Week 5.... :)

On to week 5! This week we studied in D&C 27-29. I am going to focus on section 29 and below is a little description of my assignment and some of my insights.

I would love any and all comments :)

Justine Sanders

10-18-11

FDREL 324

Kelly Anderson

Student Choice #4

(Week 5)

Three Truths About the Creation:

— D&C 29:31

— For by the power of my Spirit created I them; yea, all things both spiritual and temporal—

— I think it is very important to remember that the Lord created all things. How can we have a testimony of everything the Lord is and does, if we do not first believe that he created all things? It is very important to have a testimony of his creation, so we may believe that the Lord and His son, even our Savior, Jesus Christ, do exist.

— D&C 29:32

— First spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work; and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work—

— When creating the world and us, it is important to remember that we were spirits before we came to this world. This will always give us the assurance that we lived before we came here. Receiving a witness that we had a spirit before this world will validate more than we can even comprehend; it is essential.

— D&C 29:34

— Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created.

— When the Lord created the earth and everything in it, he saw a much greater purpose and meaning than we ever could. Until we have been in his position, a creator of worlds, we cannot begin to grasp everything he has done for us. Not only that, but also, His laws are His own and have a greater purpose.

Three Truths About the Fall:

— D&C 29:36

— And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;

— One thing that investigators learn is about the Fall of Adam and how we came to be here on the earth. It’s important for us to know that Adam and Eve were both tempted by the devil in the Garden of Eden, not just one or the other.

— D&C 29:40

— Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation.

— Adam was commanded not to partake of the forbidden fruit, but because of his agency, he chose to succumb to the temptations of the devil along with Eve. D&C 29:39 - “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 bitter they could not know the sweet.”

— D&C 29:41

— Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say: Depart, ye cursed.

— Since Adam and Even submitted themselves to the temptations of the devil, they were cast out of the garden and given the laws and ordinances needed in order for them, and their children, to return to the Lord.

Three Truths About the Atonement:

— D&C 29:1

— Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;

— As Latter-day Saints, we believe, that our Savior Jesus Christ atoned for our sins because of his mercy and desire for us to live with him again. Some have even received a witness for themselves as to who the Savior, Jesus Christ is, and have been able to enjoy the blessings of the atonement, even though Christ had to suffer for us, in Gethsemane so we could use the atonement in our lives.

— D&C 29:3

— Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.

— We are blessed with the opportunity to repent as much as is needed. But after we repent we need to remember that if we sin again and don’t try to change, then we will be in more trouble. It is like saying “sorry”. My parents would always say, “Sorry means you won’t do it again.” Obviously that is something that has stuck with me, and it is for a good reason. When we say sorry it means that we are trying to change, trying not to repeat a bad habit, trying to be better. If we continually sin, there is greater need for a change of heart, so that we can change and sin no more.

— D&C 29:17

— And it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent; for the cup of mine indignation is full; for behold, my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not.

— Those who don’t repent will be cursed. If we won’t listen to the Lord, then He will not exercise His mercy in return. We need to be willing to give everything that we have to make a change and become a new, better person, only through His sanctification. We need to be willing to give Him everything, because He gave us everything and more.

What do those truths teach you (as a Latter-day Saint) about God’s love for us?

— Although I have had a glimpse into how much the Lord loves me and my family, and this church, it is hard to fully comprehend. He loves us SO much, we CANNOT, ever, fully comprehend. I think sometimes it is hard for people to realize that it is BECAUSE he loves us that he gives us restrictions, rules, and commandments, so that we may be protected and so that we can grow from our experiences. By obeying what the Lord has set in place for us, we’re not showing signs of weakness, but obedience and our willingness to serve Him who created us. God loves us so much, that is why He gave us these commandments; It’s not the other way around. When people complain and really struggle through trials, they may say that He gave us commandments because He dislikes or hates us. This is far from the truth, although sometimes it REALLY is hard. He LOVES us SO much. He is doing everything in his power to help us succeed in our journey here on earth so that we can return back to him. We just need to listen to his council.