definition “holy” because they bear the message of God – they are derivatively holy (see Acts 9:15)
· It does not mean that they are better than other men because everyone sins but the content of what God has given them makes them “holy” before God – if they do what He wants with that content, which is usually to share it with others despite what those others might think of it (and by association, what they might think of the “holy” person)
READ Mosiah 2:9
What does it mean to “trifle” and why is Benjamin not “trifling” with his people, or you and me? (see TPJS 391:2)
· Trifle = To indulge in light amusements – this talk is not entertainment
· He is not trifling with his people or us because what he is about to tell us has eternal consequences for us – if we do not take upon ourselves the “name” he wants us to have, we will be damned… is that non-trifling enough? (see TPJS 391:2)
How are the mysteries of God communicated?
· From God via a true messenger (in this case a mortal messenger); or directly from God to the individual…
· To those who have opened their ears to hear and hearts/minds to understand
· With the assistance of the Holy Spirit, which will “unfold” what you hear, so that you can “view” or see it fully or expansively, as mortal language doesn’t begin to fully explain the concepts.
Principles of Celestial Kingship
READ Mosiah 2:10-15
What are the principles of civic and spiritual leadership that Benjamin has lived by that cause him to have a clear conscience before God?
· Even though he was selected by the people to be the king, he acknowledges that God “suffered” or allowed him to be King
· He acknowledges that God called him to be a teacher to serve and enable the people in righteousness, perhaps because of the ability he would have to do these things on account of his role as King
· He acknowledges how God has preserved his life and given him strength with the express purpose of enabling him to serve the people in his primary role as King
· He has not sought or required money – whether it be tribute, taxes, tithing, or crown-owned lands, industries or investments
· He worked with his own hands for his living – notice he did not charge money for preaching (no priestcraft) but did manual labor
· He has adopted a very libertarian government policy toward law enforcement – no jails, no indentured servitude or slavery for debt repayment, etc.
· But he has not “suffered” that they should commit any manner of wickedness – murder, robbery, adultery, etc.
How did Benjamin not suffer that the people should commit any manner of wickedness without dungeons to throw people in who committed these things?
· He taught the people to keep the commandments of the Lord – in all things that He (the Lord, not Benjamin) hath commanded them (see Alma 31:5)
· He did not make God’s commandments his commandments – with the requisite law enforcement needed for offenders
· He taught with power and let the Holy Spirit work on the people from the inside – we know this because they would not all be ready to receive the birth of the Spirit (chapter 4) unless the Spirit had been working with each of them internally to prepare them for this moment
READ Mosiah 2:16-19
Why do we reverence (i.e. worship) earthly kings, presidents, prophets, priests, gurus, and celebrities so much?
· Gentiles, in particular, want a “benefactor” to rule over them – they do not seem to want to take complete responsibility for their agency but want someone to curtail it and, by so doing, become accountable for their behavior (see Luke 22:24-27; Mosiah 29:33-38) – they want an “authority” with credentials of some kind
· Pride – if a king, president, prophet or celebrity is better than us, then that proves that we are not all one and that some people are better than others and that we, in turn, may also be better than some we interact with around us! “Better” is defined in the world’s way, however.
What form of Kingship did Benjamin practice?
· Celestial kingship
· In heaven, the king is the servant, not the master – the King serves (see John 13:1-16; 1 Nephi 11:26-33; Alma 7:10-13; Luke 22:24-27)
· It is the king who condescends below everyone else (see D&C 122:8; D&C 19:15-19)
· The King is the suffering servant (see Isaiah 53) because it is only He, in His greatness, that can save His people, which He does by sacrificing Himself (see Alma 34:8-16) – he is the “Corn King” from ancient legend
· In the economy of heaven, He who is the greatest is the greatest precisely because He serves and sacrifices the most (see Matthew 23:11-12)
What does it mean to be in the “service of your fellow beings”?
· To relieve the suffering of others – address their temporal needs, whether they be physical, emotional, social
· To point the way toward their ultimate happiness and serve them (as opposed to “lead” them) that they might hear a testimony spoken with the tongues of angels to believe and have an authentic or accurate example to follow (i.e. one that leads back to Christ because the one who serves has walked the path and it is genuine) – there is no compulsion only ministration involved in this work
· And in doing these things, help to bring to pass their immortality and eternal life – which is the greatest service you could give them
How are we “only” in the service of our God when we are in the service of our fellow beings?
· “When saw we thee hungered…” – when we serve others we are really serving God in that we are doing His work or the work that He would do if He were in our exact situation in that moment (see Matthew 25:37-40)
· It is only through service that men come to understand charity, and then become charitable. Those who serve the most gain the greatest understanding or light, and the work and glory of God is accomplished as they become precisely like their Lord and receive immortality and eternal life through their sacrifice for others (see Moses 1:39)
Divine Indebtedness
READ Mosiah 2:20-25
What is a profitable servant (employee)?
· One that produces more value than he/she consumes
What does it mean that God has created, kept and preserved us from moment to moment?
· Without God we would not stay created or organized in this mortal body but would dissolve into the original, pre-creation primordial constituent parts (the same goes for the whole world and universe)
· He is the light which both provides life and quickens our understanding (see D&C 88:11-13) – without Him we have neither
· God is at the center of all creation – he sustains all of it through his power or light – the concentric circles proceed from His throne in all directions; this is the Holy Spirit or Light of Christ (not to be confused with the Holy Ghost, a personage of spirit) and the relationship between the Holy Spirit and every living thing, whether it be a planet & its ecosystem, plant, animal or human is direct, immediate and continual – it is all sustained in its creation by borrowing power from the Holy Spirit; this is the means by which the Holy Ghost, which resides inside of you, receives intelligence from Christ and is “quickened”
· There is little about us that is really ours – we live and move and do according to our will completely at the grace of God
What is expected of us?
· To serve Him with your whole soul by keeping His commandments
· To thank Him with your whole soul
· To praise Him with your whole soul
Why would we be unprofitable even if we were to do all that God has commanded us?
· He “pays” us immediately with light/grace as soon as we behave in line with His commandments - in line with eternal law (see D&C 130:20-21)
· We are never able to get out of the debt we are in to God (because he continues to “pay” us) and He can never incur a debt to us (because we already owe Him more than we can ever repay)
· Each time we are obedient it counts as one “transaction” and God “pays” us for each of these transactions; so we have still never “paid” for our initial creation with His materials (which we are being lent) or on-going preservation from moment to moment that He provides us, not to mention our “preservation” in the eternities – those things never get “paid back” as they are blessings given by His grace, i.e. they are undeserved; and we couldn’t “afford” them anyway as we don’t have those kinds of resources or power available to us (we have not “attained to the resurrection” so we do not have life in and of ourselves) – it is “without money or price” to us because of this (see Isaiah 55:1) –– and that doesn’t even count the mercy given in the face of just punishment for our sins and grace in the face of our failures to “earn” blessings and light
· Perhaps the only way to pay it back is to “pay it forward” in another eternity if we ever find ourselves in possession of materials and grace that could further the progression of others – thereby supporting God’s ultimate work and glory?
Were we really created of the dust of the earth and what does that mean?
· Yes, and no
· Man is spirit or intelligence or the light of truth and cannot be created or made but was in the beginning with God (see D&C 93:29; D&C 131:7-8; TPJS 396:2-397:1; TPJS 397:4-398:1)
· But God (remember the image of God is male and female) placed that intelligence in a situation (organized it) where it could act for itself – otherwise it would not exist as a thing or being to act, but “merely” light to be acted upon (see D&C 93:30-31)
· Then, to assist us in our progression, God created our physical bodies with element from this sphere which was His creation and belongs to Him (see Genesis 2:7; D&C 93:35; Abraham 5:7) that we might be “living souls” and ultimately receive a fullness of joy when that spirit and element are inseparably connected (see D&C 93:33)
· It means that we are again forever indebted to God because, while He did not create our core intelligence, He did organize or conceive us with agency to act, clothed us with His elements, and redeemed us through His sacrifice that we might receive a fullness of joy by ultimately becoming ourselves as He is
Why can’t we say that we are “as much as the dust of the earth”?
· Because the dust or elements of the earth obey their creator (see Helaman 12:8-17)
· But mankind will not obey their God and creator, although they have the agency to do so if they will (see Helaman 12:6-7)
READ Mosiah 2:26-28
Why is a king, president, priest, prophet or celebrity no better than anyone else?
· Because he/she is also “made of the dust of the earth”
· They are just as indebted to God as we are
· Unless they were very careful in their stewardship, their responsibilities to lead (whether directly through authority or indirectly through popularity or opinion leading/culture shaping) can very easily turn to their damnation if they used compulsion in any way or gratified their pride or lead the people to do wickedly (see D&C 121:37-39; Alma 39:11-13; Mosiah 12:29)
Why is Benjamin teaching his people these things now?
· He has a responsibility (read “commandment of God”); since he has received this knowledge from God, he is obligated, by God, to teach it to others so that they might follow it and be saved like Benjamin has been
· He has a responsibility to testify of the truth of the Way that he is laying out – because he has walked the Way and it leads to God
· He loves his people and wants them to experience these things anyway – he’s been working to prepare them to receive a “new name” for quite a while
Mosiah 2:32-39
What does it mean to “list to obey the evil spirit”?
· List means to “enroll, to register, to enlist, to hearken, to attend” (1828 Webster’s Dictionary)
· It is not to be passively enticed and trapped by the evil one but to choose to follow
· Choosing to follow the evil spirit does not necessarily mean declaring oneself to be a Satanist, but anything that is not in alignment with the Eternal Law which gives light, truth, intelligence and glory is “evil” and dark and equates to following an evil spirit
· Choosing to follow or engage in Babylon (western culture) is “listing to obey the evil spirit”
What is the “wo” that is pronounced here and why is it not a three-fold “wo” despite it being an “everlasting punishment”?
· If you list to obey the evil spirit (implied is that you have gone contrary to your own knowledge of truth) and do not repent in the flesh, you will be damned
· You will fail to progress out of this telestial sphere – you will not have that light or intelligence which will be to your advantage in the world to come (D&C 130:18-21)
· You will receive as your just “wages” everlasting punishment which is God’s punishment (see D&C 19:10-20) not damnation for all eternities (notice the plural here)
· It is not a three-fold wo, meaning that you may have another chance in some future eternity to progress
What does it mean to render to God all that you have and are?
· All that we have and are were given to us by God – our physical bodies, this probation in which to attempt to progress, and our spirit bodies with which we were given our agency and “existence” as beings to act and not be acted upon
· The only thing we have which is really ours to give anyway is our will – our “whole souls”; it is only our wills and love that we can render (“pay back” or “give”) to God in token of thanks for these great blessings that we are indebted to Him for, as the rest is His anyway
· It does not say to render to the Church all that you have and are, but to God only; rendering this most sacred of gifts (our will) to anyone or anything else is an abomination to God and puts other Gods before Him in our hearts
When we say that the “spirit departs”, is that true?
· We withdraw ourselves from the Spirit
· By going contrary to the Eternal Law through which we will be filled with light (see D&C 130:18-21) by transgression (see Alma 12:10-11)
· We grieve the Spirit and withdraw from it and as God cannot dwell in unholy temples (or they will be destroyed by His glory as they can’t abide it), He will not take up His abode with us lest we shrink from His presence in our guilt, pain and anguish, except at the judgement
What happens to the man who dies an enemy to God?
· And at the day of judgement he will be in a bit of a quandary – on the one side he will shrink from God’s presence (see Mormon 9:3-5) but on the other, his disappointment in himself will be as a flame of fire and lake of brimstone in its bitterness (see TPJS 401:1)
· This begs the question about what an “enemy to God” is, as coming out in “open” rebellion against God seems different from being a “blinded” natural man…but he seems to equate them to be the same; he is describing the state of those who have “fallen into transgression” - which does not seem to be the same as denying the Second Comforter – perhaps the latter would get a “three-fold wo” condemnation, which is the definition of outer darkness?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God the Father
Mosiah 3:2-4
Why does the angel tell Benjamin to “awake” twice?
· The first “awake” is to wake him from sleep
· The second “awake” is not redundant but is to “awake” to the message of the angel
· In order to awaken to the second, Benjamin needed to hear the words which the angel would tell him or allow the message from God to enter his heart
How did Benjamin merit this visit from the angel?
· His prayers to the Lord (for his people) over time
· His righteousness in following the Lord’s commandments over time
· Implied is offering his whole soul in sacrifice and enduring or abiding in covenant with Christ over time
· But ultimately it was the Lord’s will to send a messenger to Benjamin; we think of “merit” and we equate it with righteousness, but remember Laman and Lemuel saw an angel but didn’t “merit” it (and there were many other ways that the Lord could have protected Nephi from them short of sending an angel); “merit” may be shorthand for “the Lord’s will”?
What are THE glad tidings of great joy?
· The Lord has determined that your righteousness is acceptable before Him
· You will therefore be redeemed by the Lord by His parting of the veil and bringing you into the company of the redeemed (see Ether 3:13; D&C 76:67)
· All made possible through the condescension, sacrifice and grace of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ
What was Benjamin supposed to do with this message?
· He is to declare the angel’s message unto his people that they might also rejoice (see Jeremiah 23:28)
· That they may also “come to the tree and partake” of that fruit which is desirable to make one happy (see 1 Nephi 8:10-12)
READ Mosiah 3:5-6
Who is this “Christ” who will condescend to come down from heaven and live in a “tabernacle of clay”?
· The Lord Omnipotent
· Who reigns in heaven
· Who is (has the power to exist) from all eternity to all eternity (see TPJS 396:2-397:3)
Was Christ a “son of God who exalted Himself to be God before He was born”?
· Yes (see TPJS 423:2)
· He did not come here for His advancement toward exaltation – He had already achieved that before the foundation of this world; having said that He had not yet “attained to the resurrection of the dead” Himself, which He needed to do for us but also for Himself if He was to accomplish all that His Father had before Him
· He descended into a “tabernacle of clay” to serve and save us, so that we could have the opportunity to gain what He already has
· He is one of the noble and great who are here to prove us, not to be proven themselves (see Abraham 3:22-25)
Did Christ need power given to Him in mortality or did He bring it with Him?
· He brought it with Him (see D&C 130:18-21)
· He worked many mighty miracles including healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk and blind to see, casting out devils, etc.
· The “omnipotence” of the Lord was not diminished by the tabernacle of clay; but again, having said that, He seemed to have more power and knowledge as a resurrected personage then a mortal man, so maybe this statement is not completely true
Did Christ experience a veil of forgetfulness and the frailties of the flesh?
· Yes (see Alma 7:12-13;
· He had to move from grace to grace on earth as He had to previously to attain His exaltation (see D&C 93:11-17)
· He needed to study, search, pray, meditate, submit – walk again the same path we must walk – but He experienced a significantly greater relative “gravity” due to the principle of opposition in all things
Where were the evil spirits located that Christ cast out?
· In the hearts of the children of men
· The center of our feelings and desires is where we permit evil to dwell – our heart dwells on lust, ambition, anger, etc.
· Christ’s victory goes directly to our hearts
READ Mosiah 3:7
What did Christ suffer?
· Temptations (see also Isaiah 53:4-5)
· Pain and suffering (see also Alma 7:11)
· Although Christ was not personally responsible for any transgression of the Eternal Law, He was made accountable for all – He was made “to be sin” for us (see 2 Corinthians 5:21) before God
Why did He suffer the pains of our sicknesses, disappointments, infirmities and afflictions?
· So that He could rise again with healing in His wings – to be able to know how to succor us in our time of need (see Alma 7:12; 2 Nephi 25:13; Malachi 4:2)
READ Mormon 9:3-5 and D&C 19:15-18
What is it like to stand before God under a consciousness of guilt and was this Christ’s ordeal in Gethsemane?
· It will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you (see also Isaiah 6:5)
· Because God is a just and holy being in whom there is no darkness while we are nothing like that in our sins
· It is a suffering so exquisite that it caused Christ (God) to tremble because of pain and want to shrink away from God the Father in horror at His condition
· But we must suffer this same experience if we do not repent and come unto Christ (v16)
· Christ knelt in the Father’s presence, condemned of all our sins, and suffered these things that we might not have to (see Luke 22:43);
· Note, how could Christ have “tread the winepress alone if there had been an “angel” there to “strengthen” Him? (see Isaiah 63:3-5). The personage who appeared to Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane was likely the Father – and the nature of the atonement was Christ coming into the presence of a “just and holy being” while condemned of the sins of the world
If He suffered these things so that we do not have to, why are some people also called to go through terrible suffering (see D&C 121:3-4)?
· As bad as our suffering might seem to us, it is nothing compared to what He suffered (see D&C 122:8)
· We will receive blessings way out of proportion to the afflictions we’ve suffered (see D&C 121:8)
· He knows our limits and gives us only what we can handle (see 1 Corinthians 10:13)
· He is the prototype of the saved being and our example – we must be precisely as He is or we cannot be saved – enduring suffering with love for God intact, particularly interceding and suffering on behalf of others, is what who God is – it is what God’s do (see LoF 7:9, 15)
READ Mosiah 3:8
What does the name “Jesus Christ” mean?
· Jesus = Joshua or Yesheva = to deliver or rescue
· Christ = the Messiah or Anointed One – Christ came designated and foretold with the calling of redeeming mankind as God’s chosen sacrifice
· So the name Jesus Christ means “one who was chosen by God to come to the rescue”
What does it mean that Jesus was the “Son of God”?
· He was the literal “only begotten son of God” in the flesh (see John 1:14; 1 Nephi 11:18-21)
· He had become a “Son of God” or had received His exaltation before the foundation of this world (see D&C 93:12-17)
How can Christ be the “Father of heaven and earth, the creator of all things from the beginning”?
· He is a God
· All of the elements of this creation are His – as He redeemed them all, so has won the title of being their “father”
· Christ is the creator of all things – heaven and earth and all things that in them are – from the beginning of this eternity or before the foundation of this world
· Christ Himself moved from grace to grace before the foundation of this world or before this eternity, becoming a Son of God through His righteousness (see D&C 93:2-17; Alma 13:3-9; Abraham 3:22-25; TPJS 391:2)
Why did the “Father of heaven and earth” choose to be born to a poor, non-priestly family living in backwoods Galilee?
· So we would have to judge Him on His words and works, not on His worldly credentials, religious authority or material success (see Isaiah 53:2)
· He used it to conceal His presence and shield His mission from obvious view – only those with eyes to see would recognize Him as Jehovah
READ Mosiah 3:9
What does it mean that Christ “cometh unto His own, that salvation might come unto the children of men”?
· He cometh unto His own (exaltation and self-existence by attaining to the resurrection) that (or as a result of which) salvation may come to the children of men (who come unto Him…)
· He cometh unto His own (people – in the flesh) that salvation may come to the children of men (making each of them who He personally ministers to His redeemed and exalted Sons and Daughters or children of God)
· He cometh unto His own (people – the House of Israel) that salvation may come to the children of men (including all those who join Israel through adoption via the gospel covenant – see Genesis 49:10)
How will the children of men – more specifically His own people, the House of Israel – receive Him?
· They will largely reject Him
· They will say that His power (omnipotence) is borrowed from the Devil
· They will crucify Him – the death given to a cursed man (see 2 Nephi 10:3; Deut 21:22)
If the House of Israel had so many books of scripture pointing to the coming of Christ, why did they reject Him?
· If Church leadership moved from prophetic connection with God to priestly stewardship of past revelations through rites and scholarship, things were ripe for Satan to use their egos to lead them astray
· Once astray (which requires a blockage in the direct connection to God), established tradition and those who are in power in the organization will fight the truth when it is presented to them – and it will only be presented to them by an “outsider” with a true message from God (either angel or prophet – in this case, God Himself)
· The common people must choose between the two (“authorized” priestly tradition and prophetic truth from an outsider) through faith in Christ and His name (His hard-won titles) – they must recognize the Word and accept it and most will not, for a myriad of reasons
How can priests who offer sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem in similitude of the Son of God attribute Christ’s power to the devil?
· Admitting it comes from God means admitting they are wrong and out of the way – in apostasy; their pride and livelihood will not allow that
· But the power is real and they can’t discount that – so it must be attributed to something and the devil is the only other alternative
· By calling God’s power something of the devil, they confirm whose side they are on and the fact that Satan is their father (see John 8:42-44) – they are calling good “evil” while claiming to have followed the prophets, and will receive their condemnation (see D&C 76:99-105)
· They worship men and the traditions of men and have not received the testimony of Jesus
· We know that Christ’s message is not of this world because the world rejected it – they only love their own
READ Mosiah 3:10
Did Benjamin already know that Christ would rise from the dead on the third day and if so, why did the angel tell him what he already knew?
· He had read this prophesy – it was in the record of Zenos contained in the Brass Plates (see 1 Nephi 19:10-12)
· Zenos prophesied of this 100 years before Lehi left Jerusalem
· He even prophesied of what would happen in the Americas – the “isles of the sea”
· Benjamin believed in the words of Zenos but when the angel told him, that belief turned to faith
· But with this angelic testimony as a witness, Benjamin did not have to believe solely on the words of another man, but he had a second confirmation direct from an angelic messenger – the Book of Mormon shows how the Lord would have us progress from belief in scripture to faith from the words of an angel to knowledge at the hands of Christ Himself – so that we can “know God” and have eternal life
What is implied by Christ “standing” to judge the world?
· He was dead but lives again – He can stand before us
· He will rise up and triumph
· He will command respect and obedience
· He will be in control – the judge
How is Christ able to give the world a “righteous judgement”?
· Because of what He’s been through – having been made guilty of all sin, having triumphed over sin; having been unjustly slain, having triumphed over death
· He will judge righteously because He will have experienced everything that could give Him the required context and knowledge (see D&C 88:41)
READ Mosiah 3:11-13
Who does Christ’s blood atone for and who is thrust down to hell?
· Atones for = those who sinned ignorantly or died without knowing God’s will
· Atones for = those who know God’s will and repent and exercise faith in Christ before they die
· Damns = those who rebel against God by knowing His will but refusing to repent
What makes holy prophets “holy”?
· The message they are commanded to give
· They are still sinners and are no better than other men; they are only derivatively holy (see Acts 9:15)
Have there been prophets of God among all people?
· Yes
· All nations have had some portion of the word of God given to them, although not the fullness, but enough to know the will of God and believe on Christ
What determines how much of God’s message a prophet is able to teach?
· How much heed they will give to the message (see Alma 12:9; D&C 124:28)
What is the purpose of the message?
· For all to have “exceedingly great joy”
How do all have “exceedingly great joy”?
· Through heeding the words of the prophets and in so doing, come to know the Lord themselves; this really starts with repenting with faith
· They can all be sealed up to eternal life and dwell with Christ on earth – He will take up His abode with you which will give you exceedingly great joy (see D&C 104:59; John 14:23; D&C 130:3)
The Natural Man
READ Mosiah 3:14-15
Why did the Lord give Israel the Law of Moses if it didn’t have the power to save them?
· Because they had rejected the Fullness of the Gospel but still wanted “religion”
· The Law of Moses had many types and shadows in its rituals and ceremonies to guide people back to the fullness, if they would see them for what they are – a symbol of what is real but not the “real thing” itself
· If they would abide by the Law of Moses without worshiping it as an end in and of itself (as something with the power to save them – as the fullness of the gospel, in other words), it would help them to obey God’s commandments such that they should exercise enough faith to repent and begin the journey back to Christ (see Galatians 3:24-25)
· The Law of Moses was designed to keep the people busy doing good things so that they didn’t have time to sin – but it wouldn’t be until they had laid their whole souls on the altar that they would lose the disposition to sin, and that is the transition between the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ, as the birth of the Spirit is the Gate by which you enter into the Gospel or higher law
Why did Israel fail with the Law of Moses?
· Idolatry: they did not make it a schoolmaster but an end in and of itself; they did not seek to progress beyond it but thought that its rituals and ceremonies would save them – they preferred symbol to reality – they worshipped the Law and their religion rather than the Lord
· Pride: they thought that because they had the Law of Moses that they were a “chosen” people – forgetting that they should have all been standing in the presence of God on Mount Sinai – being a nation of prophets (see D&C 84:22-26; Numbers 11:29) – they were spiritually poor when they thought they were rich. All the Law did was harden their hearts and make them prideful.
READ Mosiah 3:16-17
Do little children transgress eternal law through their behavior or are they completely aligned with it?
· They transgress it – they make mistakes, errors and offenses to God
· They are subject to the Fall of Adam – so by nature, they are as fallen and lost as we all are
So what is implied about sin by saying that it is impossible for little children to sin?
· “Sin” means being accountable for one’s actions and knowingly transgressing God’s laws contrary to the light of Christ which is in everyone
· Children have not developed sufficiently to be accountable, cognitively, for their actions
Why are children not convicted by their transgressions and mistakes?
· Because of their innocence, children are not accountable before God for their actions, so Christ DECLARES them sinless before Him
· He has the right to do this because of the Atonement that He suffered – He can dictate the terms of what one must do to covenant with Him and be saved by the Atonement
What is the relationship between Adam’s fall and Christ’s atonement?
· One brought death to all and the other brought life to all – both physical and spiritual death and life
What is the only way we can receive salvation?
· Only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent
· It is not a Church, an ordinance, an organization, a prophet – nothing given by one man to another is the way to salvation
· At best those ordinances are authorized invitations to connect with Christ to receive the real thing
What does it mean to be saved “in and through the name of Christ”?
· You are adopted into His family through covenant by virtue of His atonement – you become His literal spiritual son or daughter and take His family name
· By so doing you take upon yourself His name or title – you become a “Christ” – an anointed one – a Messiah – you commit to do His works as He is your example in all things (see Mosiah 5:6-7; 1 Peter 2:21; John 13:15; LoF 7:9)
READ Mosiah 3:18
Who is authorized to judge us?
· Only Christ – a righteous judge must understand all facets of the situation, which He does because of the atonement – He is not an unjust judge
· Not men, including apostles; mankind are not authorized to judge anyone – the 12 Nephite disciples were told that they would be trusted to announce Christ’s judgement but not to speak their own mind (see 3 Nephi 27:27)
· When men substitute their own judgement for Christ’s, they condemn themselves with their own judgement; and their judgement is vain anyway, as Christ is the only real judge (see Matthew 7:2; 2 Nephi 26:29)
How are we to judge each other?
· Like the 12 Nephite Disciples: only if Christ gives us His judgement to announce
· If He does not give us His judgement of another:
o We should refrain from judging
o Or, we should extend mercy and forgiveness
o But, we should never condemn – for we are only condemning ourselves, as we will be judged as we judge each other; the Lord alone has that right to judge
READ Mosiah 3:19
What is it about the natural state of man that when they are children they are saved by Christ but when they are grown they have become enemies to God?
· Because Christ decrees the natural, fallen but innocent (because not yet accountable) child as saved
· But the accountable adult must repent and come unto Christ
Why is the natural man an enemy to God – why not just distant from God?
· The natural man denies or rejects the light of Christ which is in him by choosing to sin (see 2 Nephi 2:5; Moroni 7:18-19)
· This constitutes coming out in open rebellion against God and choosing to obey the evil spirit (see Mosiah 2:37-38), thus being an enemy to God (see Mosiah 16:5)
What is the difference between a religious natural man and an irreligious natural man?
· Quite a bit of pride in being “righteous”, “chosen”, and “better” than that other guy!
· Less free time – and lots of busy work doing rites, ceremonies, meetings, lessons, and commandment keeping in front of other people
· Perhaps less outward debauchery but inwardly there is no difference to God – one just “sins differently” than the other
How does the natural man become an enemy to God, as he moves from childhood to adult?
· Sin conceives in their hearts and they taste the bitter (see Moses 6:55)
· As man becomes tempted, they choose to sin and become enemies to God
· The afflictions of mortality (hunger, fatigues, emotional insecurities, abuse by others) and the “cultural fog of Babylon” (materialism, individualism, false religions, corrupt governments, entertainment and media, secret organizations and the Mahan Principle) that the devil subtly creates, lull us to sleep
· Middle school, high school and college…
What does it mean to “yield” to the “enticings” of the Holy Spirit?
· Yield = to submit, to comply with, to give way or not to oppose; it has a soft connotation – no one is being compelled or manipulated to follow
· Enticings = to entreat, to allure, to use a “carrot” to get someone to do something, to make something look good so that one will choose it; again, there is no compulsion here
· We are free to refuse and reject the Holy Spirit – it will not compel us but entices us with light but we must choose to submit to it
What does it mean to “put off the natural man”?
· While Christ does the actual sanctifying through the application of the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost…
· We must offer the sacrifice of our will, sins, broken heart, contrite spirit, or whole soul on the altar (see Moroni 4:3; Alma 22)
· We “put off” the natural man by placing him on the altar of sacrifice – while the Lord does the actual “killing” through the baptism of fire or birth of the Spirit which destroys the fallen man and, in a mighty change, replaces him with a new, holy spirit
What does it mean to “becometh a Saint through the atonement of Christ”?
· It is the title you are given only after you have put off the natural man and received the birth of the Spirit
· It is not the same thing as being a “Latter-day Saint” Church member, as one can join the Church and never receive the baptism of fire/birth of the Spirit and the mighty change of heart that goes with it
· The baptism of fire which comes when God accepts our sacrifice of the natural man only comes as a result of Christ’s great atoning sacrifice
What does it mean to become “as a child”?
· The humility to be teachable – an open mind to all things that God could present to you; coming from the mindset that you don’t know much at all (always asking questions)
· Curiosity and the pursuit of truth - a relentless search for understanding knowledge and gaining skill/light, even when it seems so very hard at the time (like a toddler learning to walk)
Who should we be submissive to if we want to put off the natural man?
· We must follow Christ’s example and be completely submissive to God (see 3 Nephi 11:11)
· Submissive means to put someone’s will before your own – in this case, God’s will
· Christ did not submit to the will of the Chief Priests or Pharisees – He did not trust in the arm of flesh, even religious, “credentialed” men with priestly authority
How are meekness and humility different?
· Meekness is about the relationship with mankind; it means a person voluntarily restrains themselves and uses the absolute minimum control or authority over others; it is seen in enduring the unjust criticism of others or persecution at the hands of others or in righteous “servant leadership”; it is about being “easily imposed upon” or entreated by another – walking 2 miles when only 1 is required
· Humility is about the relationship with God; it is voluntary submission or obedience to the control or power of God; but the truly humble person will seem out of step with the world as they follow God’s will to whatever end; a citizen of heaven is not well suited to this fallen world
In what context is patience used here?
· Patience with your fellow men; the natural man is an enemy to God and makes himself an enemy to all those who seek to follow God – so patience is demonstrated in the face of opposition, testing and persecution from the world; they want to see if your commitment to follow God and oppose them (or be out of alignment with them) is serious; but their fighting must be endured in patience and not in the spirit of holding on until it is time for retribution
· Patience with God as you put your whole soul on the altar but must wait until the sacrifice is accepted in the due time of the Lord – always remembering that He is a “fourth watch” God
How can we be “full of love”?
· Only to the degree that we receive the gift of charity (see Moroni 7:45-48)
· As we put ourselves in situations which demand self-sacrifice, we can find that we are eligible to receive another portion of charity with which to serve and love (e.g. like the birth or adoption of a child)
Why would the Lord “see fit” to “inflict” difficult things upon those who are seeking to be sanctified?
· His work is our immortality and eternal life (Moses 1:39)
· He knows all things – including how best to enable us to achieve those objectives
· We are unfinished articles incapable of living in everlasting burnings because we are not filled with enough light and we cannot endure the “heat” or higher frequency – there is “dross” or darkness or things that are incongruent with Eternal Law within us that must be “burned” out by the refiner’s fire (see D&C 128:24; D&C 88:67)
· You will learn from your own suffering to appreciate His (see D&C 19:15-20)
Why must we be willing to submit to the refiner’s fire?
· God honors our agency – He will not force us to be exalted
· We show our faith in Him – in His knowledge of how to save us, in His intentions and love for us, in His power to comfort, sustain and redeem us – by submitting to “all things which (He) sees fit to inflict” upon us
If you want to be Christ’s child – to take upon yourself His name and thereby join His family – what must you do?
· You must allow Him to act the role of father in your life
· You must submit to Him as a father and not question His right to do what you cannot see any need for you to endure (see Mosiah 5:13)
· With a familial responsibility to care for a son or daughter and prepare them to become something so much greater than what they are now, a father has the right and responsibility to instruct, set expectations, bless, discipline/punish, and “inflict” developmental opportunities upon His child to enlarge their capabilities and insights – because he loves them so much
READ Mosiah 3:20-22
What is the duty of all those who have been told about a “Savior”?
· They have been put on notice and now they must investigate the claim – the burden is on them to inquire – what do I need to be saved from? Who is the Savior and how can He save me? What are the conditions under which He will save me?
· They have to seek after and find Christ – a careless indifference will damn you because “no one will be found blameless” except children
· Note: this is one of the few BoM verses discussing knowledge of Christ that appears to mean “awareness of Him” not to meet Him and know Him personally
What do the three names of Christ “Lord God Omnipotent” refer to?
· Lord = our “liege” Lord or someone we must obey
· God = the God we worship
· Omnipotent = we are assured He has the power to save
READ Mosiah 3:23
What else did the angel have for Benjamin?
· Nothing – he shared no other message including commentary – the angel adding nothing and did not hide anything but was quoting God
· This was a message from God via an angel to a man (see D&C 1:38); the power of any true message is in the words, not the person who speaks them
How can we tell that this message is a true message from God?
· It agrees with and does not contradict any other message from God
· It preaches repentance and warns us of consequences (no flattery)
· The words are independently corroborated by the Spirit, if we read with the Spirit
· The words have been certified to us by our own inquiry (Moroni 10:4-5)
READ Mosiah 3:24
What are the works you will fairly be judged on?
· Not whether or not you obeyed all of the commandments all of the time, because you do not have the capability to do that now
· It is whether or not you listened to the message about a Savior, sought Him out, and repented with your whole soul! (see also Philippians 2:12); it is the inward change that counts – the visible behavior and even countenance will change to reflect what lies inside
· And if you did not do these works of repentance, you will be damned for your failure to do them (see Alma 34:33)
· After which, you obeyed all of the commandments He gave you to live (which is not the same thing as obeying all of the commandments) – repenting when you fall short until you can live them
READ Mosiah 3:25-27
Why are these verses directed to the damned and what percentage of the listeners and readers of this message might it apply to?
· It is a wake-up call to “awake and arise” to your “awful condition” before it is everlastingly too late
· Probably a high percentage, otherwise why was it etched into golden plates at great labor?
· How many readers have experienced the birth of the Spirit, much less the Second Comforter?
· And yet entering the “gate” and then enduring to the “end” which is Christ (the “Omega” or the Tree of Life) is what is required – it is the fullness of the Gospel
Can this message be from God, as it is very offensive and unfeeling toward its intended audience?
· Equating the Spirit too closely with feelings is dangerous because the individual will “get a bad feeling” and assume that the message can’t be of God because it makes them feel uncomfortable
· The Holy Spirit is light, glory – pure intelligence – truth or things as they really are
· Most times “things as they really are” means that you desperately need to repent, and if you take that message to be hard or feel it applies to someone else, you won’t repent and, ironically, these verses will describe your just fate – a lake of fire and brimstone when you realize what you could have had…
What does “consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations” imply?
· They will finally see the truth – things as they really are – their behavior in its proper light – the light of Eternal Law
· That realization of the truth will be awful in the context of the hopes in which they started this eternity – shouting for joy (see D&C 128:23)
What does “shrink” mean and what would cause you shrink from the presence of God?
· Shrink = to recoil in fear, horror or distress; to shrivel or contract spontaneously; to withdraw or retire as from danger (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)
· Being brought into the presence of a just and holy being while being filled with guilt for sin and darkness is excruciating for the unprepared, i.e. the unforgiven (see D&C 19:18)
Why would the damned rather be in a state of misery and endless torment than stay one second longer in the presence of God?
· To the unprepared, anything is better than staying in the presence of God because they fear for their very survival
· While the damned cannot abide the glory of God, they are still miserable without God and tormented by the thought of the blessings they could have had and the way they let themselves down; but all that is still preferable to being in the presence of God unprepared
If “endless torment” is God’s punishment and does not last forever (see D&C 19:6-12), what is it about this experience that will last forever in the mind of anyone who suffers it (see D&C 19:15-18) such that they are “unable to return” to a state of “pre-suffering innocence”?
· You do not suffer all that a God can suffer without it leaving a permanent mark on one’s soul (see LoF 6:7-8; LoF 7:9, 15-16)
Why is the phrase “drunk damnation to their souls” used?
· Damnation is a bitter cup to drink (see D&C 19:15-20)
· But like a “cup”, it has an ending when the drink has been consumed to the dregs (see Isaiah 51:17, 22)
· It is just that we drink of the cup of the wrath of God if we have not come down in the depths of humility and repentance. The angel is trying to open our eyes to how deeply and completely we must repent of all our sins and sinfulness, if we want to avoid the endless torment and eternal punishment that the Lord suffered on our behalf.
