When we are faithful and obedient, The Lord will help us in times of
trial. A desire to know spiritual things combined with sincere prayer, can
soften our hearts, strengthen our testimonies and lead us to be obedient. One reason
Satan encourages murmuring is to prevent people from following living prophets,
inspired leaders, and parents. When we call upon God, He can soften our hearts
to believe His words. When we share what we have learned through the Holy
Spirit, others may believe our words. God blesses those who are obedient and
faithful.
1. How does The Lord feel
about those who are faithful?
2. How was Lehi blessed for
his faithfulness? How was the command to depart a blessing to Lehi and his
family? Have you ever been given a command or direction from The Lord that you
felt was really difficult to do? What things do you know that you should be
doing, but yet, even with that knowledge you fail to carry them out in your
life?
3. How obedient are you when
it comes to seeking and following the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost?
4. What was Lehi willing to
give us for the sake of the gospel? What are you willing to sacrifice to have
the gospel in your life? What can you do to make heavenly things more important
than earthly things in your life?
5-6. What kind of journey does
it sound like Lehi's family embarked on?
7. What do you think you might
be feeling if you had just left all your possessions behind to live and journey
in the wilderness? How did Lehi feel? Why is gratitude so important
irregardless of our circumstances?
"A
grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It
is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage,
contentment, happiness, love and well-being... Gratitude is not only an
expression of faith; it is a saving principle. The Lord has said, 'And in
nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those
who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments' (D&C
59:7). It is clear to me from this scripture that to 'thank The Lord thy God in
all things' is more than a social courtesy; it is a binding commandment."
- James E Faust, New Era, November 1993
8-10. What do you think Lehi
tried to teach Laman and Lemuel by comparing them to a river and a valley?
9. How does a river teach you
of the need to consistently keep your covenants and follow the Savior?
10. Why do you think that Lehi
called the valley 'steadfast and immoveable'?
"For
[the Arabs] the valley, and not the mountain, is the symbol of permanence. It
is not the mountain of refuge to which they flee, but the valley of refuge. The
great depressions that run for hundreds of miles across the Arabian peninsula
pass for the most part through plains devoid of mountains. It is in these
ancient river beds alone that water, vegetation, and animal life are to be
found when all else is desolation. They alone offer men and animals escape from
their enemies and deliverance from death by hunger and thirst. The qualities of
firmness and steadfastness, of reliable protection, refreshment, and sure
refuge when all else fails, which other nations attribute naturally to
mountains, the Arabs attribute to valleys." - Hugh Nibley
11-14. What causes murmuring?
12. Why did Nephi believe and
obey his father while Laman and Lemuel murmured and rebelled? What was the
reason Laman and Lemuel murmured and rebelled?
"Murmuring
consists of three stps, each leading to the next in a descending path to
disobedience. First, when people murmur, they use their own judgement and begin
to question the teachings of the living prophets. 'They [question] first in
their own minds and then [plant] questions in the minds of others.' Second,
those who murmur begin 'to rationalize and excuse themselves from doing what
they [have] been instructed to so... This, they [make] an excuse for
disobedience. The third step inevitably follows: slothfulness in following the
commandment of the Master [see D&C 58:29] ... I invite you to focus on the
commandment from living prophets that bothers you the most. Do you question
whether the commandment is applicable to you? Do you find ready excuses why you
cannot now comply with the commandment? Do you feel frustrated or irritated
with those who remind you of the commandment? Are you slothful in keeping it?
Beware of the deception of the adversary. Beware of murmuring." - H Ross
Workman, GC, October 2001
13. What can you do if you
find yourself murmuring and complaining about a commandment or church standard?
14. What power does the Spirit
have over the wicked? How can seeking to always have the Spirit to be with you,
and always seeking to follow the Spirit in thought, word and deed, help you as
you face challenges and ridicule from those who chose not to follow The Lord?
16. What is Nephi's formula
for believing, which can be applied at any time to believe any principle of the
gospel? How do you have your heart softened? Why is the condition of a soft
heart a desirable condition to have?
"To meet
the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a
knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves... The time will come when
no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be
guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you
stand?" - Heber C Kimball
17. How can your testimony
bless the lives of those who you choose to share it with? Why are you commanded
to share your knowledge of the gospel with others? How does doing so bless your
life? How dead Nephi's life blessed because he shared his knowledge with his
brother Sam?
18. How do the righteous feel
when their testimony is rejected? How can you tell that Nephi really loved his
two older, more rebellious brothers? How do you feel toward those who reject
your testimony? He often are you moved to pray for them and plead with The Lord
on their behalf?
19. Take a moment to recall a
time in your life when you called upon your Heavenly Father and experienced a
softening of your heart through the Spirit. When have you received a testimony
of something The Lord said? Record your experiences and thoughts for future
generations.
20-24. Rate hour obedience to
the principles of the gospel and the covenants you have made with The Lord. On
a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being perfectly obedient, where would you put
yourself on the scale? What can you do to increase your level of obedience in
keeping the Lord's commandments?
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