(Below is a list of questions that help me think about each verse as I read it. The numbers represent the verses in the chapter.)
When we have hope and faith in Jesus Christ, we will
receive strength to be steadfast and abound in good works. If we desire a
witness, then we must first exercise faith in Jesus Christ. If we are meek, we can receive the Lord's grace to help us overlook the weaknesses of others. If we come unto Jesus Christ, then He will show us our weakness. If we humble ourselves and exercise faith in the Lord, then He will make weak things become strong unto us.
1-2. What moves a prophet to preach?
3. How diligent was the prophet Ether in crying
repentance unto the people? How diligent are you in heeding that call on a
daily basis? Why should repentance be a daily part of your life?
4. How do hope and faith work together to bring forth
good works? How can your faith be like an anchor during the storms in our
lives? What can a person who believes in God hope for in spite of being
surrounded by difficulties?
"Just as ships need anchors to keep them from
drifting away on the open seas, people need spiritual anchors in their lives if
they are to remain steadfast and not drift into the sea of temptation and sin.
Faith in God and His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, is the main anchor we must
have in our lives to hold us fast during times of social turbulence and
wickedness that seem to be everywhere today." -M Russell Ballard, Ensign,
December 1993
How do you think having hope with surety is different
from merely wishing for something? What comfort does this kind of hope bring
you when you face seemingly insurmountable challenges? What can you do to
increase your faith in The Lord Jesus Christ giving you the hope necessary to
make it through the challenges you have yet to face?
5. Why didn't the people believe the great and marvelous
things which Ether prophesied?
6. What do you think if means that we receive no witness
until after the trial of our faith? What comes to mind when you think about a
trial of your faith?
"You can learn to use faith more effectively by
applying this principle taught by Moroni.... ye receive no witness until after
the trial of your faith.Thus, every time you try your faith, that is, act in
worthiness on an impression, you will receive the confirming evidence of the
Spirit. Those feelings will fortify your faith. As you repeat that pattern,
your faith will become stronger." -Richard G Scott, GC, April 2003
"You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps
into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before
you." - Harold B Lee as quoted by Boyd K Packer, March 1991 "That
particle of faith most precious and which you should protect and use to
whatever extent you can is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." -Henry B Eyring, GC, April 2012
7-8. How does exercising and showing faith cause the veil
of forgetfulness to be thinner? How can this increase your spiritual
sensitivities?
9. What are you promised for simply having faith in
Christ?
"Prophets have always had and taught ultimate hope
in Christ... You and I can be repeatedly reassured concerning this grand hope
by the Comforter, who teaches us the truth about things as they really are, and
... really will be. Such hope constitutes the anchor of the soul. Such hope is
retained through faith in Christ." -Neal A Maxwell, GC, October 1994
11. What gift was given by the power of faith?
12-22. Can God do miracles for those who do not exercise
faith?
"The need of faith is often underestimated. The ill one
and the family often seem to depend wholly on the power of the priesthood and
the gift of healing that they hope the administering brethren may have, whereas
the greater resonsibility is with him who is blessed ... The major element is
the faith of the individual when that person is conscious and accountable.,
'Thy faith hath made thee whole' was repeated so often by the Master that it
almost became a chorus." -Spencer W Kimball, New Era, October 1981
13. What did the power of faith do for Alma and Amulek?
What has the power of faith done for you?
19. How can you strengthen your faith? How does
exercising and practicing faith make your faith stronger? What specific things
can you practice that will increase your faith?
"If, because of unbelief or doubt, you find your
faith wavering, remember that even the ancient Apostles implored the Lord to
'increase our faith'. Bearing in mind that faith and reason are necessary
companions, consider the following analogy: faith and reason are like the two
wings of an aircraft. Both are essential to maintain flight. If, from your
perspective, reason seems to contradict faith, pause and remember that our
perspective is extremely limited compared to the Lord. Do not discard faith
anymore then you would detach a wing from an aircraft in-flight. Instead,
nurture a particle of faith and permit the hope it produces to be an anchor to
your soul – and to your reason. That is why we are commanded to seek learning
by study and also by faith. Remember, faith precedes and produces miracles for
which we have no immediate explanation within our experience." -Marcus B
Nash, GC, October 2012
"Throughout history, even in times of darkness
there were those who, through eyes of faith, pierced the darkness and beheld
things as they truly are.… Our homes should be havens of faith. Mothers and
fathers should teach the principles of faith to their children." – Joseph
B Wirthlin, GC, October 2002
23-25. What was Moroni's concern about how the Gentiles
would receive his record? How aware of your weaknesses are you? What feelings
are in your heart when you ponder upon your weaknesses?
"Life moves all too fast. When you feel weak,
discouraged, depressed, or afraid, open the Book of Mormon and read. Do not let
too much time pass before reading a verse, a thought, or a chapter... The
spiritual gifts described in the Book of Mormon are present in the church today
– promptings, impressions, revelations, dreams, visions, visitations, miracles.
You can be sure that the Lord can, and at times does, manifest himself with
power and great glory. Miracles can occur." – Boyd K Packer, GC, April
2005
26. Why do you think it is foolish to mock the weaknesses of others? Why do you think you need to be meek in order to overlook the weaknesses of others?
26-27. How did the Lord respond to Moroni's concerns
about his weakness? What do you think the Lord would tell you in regards to the
weaknesses that concern you in your life? Why is meekness important in reading
the Scriptures? Where do you suppose you get your weaknesses? What can we do to
help us recognize weaknesses we have? Why do you think the Lord gives us
weaknesses? How does it make you feel knowing that the Lord himself has given
you weakness? How does knowing the true source of your weakness actually
strengthen you and help you overcome it?
"Where do you suppose we get these weaknesses? If
you pose this question to a group of saints, it will astound you how many
different answers you get to this particular question. Some will say that they
are responsible for their own weaknesses; well, if you keep your weaknesses,
that's true, but that is not where they come from. Another will say weaknesses
come from heredity or environment; in either instance, we are passing the
responsibility to someone else, either our parents or our neighborhood. Both of
these sources have a great influence upon us, but they do not give us our
weaknesses. Still another may blame Lucifer, the devil, for their weaknesses;
surely he is always on the job, but this is not where we get our weaknesses,
either. Where do they really come from? The Lord tells us the answer to this
question very plainly in the Book of Mormon. So where do we get our weaknesses?
We get them from the Lord; the Lord gives us weakness so we will be humble.
This makes us teachable. Now don't misunderstand me – the Lord is not
responsible for the sin; he is only responsible for the weakness. It seems that
all men have weaknesses in one form or another, character traits that make one
more subject to a particular temptation than another… Giving us weakness,
however, is one of the Lords ways of getting our attention. He says that this
is the means he uses to make us humble, but he also says that if we will come
unto him and have faith in him, he will make us strong wherein we are weak. I
know this is the truth." – Hartman Rector Junior, GC, April 1970
"Let
us remember that the power to change is very real, and it is a great spiritual
gift from God." – James E Faust, GC, October 2007
"Doubt, fear, and
worry indicate we have taken all of life burdens and anxieties on ourselves.
When plagued by thoughts that you are inadequate, confidently say, 'I can do
all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' Then as you cheerfully do
all things that lie in your power you can rest assured that the Lord will do
the remainder and things will work out alright." – Anthony D Perkins, DC,
October 2006
"If you have problems in your life, don't assume there is
something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of
life's purpose. As we draw close to God, he will show us our weaknesses and
through them make us wiser, stronger. If you're seeing more of your weaknesses,
that just might mean you're moving near to God, not farther away." – Bruce
C Hafen, GC, April 2004
28. What qualities will draw you to the Savior?
"As I read and ponder the Scriptures, I see that
developing faith, hope and charity within ourselves is a step-by-step process.
Faith begets hope, and together they foster charity.… These three virtues may
be sequential initially, but once obtained, they become interdependent. Each
one is incomplete without the others. They support and reinforce each other....
These are the virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy characteristics we seek.…
Certainly we need unfeeling spiritual strength in our lives." – Joseph B
Wirthlin, GC, October 1998
"Unsurprisingly the triad of faith, hope, and
charity, which brings us to Christ, has strong and converging linkage: faith is
in the Lord Jesus Christ, hope is in His atonement, and charity is the 'pure
love of Christ'! Each of these attributes qualifies us for the celestial
kingdom." – Neal A Maxwell, GC, October 1994
29. How are the works of righteousness accomplished? Is
there something in your life, an attitude or behavior, that can be changed so
that you can be more effectively used as an instrument in the Lords hands to
accomplish his works of righteousness? What specific changes can you make in
your life to assist him?
30. By faith mountains can be moved. What needs changed
in your life to help you as an individual move closer to God, becoming more
like him?
32. Why is hope required to be within us if we expect to
receive an eternal inheritance prepared for us by the Lord?
"Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that
through the atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection, we can
be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. This
kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and as
with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of
our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly
Father's merciful plan of happiness leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and
gladness. The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet; it is the
foundation of our faith and an anchor to our souls." – Dieter F Uchtdorf,
GC, October 2008
"Live with hope that you can achieve and accomplish and
develop the great gifts our Father in Heaven has given to you and one day
receive an inheritance among the mansions of the Father." – L Tom Perry,
GC, October 1998
33-34. Why is the gift of charity a requirement to
gaining eternal life? How much charity do you have towards family members,
neighbors, ward members, strangers? What
can you do to further develop the gift of charity in your life? What actions,
behaviors, or thoughts do you need to avoid or get rid of in order to foster a
deeper feeling of charity for others?
"Charity is our love for The Lord, shown through our
acts of service, patience, compassion, and understanding for one another.…
Charity is also the Lord's love for us, shown through his acts of service,
patience, compassion, and understanding." – Bonnie D Parkin, GC, October
2003
"We are challenged to move through a process of conversion toward
that status and condition called eternal life. This is achieved not just by
doing what is right, but by doing it for the right reason – for the pure love of
Christ.… The reason charity never fails and the reason charity is greater than
even the most significant acts of goodness… Is that charity, the pure love of
Christ, is not an act but a condition or state of being. Charity is a attained
through a succession of acts that result in a conversion. Charity is something
one becomes. Thus, as Moroni declared, 'except men shall have charity they
cannot inherit' the place prepared for them in the mansions of the
father." – Dallin H Oaks, GC, October 2000
36. How does the gift of grace help us to have charity?
37. How can you have a sure witness that you have been
faithful to The Lord? What changes do you need to make today in order to be
worthy of this blessing?
"After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his
sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy
Ghost, (by the laying on of hands) ... then let him continue to humble himself
before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every
word of God, and The Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted.
When The Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined
to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his
election made sure ,then it will be his privilege to receiveth other Comforter,
which The Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St.
John." -Joseph Smith, Teachings of
the Prophet Joseph Smith as quoted by Marion G Romney, GC, April 1977
"I
should think that all faithful Latter-day Saints 'would want that more sure
word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of
eternal life in the kingdom of God." - History of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints 5:388
38. How does the knowledge that Moroni has of his
diligence in fulfilling the responsibilities that The Lord has given him in
mortality give him the confidence that he can state that he is free of the
blood and sins of this generation? What is a sin of omission? Do sins of
omission in your life weaken the confidence you would desire to have when you
stand before God to account for your actions and choices in mortality? What can
you do to overcome even sins of omission?How can overcoming procrastination help
you in this?
41. In what ways can you 'seek Jesus' in your life? What
are some things you could do to bring you closer to him? How can continually
working to draw closer to the Savior help you to have a firm and unshakable
testimony of His existence?
"'The greatest battle of life is fought within the
silent chambers of your own soul.' ... It is a good thing to sit down and
commune with yourself, to come to an understanding with yourself anddecide in
that silent moment that your duty is to your family, to your Church, to our
country, and ... to your fellowmen." - Thomas S Monson, GC, October 2004
"Seek a witness of the truth through the Holy Ghost in prayer, and the
nsee your faith strengthened as you joyfully meet the challenges of this mortal
life and prepare for eternal life." -Robert D Hales, GC, October 2004
"Those who are committed to Christ stand as witnesses of God at all times
and in all things and in all places that they may be in even until death. They
retain the name of Christ written always in their hearts. They take upon
themselves the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.
When we live a Christ-centered life, we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ,
we preach of Christ." --Ezra Taft Benson, GC, October 1987
"I testify that the Savior is able and eager to forgive our sins. Except for the sins of those few who choose perdition after having known a fullness, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven. What a marvelous privilege for each of us to turn away from our sins and to come unto Christ. Divine forgiveness is one of the sweetest fruits of the gospel, removing guilt and pain from our hearts and replacing them with joy and peace of conscience." – Neil L Andersen, GC, October 2009
"When someone has hurt us or those we care about, that pain can almost be overwhelming. It can feel as if the pain or the injustice is the most important thing in the world and that we have no choice but to seek vengeance. But Christ, the Prince of peace, teaches us a better way. It can be very difficult to forgive someone the harm they've done us, but when we do, we open ourselves up to a better future. No longer does someone else's wrongdoings control our course. When we forgive others, it frees us to choose how we will live our own lives. Forgiveness means that problems of the past no longer dictate our destinies, and we can focus on the future with God's love in our hearts." – David E Sorensen, GC, April 2003
"You can overcome any feelings of anger and revenge if you will turn to Jesus Christ and receive the power of forgiveness and comfort through his atonement. Remember to turn to the Lord in prayer for the help you may need in those situations." – Book of Mormon Study Guide for Home study Seminary Students, page 310
