Scripture Study Insights - week four
2 Nephi 1
We live in a choice land. Repetition, repetition, repetition – remember, remember, remember. “Be men” and put on the armor of righteousness.
2 Nephi 2
Our days should be spent in the service of God. It is important to share the gospel. I’m reminded of the “agency” lesson from seminary last year:
Four Essential Elements of Agency:
1. There must be laws that define good and evil. (You can’t earn a reward if you don’t know what to do to earn it.)
2. There must be an alternate choice to what is defined as good. (You can’t be rewarded for not taking anything off the table if there’s nothing to take off the table.)
3. A person must have knowledge of what the choices and consequences are. (You can’t choose the giant candy bar in the pocket if all you see is the tiny one on the table.)
4. A person must have complete freedom to choose between the two choices. (You can’t be limited by having your selection disappear as you reach for it.)
Every day we need to repent. Satan wants us to be miserable, but it’s our choice – we can choose to follow him and be miserable like him, or we can choose to follow the Savior and receive eternal life and happiness. Says Lehi: “I have chosen the good part” – we have a lot of good examples to follow.
“A few weeks before President Heber J. Grant passed away, one of the Brethren went to visit him in his home. Before the man left, President Grant prayed, “O God, bless me that I shall not lose my testimony and keep faithful to the end!” Can you imagine President Grant, one of the great prophets of the Restoration, the President of the Church for nearly 27 years, praying that he would keep faithful to the end? No one is immune from Satan’s influence and temptations. Do not be so proud to think that you are beyond the adversary’s influence. Be watchful that you do not fall prey to his deceptions. Stay close to the Lord through daily scripture study and daily prayer. We cannot afford to sit back and take our salvation for granted. We must be anxiously engaged our whole lives. These words of President Brigham Young motivate and remind us that we can never give up the fight to endure: ‘The men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom, will find that they must battle every day [for this sacred goal].’“ (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Press On,” Ensign, Nov 2004, 101)
2 Nephi 3
God knows our individual faith. It is a work of great worth to teach others, to be an instrument to build the kingdom of God on earth. That starts within us (see Luke 17:21) because of our individual obedience (see D&C 50:35).
2 Nephi 4
Children brought up in the way of the Lord will not depart from it, which just shows how crucial teaching young children is. Parents want their children to be happy so they teach with love and the Spirit. We can delight in the scriptures; the key is to ponder them continually. “The more I learn, the more I learn I need to learn.” Do I “wax bold in mighty prayer?” (See James 5:16) Trust in God.
2 Nephi 5
Nephi shows us the pattern of happiness: keep commandments, study scriptures, teach others, attend temple, work hard (specifically mentions planting seeds, making swords, building buildings, laboring with hands, being industrious).
“I never did a day’s work in my life—it was all fun” (Thomas Edison).
“God sells us all things at the price of labor” (Leonardo da Vinci).
“Work is a spiritual necessity” (Neal A. Maxwell).
“Each will find that happiness in this world mainly depends on the work he does, and the way in which he does it” (Brigham Young).
“The privilege to work is a gift” (David O. McKay).
from the Richard Evans’ Quote Book [Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1971], pp. 43-50
After pondering this topic most of the morning, it was interesting to discover that all the sacrament meeting talks today were on work, probably because tomorrow is Labor Day. Here are a few additional scriptures to reference: Matthew 11:28-30, Alma 34:32-34, Alma 36:25, Psalm 128:2, 2 Thess. 3:10. Remember that work is a god-like duty and that working honorably is a godly trait.
2 Nephi 6
Jacob repeats Nephi’s teachings from 1 Nephi 21. Teachers repeat counsel because of concern for others. Blessings come to those who wait for the Lord. See Isaiah 40:31, D&C 133:45, and 2 Thess. 3:4-5.
We live in a choice land. Repetition, repetition, repetition – remember, remember, remember. “Be men” and put on the armor of righteousness.
2 Nephi 2
Our days should be spent in the service of God. It is important to share the gospel. I’m reminded of the “agency” lesson from seminary last year:
Four Essential Elements of Agency:
1. There must be laws that define good and evil. (You can’t earn a reward if you don’t know what to do to earn it.)
2. There must be an alternate choice to what is defined as good. (You can’t be rewarded for not taking anything off the table if there’s nothing to take off the table.)
3. A person must have knowledge of what the choices and consequences are. (You can’t choose the giant candy bar in the pocket if all you see is the tiny one on the table.)
4. A person must have complete freedom to choose between the two choices. (You can’t be limited by having your selection disappear as you reach for it.)
Every day we need to repent. Satan wants us to be miserable, but it’s our choice – we can choose to follow him and be miserable like him, or we can choose to follow the Savior and receive eternal life and happiness. Says Lehi: “I have chosen the good part” – we have a lot of good examples to follow.
“A few weeks before President Heber J. Grant passed away, one of the Brethren went to visit him in his home. Before the man left, President Grant prayed, “O God, bless me that I shall not lose my testimony and keep faithful to the end!” Can you imagine President Grant, one of the great prophets of the Restoration, the President of the Church for nearly 27 years, praying that he would keep faithful to the end? No one is immune from Satan’s influence and temptations. Do not be so proud to think that you are beyond the adversary’s influence. Be watchful that you do not fall prey to his deceptions. Stay close to the Lord through daily scripture study and daily prayer. We cannot afford to sit back and take our salvation for granted. We must be anxiously engaged our whole lives. These words of President Brigham Young motivate and remind us that we can never give up the fight to endure: ‘The men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom, will find that they must battle every day [for this sacred goal].’“ (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Press On,” Ensign, Nov 2004, 101)
2 Nephi 3
God knows our individual faith. It is a work of great worth to teach others, to be an instrument to build the kingdom of God on earth. That starts within us (see Luke 17:21) because of our individual obedience (see D&C 50:35).
2 Nephi 4
Children brought up in the way of the Lord will not depart from it, which just shows how crucial teaching young children is. Parents want their children to be happy so they teach with love and the Spirit. We can delight in the scriptures; the key is to ponder them continually. “The more I learn, the more I learn I need to learn.” Do I “wax bold in mighty prayer?” (See James 5:16) Trust in God.
2 Nephi 5
Nephi shows us the pattern of happiness: keep commandments, study scriptures, teach others, attend temple, work hard (specifically mentions planting seeds, making swords, building buildings, laboring with hands, being industrious).
“I never did a day’s work in my life—it was all fun” (Thomas Edison).
“God sells us all things at the price of labor” (Leonardo da Vinci).
“Work is a spiritual necessity” (Neal A. Maxwell).
“Each will find that happiness in this world mainly depends on the work he does, and the way in which he does it” (Brigham Young).
“The privilege to work is a gift” (David O. McKay).
from the Richard Evans’ Quote Book [Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1971], pp. 43-50
After pondering this topic most of the morning, it was interesting to discover that all the sacrament meeting talks today were on work, probably because tomorrow is Labor Day. Here are a few additional scriptures to reference: Matthew 11:28-30, Alma 34:32-34, Alma 36:25, Psalm 128:2, 2 Thess. 3:10. Remember that work is a god-like duty and that working honorably is a godly trait.
2 Nephi 6
Jacob repeats Nephi’s teachings from 1 Nephi 21. Teachers repeat counsel because of concern for others. Blessings come to those who wait for the Lord. See Isaiah 40:31, D&C 133:45, and 2 Thess. 3:4-5.
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