Romans 6: Baptism, Romans 12-16. Live as Saints Should Live

Unit 1

Choice 3

Romans 6: Baptism

*What must be done with sin before baptism can occur?

- We must be rid of it in ourselves

*What events from Christ’s life are symbolized in baptism?

-His death and resurrection. His death is symbolized by being submerged in water, and His resurrection is symbolized by us coming out of the water.

*Considering this symbolism, why couldn’t someone be baptized by sprinkling?

- Just like he was buried in the tomb and was then resurrection, we are buried in sin and then rise because of His atonement, His redeeming power which is encompassment of the redeeming power. And this is the way He wants us to do it, by doing it we are giving our submission to His will just like He gave His submission to His father.

*What do these verses teach us about how we can maintain the “newness of life”?

-We need to leave our sin behind us after baptism and come unto God and Christ. By living their gospel we are able to be saved under their grace and become His instruments.

*According to Mosiah 3:19, what part of us would ideally die at baptism?

- The natural man.

Unit 2

Choice 1 Romans 12-16. Live as Saints Should Live

1.       What must we continue doing to work out our salvations?

-          We must be conscious of what our actions are. We need to continuously work on seeking God or we will stumble and fall and when the time comes we will be caught unawares and will pay for our sins.

2.        Romans 12:1- Treat your bodies like a temple

12:2- Have your mind centered on Christ and not the world

12:9- Do good things and do not pretend. Show the love of Christ in your actions

12:13- Be charitable. Give to those in need.

12:16- Do not think you are higher than those around you. Be humble.

12:21- Do not give into evil, but do good to be better than evil.

13:1- Powers received are given by God, seek to gain these powers righteously.

13:3- through repentance and obedience you will be justified and approved if you do the right things, in doing this you will not have to fear the law.

13:8- Give back to those that you owe and give them more, also give to those you owe nothing even though you do not profit from it but have gifts in heaven because you do those things out of love.

13:9- Follow the commandments of God

What cautions did Paul give about judging?

-          When we judge we are trying to take the judgment of the Lord onto ourselves which is not of us, we must remember that the Lord loves everyone and to avoid being judgmental of others because it is not our place and we must have the love of Christ.  

People may have different opinions and practices, but what is most important to remember?

-          It is must important to remember that we are of the Lord.

What additional insight comes from reading Doctrine and Covenants?

-          We need to treat others and we would have them treat us.

Write the term Paul frequently used to refer to members of the Church in his day:

-          He would say the word “us” a lot.

Choice 2:2 Corinthians 2:1-11 Forgiveness

What were the people of Corinth commanded to do “if any have caused grief”?

-They were commanded to forgive the person and to show them love. Rather than giving them a hard time about the grievance and holding it over their heads, give them comfort.

What blessings do we see if we forgive?

-When we are willing to forgive we have the spirit of Christ with us.

What is the danger in failing to forgive?

-We are more easily caught up in the wrong spirit and Satan will have more control over us, also God has asked us to forgive, because if we do not forgive the Lord cannot forgive us for it is His position, not ours, to judge and forgive others, in this we are the ones who have the ultimate sin over our head. 

Acts 1-22 "An introduction and overview"

* The summaries of 1-8 and 10-12 have these in common:

Preaching the gospel

Testifying of Christ

Performing miracles

Converting someone or a great number of people to the church and

The different travels and cities and people the Apostles met while doing missionary work .

*2-5, 8-10, 12 

What Peter preaches:

Resurrection, Salvation, the Holy Ghost, repentance, and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Acts 7 The Martyrdom of Stephen

1.
      * A summary of Stephens last words were similar to Christ's: the people taking my life do not understand what horrible things they are doing, don't punish them for it.

I learned a few things from the last words of Stephen. One of them being that he truly understood what it meant to be an apostle of God. He had the light of Christ with him until his death when he showed a similar example to Christ when he said: "...Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."
  Another thing is that when you think about it, if a child does something wrong because they didn't understand what they were doing, we shouldn't necessarily punish them, but use that time to teach them what they did wrong and help them understand how to do things differently next time. To me this is what Christ and Stephen were doing, they were trying to teach by being the ultimate example.

       * I learned that by Stephen, we see that Christ is on the "right side" of God, showing that Christ and God are two different beings. The only way he was able to see this is by the Holy Ghost and the power of God. So the three members of the God head are separate, but act as one.

2.
      * Abinadi and Stephen were similar in that neither of them feared them men they were preaching to and they refused to deny their God, even though it mean their lives.
     Their testimonies mean a lot to me, because they are some of the greater examples of what it means to preach the words of the Lord and not be scared of the consequences knowing that you will be taken care of no matter what happens. The Lord has His ways about life and will show and guide you and in the end of everything you, and possibly those around you will be affected by it for the rest of your life.

Pride

*Pride

“That is a high standard for us, but when we with faith control our tempers and subdue our pride, the Holy Ghost gives His approval, and sacred promises and covenants become sure.”-Elder Eyring, Families Under Covenant, Conference April 2012

“For spirituality to grow stronger and more available, it must be planted in a righteous environment. Haughtiness, pride, and conceit are like stony ground that will never produce spiritual fruit.”-Elder Scott, How to Obtain Inspiration and Revelation for Your Personal Life, Conference April 2012

“When our hearts are filled with pride, we commit a grave sin, for we violate the two great commandments.  Instead of worshipping God and loving our neighbor, we reveal the real object of our worship and love—the image we see in the mirror.”-Elder Uchtdorf, Pride and the Priesthood, Conference October 2012

“In all of our testifying we must avoid arrogance and pride. We should remember the Book of Mormon rebuke to a people who had such pride in the greater things God had given them that they afflicted their neighbors.”-Elder Oaks, Testimony, Conference April 2008

“Do you see the historical pattern emerging again—the pattern of righteousness followed by prosperity, followed by material comforts, followed by greed, followed by pride, followed by wickedness and a collapse of morality—the same pattern we’ve seen again and again within the pages of the Old and New Testaments and the Book of Mormon? More importantly, what impact will the lessons of the past have on the personal choices you make right now and for the rest of your lives?”-Elder Ballard, Learning the Lessons of the Past, Conference April 2009

 “The poorly born may lack self-esteem, or the well-born infected with pride. Pride is the most deadly spiritual virus. In the eternal scheme of things, who is to say which is the most favored.”-Elder Packer, To Young Women and Men, Conference April 1989

“Repentance is turning away from some things, such as dishonesty, pride, anger, and impure thoughts, and turning toward other things, such as kindness, unselfishness, patience, and spirituality. It is “re-turning” toward God."-Elder Anderson, “Repent, That I May Heal You”, Conference October 2009

“We might ask ourselves, living as many of us do in societies that worship possessions and pleasures, whether we are remaining aloof from covetousness and the lust to acquire more and more of this world’s goods. Materialism is just one more manifestation of the idolatry and pride that characterize Babylon. Perhaps we can learn to be content with what is sufficient for our needs.”-Elder Christofferson, Come to Zion, Conference October 2008

“Among the lessons we learn from the Book of Mormon are the cause and effect of war and under what conditions it is justified…. It tells us of the purpose and principles of missionary work. It warns us against pride, indifference, procrastination, the dangers of false traditions, hypocrisy, and unchastity”.-Elder Perry Blessing Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon, Conference October 2005

 “Jesus, stunningly brilliant, nevertheless allowed His will to be “swallowed up in the will of the Father.” (Mosiah 15:7; see also John 6:38.) Those with pride-hardened minds are simply unable to do this.”-Elder Maxwell, Put Off the Natural Man and Come Off Conqueror, Conference October 1990

Position Statement:

            This is something I have learned I have way too much of, over the last few months. I am grateful for the atonement which allows me to make mistakes and learn from them, I am also very grateful that the Lord is so patient and loving in his ways of teaching me how to let go of my pride and turn to him in every way possible, even with the small things. My eyes are slowly becoming more open to the things I have yet to learn because I am slowly learning how to let go of my pride and search for what God would have me do. Pride is how men fall, pride is what drags them down to the point of misery, and pride is what has destroyed nation upon nation. I pray I will not allow this to happen to myself or my family. 

Priesthood

Priesthood:

“Miracles are everywhere to be found when the priesthood is understood, its power is honored and used properly, and faith is exerted. When faith replaces doubt, when selfless service eliminates selfish striving, the power of God brings to pass His purposes.”-President Monson, April 2012

“Authority in the priesthood comes by way of ordination; power in the priesthood comes through faithful and obedient living in honoring covenants. It is increased by exercising and using the priesthood in righteousness.”-Pres. Packer April 2010

“Men who worthily receive the priesthood receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who receive the Lord receive God the Father.27 And those who receive the Father receive all that He has.”-Elder Nelson, Conference October 2011

“The keys of the priesthood, held by our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, and every other prophet and President of the Church, entitle him to revelation in behalf of the entire Church.”-Elder Oaks, Liahona, August 2010

“Fathers, priesthood leaders, and quorum presidencies have a special responsibility to help Aaronic Priesthood holders earnestly prepare to perform their sacred sacrament duties. This preparation is made throughout the week by living gospel standards. When young men prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament in worthiness and reverence, they literally follow the example of the Savior at the Last Supper4 and become like Him.”-Elder Hales, Conference April 2012

“I especially make an appeal for husbands and fathers, priesthood bearers or prospective priesthood bearers, to, as Lehi said, “Awake! and arise from the dust … and be men.”5 Not always but often it is the men who choose not to answer the call to “come join the ranks.”6 Women and children frequently seem more willing. Brethren, step up. Do it for your sake. Do it for the sake of those who love you and are praying that you will respond. Do it for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, who paid an unfathomable price for the future He wants you to have.”-Elder Holland, Conference April 2012

“A priesthood holder is expected to exercise this sacred authority in accordance with God’s holy mind, will, and purposes. Nothing about the priesthood is self-centered. The priesthood always is used to serve, to bless, and to strengthen other people.”-Elder Bednar, The powers of Heaven, Conference April 2012

“Priesthood authority did not come from a desire to serve or from reading the scriptures. When that priesthood authority was lost through apostasy, it had to be restored by those resurrected beings who had held it in mortality and who were sent to confer it. That happened as part of the Restoration of the gospel, and that priesthood authority, together with the keys necessary to direct its operations, are in this Church and no other.”-Elder Oaks, The Only True and Living Church, Seminar, August 2011

“From every man, young and old, who bears the priesthood, I ask for a stronger and more devoted voice, a voice not only against evil and him who is the personification of it, but a voice for good, a voice for the gospel, a voice for God. Brethren of all ages, unbind your tongues and watch your words work wonders in the lives of those “who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.”-Elder Holland, We Are All Enlisted, Conference October 2011

“Both Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood quorums will find their soul in service.”-Elder Christofferson, The Priesthood Quorum, Conference October 1998

Position Statement:

            I am SO grateful for the priesthood in my life, without it I would be completely lost. The priesthood has helped guide me and direct me to new learning experiences that have helped me grow and mature in the gospel. My husband is a very good man, and a holder of the priesthood, and it gives me a lot of peace in my heart to know that he will be the greatest example of a priesthood holder to our children and he will teach our boys how to be priesthood holders themselves and what it means to be a priesthood holder. I have learned a lot from my husband, such as the miracles of blessings given in times of great need, the guidance that can be received in fervent prayer, the promptings to go or do something to the aid of someone else, and many other wonderful things. I am so grateful that this church is built on those men who hold the priesthood and that this church can never be lead astray. 

Motherhood

Motherhood:

“May each of us treasure this truth: One cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one.”-President Monson, April 1998

“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
It’s wonderful that you have strengths.
And it is part of your mortal experience that you do have weaknesses.” –President Uchtdorf, Relief Society, October 2011

“As the world increasingly asks, “Are these all yours?” we thank you for creating within the Church a sanctuary for families, where we honor and help mothers with children.”-Elder Cook, Children, Conference October 2011

“There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family.”-Elder Ballard, Daughters of God, Conference April 2008

“God bless you wonderful mothers and fathers in Zion. He has entrusted to your care His eternal children. As parents we partner, even join, with God in bringing to pass His work and glory among His children. It is our sacred duty to do our very best.”-Elder Perry, Mother Teaching Children in the Home, Conference April 2010

“We pointed out that the most important organization on earth is the family, where “fathers and mothers are … equal partners.”8 Neither one is financially compensated, but the blessings are beyond description.”-Elder Cook, LDS Women are Incredible!, Liahona, April 2011

“The woman, by her very nature, is also co-creator with God and the primary nurturer of the children. Virtues and attributes upon which perfection and exaltation depend come naturally to a woman and are refined through marriage and motherhood.”-Elder Packer, For Time and All Eternity, Conference November 1993

“To the women within the sound of my voice who dearly want to be mothers and are not, I say through your tears and ours on that subject, God will yet, in days that lie somewhere ahead, bring “hope to [the] desolate heart.”-Elder Holland, Because She is a Mother, Conference May 1997

 “As a mother guided by the Lord, you weave a fabric of character in your children from threads of truth through careful instruction and worthy example. You imbue the traits of honesty, faith in God, duty, respect for others, kindness, self-confidence, and the desire to contribute, to learn, and to give in your trusting children’s minds and hearts. No day-care center can do that. It is your sacred right and privilege.”-Elder Scott, The Joy of Living the Great Plan of Happiness, Liahona November 1996

“These are eternal differences—with women being given many tremendous responsibilities of motherhood and sisterhood and men being given the tremendous responsibilities of fatherhood and the priesthood—but the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord .”-President Kimball, The Role of Righteous Women, Conference October 1979

Position Statement:

            I have learned so many things from my mother I know I could not have learned from anywhere else. I am so grateful to the Lord for blessing me with such a sweet and wonderful example of what it is to serve someone and think nothing of yourself. The women of this church have a divine role to teach their children the things of this gospel, and seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to the needs of others that is engrained in them since childhood from their own mothers. Our Relief Society is a force to be reckoned with in the world, they are one of the greatest examples of service and love on this earth.