Book of mormon studyGuide #6

Purpose: To help class members have a greater desire to choose

liberty and eternal life through Jesus Christ, the great Mediator
of all men

2 Nephi 1:6-7
There shall be none come into this land save they shall be
______________ by the hand of the ___________. Wherefore, this land is
consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they
shall ___________ him according to the ____________________ which he
hath given, it shall be a land of _______________ unto them.
The land of promise is open to those brought here by the Lord and
the promise of liberty applies to all as long as they follow the
commandments. This provision is both a blessing and a curse, for
the lands effect on its inhabitants is directly related to their
righteousness.
In verse 10 Lehi lists the exact steps and transgressions that
would bring the people to destruction in this land
1)

They would have to have had a knowledge of the

_______________________.

2) They would have to have had a knowledge of the marvelous

_________________ of the Lord.
3) They would have received a witnesses to the fact that God had
given them power to do all things by _____________________.
4) They must __________________the Holy One of Israel

Verse to memorize
2 nephi 1: 15

I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about

eternally in the arms of his love

Spend a moment and ponder on that scripture. What does it mean

to be encircled about eternally in the arms of his love? When is
the last time you allowed yourself to feel completely enveloped in
a hug from the Savior? Allowed his arms to wrap all the way
around you, to feel your cheek pressed close to his chest, to
hear his heart beating, to feel his breath on your hair? How would
your life change if you could somehow learn to live this way on a
moment-to-moment basis?

Ever feel like you have

nothing?

2 Nephi 2:2

Just look at the gifts God

has given you:

Nevertheless, Jacob, my first

born in the wilderness, thou
knowest the greatness of
God, and he shall consecrate
thine afflictions for thy gain.

He has sent his angels to

care for you,
his Holy Spirit to dwell in
you,
his church to encourage
you,
and his Word to guide you.
Anytime you speak, he
listens
make a request and he responds.
He will never let you be
tempted too much or
stumble too far.
Let a tear appear on your
cheek, and he is there to
wipe it.
Let a love sonnet appear
on your lips, and he is
there to hear it.
As much as you want to
see him, he wants to see
you more.
You have been chosen by
Christ. . . .
He has claimed you
as his beloved.

Elder Richard G Scott said,

When trials are not
consequences of your
disobedience, they are
evidence that the Lord feels
you are prepared to grow. He
therefore gives you
experiences that stimulate
growth, understanding, and
compassion which polish you
for your everlasting benefit.
To get you from where you
are to where He wants you to
be requires a lot of
stretching, and that generally
entails discomfort and pain.
How have you grown from
recent afflictions in your own
life:

2 Nephi 2:7
Behold, he offereth himself a ____________________ for sin,
to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a
________________ heart and a contrite _________________; and
unto non else can the ends of the law be answered.
What are the ends of the law? The two ends of the law
are mercy and justice. How can our Father in Heaven
satisfy both?
You come before the judgment seat of God full of
rebellion and mistakes. Because of his justice he cannot
dismiss your sin, but because of his love he cannot
dismiss you. So in an act that stunned the heavens, he
punished His Son on the cross for your sins. And by so
doing, Gods justice and Gods love are equally honored.
And you, Gods creation, are forgiven. But the story
doesnt end with Gods forgiveness. It would be enough if
God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives
you his name. It would be enough if God just set you
free, but he does more. He takes you home.
Through a dramatic series of events, we go from
condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with
no fear. When we come unto Christ and allow ourselves
to become perfected in Him, God not only forgives us, he
also adopts us. This promise is stated in the Doctrine and
Covenants this way, But verily, verily I say unto you,
that as many as receive me, to them will I give power
to become the sons of God (D&C 11:30)

2 Nephi 2:8
What is the most important message must we take into
the world? How do you plan to do that THIS week?

2 Nephi 2:13
If there be no righteousness, there be no happiness
I love this verse. So often in this life we find
ourselves seeking for happiness, After all, the US
Constitution identifies the pursuit of happiness as a
fundamental human right! We grow up believing that
we DESERVE to be happy. But, the scriptures teach us
better. They teach us that in order to happy we need
to be seeking for righteousness..
Matthew 5:6 reads, Blessed are they who hunger and
thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
The Greek word for filled here means complete, or
abounding in spiritual possessions. Do you think that
filled is a good synonym for happy? What other words
would you use?

How could being filled in the biblical sense of the word

make you happy in a way in which the world cannot?

The Choice
by Max Lucado
He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay
lifeless on the ground. All of the Garden's inhabitants paused
to witness the event. Hawks hovered. Giraffes stretched.
Trees bowed. Butterflies paused on petals and watched.
"You will love me, nature," God said. "I made you that way.
You will obey me, universe. For you are destined to do so.
You will reflect my glory, skies, for that is how you were
created. But this one will be like me. This one will be able to
choose." All was silent as the Creator reached into Himself
and removed something yet unseen. A seed. "It's called
'choice'. The seed of choice."
Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form.
An angel spoke, "But what if he...."
"What if he chooses not to love?" the Creator finished.

"Come, I will show you."

Unbound by today, God and the angel walked into the
realm of tomorrow.
"There, see the fruit of the seed of choice, both the sweet
and bitter."
The angel gasped at what he saw. Spontaneous love.
Voluntary devotion. Chosen tenderness. Never had he seen
anything like these. He felt the love of the Adams. He heard
the joy of Eve and her daughters. He saw the food and
marveled at the warmth.
"Heaven has never seen such beauty, my Lord. Truly, this is
your greatest creation."
"Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter."
A stench enveloped the pair. The angel turned in horror
and exclaimed, "What is it?" The Creator spoke only one
word: "Selfishness." The angel stood speechless as they
passed through centuries of repugnance. Never had he

seen such filth. Rotten hearts. Ruptured promises. Forgotten

loyalties. Children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely
labyrinths.
"This is the result of the choice?" the angel asked.
"Yes."

"They will forget you? They will reject you?"

"Yes."
"They will never come back?"
"Some will. Most won't."
"What will make them listen?"
The Creator walked on in time, further and further into the
future, until He stood by a tree. A tree that would be
fashioned into a cradle. Even then, He could smell the hay that
would surround Him. With another step into the future, He
paused before another tree. It stood alone, a stubborn ruler of
a bald hill. The trunk was thick, the wood was strong. Stony
brow of another hill. And soon He would be mounted on it. He
felt the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear.
"Would you go down there?" the angel asked.
"I will."
"Is there no other way?"
"There isn't."
"Wouldn't it be easier to not plant the seed? Wouldn't it be
easier to not give the choice?"
"It would," the Creator spoke slowly. "But to remove the choice is
to remove the love.
He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures
hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They
moaned with the wind. Men clad in soldiers' garb sat on the
ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and
laughed. Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled.
Arrogant, cocky. They had protected God, they thought, by killing
this false one. Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of
the hill...
Speechless. Faces tear-streaked. Eyes downward. One put her
arm around another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn't
leave.
"I will stay," she said softly. "I will stay.
All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity
poised to protect. But the Creator gave no command. "It must be
done..." He said, and withdrew.

But as he stepped back in time, He heard the cry that He

would someday scream: "My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?" He wrenched at tomorrow's agony.
The angel spoke again. "It would be less painful..."
The Creator interrupted softly. "But it wouldn't be love."
They stepped into the Garden again. The Maker looked
earnestly at the clay creation. A monsoon of love swelled up
within Him. God's form bent over the sculptured face and
breathed. Dust stirred on the lips of the new one. The chest
rose, cracking the red mud. The cheeks freshened. A finger
moved and an eye opened.
But more incredible than the moving of flesh was the stirring
of the spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped.
Perhaps it was the wind who said it first. Perhaps what the
stars saw that moment is what has made them blink ever
since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it: "It looks like...
it appears so much like...it is Him!"
The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the
body. He was looking inside--at the soul. "It's eternal!" gasped
another.
Within the man, God had placed a divine seed. A seed of his
self. The God of might had created, not a creature, but
another creator. And the One who had chosen to love had
created one who could love in return.

Why is the gift of free agency the greatest gift that you will
ever receive? How can you thank its giver?