On to week 3 and the assignments are getting more difficult and time consuming :) I am really enjoying my class and I love sharing the gospel, and my testimony with others. This week we studied in D&C 14-19. Below is a little description of the option I chose to report on this week. I would love any and all insights :)
Justine Sanders
10-04-11
FDREL 324
Kelly Anderson
Student Choice #2
(Week 3)
Choice #2 (section 18:20):
What new insights do you receive from the following scriptures that helps you better understand what it means to “contend against … the church of the devil?”
D&C 18:20: I thought it was interesting that we should not contend against any church, unless it is of the devil and unless it draws us to doing things against the teachings of Christ. I think it is such a blessing and a duty, to share the gospel with everyone, especially those not of our faith. How amazing is it that the Holy Ghost can and will inspire us to know what to say, because those who are not of our faith, who we are teaching, are lost, and they need our help, the Holy Ghosts' guidance, and Christ and His gospel to come back.
1 Nephi 14:10: “Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” This is pretty self explanatory. Whoever chooses the only true church upon the earth, is of the church of the Lamb of God, all others are not and they will never be.
1 Nephi 13:4–9: We read that following the promptings of the adversary and not doing what we know we should be doing draws down into a course that truly will bind and confine us. This reminds me of a lot of the talks that we heard in conference this weekend about how we live our lives, especially in accordance with our personal morality. This makes me think about the world and all of the addictive things it puts in our path: drugs, alcohol, violence, and sex. In our society, we are bombarded with temptations from Satan, at every turn. I know that be following and keeping the commandments we can save ourselves, our families, and those who are struggling from falling too far away from the path.
1 Nephi 22:23: “For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.”
2 Nephi 28:18–19: “But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall thereof. For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;” This is talking about the wicked and how Satan can wrap them, even with his flaxen chords, and lead them down, with his everlasting chains, to Hell.
What quote from a general authority of the Church helps you better explain this admonition?
First, I thought it was important to point this out: The “church of the devil” does not refer to a specific church but to any person, group, organization, or philosophy that works against the church of Jesus Christ and the salvation of the children of God. Truth and goodness can certainly be found outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the fulness of the gospel, which is only found in the restored Church, is essential for the salvation our Heavenly Father desires for His children. As President Joseph Fielding Smith said about Doctrine and Covenants 18:20 , “We must understand that this is instruction to us to contend against all evil, that which is opposed to righteousness and truth” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:83).
I also read, Hearken Unto the Voice of God by Bernard P. Brockbank, in which he said, “The Lord has commanded and warned man to obey and hearken unto his voice or to be subject to the power and dominion of the devil. The Lord said: “Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; That is a warning to all mankind. It is very important to know that Satan has power to deceive men and to blind men and to lead men captive at his will, even as many as will not hearken unto the voice of the Lord. Sin and evil come from Satan, and godliness and eternal life in the kingdom of God are from the Lord.” I really liked this quote, because he tells us how important it is to be aware of and fight against Satan. He may not have a lot to work with, but he sure knows how to push our buttons. I think it is so important that we take control of our lives, and are not blinded to Satans influence, and all of the lies he feeds us.
From everything I have read and gleaned from these talks and scriptures, I would say that we need not actually contend against any wrong church, but that we stick up for what we know is true and preach the only true and living gospel here on this earth. I think one of the most profound ways to teach someone is find out everything they believe/claim to know and build off of that. If you show them that you believe something that they believe, and that there is “more to the story” than they actually know, they are more willing to let the true gospel in and accept it, because it is not as far off from their original beliefs.
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