66

We were able to hold seminary today. Yay! We ate donuts and watched "To This End Was I Born"-- a powerful part of the seminary dvd.

As difficult as it is to watch this depiction of the crucifixion, it is wonderful to remember the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us-- particularly at this time of year when we celebrate His birth.

Before this world was, He was chosen to be our Savior. He blessed many while He was here and then suffered for each one of us. It is also glorious to remember the resurrection is real. I felt the Spirit particularly strongly during the part of the movie where spirits await Him in the spirit world after His death. It strengthened my testimony. I know that we will be reunited with loved ones after this life. That is immeasurably comforting.

After the movie, we read Omni 1:26 and asked ourselves what we can do to come unto the Savior. It is one of the only gifts we can give Him.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful New Year!!!

65

Hopefully, tomorrow's predicted snow storm won't keep us from holding seminary. It will be our last day before the Christmas break. I will keep an eye on the weather report and call everybody if we have to cancel. Either way, we will continue to study Matthew 26 into the New Year. There are many important principles taught and events that occur in this chapter.

Today, we reviewed how a woman who had an alabaster box of very precious ointment used it on Jesus at the Passover Supper. His disciples thought they should have sold it and given it to the poor. Later, Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and sought to betray Jesus. We talked about how strongly people felt about Jesus. They either hated Him or loved Him. There didn't seem to be neutral ground. This contrast in feelings and Judas' actions remind us of a church history story. There was a conversation with Joseph Smith, recounted by Daniel Tyler, an early member of the Church:

“Soon after the Prophet’s arrival in Commerce (afterwards Nauvoo) from Missouri prison, Brother Isaac Behunnin and myself made him a visit at his residence. His persecutions was the topic of conversation. He repeated many false, inconsistent and contradictory statements made [against him] by apostates, frightened members of the Church and outsiders. . . .

“When the Prophet had ended telling how he had been treated, Brother Behunnin remarked: ‘If I should leave this Church I would not do as those men have done: I would go to some remote place where Mormonism had never been heard of[,] settle down, and no one would ever learn that I knew anything about it.’

“The great Seer immediately replied: ‘Brother Behunnin, you don’t know what you would do. No doubt these men once thought as you do. Before you joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it.’” (Juvenile Instructor, 15 Aug. 1892, 491–92).

A student shared how someone she knows who has left the church is very negative about it. People who once had a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel are often the church's worst enemies. At the very least, church-related things bother them. They can't seem to leave them alone.

We talked about Matthew 26:26–29 and the important symbolism of the sacrament. We watched a clip of Elder Perry talking about the sacredness and blessing of partaking of it. Then we read this quote by Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“Every time we take the bread and water, there should be a reconsecration, a rededication. When we are not living the commandments, when we are in transgression, when we have angers and hatreds and bitterness, we should consider seriously if we should take the sacrament” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 225).

We also read 1 Corinthians 11:23–29 which helps us remember the importance of partaking worthily.

Toward the end of class, we read Matthew 26:30. Right after the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn together. Singing hymns is an important blessing. In part, the First Presidency Preface to Hymns found in the hymn book says:

“Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.

"Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.”

To finish class, I read the words of one of my favorite sacrament hymns: ("In Humility," LDS hymn #172. Lyrics by Mabel Jones Gabbott)

In humility, our Savior,
Grant thy Spirit here, we pray,
As we bless the bread and water
In thy name this holy day.
Let me not forget, O Savior,
Thou didst bleed and die for me
When thy heart was stilled and broken
On the cross at Calvary.

Fill our hearts with sweet forgiving;
Teach us tolerance and love.
Let our prayers find access to thee
In thy holy courts above.
Then, when we have proven worthy
Of thy sacrifice divine,
Lord, let us regain they presence;
Let thy glory round us shine.

64

I love days like today when the students do an amazing job teaching each other. I divided them into two groups to study the parables in Matthew 25. One group studied the parable of the 10 virgins and the other studied the parable of the talents.

After they drew pictures of the parables, they explained what happens in them. They also answered how the parables relate to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, how they apply to us today, and how we can better prepare for the Second Coming because we know them. The students did an excellent job.

From Elder Harold B. Lee, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, we learn that the virgins symbolize “those who were professed believers in Christ” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1951, 26).

President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 256).

There is another parable in Matthew 25-- the parable of the sheep and goats. We discussed this a few weeks ago when we studied our scripture mastery scripture Matthew 25:40.

We finished the class by reading Mosiah 26:25-27 and with a testimony that if we apply what we've learned from these parables, we will be prepared for the Second Coming.

63

Can you recognize at least one of the three famous people from these cut up magazine pieces? One is a musician, producer, and critic; one is a teenage rockstar; and one is a movie director and actor.

It can be as easy to recognize the signs of the Second Coming as it is to recognize the picture of a famous person. You just have to have all the puzzle pieces and put them together. Our lesson today focused on Matthew 24 and its translation in Joseph Smith-Matthew which tell signs of the Second Coming.

The students searched the scriptures for these signs and wrote them on a chart with the following information from the seminary teacher's manual:

"JS—M 1:22
False Christs and prophets will do miracles to deceive the elect.
JS—M 1:23, 28
There will be wars and rumors of wars.
JS—M 1:26
Christ will come as the sun in the east. All the earth will know He has come.
JS—M 1:27
The righteous will be gathered.
JS—M 1:29
There will be wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes.
JS—M 1:30
Wickedness and hatred will abound.
JS—M 1:31
The gospel will be preached in all the world, and then the wicked will be destroyed.
JS—M 1:32
The “abomination of desolation” will be fulfilled a second time.
JS—M 1:33
The sun and moon will not shine, and the stars will fall.
JS—M 1:34–35
All the prophecies will be fulfilled."

We discussed the students' answers. Then I asked them how they feel about the Second Coming. One student said she knows that as long as she is living the way she knows she should, she doesn't need to worry about it. We read Doctrine and Covenants 97:21–22, 25 that confirmed her answer. These verses shows that as we keep the commandments, we will be prepared for the calamities that precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

62

These three red cups represent people. I asked the students which one they would like to drink from. One said the one on the left. One said the one on the right. Nobody wanted to drink from the one in the middle. When they looked inside, they could see that the one on the left looked fine on the outside, but it was dirty inside. The one in the middle looked dirty on the outside, but it was really clean on the inside. The one on the right was clean on the inside and also on the outside. The first two cups represent types of hypocrisy.

We watched a video clip of President N. Eldon Tanner about this:

“Harry Emerson Fosdick observed that there are two kinds of hypocrisy: when we try to appear better than we are, and when we let ourselves appear worse than we are. We have been speaking of the kind of hypocrisy where people pretend to be more or better than they are. Too often, however, we see members of the Church who in their hearts know and believe, but through fear of public opinion fail to stand up and be counted. This kind of hypocrisy is as serious as the other” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 52–53).

I was particularly interested in this quote because it's a common problem among youth. It is difficult to be different, to stand out. In order to blend in, it can be tempting to misrepresent ourselves.

We read Matthew 23:1-12 and listed ways that the Pharisees were hypocritcal. Then we attempted to make a "pathway of woe" by looking at the rest of Matthew 23 and noting the things Jesus said the scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites did and what we should do instead in order to follow the "pathway to happiness." Unfortunately, we didn't have time to finish this activity. We also didn't have time to study Mark 12. We will take time at the beginning of tomorrow's class.

61

Wintry weather kept us home today. This is the view outside my front door an hour ago. Parents should have received an e-mail with the home study assignment. Please let me know if you didn't get one. Also, if you would like me to print out a copy and bring it to church on Sunday or Monday, I'll be happy to do that.

The lesson is on Matthew 22. Students should carefully read the assignment and the Study Guide material, do the activities, and fill out the chart I provided in the assignment.

What follows is a list of some of the principles taught in Matthew 22. I took these directly from a completed chart the students will be filling out. These are not all of the principles taught there and they are a little out of order. The students only need to write the principles on the chart that they discover in their reading.

1. All things are possible to those who ask God with faith.

2. Through repentance we can serve our Heavenly Father.

3. The Lord will accept those who follow Him willingly and correctly.

4. The great commandment is to love God.

5. The second great commandment is to love others.

6. The Resurrection is real-- those who aren’t sealed won’t be married in the Resurrection (see also D&C 132:15–16).

By putting forth an effort to do the home study assignment, I am confident the students will be blessed and will increase their testimonies of these principles.

60

These are dried mission figs. In Matthew 21, the story of when Jesus cursed the fig tree is retold. The fig tree should have had fruit since its leaves were out, but it didn't. This was like the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day. They appeared righteous (like they should have had fruit) but they were not. Among other important events, this took place during the last week of His life. Last time we talked about fig trees, I promised I'd bring figs. Unfortunately, the fresh ones aren't in season, so I brought dry ones.

The picture to the right shows fresh figs and one dried calmyrna fig. Fresh, figs are juicy and sweet. Dried, they taste like Fig Newtons.

We talked about two other events that occured in that week. First, that Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey which fulfilled Jewish tradition and prophecy. Second, we talked about how the Savior cleansed the temple. After these events the Jewish leaders were more angry. Not many days later, they would crucify Him.

It is heartbreaking to think about what they did to Him. Why did He have to suffer so much? Why did He have to die? I passed out a handout that I made from the seminary New Testament Video Guide that I called, "Why Do I Need a Savior?" This is a major part of the Plan of Salvation. We read through these and some of the associated scriptures. A student was surprised to learn many of these doctrinal truths are found in the Bible-- not only in modern revelation. Thankfully, we have modern revelation to clarify these doctrines.

"1. God’s work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Eternal life is God’s life (see D&C 19:10–12; see also John 17:3). It means to live with God and to be like Him.
2. In order to become like God, we had to leave His presence and prove ourselves worthy of returning to Him (see Abraham 3:24–25).
3. The Fall of Adam and Eve was an important and necessary part of the plan of salvation (see Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22).
4. Though the Fall was necessary for us, it also put us at risk in terms of our salvation (see Romans 3:23; Ephesians 5:5; Moses 6:57).
5. The Father chose His Only Begotten Son before the foundation of the world to be our Savior and Redeemer (see John 3:16; 1 Peter 1:18–20).
6. Because of the Atonement we can return to live with God and be like Him (Matthew 5:48; Romans 8:17)."

After discussing these truths, we watched an important movie that does a great job explaining the doctrines of justice and mercy. Because our Savior is perfect, His merciful sacrifice paid the price to satisfy justice that will allow us to return to live with our Father in Heaven. A student concluded class by reading Alma 42:15 which helps us understand this doctrine.

59

This is one of the greatest gifts I've been given. My mom gave it to me. My grandmother made it. It reminds me of my heritage. It reminds me of the beautiful, clean, things in the temple.

Today, our lesson was about great gifts. The greatest gift that God has given us is found in Doctrine and Covenants 14:7: "And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."

John 12 tells how Mary gave Jesus a special gift. She annointed His feet with a very costly ointment called spikenard. Judas Iscariot said he thought they should sell the ointment for money and give the money to the poor. Jesus knew he was more interested in the money than in the poor. Clearly, Judas felt differently about Jesus than Mary did. She loved Him and gave Him a gift that meant a lot.

We can show our love to Him by giving Him gifts. Brother Baker, the Seminary and Institutes Coordinator in our area, dropped in for a surprise visit. He said, we can give Jesus Christ the gift of accepting His gifts. That means being willing to accept those things that will lead us to eternal life-- life with our Father in Heaven-- the greatest gift of all.

58

I love the DVD "Finding Faith in Christ." This morning, we watched the portion that shows when Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead. In the New Testament, this story is told in John 11. It is significant that this miracle occured not long before Jesus Christ Himself was crucified and resurrected. It bears testimony of the power He has over death. There are two quotes we read as a class that help us understand why Lazarus was allowed to die.

First, by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

“Why this studied buildup, this centering of attention upon one of the mightiest miracles of his ministry? Two reasons in particular stand out. (1) As our Lord neared the climax of his mortal ministry, he was again bearing testimony, in a way that could not be refuted, of his Messiahship, of his divine Sonship, of the fact that he was in very deed the literal Son of God; and (2) He was setting the stage, so as to dramatize for all time, one of his greatest teachings: That he was the resurrection and the life, that immortality and eternal life came by him, and that those who believed and obeyed his words should never die spiritually” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:530–31).

Then, by Elder James E. Talmage:

“No question as to the actual death of Lazarus could be raised, for his demise had been witnessed, his body had been prepared and buried in the usual way, and he had lain in the grave four days. At the tomb, when he was called forth, there were many witnesses, some of them prominent Jews, many of whom were unfriendly to Jesus and who would have readily denied the miracle had they been able. God was glorified and the divinity of the Son of Man was vindicated in the result” (Jesus the Christ, 496).

Thankfully, we know that the resurrection is real. Jesus Christ truly has power over death. We watched a quote from President Monson that he gave in 2001, right after the events of 9/11. He testifies of the reality of the resurrection. In this talk he said powerful and comforting words and quotes from John 11:25-26.

"Frequently death comes as an intruder. It is an enemy that suddenly appears in the midst of life’s feast, putting out its lights and gaiety. Death lays its heavy hand upon those dear to us and at times leaves us baffled and wondering. In certain situations, as in great suffering and illness, death comes as an angel of mercy. But for the most part, we think of it as the enemy of human happiness.

"The darkness of death can ever be dispelled by the light of revealed truth. 'I am the resurrection, and the life,' spoke the Master. 'He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.'

"This reassurance—yes, even holy confirmation—of life beyond the grave could well provide the peace promised by the Savior when He assured His disciples: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'

"Out of the darkness and the horror of Calvary came the voice of the Lamb, saying, 'Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' And the dark was no longer dark, for He was with His Father. He had come from God, and to Him He had returned. So also those who walk with God in this earthly pilgrimage know from blessed experience that He will not abandon His children who trust in Him. In the night of death, His presence will be 'better than [a] light and safer than a known way.'"

You may have noticed, at LDS funerals, we often learn about the Plan of Salvation. That's because we believe that knowing the Plan of Salvation, and understanding that death is part of the plan, can help us feel comfort and peace. Knowing that Jesus Christ has power over death, that we will all be resurrected, and can be reunited, gives us hope.

57

This morning, I gathered a few sheep from around my house. They are all very unique. You can probably tell, the two in front are finger puppets I made for my kids years ago. I love these sheep.
*

John 10 teaches us how Jesus is like a shepherd. As we read John 10:1–28 together, we listed on the chalkboard what He does that illustrates this: He knows the names of His sheep; He leads them and they follow; He is willing to lay down His life; He protects them; and He gathers them together.

We watched a clip of Elder Lasater that was given in a conference talk (Ensign, May 1988, 74). He talks about a visit he made to the Morrocan desert. While there, they encountered a shepherd. One of his lambs was injured. I love the part where Elder Lasater says:

"It was then that I noticed the old shepherd reach down, lift the injured lamb in his arms, and place it in a large pouch on the front of his robe. He kept stroking its head, repeating the same word over and over again. When I asked the meaning of the word, I was informed, ‘Oh, he is calling it by name. All of his sheep have a name, for he is their shepherd, and the good shepherds know each one of their sheep by name.’”

I have no doubt that God knows us and loves each of us individually.When Joseph Smith saw the First Vision, the first thing said to him was his own first name, "Joseph." I know He knows my name and I know He knows yours.

How is that possible?

Clearly, He is all powerful. We read several scriptures that can help us understand why He would care: Luke 12:6–7; D&C 76:24; Moses 1:37–39.

When people are like sheep and follow the Shepherd, Jesus Christ, it is not the same as blind following. We always have a choice. We always have the right to ask questions. We also continually and completely trust our Shepherd. We know Him and we know He knows and loves us.

*

Mosiah 5:10–13 doesn't use the word "sheep," but we can learn from these verses how we can be true followers of Jesus Christ.

56

This picture of our daughter was taken a few years ago. She is now fifteen years old. When she was born, we were surprised to discover she has Down Syndrome. When she was six, we were also told she has severe autism. We love her very much. She has taught us a lot about patience, service, and love.

Why are people born with disabilities? We all have weaknesses of one kind or another. Some people just have less obvious ones. As a class, we discussed this question for a while. The students gave various answers such as it is "a test," "punishment," "so others can learn to serve," "not everything in life is perfect," "nature," and "because it's God's will."

In John 9:1-3 the Jews asked a similar question. Jesus' answer applied to this particular blind man and teaches us one reason people experience trials in life. He had the power to heal the man and could manifest the power of God through him-- just as He has the power to heal us.

I shared three statements with the students. The first two are by Elder Neal A. Maxwell.

“This is a doctrine . . . which reminds us mortals that we do not have all of the data. There are many times when we must withhold judgment and trust God lest we misread, as did Jesus’ disciples when they inquired about the man blind from birth and Jesus gave the immortal reply: ‘Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him’ (see John 9:1–3)” (But for a Small Moment [1986], 94).

And...

“There are clearly special cases of individuals with special limitations in life, which we cannot now fathom. Like him who was ‘blind from birth,’ some come to bring glory to God. (John 9:1–2.) We must be exceedingly careful about imputing either wrong causes or wrong rewards to all such. They are in the Lord’s hands and he loves them perfectly. Some of those who have required much waiting upon in this life may be waited upon in the next world—but for the highest of reasons” (Things As They Really Are [1978], 26).

Then we watched a clip from a conference talk given by Elder Boyd K. Packer found here Ensign, May 1991, 7–9. It is a beautiful and important talk. One thing he says is: __________________________________

“If healing does not come in mortal life, it will come thereafter. Just as the gorgeous monarch butterfly emerges from a chrysalis, so will spirits emerge." __________________________________

I love this image. I'm looking forward to the day when my daughter's spirit is able to emerge. The doctrine of the resurrection is true. We read Alma 40:23 to remind us of its blessing.

We talked about how not only do some experience physical blindness, but many suffer from spiritual blindness. For the rest of the class, we went through verses in John 9 that illustrate different types of blindness.

***

I know Jesus Christ can heal us in whatever way we will let Him heal us.

55

Though our reading assignment also included Matthew 20, we concentrated on Mark 10 today. We found out what the rich young man, Peter, James, John, Bartimaeus, and Jesus felt was most important-- what they desired. Our desires have an important impact on our lives.

As it says in Alma 41:5-6, "The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh. And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness."

The students were invited to consider their desires and where they may lead them. We should strive to make our desires more eternal and Christlike. Happy, righteous desires lead to a happy, righteous eternity.

54

John 8:1-11 tells about when the Pharisees brought a woman who had sinned to Jesus and reminded Him that under the law of Moses she should be stoned. Jesus' answer reveals how we should react to the sins of others. He said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." Clearly, none of us are without sin. We talked about not judging others, being tolerant, and concentrating on our own weaknesses rather than other's. We also mentioned that gossipping about other people's sins is kind of like stoning them in some ways.

We should cultivate tolerance. At the same time there are some very important things to remember. Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve said:

“Although [God] loves the sinner, he ‘cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.’ (D&C 1:31.) As sinners we will better appreciate his love and kindness if similar abhorrence for sin impels us to transform our lives through repentance” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, 59).

We watched a clip of Elder Nelson saying this:

“I have been impressed to speak on the subject of tolerance—a virtue much needed in our turbulent world. But in discussing this topic, we must recognize at the outset that there is a difference between tolerance and tolerate. Your gracious tolerance for an individual does not grant him or her license to do wrong, nor does your tolerance obligate you to tolerate his or her misdeed. That distinction is fundamental to an understanding of this vital virtue” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1994, 90; or Ensign, May 1994, 69).

And then we read this quote that President Hinckley gave in the year 2000:

“Teach them to seek for good friends. They are going to have friends, good or bad. Those friends will make a vast difference in their lives. It is important that they cultivate an attitude of tolerance toward all people, but it is more important that they gather around them those of their own kind who will bring out the best they have within them. Otherwise they may be infected with the ways of their associates.”

Also in John 8, in verse 32 it says, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." We spent the remainder of the class time discussing how sin can trap us spiritually, socially, mentally, and physically. The students came up with some great examples which we wrote on the chalkboard.

53

It is clear why John 7:17 was chosen as a scripture mastery scripture. It is essential.

"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

We have the blessing and opportunity to experiment on the word of God. A great description of how this works is found in Alma 32:26-42. The bulk of our lesson was discussing this important blessing. We talked about how it begins with a desire to know and a willingness to live the doctrine with a humble heart. After a while, we are blessed with evidence that a commandment is good and from our Heavenly Father.

The students were given the opportunity to privately identify where their own testimony is lacking and to try an experiment to build it.

52

I was very happy students came to seminary this morning. It's not easy to get back into the early routine after a whole week off.

We have started memorizing John 3:5. It is a short one. It's about being born again. We had a lesson on the subject before, but I felt like we needed to discuss it again.

To help us understand more about the subject, we watched seven minutes of Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk called "Born Again." My favorite part of the talk is where he says:

"You may ask, Why doesn't this mighty change happen more quickly with me? You should remember that the remarkable examples of King Benjamin's people, Alma, and some others in scripture are just that-- remarkable and not typical. For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. Being born again, unlike our physical birth, is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central purpose of mortality.

"At the same time, let us not justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you, temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as He and our Father are holy."

For the rest of class, to ease us back in and to review recent Bible stories, we watched some of the Bible Stories for Children Video: "The Good Samaritan", "Jesus Tells Three Stories--The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, The Lost Son," and "The Ten Lepers." They are important stories and it was a good review.

51

Today's lesson was on Luke 17 where Jesus taught His disciples about the Second Coming.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said:

“Prophecies foretelling the events incident to the first and second comings of the Messiah were confused in the minds of the Jews. They falsely assumed that at his first coming he would come with an outward display of power which would overthrow and destroy all earthly kingdoms. Accordingly, basing their inquiry on a false premise, and with some apparent sarcasm, they demand an answer to this mocking question: ‘If thou art the promised Messiah, as you have repeatedly claimed to be, when will thy power be manifest, when will the Roman yoke be broken, when will the kingdom of God actually come?’” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:539).

Jesus taught one way we can prepare is by expressing gratitude. The story of the ten lepers is found in Luke 17. Of the ten who were healed by Jesus Christ, only one thanked Him.

About gratitude, President David O. McKay said:

“Gratitude is deeper than thanks. Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts” (“The Meaning of Thanksgiving,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1964, 914).

What a great lesson for this Thanksgiving time! Hopefully we can continually express gratitude to our Heavenly Father for our many blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!

50

Today, all the students are doing home study seminary. If anyone has lost their instruction sheets, please let me know.

From the New Testament Institute manual, we learn more about Luke 16. It says:

"In the famous parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus we are exposed to two different conditions in the postmortal world: 'Abraham’s bosom' and 'hell.' The former is depicted as a place of rest, the latter a place of torment. Between the two 'is a great gulf fixed' which prevents social interchange between the two. Such was the condition prior to Christ’s visit to the spirit world between the time of his death and his resurrection:

"What is Abraham’s bosom? Read Alma 40:11, 12.

"What is hell? Read Alma 40:13, 14 and 2 Nephi 9:12.

"The Savior’s visit to the spirit world bridged the gulf between paradise (Abraham’s bosom) and hell, making it possible for the spirits in prison to receive the message of the gospel by authorized ministers.

"'There was no intermingling by the spirits in paradise and hell until after Christ bridged the ‘great gulf’ between these two spirit abodes. (Alma 40:11–14.) This he did while his body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea and his own disembodied spirit continued to minister to men in their spirit prison. (1 Pet. 3:18–21; 4:6; Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., pp. 472–476.) ‘Until that day’ the prisoners remained bound and the gospel was not preached to them. (Moses 7:37–39.) The hope of salvation for the dead was yet future.' (McConkie, DNTC, 1:521.)"

I am very thankful the scriptures teach us more about the Spirit World and what our Savior has done for all of us. Thankfully, because of His atonement, we all have the opportunity to learn the truth and choose to return to our Heavenly Father.

49

In my hand, I'm holding something very special to me. My grandfather made it for a necklace for my grandmother out of a gemstone called chrysoprase. This particular stone came from either California, where they lived, or Australia where they traveled. To me, it's a symbol of the love of my grandparents. For a while, I lost it. I was devastated and looked everywhere. Happily, after several months, I found it on the floor of my closet.

Have you ever lost something important to you?

Doctrine and Covenants 18:10-16 tells us how important we are to our Heavenly Father. Our salvation is important to Him. He loves all of us.

In Luke 15, we read three parables about lost things: the lost sheep wandered to other fields; the lost coin was lost through carelessness; and the lost son rebelled and was lost by choice. No matter what the reason, we know as Elder James E. Talmage taught:

"Joy abounds in heaven over the recovery of a soul once numbered among the lost...The loss of a soul is a very real and very great loss to God. He is pained and grieved thereby, for it is His will that no one should perish."

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we can help bring back those who are lost through our sincere love and friendship.

48

I confess. I love chocolate. For me, it's worth it to pay neary $6 for 30 little squares of this particular dark chocolate rather than $1.25 for a big chocolate bar. I'm willing to pay the price because I value the product.

There is also a price of discipleship. Sometimes we are asked to sacrifice personal comforts and desires. In Luke 14, we learn some of the expectations that Jesus Christ has for His disciples. We are asked to place the kingdom of God first in our lives and in our hearts. The price is worth the blessings.

After reading Luke 14:25-34 together, we read a great quote by Elder Maxwell about choosing to follow the Savior. He says:

"It is not just that God will insist that we choose for our own sake, but that those who depend upon us, or use us as a reference point, need and deserve to know which way we are going. It is no good posing as a lifeguard if one is a non-swimmer. It is no good being a guide if one leaves his post and wanders with the multititude in search of another way, 'for there is none other way,' especially at a time when there is a sharper and sharper divergence in the way of the world and the straight and narrow way. The disciple must not only stand in 'holy places' but on holy issues and 'not be moved.'"

We finished class by watching the last half of a talk called "The Way" by Elder Corbridge of the Seventy, which he gave in the Saturday afternoon session of this last General Conference. It is an excellent talk that makes our choice of whether to follow the Savior or not very clear. Among other things, Elder Corbridge says this:

"We can either follow the Lord and be endowed with His power and have peace, light, strength, knowledge, confidence, love, and joy, or we can go some other way, any other way, whatever other way, and go it alone—without His support, without His power, without guidance, in darkness, turmoil, doubt, grief, and despair. And I ask, which way is easier?"

47

Today we learned a few things about what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ from Luke 12 and 13. After reading a handout on the subject, I divided the class into two groups. One studied Luke 12 and the other Luke 13. The groups wrote what they learned on the chalkboard. That was it! Time flew.

46

We discussed two topics found in Luke 11 today: prayer and hypocrisy. In verse 1, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. He gives them an example in verses 2-4. Then in verses 5-13, He tells two parables that teach more about prayer. We talked about the kinds of things we should pray for, what we should not pray for, and how we should pray. We are blessed to know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us and wants us to pray to Him anytime, anywhere, and about anything that matters to us.

Then I gave two students presents! They both looked so cute with the decorations on the bags and the colorful tissue paper. Cute! Inside, it was a different story. By looking at the outside, can you tell the difference between them?

One had this inside: a pure, fresh, delicious, healthy, honeycrisp apple from New York. Truly a wonderful gift worthy of its wrapping.




The other was this: a combination of rotton, squashed tomatoes, leftout-all-night apple smush, and chicken wing bones. Which gift do you suppose represents hypocrisy?


According to the Bible Dictionary, a hypocrite is "one who pretends to be religious when he is not." The Pharisees had this weakness. It is different than a person who teaches good things and tries to do right, but who makes mistakes because of their weaknesses. One student pointed out, "It depends on their motives." When we are sincerely trying to live what we appear to believe, we are not being hypocritical even though we may be imperfect.

45

Oh, I wish I could post pictures of the students! We had some great acting going on in class today. I divided the students into two groups. One group acted out the parable of the Good Samaritan. The other told the story of Mary and Martha and their visit with Jesus. Both groups did an excellent job. I was very happy everyone participated.

The parable and the situation are both told in Luke 10. From them, we learn more about how we should treat our neighbors and about our relationship with Jesus Christ. We watched several conference clips about these stories. We discussed what we can do to have the Spirit with us on a daily basis.

We also worked on memorizing Matthew 25:40. It won't take long to memorize.

Happy Monday!

44

I hear a student brought donuts to class today. Thank you!

This is the map that a student drew yesterday. Also a list of some child-like qualities they discussed in class.

Brother Koehler said they concentrated on Matthew 18:7-22 today. They also read Mark 9:38-50 and Luke 17:1-4. The focus of the lesson was on the quality of forgiving others. They finished the class by watching the first part of the church movie "Teach the Child" which went along perfectly with the lesson.

Also, most were able to pass off the scripture mastery. Way to go!

I should be back to teaching on Monday.

43

Brother Koehler, a man with a great knowledge and love for the scriptures, will be substituting in seminary for a few days.

He began class sharing the context of what we have been learning in seminary. He had a student draw a map of the Sea of Galilee, Capernum, and Mt. Hermon on the chalkboard. (He said she did an impressive job and that he'll take a camera with him tomorrow.) He showed the class where to find the Harmony of the Gospels that shows what we have been studying. It's found in the Bible Dictionary. Then he asked three students to read the different accounts of those events that happened between the Mt. of Transfiguration and where Jesus taught in Matthew 18.

Jesus said that unless we are converted and become like a little child, we can't enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). The focus of the lesson was on the principle of conversion and the qualities we should develop. They read Mosiah 3:19 and finished the class with Moroni 10:32.

Tomorrow, Brother Koehler said the students should finish memorizing Matthew 16:15-19. They are doing an excellent job memorizing.

Thank you Brother Koehler!!!

42

The verses Matthew 17:14-27 were our focus today. In 14-21, the disciples were not able to cure a man. Jesus taught them three things that can also help us overcome difficulties: faith, prayer, and fasting.

We also learn that Jesus followed the laws of the land. Elder James E. Talmage said,

"Our Savior's work on earth was marked throughout by His acknowledgment of the existing powers of the land, both Jewish and Roman....When the tax-collector called for the tribute money demanded by the hierarchy, Christ...directed that the tax be paid, and even invoked a miraculous circumstance whereby the money could be provided."

We should follow His example and obey the laws of the land. As the 12th Article of Faith says, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."

41

We covered Matthew 17:1-13 today in class. It talks about events on the Mount of Transfiguration. After the students read material from the student manual, they answered the question, "What did Peter, James, and John learn about Jesus on the mount?"

We talked about the things that happened there. According to Elder Bruce R. McConkie, there were ten main events:

“(1) Jesus singled out Peter, James, and John from the rest of the Twelve; took them upon an unnamed mountain; there he was transfigured before them, and they beheld his glory. . . .

“(2) Peter, James, and John, were themselves ‘transfigured before him’ (Teachings [of the Prophet Joseph Smith], p. 158). . . .

“(3) Moses and Elijah . . . appeared on the mountain; and they and Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, James, and John. (Teachings, p. 158.)

“(4) John the Baptist, previously beheaded by Herod, apparently was also present. . . .

“(5) Peter, James, and John saw in vision the transfiguration of the earth . . . that is to take place at the Second Coming when the millennial era is ushered in. [D&C 63:20–21.] . . .

“(6) It appears that Peter, James, and John received their own endowments while on the mountain. ([Joseph Fielding Smith,] Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, p. 165.) . . .

“(7) Apparently Jesus himself was strengthened and encouraged by Moses and Elijah so as to be prepared for the infinite sufferings and agony [of the] atonement. ([James E. Talmage,] Jesus the Christ, p. 373.) . . .

“(8) Certainly the three chosen apostles were taught in plainness ‘of his death and also his resurrection’ [JST, Luke 9:31]. . . .

“(9) It should also have been apparent to them that the old dispensations of the past [symbolized by Moses and Elijah] had faded away. . . .

“(10) Apparently God the Father, overshadowed and hidden by a cloud, was present on the mountain, although [Peter, James, and John apparently] heard only his voice and did not see his form” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:399–401)."


We know that Moses and Elijah were there, both as translated beings. We read verses in 3 Nephi 28:7-40 about what translated beings are like. Fascinating stuff!

40

In Matthew 16:19 we learn that because of his faith in Jesus Christ, Peter was promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

President Joseph F. Smith said:

"The Priesthood in general is the authority given to man to act for God. Every man ordained to any degree of the Priesthood, has this authority delegated to him.

"But it is necessary that every act performed under this authority shall be done at the proper time and place, in the proper way, and after the proper order. The power of directing these labors constitues the keys of the Priesthood. In their fulness, the keys are held by only one person at a time, the prophet and president of the Church. He may delegate any portion of this power to another, in which case that person holds the keys of that particular labor."

*

We talked about how we can support and honor those who hold the keys of the priesthood.

If we have faith and a testimony like Peter, we can receive many blessings. The students read several scriptures that illustrate some of these. We wrote the blessings on the board. These scriptures are: Romans 5:1, Mormon 9:21, D&C 42:12-14, D&C 52:9, and D&C 121:45.

39

I put this sign on the board and asked a student to read it. At first it was impossible, even with toy binoculars. But as they were closer to it, they could read it. It took effort. People who do not choose to see are also blind.

In Mark 8, we learn about spiritual blindness. First, the story of a miracle is told. Not long after the miracle, the Pharisees wanted Christ to show them a sign from heaven. They were spiritually blind. They'd just seen a miracle and yet they wanted to see a sign.

In verses 29 Peter testifies he knows Jesus is the Christ. Yet in verses 32, it shows he didn't see everything clearly. Understandably, he did not want Christ to suffer. But he was blind to the necessity of that part of Jesus Christ's mission.

In 1 Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, Nephi's older brothers, Laman and Lemuel saw an angel who told them to stop beating their brothers with a rod. Just after that visitation, Laman and Lemuel wonder how it is possible they will be able to get the plates from Laban. They were also spiritually blind. They'd just witnessed heavenly power but couldn't see heaven had power to help them.

Through the power of the Holy Ghost, we can overcome spiritual blindness. We can know the truth. This witness is more powerful than an outward sign or manifestation. As it says in Doctrine and Covenants 8:2, "I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."

38

Today is the birthday of one of our students. We celebrated with blueberry muffins!

Just about everybody finished memorizing Matthew 6:24. Great job! So, tomorrow we are moving on to Matthew 16:15-19. This is one of the longer scripture mastery scriptures. We can do it!

Our lesson was on Mark 7:24-37. We read the verses together. We wrote down what happened in them and what we can learn from them. One student said we can learn, "That we can rely on Him." I thought his statement was very profound and wondered how he came to that conclusion. He said that if Jesus could do those things (cast out a devil and heal a deaf and dumb man), he can also help us. Then we talked about how we could teach these principles. A student pointed out that Map 11 in the back of the Bible shows where Jesus traveled during this time.

37

Would dirty hands make one of the priests in our seminary class unworthy to hold the priesthood?

Would drinking from a dirty cup like this one make one of our young women unworthy to teach a primary class?

Of course not!

In Mark 7:1-23, we learn that the Pharisees accused Jesus and His disciples of not following the Jewish tradition of handwashing before eating. He taught that it is more important to be spiritually clean than physically clean. We talked about what that means and read 1 Nephi 15:34 and 3 Nephi 27:19-20 which help us understand the importance of being spiritually clean and repenting when we are unclean. I am thankful that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can repent.

36

What is the most glorious message ever given? We played hangman to find out.

As it says in the Bible Dictionary, “The resurrection of Jesus is the most glorious of all messages to mankind.” We read the whole dictionary entry together to learn more of why this is true.

In Luke 24:36-48 (36-39 are the scripture mastery scriptures) we read about when Jesus Christ appeared to His apostles following His resurrection. On the chalkboard, we listed many things we learn from these scriptures about resurrected beings. There is more great information about the resurrection in the Book of Mormon such as Alma 11:42-46, Alma 40:19-24, and 3 Nephi 11:12-15.

I know that because Jesus Christ was resurrected, every one of us will be resurrected to our proper and perfect form. This knowledge gives me a profound sense of peace and reassurance.

35

This morning, we sang, a'cappella, all seven verses of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief." It's a powerful song and perfectly introduced our lesson on Matthew 25:40.

We read Matthew 25:31-46 which tells the parable of the sheep and the goats. It was interesting to talk with one of our students who used to have goats to find out more about what they are like. "Sheep are dumb. Goats are smart," she said. I said, "But are goats obedient?" And she said, "If you train them to be." For the purpose of the lesson, we changed it to, "Sheep are submissive and obedient. Goats are overly independent and rebellious." I'm not sure how true that is. Maybe sheep just seem dumb to us outsiders. As far as this parable goes, we want to be like the sheep-- found on the right hand of Jesus Christ. We want to have served Him by serving others.

On the chalkboard, we listed the six ways that Jesus Christ mentions that we can help others. We found spiritual equivalents to those and talked about what we could do to serve. The students wrote down a personal goal of something they could do to help a family member, friends, leaders, or strangers. As it says in Mosiah 2:17, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

34

We experienced our first snowfall of the season last night. There were predicted potentially dangerous driving conditions. As a precaution, I decided we would all do home study today. It looks like things weren't as bad as they could have been. I hope everyone appreciated not having a last-minute decision.

Everyone should have received the home study assignment through e-mail or otherwise. Those who come to class should bring their work to class tomorrow or as soon as they have completed it so I can give them credit.

The assignment was based on our scripture mastery Matthew 16:15-19. President Joseph Fielding Smith said that knowing Jesus Christ is God's Son and that He is our Savior “comes only through the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Men may believe Jesus to be the Christ, but to know it requires revelation from the Holy Ghost.”

Through the witness of the Holy Ghost, we can know (not just believe) who Jesus Christ is and what He truly has done for us.

33

Remember that day when I put "Worldly Things" on one wall and "Heavenly Things" on the window across from it? That was Day 21. We revisited those ideas today as we studied Matthew 6:24. We cannot serve Heavenly Father and the Devil at the same time.

After working on memorizing the scripture, we read several other scriptures that shed more light on the subject. Then we read parts of this excellent article, a First Presidency message from the Ensign in September of 1995, by President James E. Faust. I printed out exerpts from the talk, the students read them, and then they shared what they found that was particularly important or meaningful to them. Everyone made excellent contributions.