What do we know for certain? Is there anything we really, really know for sure? I don't think so. Saturday, 4/30/16, 9:53pm, Hello Brandon, this one is only to you. Your very own, unshared postcard! I love you. I think you are wonderful. I want you to skip to 3 Nephi and read the first 7 chapters and read the study guide I am including and try to answer the questions and see what you can learn from it. This is what we studied Thurs. night in my BoM class. I came home and read the student lesson manual the next day and it was so so rich! I couldn't believe it! The things they let adult Mormons know in the world today are like the sealed portion of the BoM! Beautiful Beautiful, Beautiful! @ I love the prophets in the BoM. They are very very real to me. Sometimes we even get to read letters they wrote! How personal is that? We meet a new Nephi in ch1. His dad was Nephi and his uncle was Lehi who Nephi at one point raised from the dead. I think I told you how I loved how the Nephites in Zarahemla listening to Samuel's ending words said, Woah, this guy is for real! What he is saying is true! I better go get baptized, Where is Nephi so I go can get baptized anyway? @ Not done! Some of the Nephites couldn't believe that Samuel had come back after they had already kicked him out of Zarahemla. They wouldn't let him back in but he climbed up on the city wall anyway!! Some tried to kill him with arrows and couldn't. Woah, some said, He really does have the power of God, I better go find Nephi and get baptized! Yes, Nephi got waterlogged but he didn't mind! @ I teased my teacher about how scary it wasn't when Samuel threatened them with death in 400 years! So what, big deal, we are going to be gone!! But when he said that Jehovah would be born in 5 years when he came back and preached off the wall the second time. . . well that makes it a lot more interesting! Hey, even I can keep track of 5 years! Now don't you think it is a bit extreme that Jesus was born on the deadline day of the execution of the Mormon's in America? That our new Nephi3 whose dad just left him with the Chief High Priest position is extremely worried for the deaths of all his members the next day? Brandon, talk about STRANGE! Do stories get any better than that? I don't think so! So new sweet Nephi3 gets to hear the voice of Jehovah. He is reassured. Man, if I were Nephi3 I would have been so happy and relieved and excited! What are all these sword happy nonmembers going to do tomorrow! Finally, proof! Proof Final! But no waiting for tomorrow. . . the sign came that very night!! What? said the sword happy Nephites. This is impossible! This has never happened before! How can it be light as noon day after the sun has gone down? Guess what happened to all those evil thoughts and plans to kill the members in their hearts Brandon? They, those plans and thoughts, condemned them! They were just like Alma2. They knew they were condemned. Sorry, they had signed up for the wrong team. They lost, Game over. Take us to Hell! And down to the ground they fell. Hopeless. Satan had betrayed them. Not again! He is so damn good at that! Is he really that evil? Does he really want the destruction of all mankind? Does he really want HF to end? Does he really want all his children to suffer, forever? How could anyone ever really be that evil? Doesn't he love and make friends with some of his closest personal assistants. Doesn't he make deals for the souls of men? @ Brandon, are you getting a feeling for how lonely Satan is? What would you and I do with no trust, no loyalty, no caring, no love in the world? Aren't those the things that bring us the greatest hope and joy? They are me! So what about power, position, wealth, fame, control? What about greed, selfishness, deceit, murder, fear, darkness? No thank you for Brandon and I. We like the light and hope, thank you very much! Lead us safely through temptation and please deliver us from evil! @ Have you ever felt hopeless Brandon? Do you think all those sword swingers felt hopeless as they swooned onto the ground and awoke? Yep! You better believe it! But were they cut off? Were they rejected? Were his arms folded against them? Heavens no! There is no deadline. The sooner we turn to Christ the sooner we can be happy, but there is no deadline. How many chances do we have? 70 times 7= thousands in Gods arithmetic. @ He knew. HF knew. He knew we would blow it and have to learn from our mistakes. He knew and he doesn't blame us! He does blame us for turning away from him. His love towards us doesn't change but Satan has us convinced because of our pride that it does! How could we be loved in our sins? Impossible! But not for God. It is part of the plan. Of course we will sin. That is how we learn. @You will find this quote again in the lesson from RMB:
“ “In the premortal world before we left the presence of Heavenly Father, He warned and cautioned us about new experiences we would have in mortality. We knew that we each would have a physical body of flesh and bone. Never having been mortal before, we had no experience dealing with the temptations of mortality. But Heavenly Father knew and understood. He charged us to control our mortal bodies and to make them subject to our spirits.”*****! My goodness Brandon, how beautifully clear is that! From an apostle of God. Do you trust the 15 apostles? I do. @ So here I am tonight. Tomorrow is Fast Sunday. The 1st of May! Is my spirit going to show my body that it is in charge? This is often when I begin to eat. I am finally so hungry that food tastes wonderful. I love the thrill of delicious food. And I am free, I can buy and eat anything I want!!!! When I sat down to write you I smelled a whif of salami. I love salami. Do I want to eat salami on some soft french bread waiting in the kitchen? Yes!! Lins had salami on sale for $1.20/lb last week. I bought 10! I have opened 2. Molly can't resist the smell. It takes me a number of days to eat a pound of salami. So if I leave it out for her to reach is disappears and the wrappers are found in the back yard. Yep, both of the two I opened ended up that way! Darn! I am learning!! I often take food to bed with me. I love to eat and read. When I have bad nightmares I leave my bed and come and sleep in my living room recliner with general conference on. It makes me feel safe. When I go back to bed, the good stuff is gone! Oops. @ When I visited you on a fast Sunday and you had just completed your fast I was so proud of you! You have made a place for God in your life! You are honoring him. Well, this month I am going to honor him with self control as well! How strong is our spirit? Well, at least it is strong enough to skip two meals and pray! @ Janice is my bom-teacher-friend. We sit after everyone is gone and discuss spiritual and temporal things.
The above quote was awesome and I thought specifically of you. Here is the one that touched me the deepest. @Upcoming email:Faith @vern jensen <phonev6@gmail.com> Apr 29 (1 day ago)Hello Janice, YOU are a cutie! Thank you for last night's lesson. @I decided to study the lesson carefully this afternoon. I could pick out at least 10 places and ideas that you shared in the lesson. That is fun to me. I don't study in advance because I love being presented with new ideas and seeing where they connect to things I already believe etc.. @It is almost 10pm. Subconsciously and consciously I have been processes what I studied. Here is the #1 most outstanding idea in my mind so far. @How much faith do we have? How much faith do we need to have? The faith of a mustard seed could move a mountain?then most of ours must be invisible! Microscopic, Atomic sized! Faith to heal. Faith to speak in tongues. @Answer: Faith to repent. @Relief! I have that much faith, no problem, but I wish my home teaching partner did! Yep, I have a beam in my eye from years and years, decades of striving to help him become committed, faithful and converted. Tangent OVER! @Since I was a little boy quantifying faith has been an inigma! Don't I have faith in Jesus Christ enough to move a mountain? What's wrong with me? I know I believe! @But once again I believe Jesus was teaching with extremes. He taught faith on a mind blowing scale which we can't understand! A mustard seed? A mustard seed can grow a mustard tree. Did he mean a live mustard seed? @These 5, yes, only 5 sentences, I think were the source of all the above considerations. @3 Nephi 5:1–3. Faith Leads to Repentance and All Good Works • While serving as a member of the Seventy, Elder John H. Groberg explained the relationship between faith and repentance: “If we think deeply, we realize that the first principle— faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—underlies all else; that is, it takes faith in Christ to repent or be baptized or perform any other ordinances of the gospel. Jesus made saving repentance possible and He made baptism meaningful. @If we have faith in Him, we will repent and be baptized. @“If we do not repent, or refuse to be baptized, or are unwilling to keep His commandments, it is because we do not have sufficient faith in Him. Thus, repentance, baptism, and all other principles and ordinances are not entirely separate but are actually extensions of our faith in Christ. @Without faith in Him, we do little of eternal value. @ With faith in Him, our lives become focused on doing things of eternal value” @ (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 35; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 26). 3 Nephi 5:1–3; 6:4–5 @What did the people know with certainty?v- And what did the people know with certainty? Nothing. Absolutely Nothing! Satan even convinced them the miracles they had seen and heard really hadn't happened! We know nothing with certainty! But. . . @But. . . @We do know how we live. @We do know if we are living in faith. @And if we are living in faith he has no power over us, and we know everything! Because being blind, we see. Being deaf we hear. B e l i e v i n g is seeing! @Was that ethereal enough for you? l o l
@~@ Lesson:3 Nephi 1:29. We Must Protect Ourselves from Being Led Astray • Verse 29 of 3 Nephi 1 illustrates that it only takes one generation for apostasy to occur. We read the sad tale of the children of faithful parents who were led away by “lyings and . . . flattering words, to join those Gadianton robbers.” President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught: “The young people of the Church . . . hold the future in their hands. The Church has always been one generation away from extinction. If a whole generation were lost, which will not happen, we would lose the Church. But even a single individual lost to the gospel of Jesus Christ closes doors for generations of descendants, unless the Lord reaches out to bring some of them back” (“We Must Raise Our Sights” [Church Educational System conference on the Book of Mormon, Aug. 14, 2001], 1; see LDS.org under gospel library/additional addresses/CES addresses). • President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) counseled the youth of our day on how to avoid being led away from the truth: “To our young people, the glorious youth of this generation, I say, be true. Hold to the faith. Stand firmly for what you know to be right. “You face tremendous temptation. It comes at you in the halls of popular entertainment, on the Internet, in 289 3 Nephi 1–7 the movies, on television, in cheap literature, and in other ways—subtle, titillating, and difficult to resist. Peer pressure may be almost overpowering. But, my dear young friends, you must not give in. You must be strong. You must take the long look ahead rather than succumbing to the present seductive temptation. . . . “. . . You are the best generation we have ever had. You know the gospel better. You are more faithful in your duties. You are stronger to face the temptations which come your way. Live by your standards. Pray for the guidance and protection of the Lord. He will never leave you alone. He will comfort you. He will sustain you. He will bless and magnify you and make your reward sweet and beautiful. And you will discover that your example will attract others who will take courage from your strength” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2003, 86–88; or Ensign, Nov. 2003, 83–84). 3 Nephi 2:1–2. They Began to Disbelieve the Signs That Had Been Given • Immediately after the sign of Christ’s birth was given, Satan sent forth lies to harden the hearts of the people (see 3 Nephi 1:22). Though the impact was not immediate, it was not long before many people became “hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen” (3 Nephi 2:1). Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we too can become vulnerable to Satan’s attack on our beliefs: “How quickly [Satan] moves in even where people have had special spiritual experiences, seeking to get people who have seen signs ‘to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen.’ (3 Nephi 2:1–2.) The adversary has a better chance to persuade us that what we believe is foolish if we worry about looking foolish in front of our fellowmen” (Things As They Really Are [1978], 41). What is the lesson believers should learn concerning signs and salvation? (see D&C 63:8–12). Signs flow from faith and are a product of it. They strengthen the faithful and produce faith in the spiritually receptive. The chief purpose of signs, however, is not to produce faith but to reward it (see D&C 68:9–11). Signs do not force faith upon anyone. Sadly, it is common to see both in scripture and in today’s world most marvelous signs and evidences of God’s power ignored or rationalized away by those without faith. 3 Nephi 2:1–3 How did these people explain away the signs of Christ’s birth? What did their disbelief lead to? How does belief affect action? 3 Nephi 2:1–4. Why Do the Wicked Sometimes See Signs? • Scripturally we can see some reasons why the Lord will occasionally show signs to the wicked: To vindicate prophets. The sign that Nephi, son of Helaman, gave to the people concerning the death of the chief judge showed that Nephi was right (see Mosiah 20:21). Leave the wicked without excuse. The wicked are completely responsible for their actions thereafter. The Jerry Thompson, © IRI 290 Chapter 39 Lord has stated, “He that seeketh signs shall see signs, but not unto salvation” (D&C 63:7). Show correctness of prophets’ words. Since the wicked seek to prove the prophet wrong, the Lord will occasionally show indisputable signs (see Helaman 9:2–4). Condemn the wicked. When the wicked see signs, it is through the Lord’s anger and to their condemnation (see D&C 63:11). The Savior stated, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Matthew 12:39). 3 Nephi 3–4. Physical and Spiritual Preparation • It is easy to see Satan’s imprint in Giddianhi’s words (3 Nephi 3:1–10) as he used flattery (v. 2), feigned concern (v. 5), and made false promises (vv. 7–8) to accomplish his evil designs. How like the devil’s promises were Giddianhi’s promises of freedom when all he had to offer was bondage and a promise to share possessions that were not even his to share (see v. 7). Lachoneus straightway turned his attention to his people. He knew they needed to be physically and spiritually prepared for the imminent attack of Giddianhi’s robbers. He had his people build strong fortifications (v. 14) and gather their animals and families (v. 13) into one place—the land of Zarahemla (vv. 22–23). He had them make weapons and armor (v. 26) and gather a seven-year supply of provisions (3 Nephi 4:4). Lachoneus instructed his people to leave the deserted land “desolate” so the robbers would not be able to forage for food (vv. 3–4). Most importantly, Lachoneus had his people prepare spiritually. He reminded them of the safety of repentance (3 Nephi 3:15). His people repented and prayed mightily unto the Lord (v. 25; 4:8). Thus they wisely prepared themselves both physically and spiritually for the imminent attack of their enemies. • We have been asked to prepare physically and spiritually in our day for imminent calamities. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught what we should do to prepare for the events that precede the Savior’s coming: “What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear? “If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them. “We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming. And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult—the spiritual. . . . “Are we following the Lord’s command, ‘Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly’? (D&C 87:8). What are those ‘holy places’? Surely they include the temple and its covenants faithfully kept. Surely they include a home where children are treasured and parents are respected. Surely the holy places include our posts of duty assigned by priesthood authority, including missions and callings faithfully fulfilled in branches, wards, and stakes” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2004, 7–8; or Ensign, May 2004, 9–10). 3 Nephi 4:10. Faith in God Overcomes Fear • The Nephites prepared themselves physically and spiritually to meet Giddianhi’s robbers. As a final act of submission to the Lord, which was misinterpreted by their foes, they fell to the earth and cried unto the Lord. They then stood on their feet and met their enemy with faith in God. (See 3 Nephi 4:8–10.) We too can stand up to our enemies and replace our fears with faith in God. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote concerning the faith that is needed to face the challenges of our day: “Preparing ourselves and our families for the challenges of the coming years will require us to replace fear with faith. We must be able to overcome the fear of enemies who oppose and threaten us. The Lord has said, ‘Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail’ (D&C 6:34)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1989, 43; or Ensign, Nov. 1989, 34). 291 3 Nephi 1–7 3 Nephi 5:1–3. Faith Leads to Repentance and All Good Works • While serving as a member of the Seventy, Elder John H. Groberg explained the relationship between faith and repentance: “If we think deeply, we realize that the first principle— faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—underlies all else; that is, it takes faith in Christ to repent or be baptized or perform any other ordinances of the gospel. Jesus made saving repentance possible and He made baptism meaningful. If we have faith in Him, we will repent and be baptized. “If we do not repent, or refuse to be baptized, or are unwilling to keep His commandments, it is because we do not have sufficient faith in Him. Thus, repentance, baptism, and all other principles and ordinances are not entirely separate but are actually extensions of our faith in Christ. Without faith in Him, we do little of eternal value. With faith in Him, our lives become focused on doing things of eternal value” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 35; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 26). 3 Nephi 5:1–3; 6:4–5 What did the people know with certainty? What did Mormon say was the only thing that would stop them from prospering? 3 Nephi 5:13. “A Disciple of Jesus Christ” • Mormon described himself as a disciple of Christ. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) explained the nature of Mormon’s calling: “While in every instance the Nephite twelve are spoken of as disciples, the fact remains that they had been endowed with divine authority to be special witnesses for Christ among their own people. Therefore, they were virtually apostles to the Nephite race, although their jurisdiction was, as revealed to Nephi, eventually to be subject to the authority and jurisdiction of Peter and the twelve chosen in Palestine” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 1:122). While Mormon’s personal call was that of an Apostle, the term disciple can also have a more general definition. A disciple is also “a follower of Jesus Christ who lives according to Christ’s teachings (D&C 41:5)” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Disciple”). Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles further explained: “The following has been written about discipleship: “‘The word disciple comes from the Latin [meaning] a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act as he does. To be a true disciple, to fulfill that learning task, is the most demanding regimen known to man. No other discipline compares . . . in either requirements or rewards. It involves the total transformation of a person from the state of the natural man to that of [a] saint, one who loves the Lord and serves with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength’ (Chauncey C. Riddle, ‘Becoming a Disciple,’ Ensign, Sept. 1974, 81)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2000, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 61). In addition to speaking about discipleship, Mormon here may be making a statement about his authority not just as a disciple but as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Nephi 5:22–26. The Meaning of the Gathering in the Latter Days • Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained the meaning and purpose of the gathering: “Another sign of the times is the gathering of the faithful (see D&C 133:4). In the early years of this last dispensation, a gathering to Zion involved various locations in the United States: to Kirtland, to Missouri, to Nauvoo, and to the tops of the mountains. Always these were gatherings to prospective temples. 292 Chapter 39 “With the creation of stakes and the construction of temples in most nations with sizable populations of the faithful, the current commandment is not to gather to one place but to gather in stakes in our own homelands. There the faithful can enjoy the full blessings of eternity in a house of the Lord. There, in their own homelands, they can obey the Lord’s command to enlarge the borders of His people and strengthen her stakes (see D&C 101:21; 133:9, 14). In this way the stakes of Zion are ‘for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth’ (D&C 115:6)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2004, 6; or Ensign, May 2004, 8). 3 Nephi 6:10–16, 18, 29 What led to the apostasy of many Nephites? How can this serve as a warning for us in the latter days? 3 Nephi 6:12. Prosperity and Peace Can Lead to Pride • During the years immediately prior to the Savior’s personal ministry among the Nephites, the people enjoyed a period of brief prosperity. Unfortunately, this temporal success led to “pride and boastings because of their exceedingly great riches” (3 Nephi 6:10). President Henry B. Eyring warned about such challenges in our day: “A little prosperity and peace, or even a turn slightly for the better, can bring us feelings of self-sufficiency. We can feel quickly that we are in Courtesy of LDS Church Archives control of our lives, that the change for the better is our own doing, not that of a God who communicates to us through the still, small voice of the Spirit. Pride creates a noise within us which makes the quiet voice of the Spirit hard to hear. And soon, in our vanity, we no longer even listen for it. We can come quickly to think we don’t need it” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 16; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 16). • Several times in Book of Mormon history the people passed through a cycle of righteousness, prosperity, riches, pride, wickedness, destruction, humility, and righteousness again. For more information and a diagram depicting the pride cycle, refer to “The Cycle of Righteousness and Wickedness” in the appendix (p. 414). 3 Nephi 6:12–13. We Determine Our Response to Circumstance • The record states that “some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble” (3 Nephi 6:13). Each of us must determine which way we are going to turn. Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915–94) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught of this principle: “Certainly one of our God-given privileges is the right to choose what our attitude will be in any given set of circumstances. We can let the events that surround us determine our actions—or we can personally take charge and rule our lives, using as guidelines the principles of pure religion. Pure religion is learning the gospel of Jesus Christ and then putting it into action. Nothing will ever be of real benefit to us until it is incorporated into our own lives” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1982, 91; or Ensign, Nov. 1982, 63). 3 Nephi 6:15–18. Satan Tempted Them to Willfully Sin against God • Satan, who rebelled against God in our premortal existence (see Moses 4:3; D&C 29:36; 76:25), seeks to stir up rebellion among the Saints of God. The danger of willful participation in sin has to do with the voice we choose to follow. King Benjamin warned: “And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken. . . . 293 3 Nephi 1–7 “I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples” (Mosiah 2:36–37). • In connection with this, Elder Neal A. Maxwell observed: “Surely it should give us more pause than it does to think of how casually we sometimes give to [Satan] who could not control his own ego in the premortal world such awful control over our egos here. We often let the adversary do indirectly now what we refused to let him do directly then” (We Will Prove Them Herewith [1982], 45). • Elder M. Russell Ballard further explained the danger of heeding Satan’s temptations: “In the premortal world before we left the presence of Heavenly Father, He warned and cautioned us about new experiences we would have in mortality. We knew that we each would have a physical body of flesh and bone. Never having been mortal before, we had no experience dealing with the temptations of mortality. But Heavenly Father knew and understood. He charged us to control our mortal bodies and to make them subject to our spirits. Our spirits would have to master the physical temptations that our bodies would encounter in a temporal world. Spiritual power over the influence of Satan comes to us by keeping the commandments of our Lord, Jesus Christ. . . . “Satan will seek to tempt us at times and in ways that exploit our greatest weaknesses or destroy our strengths. But his promises of pleasure are short-lived deceptions. His evil design is to tempt us into sinning, knowing that when we sin we separate ourselves from our Heavenly Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ. We begin to move away from Heavenly Father’s promised blessings toward the misery and anguish in which Satan and his followers languish. By sinning we put ourselves in Satan’s power. “Now, my dear young friends, I understand the struggles you face every day in keeping the commandments of the Lord. The battle for your souls is increasingly fierce. The adversary is strong and cunning. However, you have within your physical body the powerful spirit of a son or daughter of God. Because He loves you and wants you to come home to Him, our Father in Heaven has given you a conscience that tells your spirit when you are keeping the Lord’s commandments and when you are not. If you will pay more attention to your spiritual self, which is eternal, than to your mortal self, which is temporary, you can always resist the temptations of Satan and conquer his efforts to take you into his power” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1993, 5–6; or Ensign, May 1993, 6–7). 3 Nephi 7:15–26. The Faithfulness of Nephi and His Followers • One bright spot in the otherwise sad account of the Nephites’ turn from their righteousness is the steadfast faithfulness of Nephi and his people. Their example provides a pattern to help us maintain our righteousness during times of wickedness. We read of Nephi’s firm testimony, born of personal experience (see 3 Nephi 7:15), that he boldly taught “repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 16). He ministered with power and authority because “great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 18), and those who responded to his testimony were themselves visited “by the power and Spirit of God” (v. 21). Those who believed were healed (see v. 22), repented, were baptized, and “received a remission of their sins” (see vv. 24–25). 3 Nephi 7:21–25 What did those who were converted do? What is your experience with these important principles? 3 Nephi 7:21–26. Full Conversion • Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of the difference between those who are fully converted and those who are still lacking. He further taught the continual need for a cycle of 294 Chapter 39 conversion, which builds steadiness in true followers of Christ: “Each of us has observed how some individuals go through life consistently doing the right things. . . . When difficult choices are to be made, they seem to invariably make the right ones, even though there were enticing alternatives available to them. We know that they are subject to temptation, but they seem oblivious to it. Likewise, we have observed how others are not so valiant in the decisions they make. In a powerfully spiritual environment, they resolve to do better. . . . Yet they are soon back doing the same things they resolved to abandon. . . . “Sometimes the word converted is used to describe when a sincere individual decides to be baptized. However . . . conversion means far more than that. . . . President Marion G. Romney explained conversion: “‘Converted means to turn from one belief or course of action to another. Conversion is a spiritual and moral change. Converted implies not merely mental acceptance of Jesus and his teachings but also a motivating faith in him and his gospel. A faith which works a transformation, an actual change in one’s understanding of life’s meaning and in his allegiance to God in interest, in thought, and in conduct. In one who is really wholly converted, desire for things contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ has actually died. And substituted therefore is a love of God, with a fixed and controlling determination to keep his commandments’ [in Conference Report, Guatemala Area Conference 1977, 8]. . . . “Stated simply, true conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God [see Romans 10:17] and responding to it. You will receive from the Holy Ghost a confirming witness of things you accept on faith by willingly doing them [see Ether 12:6]. You will be led to repent of errors resulting from wrong things done or right things not done. As a consequence, your capacity to consistently obey will be strengthened. This cycle of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience will lead you to greater conversion with its attendant blessings” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2002, 26–28; or Ensign Gby, bltpjs-vj
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