Background: Sent from northern Greece to the saints in Corinth, fall 57 AD (3-4 months after 1st Corinthians)
Calling & Election
READ 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
What
is an earnest?
A promise of something big to be given
later; with a smaller token given now in good faith (i.e. “earnest money” in a
real estate transaction where a small amount of the money owed is paid before
the house contract closes as a promise that the rest will come and the buyer
will not back out).
What
is an earnest promise for a sealing to come later at the hand of God, refer to?
Calling and election.
It is a covenantal promise of exaltation
– given by God to man (see TPJS 170:3-6, TPJS 171:2, D&C 88:75, and D&C
132:49).
It is not the same as the Second
Comforter (the ministry of Christ to the person – see TPJS 172:5).
Saints Under Condemnation
READ 2 Corinthians 3:13-16 and D&C
84:23-27
Why
was the veil placed over the minds of the Children of Israel?
Because they refused to take what was offered.
They asked Moses to talk to God for them;
they would not go up on the Mount to see and know God for themselves (see
Exodus 20:18-21).
So, they lost the High Priesthood which
enabled one to enter the presence of God – in effecting putting a “veil” between
them and God.
This happened again to the Saints, at the
time of Joseph Smith.
READ 2 Corinthians 4:4 and D&C
84:49-58
What
effect does this veil have over the minds and hearts of those who have it?
They are blinded (2 Cor 3:14) – meaning
they can’t see the truth.
They are in the dark – their minds are
darkened because of unbelief (i.e. believing things that are wrong).
They are under the bondage of sin – which
causes pain.
What
is the antidote for this condemnation?
“Remember” or live the new and
everlasting covenant found in the Book of Mormon and D&C – i.e. turn to the
Lord or in other words, come unto Him.
Begin by repenting.
Perform the outward ordinance of baptism.
Keep the carnal commandments.
Grow in light.
Seek for the ministering of angels who
will prepare you to enter the presence of the Lord (see Alma 12:28-29, Moroni
7:25, 29-31, and D&C 29:42).
READ 2 Corinthians 3:18
Different
from the “dark glass” Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians, what does this “glass”
let us see into?
The presence of the Lord.
We see the light or glory of heaven
shining through the open or removed veil.
How
can we endure His presence in glory?
We must be changed.
We must have some of that same glory
within us.
Souls in Heaven
READ 2 Corinthians 5:1-4, D&C 88:15-16,
D&C 93:29-30, 33-36, D&C 131:7-8, and Abraham 3:22-23
What
is a soul?
The spirit and the body (physical element)
together.
What
is a spirit?
It is a body made of more fine or pure
matter than can be seen by the mortal eye.
It houses intelligence or light, truth, spirit,
glory, life.
Why
did God refer to the noble and great ones in Abraham’s vision as “souls” if
they had yet to be born on this earth?
Perhaps they
had already proven themselves in a mortal experience (or many) in previous eternities,
and were living in heaven as souls (spirit and elemental body) as per the gift
of a previous Savior, but committed to have another mortal experience in this
eternity to a) prove THEM (others) now herewith and b) to ascend another rung
on Jacob’s Ladder by gathering additional light while being tried and proven
again in a world of suffering and death?
And might they
be referred to as “spirits” later in the verse because they were, at that time,
living in bodies that were more refined than a mortal tabernacle of “clay” – a
body like Christ’s resurrected body that could eat fish and walk to Emmaus but
also come through stone walls and ascend to heaven?
What
is Paul talking about when he refers to a “building of God” waiting for us in
the heavens that we desire to be clothed with again?
Might Paul
have been caught up to the “Third Heaven” (see 2 Cor 12:2) and seen for himself
the perfected, physical, “spiritual” bodies that those who live in that Kingdom
possess?
And might he
have been told that he was one such noble and great one, and even given a
vision of who he had been before the foundation of THIS world, recalling to his
mind the fullness of joy he had enjoyed while in that body?
Our bodies are
the “temple of God” – even here on earth; but in heaven, we laid aside bodies
of glory to take upon us bodies of flesh and blood which enable us to function
in this telestial world.
Reconciled to God Through Christ
READ 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (including
JST)
What
does reconcile mean?
To reestablish a close relationship
between.
To settle or resolve.
To bring oneself to accept.
To make compatible or consistent.
What
does reconcile imply?
That two people or things are separated.
That those two people or things were
together or one, at a point in the past.
What
does it mean to be “in” Christ?
It means to be in a covenant relationship
with Him.
The covenant relationship with Christ is
the only way we are reconciled to God.
How
do we make this covenant with Christ?
We perform an ordinance, in this case through
baptism by water.
How
do we know that we have met and are living our part of the terms of the
covenant?
When we are baptized by fire and the Holy
Ghost.
What
does it mean to be a “new creature”?
You have received a mighty change of
heart.
You no longer desire to do “evil” (which
ranges from truly evil and carnal to selfishly following your own will).
You desire, with your whole soul, to do
good continually (see Mosiah 5:2).
How
can we be righteous enough to make this covenant with Christ?
We can’t be righteous enough.
It’s a trick question – actually, it’s a
bad question. It suggests that you can
be righteous enough, which you can’t; unless you have always been and will
always be perfect in this life, in which case you are already like Christ.
The
real question should be: What does the Lord ask me to sacrifice in this
covenant with Him to become a new creature?
Answer: the Old Creature – the natural
man (see Mosiah 3:19).
My whole soul (Omni 1:26).
A broken heart and contrite spirit (see 3
Nephi 9:19-20).
All my sins (see Alma 22:18).
My will (see 3 Nephi 11:11).
Be willing to take upon myself the Name
of Christ (become His son/daughter by adoption), always remember Him (because I
love Him) and keep His commandments (so I can be filled with light like He is)
– see Moroni 4:3.
What
does it mean that God made Christ “to be sin for us” that we “might be made the
righteousness of God in Him”?
He became guilty of the sins we commit
(like Abigail before David).
There was a real transference of guilt
and innocence in the Atonement.
Christ was not only punished for our sins
but was also declared “guilty” of them.
If He had only assumed the punishment for our sins but not the sins
themselves, we would merely be “guilty but forgiven” instead of being
proclaimed “innocent.” This is what it
means to be “perfect in Christ.”
Feeling Godly Sorrow for our Sins
READ 2 Corinthians 7:9-10
What
is Godly Sorrow?
A gift of the Spirit.
The deep realization that our actions
have offended God and that He has separated Himself from us – causing a feeling
of rejection in us.
Keen awareness of the price paid by
Christ to reconcile us to God.
A stark awareness of the fact that no
unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God and that we have in fact sinned
badly – and that any sin counts as “sinning badly” against the standard of
perfection and glory that is God.
What
is the difference between Godly Sorrow and remorse?
Remorse means to feel bad for what one
has done wrong – because their actions have caused them or loved ones great
sorrow and misery; or perhaps because they’ve been caught and punished.
Godly sorrow is what leads to the resolve
to sacrifice one’s whole soul – it is a spiritual gift which comes from God and
cannot be manufactured by man (either from within the person or externally by
someone else through guilt, shame or fear).
What
is repentance without Godly Sorrow and is this a problem?
Repentance is a change of heart and mind,
not just a change of behavior (see Alma 5:13).
True repentance requires the sacrifice of
a broken heart, which is the fruit or result of Godly Sorrow.
So, while there may be a change of behavior
due to any number of reasons (will power and self-discipline or dire
consequences or deep shame or desirable rewards, etc.) it does not constitute
repentance without the individual putting their whole soul on the Lord’s altar.
Godly sorrow helps us see that it is not
just the individual sin, but our whole mindset that needs changing. We must realize that the path we are on leads
directly to Babylon and death, and then turn around to face God and begin to
walk the journey back to Him and Life. Without
Godly Sorrow we won’t see that we are on the wrong path (really, going the
wrong direction) and we won’t go through the difficulty of turning around to
face God.
Receiving Visions
READ 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
What
does it mean to be not “in the body”?
You are still in your physical body to
one degree or another; it doesn’t mean to be dead (the spirit leaving the body
altogether).
But it is transformed to be able to abide
the presence of God because the glory of God descends upon the individual (see
Moses 1:2, 9-11).
It is the way that you can know that you
are in the presence of a messenger from God’s presence (or God Himself) or not,
as Satan can appear as an angel of light but you do not have to be transformed
to see him (if he chooses to show himself to you or you can see through the
veil as a spiritual gift) (see Moses 1:14).
It is to see with the eyes of your
spirit, not your natural or physical eyes (your spirit can see a much great
light spectrum).
It can be to exit the body (without
dying) to visit the spiritual realm or dimension and even ascend to the
heavens.
Why
is it hard to tell whether or not he was “in the body” or not?
Because the spiritual world is just as “physical”
as the mortal, telestial world – it’s just that the matter is more refined (see
D&C 131:7-8).
Why
are the words heard in Heaven “unspeakable”?
Because man does not have language to
describe what is discovered or revealed in Heaven.
Because many of the concepts taught there
require a level of intellect which mortals do not possess when they are back
“in the body”; seeing in vision and comprehending the atomic realm (“all the
sands of the sea” and “stars of the sky”) while out of the body and then trying
to make sense of it and articulate it in mortal speech is not possible.
Because in some cases you covenant not to
share.
Because the most important things learned
in heaven are about one’s personal salvation and relationship with the Lord –
which doesn’t matter to others anyway.
Sharing the details about what is learned
in heaven can cause pride and priestcraft in the sharer and it is voyeuristic
to the listener.
Why
does Paul share this experience if he isn’t trying to boast?
To let us know it is possible – it is a
testimony.
Sharing the fact that it is possible to
rend the veil and visit Heaven while in the flesh should inspire us and build
our faith in the possibility of taking that journey ourselves – it is possible,
and we have one more anecdotal witness who attests to that fact.
In fact, he is asking that you seek to
have those same experiences because he has covenanted that he cannot tell you
what was learned in heaven – but you can and must find out for yourself.
The Thorn in the Flesh
READ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Why
was Paul given this “thorn in the flesh”?
To remind Paul of his dependence on the
Lord.
To stop him from being filled with pride.
Why
did the Lord not answer Paul’s fervent and repeated prayer?
The weakness was needed – it was
important to remind Paul of God’s power and his dependence on the Lord.
What
is the connection between the “thorn in the flesh” and being spiritually
“gifted”?
Anyone with a connection to God will have
to endure physical, emotional, social, or financial reminders of their weakness
and dependence on Him.
Opposition accompanies the gifts of God
(see Moses 1:12-20 and JSH 1:15-17).
READ TPJS 156:3
“The things of God are of deep import;
and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can
only find them out. Thy mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation,
must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the
darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity—thou must commune with God.
How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God, than the vain
imaginations of the human heart! None but fools will trifle with the souls of
men.”
What
is the big difference between scholarly knowledge and divine insight?
The first can be learned in books and
from others; it requires work but no opposition in the application of the
knowledge learned.
The second can only be experienced by
connecting to God but will also require encountering the opposition of evil in
the application of the principles taught you by God.
Devils don’t usually bother you at the
library but they do on the way to the Temple or in service to others or in
prayer/meditation.
