Seminary: 03 1 Nephi 1

Historial Background:

"Babylonian world dominion took control of the kingdom of Judah about 605 B.C. when Jehoiakim was king of Judah.  Jehoiakim attempted a revolt against Babylon.  Babylonian forces put Jeruselem under siege.  Jehoiakim was either killed or captured.  Zedekiah, the uncle of Jahoiakim, was appointed by Balylon to the throne.  It was a time of great wickedness among the people of Judah-immorality and corruption were rampant.  This is the setting of Lehi's day.  Shortly after Lehi's departure from the area, Zedekiah attempted another revolt against Babylon, resulting in a much greater destruction of Jeruselem in about 587 B.C.   Many people were killed, and most of the rest of the Jews were taken captive into Babylon for the next 70 years.  This fulfilled Lehi's prephecies to Judah that if they did not repent they would be destroyed." (Book of Mormon Student Manual, pg. 13)

Who were Lehi's contemporary prophets?  Jeremiah, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.

1 Nephi 1-3

Passout the Diagram, discuss the different sources.

What is the difference between the Small and Large plates of Nephi?

The Small plates were to represent the spritual writings of the Nephites and the Large plates were to represent the historical writings of the Nephites.  The first few chapters of the Small book contained a summary of his father, Lehi's, writings and in the Large book the first book was called the book of Lehi.  The Book of Lehi was the 116 portion of the translation that was lost in the early stages of the Book of Mormon translation.  In this instance the Lord's foresight is a blessing to us.  We did not completely lose the writings of Lehi becuase it was also included in the Small plates which were not lost and are in today's edition of the Book of Mormon.

Was the book of 1 Nephi in the Small or Large book of Nephi?

It was part of the Small plates of Nephi.  it begins with a summary of the writings of Lehi and then continues with Nephi's own writings.  The Small plates of Nephi include the following books: 1-2 Nephi, Jacob, Enos, jarom and Omni.  The large plates included Lehi (missing), Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3-4 Nephi.  Mormon and Moroni also included his Mormon's book, the book of Ether, Moroni's book and the Title Page.

When did Nephi begin writing these records?

Nephi received the commandment to keep a historical record about 30 years after leaving Jerusalem (about 570 B.C.) (see 1 Nephi 19:1-5, 2 Nephi 5:28-31)

President Spencer W. Kimball talked about the importance of keeping personal records (link):

"How happy we are as we find our grandparents’ journals and follow them through their trials and joys and gain for our own lives much from the experiences and faith and courage of our ancestors

Accordingly, we urge our young people to begin today to write and keep records of all the important things in their own lives and also the lives of their antecedents in the event that their parents should fail to record all the important incidents in their own lives. Your own private journal should record the way you face up to challenges that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not be interesting to your posterity. Experiences of work, relations with people, and an awareness of the rightness and wrongness of actions will always be relevant....

"No one is commonplace, and I doubt if you can ever read a biography from which you cannot learn something from the difficulties overcome and the struggles made to succeed. These are the measuring rods for the progress of humanity.

"As we read the stories of great men, we discover that they did not become famous overnight nor were they born professionals or skilled craftsmen. The story of how they became what they are may be helpful to us all....

"Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life. There may be a flash of illumination here and a story of faithfulness there; you should truthfully record your real self and not what other people may see in you.

"Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available....

"What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?...

"Get a notebook, my young folks, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events."

In this quote President talks about the importance of keeping a record.  Even if we think that we will never get any value from our own writings our descendants or others may.  It could be an important link that can bond those that come after us to us.  It could also provide invaluable information to assist in geneology work later.

1 Nephi 1:4-18

In these verses we learn about Lehi's initial visions where the Lord informed him of the vile ways of his people and what would happen if they do not repent.  We also come to the vison where the Lord instructs Lehi to take his family and leave so that the Lord may be able to preserve a righteous generation of his people.  The scriptures make it apparent that Sincere and humble prayer is essential for recieving revelation.

Seminary: 02 Book of Mormon Title Page and Introduction

What is a Title Page of a book for?

The title page for a book is meant to provide the reader with the book's pupose.  The Book of Mormon's Title page reads:

THE

BOOK OF MORMON

AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY

THE HAND OF MORMON

UPON PLATES

TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.

TRANSLATED BY JOSEPH SMITH, Jun.

First English edition published in 1830

 

In this Title Page  we are to learn who wrote this book, where it came from, who translated it and what the purpose is.  Some key points that I took out of this are as follows:

• 
  
  This book was written specifically to the Lamanite, Jew and Gentile (or in otherwords everyone).
• 
  
  It was written by way of commandment.
• 
  
  To steal a term from Law Enforcement there is a "chain of custody" with this.  It was written by Mormon, sealed up by his son Moroni who then presented it to Joseph Smith who translated it by the power of God for us.  There was no opportunity for the words to be spoiled or changed by outside influences.
• 
  
  It shows the House of Israel what great things the Lord their God has done for them.
• 
  
  That they, the house of Israel, may know the commandments of the Lord that they may not be cast off forever.
• 
  
  And most importantly, it was written for the "Convincing the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ".

President Ezra Taft Benson made the following statement in the October Conference in 1987,

"The major mission of the Book of Mormon, as recorded on its title page, is 'to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.'

"The honest seeker after truth can gain the testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of the Book of Mormon."

"Ove one-half of all the verses in the Book of Mormon refer to our Lord.  Some form of Christ's name is mentioned more frequently per verse in the Book of Mormon than even in the New Testament.

"He is given over one hundred different names in the Book of ormon.  Those names have a particular significance in describing His divine nature"

One example of these many references to Christ in the Book of Mormon was recorded by the prophet Nephi (2 Nephi 25:23-26)

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.

25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

 In these verses Nephi mentions why Christ is referred to so many times and that is so "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

The Prophet Joseph Smith affirmed that "a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its [the Book of Mormon] precepts than by any other book."

The Book of Mormon is evidence that Joseph smith is a prophet of God and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth.  If it is true then Joseph has to be a prophet.  The Lord would not allow his work to be claimed by a counterfit.  If it is true then the Church that Joseph Smith setup under the direction of the Lord is also true along with the ordinances and precepts that come from it.

This leads us into the Book of Mormon Instroduction, which is provided below

The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel.

The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.

In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto him and obey the laws and ordinances of his gospel may be saved.

Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.”

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10: 3-5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.

The introduction provides more background into how the Book of Mormon came to be translated and published.  In it Joseph Smith mentiones that this book is a "key stone" of our religion.

What is a "key stone"?

A "key stone" is the stone in an arch that holds the archway together.  It by itself is othing though when put together with the others we have a functional arch.  Also without it the arch cannot stand.  As was mentioned before if the Book of Mormon is true then so are all the elements were put into place by its translator.  If it is not true then everything that Joseph Smith has done cannot be the work of the Lord.

There are three elements that make this book a keystone:

1. It is a witness of Christ.
2. It contains the doctrine of the Lord
3. It testifies of Jesus Christ

 In 1986 President Ezra Taft Benson gave a talk on the Book of Mormon being a keystone to our religion (link).  In that talk he said:

"...the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. This was the Prophet Joseph Smith’s statement. He testified that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles.


"There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony.

"The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity. Unlike the Bible, which passed through generations of copyists, translators, and corrupt religionists who tampered with the text, the Book of Mormon came from writer to reader in just one inspired step of translation. Therefore, its testimony of the Master is clear, undiluted, and full of power. But it does even more. Much of the Christian world today rejects the divinity of the Savior. They question His miraculous birth, His perfect life, and the reality of His glorious resurrection. The Book of Mormon teaches in plain and unmistakable terms about the truth of all of those. It also provides the most complete explanation of the doctrine of the Atonement. Truly, this divinely inspired book is a keystone in bearing witness to the world that Jesus is the Christ (see title page of the Book of Mormon).

"The Book of Mormon is also the keystone of the doctrine of the Resurrection. As mentioned before, the Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the “fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (D&C 20:9). That does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed. Rather, it means that in the Book of Mormon we will find the fulness of those doctrines required for our salvation. And they are taught plainly and simply so that even children can learn the ways of salvation and exaltation. The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so plain and precious."

In what way is the Book of Mormon the "most correct book"?

• It contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• A man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts.
• It testifies of Jesus Christ.

How can this book help me to be a true Christian?

This book preaches the doctrines and precepts of Christ's gospel.  If one were to follow the teachings outlined in the book, as Joseph Smith did, then one would be brought closer to him and would be a follower in his footsteps.

Why isn't owning it or reading it enough?

Following in Christ's ways requires action.  One must not just read the about Christ but must follow him whole heartedly.  A follower must follow otherwise you are just someone that knows about him.

What are precepts?

Precepts are instructions, teachings, commandments and principles.

What are exampls of precepts in the Book of Mormong?

In 1 Nephi 17:3 Nephi says "And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them".  In Alma 30:60 Alma teaches us that those that perver the way of the Lord will not be supported by Satan in the end but will fall.  Those are just a couple of the many precepts that are in the Book of Mormon.

According to the Prophet Joseph Smith what must we do with tese precepts to draw nearer to God?

We must abide by them.  That does not mean to just read about them.  Or to try it for a week to see if you like it.  It means that you must reform your life so that it is in harmony with these precepts.

In the April 1980 conference President Marion G. Romney made the quote (link):

"I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness. "

Seminary: 01 Plan of Salvation Lesson

Through out my life I have come across many people who have asked the question of "why am I here?" or "what is the purpose of this life?"  As a member of the LDS religion we profess to have the answer to this.  The answer is commony referred as the "Plan of Salvation", "The Plan of Happiness", "Plan of Redemption" and many others.  They are all different terms that mean the same thing.

This "Plan" is organized into three phases; Premortal Existance, Mortal Life and Postmortal Existance.

Premortal Existance
This phase of the plan consists of the time that we lived in our Heaven Father's presence prior to coming to this earth and gaining a mortal body.  Throughout the Bible and other LDS scripture there are many references to an existance prior to this mortal one.  Below are some common questions and answers surrounding this phase of the plan.

Where does life begin?

An old testament prophet, Jeremiah, wrote that prior to birth he was known of God (Jeremiah 1:5).  In the LDS scriptures the prophet Abraham (Abraham 3:22) writes about a vision he had where the Lord showed him many of teh "inteligences that were organized before the world was."  These "inteligences" that were organized were the creations of God including us.  The vision goes on to talk about how this world was created and those person that were involved under the direction of God.

How was Heavenly Father different from us?

Heavenly Father is a perfected, immortal being.  During this phase we were not in that state.  In fact Abraham refers to us as "Intelligences".  We did not have physical bodies as our Father in Heaven does.  The scriptures talk of the "Holy Ghost" which is another one of these "Inteligences" and they refer to people being filled by the Holy Ghost (Acts 4:8, Acts 6:3).  His state is such that he can "fill" others which means that he does not have a physical body.  The Doctrine and Covenants documents a vision that Joseph Smith had regarding the body of our Father in Heaven an the body of the Holy Ghost (which is the same form that we had in the Premortal existance), Doctrine and Covenants 130:22.

What do we know about the differences between Heavenly Father's plan and Lucifer's plan?

At some point during out Premortal Existance there was a "Council in Heaven" where God, desiring for us to be like him, presented this plan whereby we could come to earth, gain a body, and through a redeemer return to him again.  While at this council, Lucifer propsed a different plan.  This plan would result in everyone returning back to our Father in Heaven though it would result in the loss of our ability to choose for ourselves or own path and would also result in the loss of our Father's glory (I am not exactly sure what that would entail).  I find it interesing that Lucifer used the power of agency that our Father gave to us to propose a plan that if chosen would result in the removing of that agency.  In the book of Moses we get a bit of the events that happened in that Council in Heaven (Moses 4:1-4).

Why do you think Heavenly Father values agency so much that he would allow Lucifer and his followers to start a "War in Heaven"?

We are not really sure what a "War in Heaven" is or what it entails.  All we know from scripture and the prophets is that there was an event where Lucifer was able to gather 1/3 of the hosts of heaven (the intelligences) in an attempt to force his plan into action instead of the one that Father proposed.  The end result was Lucifer and his third being "cast out of heaven".  Since we are not really sure what or where Heaven is (except that our Father dwells there) it is hard to say where these intelligences reside.  We do know that some if not all of them reside here unseen tempting people to go against this plan that we fought for.  Now as to why Father values agency so much.  I believe that he desires for us all to return to him though he loves us enough to allow us to choose where we will end up.  This is similar to how we as parents want the best for our children and may encourage a certain path for them though because we love them we let them make their own choices.  With that being said, I believe that in order for us to truly have the agency to choose this plan Father needed some opposition to that plan.  The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi said "Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself.  Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other." (2 Nephi2:16).  Or in otherwords in order for man to be able to act for himself he needed different options to choose from otherwise there would not be a choice and he would be following the desires of another.

Mortal Life
This phase starts at the conception of a baby and continues unil the mortal death.  The scriptures talk about the veil that was placed over our minds to prevent us from remembering the first phase of this plan so for most of us this is all that we remember.  Some common questions and answers are listed below.

Since Satan will eventually be cast into outer darkness why did Father allow him to come and tempt us?

As was mentioned previously, in order for us to be able to act for ourselves we need different options to choose from.  If Eve was never presented with the apple she would still be in the garden going about the only options she knew about.  Today we have many options for us to choose in how we will act, and most of them are not good.  Yes the consequences of these actions can hurt at times and we may wish that we had not made that choice or even be angry that the choice was even available, though in order for us to be able to know joy or happiness we have to experience heartache and bitterness.  We cannot know one without knowing the other.  A verse in the Doctrine and Covents expresses this much better than I can "And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have the bitter they could not know the sweet" (Doctrine and Covenants 29:39).

What were he consequences of the "Fall" and why was it necessary?

The "Fall" is referring to Adam and Eve partaking of the forbidden fruit.  Nephi gives a very good but lenthy explaination in 2 Nephi 2:14-25 though the basic are that Adam and Eve were in a state of innocense similar to a child.  In this state they were not able to procreate (now whether that is due to a lack of knowledge or some physical attribute I do not know, all I know is that this is what the scriptures and prophets tell me) even though they were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth.  As a result the tempation by Lucifer actually provided them the knowledge that they needed to fulfill the commandment to multiply and replinish the earth though it also let them to break another commandment which was not not eat of that fruit.  As a result they were banished from the garden of eden and now had to work and toil in order to survive.

Why was the redeemer chosen in Premortality and what would be the result if there were no redeemer?

The redeemer was chosen in Premortality because it was necessary to shape the plan.  The result of there not being a redeemer would be that no one would be able to return back to our Father.  As a result of the "fall" we all became corruptable destined to not meet up to the standards that the Father put before us.  Even Adam and Eve were not able to fulfill the commandment to multiply and replinish the earth without first the "fall".  Now our Father being all knowing and being the architect of this plan put in a step that allowed us to over come this corruption that has been introduced to our physical bodies (leading to a physical death) and the corruption due to our incorrect actions taken when tempted (spiritual death).  That step involved the sending of his son to earth.  Jesus was not conceived via mortal means and thus did not inherit the corrupted body that we have inherited.  He is of divine heritage and his body would not die without his allowing it to.  Also he was endowed with the fortitude to resist the temptation of Lucifer and his minions.  These two aspects of Jesus allowed for him to become our Savior.  Someone who could over come the bonds of death and thus overshadowing the affects of the "fall" as well as to be able to overcome all temptation which made him worthy to stand in our stead to help us over come the spiritul death as well. (2 Nephi 11:6-8)

What can we do, with the help of God, to change our natures and resist evil?

In the scriptures we hear references that the "natural man is an enemy of God".  This does not mean that we are born evil.  Actually we are born into innocense and as we get older our natural tendencies and desires allow the temptations of Lucifer and his minions to make us "enemies of God".  How we overcome this state is to listen to the "enticings of the Spirit" (Mosiah 3:19, Mosiah 4:30).  Each fo us is born with something that some call the "light of Christ" others call it our "Concience."  What ever you call it, it is the natuaral promptings that tell us what is right and wrong.  Now as we grow up some us have learned to suppress that inne voice and to follow what is the cultural norm, or what thy feel is right.  In addition to this voice we have the opportunity, after baptism, to be bestowed with the "gift of the Holy Ghost" (which is what I believe Mosiah is talking about).  This "gift" is the ability to have the promptings of the spirit with us for as long as we allow ourselves to hear him.  As we make choices that are against the will of what our Father wants for us then these promptings get softer and softer until we can no longer hear them.  As we make those choices that are right then the promptings of the Spirit will get louder and louder.

Postmortal Life
This phase in the plan starts with one of the most feared events in the second phase and that is physical death.  The sriptures tll us that when we die we will go to a place that is commonly referred to as the "Spirit World".  This is not the same place as what the scriptures refer to as the place where our Father dwells.  It is a waiting place where the spirits of men await the time of the judgment which will be the final determination on whether we will get to live with our Father in heaven again or in some other state that he has defined (Doctrine and Covenants 76).  Some common questions and anwers are below.

What is the difference between Spritual and Physical Death?

Physical or Temporal Death is the death of our physical bodies or in other words the seperating of our spirit from our Physical bodies.  Spiritual death is the seperating of ourselves from our Father in heaven due to the incorrect choices that we make (2 Nephi 9:11-13, Alma 40:11-14, Doctrine and Covenants 29:40-44).

Where do we go upon death?

Alma talks about a space that is prepared (Alma 40:6-11) for us after we die.  That "space" was mentioned of by Paul as being sperated by the "just" and the "unjust".  Modern day revelation has told us that the "just" persons are those that were obedient to the commandments of God in this life and the unjust were those people who were not obedient to the commandments of God.

What work do we know is going on in the spirit world?

In Doctrine and Covenants 138 11-37 we learn that the Lord has organized those persons that were in "paradise" or in other words the "just" to start preding the Gospel to those that are in "spirit prison" or in other words the "unjust" so that they will have the opportunity to chose whether they will accept the Gospel for themselves.

What possibilities are there for those that do not hear the Gopel in this life?

As was mentioned everyone will get a chance to hear the Gospel message.  If they do not get a chance to hear it in this life then they will get a chance to accept it in the next life.  This is one of the reasons why Geneology work is so important.  It helps us to b able to assist the Lord in spreading the opportunities of the Gospel to those that have passed on from this life.

What will we be like when we ae ressurected?

Alma tells us that our bodies will be reunited again in perfect form, both limb and joint.  We will have a perfect knowledge of ur life Premortal and mortal life (Alma 11:42-45).  Our bodies will no longer be corruptable but would be in an incorruptable perfect state.

What is out destiny and what can we become like if we follow the "Plan of Happiness"?

Joseph Smith received a vision of the three kingdoms that we could inherit after the judgment (outer darkness is not a kingdom of Glory and onl those who have denied the Holy Ghost or were one of Lucifer's followers in the beginning will inherit that kingdom).  What they were like and who would inherit each.  I cannot do justice to it so I will not try.  Click the link and read his words Doctrine and Covenants 76:50-70.

Summary
The summary of the plan is that we lived before we came to this mortal existance with our Father in heaven.  During that existance we chose to follow his plan and come here to receive a mortal body and have the agency to choose how we will live our lives.  When coming here we had a veil placed over our minds to prevent us from knowing our life before so that it would take faith to make our choices.  When we die, depending upon our choices in life, we will either go to paradise or spirit prision to await the day of judgment.  Prior to judgement we would be resurrected or our spirit and our body would be reunited again.  At the time of judgment we will be judged as to whether we followed the precepts and commandments that the Savior gave to us.  If we did then his atonment will mae up for our wrong doings.  If we did not then we would have to pay for our own sins (commonly referred to as "Hell").  At this point we would then be sorted into our degree or kingdom of Glory that we qualified for.

Great article on Covenanting

How to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ

These steps are from a talk by Elder O. Leslie Stone (link).

1. Study the scriptures and other books written by Church leaders.


2. Keep the commandments, which include loving thy neighbor as thyself, being honest and upright, paying a full tithing, and keeping morally clean.

3. Attend sacrament meeting and other Church meetings, in which you can listen to the testimonies of the faithful members of the Church.

4. Associate with good people.

5. Stay out of the devil’s territory by shunning evil.

6. Repent of all sins and imperfections, and repentance includes both confession and forsaking of such sins.

7. Pray to the Lord.

Seminary: Reading Log

Daily reading is important in helping the student to gain an understanding of the scriptures.  When the year starts it is good to give the students the goal to read everyday.  Though with most goals it is easy to discontinue working on that goal if there is no accountability or reporting back on the status of that goal.  Here is a link to the worksheet that I use for keeping track of a student's daily readings (download)

Seminary: Highlight Worksheet

This year I am going to try something a little different.  I am going to try to get the leadership of each of the wards to provide a highlight of one of the students (monthly) to share something great or special about each of the students.  I hope to build a stronger bond between them and that means that they need to know more about each other.  Especially since some of the students belong to different wards and go to different schools.  If their relationship were strengthened then they would be more apt to participate in activies in class.  Here is the link to the worksheet that I am using (download).

Seminary: Getting to Know You Worksheet

I was asked to teach a class that spanned multiple wards and as a result there were many student in my class that I did not know.  In an effort to get to know them better and to help them get to know me I had each of them fill out this worksheet (download) and I filled it out for myslef and gave them each a copy.  Try not to provide too many personal elements about yourself though help them get to know you so that they can trust you and believe in what you are teaching them.

Seminary: Giving a Devotional

An important element to helping seminary students to learn how to understand scripture is by giving them the opportunity to give devotionals.  This is not meant to be an activity that should be hastily done the last minute.  The student should take the time to think about the scripture or topic in which the devotional is going to be about.  They should not just read the scripture or topic but should know the background and personal application for the scripture or topic.

Another element of doing devotionals is to help the students to be more prepared for opportunities to speak in Church as well as to be more prepared for life after graduation, mission, college, work...  After graduation these students will have times where they will be asked and expected to stand up in front of others and express their ideas with confidence.

In my oppinion the student would be best served if their devotional is based upon a scripture that is part of the specific year's study (e.g. we are studying the Book of Mormon so the scripture should be a verse or verses from the Book of Mormon).  If they are allowed to select any scripture or topic then they will just reuse devotionals from previous years and are not increasing their scope of understanding of the scriptures.  Plus it can help to encourage more thought about the verses that they are reading in nightly study.  If they are not doing nightly study then this might at least get them to have one night for evening reading or might even inspire additional reading.  Lastly if they are preparing from the same scriptures that you are studing in class then they might be more prepared for your lessons and might make the lessons a little more proactive.

I have included a link to a document that could help assist the student in preparing their devotional (download).  This document has a section for the student to write down the background for the scripture, the scripture itself and the personal application for the scripture.  It should be encouraged to not use lengthy scriptures, and the overall devotional should only be about 5 minutes in length.  Any less than that and the student will not get as much out of it.  Any more and the audience will be lost (it is 6 am after all).  Plus you do not want it to eat into your lesson plan too much.

Seminary: Book of Mormon Scripture Mastery Matching

Here is a Book of Mormon Scripture Mastery Matching worksheet (download)  This document is a Microsoft Excel document.  The first tab has the worksheet and the second tab has the answer key.

Seminary: Book of Mormon Scripture Mastery Crossword Puzzle

Here is a link to a Book of Mormon Scripture Mastery Crossword Puzzle (download).  This document contains the worksheet (page 1) and the answer key (page 2).