Come Unto Christ Scripture Study Series

Come Unto Christ Scripture Study SeriesScripture Study Plan for Moroni 10:21 – 2014 Youth Theme

One – Introduction.......................................................................................................2

Two – The Invitation (Part One of the Invitation)..........................................................4

Three – The Invitation (Part Two of the invitation).......................................................7

Four—The Invitation (Part Three of the Invitation).....................................................11

Five—Logic Statement—If… (Part One).......................................................................16

Six—Logic Statement If… (Part Two)...........................................................................18

Seven—Logic Statement Then…..................................................................................21

Eight—Second Logic Statement—If, Then…................................................................26

One – Introduction

For the next several days we’ll be studying the 2014 Youth theme Come Unto Christ, found in Moroni 10:32. We’ll begin this scripture study series by looking at the verse found in Moroni 10:32, the context of this verse, and the messages that the Young Men’s and Young Women’s presidencies have given regarding the theme.

Prayerfully study the following scriptures and readings. Answer the questions in your scripture journal.

Moroni 10:32Begin by reading Moroni 10:32, found in the Book of Mormon.

As you read this verse, what stands out to you? What invitation does Moroni make? To whom does Moroni make this invitation? If we come unto Christ, what will happen?

Read the chapter heading for Moroni 10. What is the summary of this chapter? Notice where this chapter falls in the Book of Mormon. Are there any

chapters after it? Why do you think that Moroni would offer this invitation as he finished the

Book of Mormon? How do you suppose the rest of the Book of Mormon would help you to come

unto Christ?

“Come Unto Christ,” Message from the Young Men General PresidencyRead the message given by the Young Men General Presidency. You can find it online at: https://www.lds.org/youth/article/come-unto-christ?lang=eng

According to this article, what should this mutual theme inspire you to think about?

In the second paragraph, we learn that “Because of [Christ’s] Atonement, we can gain the power to serve, to deny ourselves of ungodly things in our lives, and to feel His infinite love.” Why do you think that we need the Atonement in order to come unto Christ? What part does the Atonement play when we come to the Savior?

How do you think that coming unto Christ will affect you in your family? At school? At work? At other activities?

“You Are Invited,” Message from the Young Women General PresidencyRead the message given by the Young Women General Presidency. You can find it online at: https://www.lds.org/youth/article/you-are-invited?lang=eng

What is the invitation that is being offered? How do we RSVP to the invitation found in Moroni 10:32 Is the invitation to come unto Christ a “one-time event”? What can you do to make the choice to come unto Christ right now? How can you make the choice to come unto Christ throughout your life?

Finally, notice the structure of the verse. There are a few elements to this verse:1) The invitation

a. Three ways to accept the invitation giveni. Come unto Christ

ii. Be perfected in Himiii. Deny yourselves of all ungodliness

2) Statement of Logica. If you…

i. Deny yourselves of all ungodlinessii. Love God

b. Then His grace is sufficient for you to be made perfect in Him.3) A Second Statement of Logic

a. If you are made perfect by Christ’s grace,b. Then you cannot deny His power.

We will be studying these elements throughout the rest of this scripture study series.

Finish your study by writing down any first impressions you have of this verse and the youth theme for 2014. What stands out to you?

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Two – The Invitation (Part One of the Invitation)

In this assignment, we’ll begin studying the invitation that is offered to us in Moroni 10:32. Be sure to open with a prayer and have a scripture journal nearby so you can write down your impressions of this scripture. Writing is a great way to really synthesize and ponder the scriptures. When you ponder, you open your mind to the Spirit and revelation.

Read Moroni 10:32Begin by reading Moroni 10:32. Notice the invitation offered to us in this verse.

What does Moroni invite us to do? What are the three things listed in this invitation? Consider highlighting the invitation in your scriptures. You might want it to

look like this:

Notice the three elements of the invitation:o Come unto Christo Be Perfected in Himo Deny yourselves of all ungodliness.

Today we will study the first element of the invitation.

Come Unto ChristBefore we move ahead, what do you think is meant by the phrase come unto Christ? To get a better understanding of this part of the invitation, let’s look at the footnotes.

Read Revelation 22:17-21 What are we being invited to do in verse 17?

32 YEA acome unto Christ, and be bperfected in him, and cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

Invitation

In the second sentence of verse 17, It says, “And let him that heareth say, Come?” What is meant by those who hear?

o How can those who “hear” also invite others to come unto Christ?o Why do you think that we are told to invite others to come unto

Christ?o Do you think that Moroni could have been classified as one who

“heareth”?o Imagine, what would have happened if Moroni didn’t invite us to

Come unto Christ?o How can you invite others to come unto Christ?

What is meant by the “water of life?” (look in the footnotes for help. If you don’t understand “Living Water”, then look in the Topical Guide for help).

Why do you think that we are free to partake of the living water? What is the blessing of taking the “water of life”?

Go to the Topical Guide entry Teachable We will not read every scripture that is listed in this entry. Instead scan

through the entry, and try to understand what some of the scriptures are teaching us about being teachable.

Find one or two scriptures that stand out to you. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers here. Don’t feel any kind of pressure. Instead, open your mind and heart, and listen to the Spirit. The Spirit will teach you what you need to know at this time. So, read through these entries, and find one or two that stand out to you.

After you find one or two that stand out to you, go to that scripture, and read it. Find it’s context. What is it teaching you about being teachable?

What does this scripture help you to understand about Coming unto Christ? Let’s do one together. As I read through the scriptures listed under the entry

“Teachable” There is one, in particular that stands out to me: Doctrine and Covenants 39:5

Read Doctrine and Covenants 39:5o If we receive the gospel of Christ, then what do we also receive?o If we do not receive the gospel of Christ, then what else do we not

receive?o What do you think “receive my gospel” means? How do we receive the

gospel of Christ?o Why do you think that receiving the gospel of Christ enables us to also

receive Christ?o What is the gospel that we should receive? Look in verse 6 to find he

answer.o How do baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost fulfill the invitation to

come unto Christ?o If you have not been baptized, then how can you come unto Christ?

o If you have been baptized, what must you do to keep coming unto Christ? Are you done? Is that all? Hint: what do you do every Sunday to renew the covenant you made at baptism?

o How do you think that the sacrament can help you to come unto Christ, and take of His Living water?

Think about what you have learned in today’s lesson. What does it mean to come unto Christ? Have you done it? Are you doing it? How has coming unto Christ benefitted your life?

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Three – The Invitation (Part Two of the invitation)

In this assignment, we will be studying second part of the invitation that Moroni extends to each of us. Be sure to open with a prayer and have a scripture journal nearby so you can write down your impressions of this scripture. Writing is a great way to really synthesize and ponder the scriptures. When you ponder, you open your mind to the Spirit and revelation.

Just as a reminder, this invitation is highlighted in yellow. In the previous assignment, we studied the first part of the invitation – to “come unto Christ.”

Notice the second part of the invitation:

And Be Perfected in HimBefore you begin studying, what do you think that being perfected in Christ means? Why do you think that Moroni invites us to do this after coming unto Christ?

We will begin our study by looking in our footnotes.

Galatians 3:24 What does Paul teach us about the law? Without Christ, does the law save you? Does the Word of Wisdom, in and of

itself, save you? Does the Sacrament save you? Does the ordinances of the temple save you?

Even though the law and ordinances of the gospel are powerless without Christ, whey are they still so important?


Invitation

What do you think that Paul means when he says that the law is a “schoolmaster”?

How do the laws and ordinances of the gospel help to bring us to Christ? When we come unto Christ, what can we then experience? Think back on Moroni 10:32. Based on what you have learned from Galatians

3:24, what can we do to come unto Christ and be perfected in him?

Philippians 3:14-15This scripture is a little confusing to me, but if we carefully ponder it, perhaps we can learn something about becoming perfect in Christ.

In verse 14, Paul talks about pressing toward the mark. What mark is he pressing toward?

If you look at the footnote for verse 14, what comes up? What do you think is meant by steadfastness?

Can you think of an example in the scriptures when a group of people had to press forward with steadfastness towards Christ? (See 1 Nephi 8:30.) How did they press forward toward the tree of life?

In verse 15, Paul says, if we are to be perfect, then we should be “thus minded.” What is our mind supposed to be focused on? (Think of verse 14 and what we learned from that verse.)

How do you think that focusing on Christ will help us to be made perfect in Him?

How do you think that getting distracted by other desires, ambitions, entertainments, etc. keep us from obtaining the goal that we are pressing toward?

What can you do to focus your efforts in life so that you press forward with a steadfastness in Christ and then be perfected in Him?

Topical Guide—Man, New, Spiritually RebornBefore we study this scripture, what do you think that the entry means? How are we made new? How are we spiritually reborn? What do you think that this has to do with being made perfect in Christ?

Look in the Topical Guide. Follow the same instructions that you did from the last assignment. Look through the references, get a feel for what this entry is actually about. Write down some of the ideas that you have as you study these scriptures in the Topical Guide.

You don’t have to go and look up each individual scripture. If you want to, then, of course you can. But for now, read through the scriptures and find one or two that stand out to you. Go find it in the scriptures and discover what the Spirit is willing to teach you about being perfected in Christ and what it has to do with becoming a Spiritually Reborn person.

We will study one scripture from the Topical Guide together. Turn to Doctrine and Covenants 5:16.

o What will happen to those who believe in the words of Christ?

o What is the manifestation of His Spirit?o Have you ever received such a manifestation? How have you exercised

faith in Christ, and then received witness from Him through the Holy Ghost? Think of this experience, and write it in your scripture journal.

o If you haven’t had such an experience yet, what can you do to have one? How do you think that you can express your faith in Christ’s words?

o After we have received a witness from God, we can be born of Christ—both through the water and the Spirit. This happens in the waters of baptism. In what way is being baptized like being “born again”?

o If you have been baptized, does this mean that you don’t need to worry about it anymore? How are you able to revisit this experience every single week?

o Now, think about the invitation we’re studying – to come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him. What do you think that having faith in Christ, receiving Spiritual witness, then being born again in the waters of baptism have to do with being made perfect by Christ?

o What, then, is the ordinance of the gospel, that has to do with coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him?

o Have you performed this ordinance? Have you been baptized? If not, then what do you think that you can do to receive such a blessing? What is stopping you from moving forward and coming unto Christ?

o If you have been baptized, then what do you need to do in order to keep coming unto Christ and being made perfect in Him?

Topical Guide—WorthinessGo to the topical guide and study a little bit about worthiness. We will see what it has to do with being perfected in Christ.

Scan through all of the scriptures listed for the entry of “Worthiness.” What are some general ideas you have learned about worthiness?

Like you did in the last exercise, find a scripture that stands out to you and study it. Try to understand what it is teaching you. Ask yourself the questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how?

Make sure that as you study this verse, you are also thinking of how it relates to Moroni 10:32 and being perfected in Christ.

If you are having a tough time finding a relationship, then stop studying for a moment and pray. Pray that the Spirit will help you to learn what you need to know. There is no right or wrong answer when you study the scriptures. Remember, the Spirit is the true teacher, and He will teach you exactly what you need to know right now, if you will open your mind and heart so He can teach you. So pray for His assistance, and then open your mind to His instruction. When you receive inspiration, write down your thoughts.

We will study one scripture together to help get you started. Turn to Doctrine and Covenants 88:86

o Where are we taught to abide?o Who has liberated us from death, sin, and bondage?o How do you think that we can abide in this liberty?o After being told to abide in the liberty wherewith we are made free,

what are we warned not to do? How does sin entangle us?o How can we keep our hands clean?o As you think about abiding in liberty, staying away from sin, and

keeping our hands clean, are any of these actions possible without the assistance of Christ?

o What part does the Savior play in offering us liberty?o What part does the Savior play in keeping us free from sin?o What part does the Savior play in keeping our hands clean?o Think again on Moroni 10:32 – we are invited to be perfected in Him.

Does this mean that we are told to be perfect on our own?o Can we be free from sin, can we keep our hands “clean” without the

Atoning power offered by Christ?o How does Christ perfect us?o How does Christ’s Atoning power enable us to be worthy of the

blessings of God?

As you think of what we have learned today, what does the phrase in Moroni 10:32 to “be perfected in him” mean to you?

What do you think that you can do, specifically, do to come unto Christ and be perfected in him?

What is the benefit of being perfected in Christ?

How do you think that coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him can help you in regular, daily life? Why is this important for you to know now?

Four—The Invitation (Part Three of the Invitation)Note: this is a long assignment. You might want to break it up into a few days.

In this assignment, we will be studying last part of the invitation that Moroni extends to each of us. Be sure to open with a prayer and have a scripture journal nearby so you can write down your impressions of this scripture. Writing is a great way to really synthesize and ponder the scriptures. When you ponder, you open your mind to the Spirit and revelation.

Just as a reminder, this invitation is highlighted in yellow. In the previous assignments, we studied the first parts of the invitation – to “come unto Christ” and to “be perfected in him”. Today, we’ll study the last part – “to deny yourselves of all ungodliness”

Notice the final part of the invitation:

And Deny Yourselves of All UngodlinessBefore you begin studying this part of the invitation, what do you think it means? What is your first impression of this phrase?

Before we learn what it means to deny ourselves of all ungodliness, we will study what Godliness is. If we can understand Godliness, then we will be able to know what it is we are striving for.

We will study a scripture chain that will help us to understand more about God.

Read Acts 7:55-56 Familiarize yourself with this scripture by reading the chapter heading. Who

is mentioned as “Full of the Holy Ghost” in verse 55?


Invitation

What is Stephen doing? When he looks steadfastly into Heaven, what does Stephen see? In verse 56, what does he say? What do you learn about Heavenly Father from verse 55-56? What do you learn about Jesus Christ from verse 55-56? What do you learn about the Holy Ghost from verse 55-56? Notice again the phrase, “looked up stedfastly into heaven,”? Here, it seems

like Stephen was literally looking steadfastly into heaven. How do you suppose you can do this in your life, even if you’re not literally peering into the heavens?

Do you think that someone who doesn’t have the Spirit or who isn’t looking steadfastly to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is exhibiting godliness?

How can you be like Stephen, deny yourself of ungodliness, and receive witness of Heavenly Father and His Son through the Holy Ghost?

Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:41 What does this scripture teach us about Heavenly Father and His nature? Why does it help you to know this about Heavenly Father—that he

comprehends all? What does knowledge have to do with godliness? What can you do, when it comes to knowledge and understanding, to deny

yourself of all ungodliness?

Read Psalms 24:1 What does this scripture teach us about God? This earth is the Lord’s, that all that is in it, all that dwell on the earth, and

everything He created is His – what does this mean to you? How do you suppose Heavenly Father feels about the earth, the fullness of it,

all that dwells therein? If you are to “deny yourselves of all ungodliness,” how might you treat the

earth, its inhabitants, and everything that Heavenly Father has created?

Read Moses 1:30-39 In verse 30, what is Moses asking Heavenly Father? What purpose does God give in verse 31? What else do you learn about Heavenly Father in verse 31? What does God teach Moses about the earth and all of His creations? After telling Moses about His many creations, God finally explains His work

to Moses. What is God’s work? What is His glory? Why do you think that Heavenly Father says “work” and “glory.” How do

these words differ in meaning? How do you think that Heavenly Father feels when we are successful? What does this teach you about Heavenly Father?

In this passage, we learn that Heavenly Father is a distinct being who speaks to His children. We also learn that His entire focus is our immortality and eternal life—our happiness. How can we learn from this example and then become like Him? What can we do to help Heavenly Father bring to pass His work—to help everyone receive immortality and eternal life?

How do you think that helping God in His work will enable you to “deny yourself of all ungodliness?”

Read Alma 7:20-21 What do these verses teach us about God? What does verse 20 mean when it says, “Neither doth he vary from that

which he hath said;neither hath he a shadow of turning form the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong;”? What does this teach us about Heavenly Father?

Why do you think it is important to know that God is eternally righteous, and that He will not vary from His perfect righteousness?

What does verse 21 mean when it says, “he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God;”?

If God will not dwell in unholy temples or allow any unclean thing be received into His kingdom, then how can we expect to be admitted into His Kingdom? How can we be made righteous, holy, and clean?

How does understanding this nature of God—His consistency, righteousness, and holiness help you to “deny yourselves of all ungodliness”?

Read Joseph Smith-History 1:17 Familiarize yourself with the context of this scripture. What is happening

here? What is the first thing that happens to Joseph Smith in this verse? What does

Joseph’s deliverance from the evil force teach us about Heavenly Father? Why is it comforting to know that God will 1) Deliver us from our enemies 2) Is more powerful than evil?

After he is delivered, Joseph smith sees two personages. Who are they? What does this teach us about God –both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Finally, what does Heavenly Father say to introduce His son? What does this teach us about God? How does He feel about His children?

Consider the three major things you have learned about God from this verse: Heavenly Father is powerful enough to deliver us from our enemies, Heavenly Father is a real being, and He loves us. When you deny God, then you are also denying His power, His reality, and His love. How do you think denying yourself from these three attributes might affect your life? How can you, then, deny yourselves from all ungodliness?

What is the blessing of doing so?

Read Alma 5:40 What does this verse teach us about God? Based on this verse, what is it that you should be denying if you want to

“deny yourselves of all ungodliness”? What are some of the evils that you face today? How can you deny them, and

instead accept God and the good things that come from Him?

Read John 14:6-9 In these scriptures, Jesus is teaching the apostles how to come to Heavenly

Father. How is it possible? If we know Christ, then whom will we also know? Why do you think that we can get to know Heavenly Father as we come to

know the Savior? What does “coming unto Christ” have to do with “denying all ungodliness”?

Read Mormon 9:15-20 What do these verses teach about God? Why do you think it is important to know that God is a God of Miracles? How did ungodliness and unbelief inhibit the ability of the children of men to

experience miracles (see verse 20). If we want to experience miracles in our lives, what attribute must we have?

According to verse 21, what is a result of having faith in Christ? How is faith included in “godliness”? Based on what you have learned in this scripture, what can you do to “deny

yourselves of all ungodliness”?

Read Amos 3:7 What does this scripture teach us about God? Why do you think that Heavenly Father reveals His secrets to the prophets? What can you do to listen to the words of the prophets? How do you think that listening to the prophets will help you to “deny

yourselves of all ungodliness”?

Read John 3:16 What does this scripture teach us about God? How was giving Christ to the World such a loving Gift? What does Christ’s life and sacrifice enable us to do and become? What can you do to accept the gift of Christ and His Atonement? How do you think that understanding and accepting God’s love, as manifest

in Christ’s Atonement, will help you to “deny yourselves of all ungodliness”?

Phew! That’s quite an assignment, but I hope you have learned more about God from this scripture chain. You might want to mark it in your scriptures—linking each reference one to another. (Like a chain).

What impressed you the most as you read through these scriptures? How has learning about who God is help you to deny yourself of all ungodliness?

Five—Logic Statement—If… (Part One)

In Moroni 10:32, after we are invited to come unto Christ, Moroni then included a conditional logic statement—otherwise known as an “if, then” statement. An if-then statement is pretty self-explanatory. It is a statement that proves if something happens, then something else will happen. For example: If it is raining outside, then I will wear a raincoat.

Look in Moroni 10:32 and highlight the first part of the if-then statement.

What is the condition of this statement of logic? What strikes you about the “if” part of this if-then statement?

We will study both parts of this statement today.

If Ye Shall Deny Yourselves of All UngodlinessYesterday, we spent a good deal of time learning about Godliness and how we can apply what we know about God to denying ourselves of all ungodliness. Moroni now mentions doing this again.

Why do you think that he again highlights that we must deny ourselves of all ungodliness?

Read Romans 12:1-3 In verse 1, what does Paul beseech us to do? What is the definition of the

word beseech? Why do you think that Paul is begging us to present our bodies as living

sacrifices – holy and acceptable to God. Does this mean we need to give ourselves up as a human sacrifice? What does this mean?

32 Yea, acome unto Christ, and be bperfected in him, and cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can nowise deny the power of God.

Notice the last phrase in verse 1. “which is your reasonable service.” How do we serve God?

How can you sacrifice some of the desires of your body—the natural man? What does sacrificing your will to God’s will have to do with denying

yourselves of all ungodliness? If you are choosing to deny yourself of all ungodliness, then what are you

choosing to do? How long do you do this? Is denying yourself of ungodliness a one-time decision that you can check off of a list? How long will this be a decision you make?

Read Doctrine and Covenants 6:13 What do we learn about doing good from this verse? How long do we need to be faithful? In other words, how long do we need to

deny ourselves of all ungodliness? If we are faithful until the end, what will happen? How can knowing the result of dedicated faithfulness help you when it is

difficult to exercise your faith?

Six—Logic Statement If… (Part Two)In the last assignment, we started studying the logic statement in Moroni 10:32. Today, we will continue to study the If part of this logic statement.

Love God with All your might, mind, and strengthIn conjunction with denying yourselves of all ungodliness, we are asked to “love God with all your might, mind and strength.” Does this charge feel familiar to you?

The commandment to love God is eternal. It is mentioned in each of the standard works. We will study one scripture from the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. We will also study an example of one who did not keep this charge in the Pearl of Great Price.

Old TestamentRead Deuteronomy 11:1

What are we told to do in this scripture? As a part of showing our love to God, what are we supposed to do? What is meant by “charge, statutes, and judgments”? (Look to the footnotes

for extra help? How does covenanting with God, and then keeping those covenants fulfill the

command to love God?

New TestamentRead Matthew 22:34-40


After Christ quieted the Sadducees (a religious group of people that was antagonistic towards the Savior), the Pharisees gathered together to tempt Christ. What did they ask?

Before reading the rest of the exchange between Christ and the Pharisees, try to answer the question yourself. Which is the greatest of the commandments?

Find Jesus’ answer in verse 37. Why do you think that loving God is the greatest of all the commandments?

What do you think Jesus means when he says to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind? How can you show this kind of love toward God?

What is the next great commandment that Jesus gives? How is keeping the second commandment—loving others—an extension of

the first commandment (to love God)? Finally, read verse 40. What does Jesus say about the law and these two

commandments? What do you think that He means by this? What does it matter if you pay tithing, but you hate God and your neighbors?

Do you think that you can truly keep the Sabbath Day Holy if you aren’t full of love towards God?

List as many commandments that you can think of (off hand). As you read through them, see what is at the heart of the commandment—whether it is an expression of love to God or to our fellow men.

Now think of a few of your favorite prophets. (No more than five). Think of the teachings they gave. Think of their examples. What did these examples and teachings have to do with Loving God and Loving Others. Did any of the prophets that you studied teach anything other than these two principles? (Remember, if a prophet spoke on tithing, think of who we pay tithing to, and why we pay tithing. It is really an extension of our love of God that will motivate us to pay tithing.)

After completing these lists of commandments and prophets, why do you think that Jesus said, “On these two commandments hang all of the law and prophets.”

How is loving God with all of your heart, mind, and strength the most essential commandment for you to keep?

Book of MormonRead 2 Nephi 31:20

What are we instructed to do in this verse? As we press forward with steadfastness in Christ, with perfect hope, what

else must we have? How do you think that we can obtain a love of God and of all men? When we are faithful, hopeful, and we love God and others, what is the

result? Is there any other way to receive eternal life?

Doctrine and CovenantsRead Doctrine and Covenants 59:5

What is the commandment that Christ gives? At the end of the verse, we are instructed to serve God. Why? What does serving God have to do with loving Him? How can you serve God? How do you think that serving others and serving God will enable you to love

God with all of your might, mind, and strength?

Pearl of Great PriceRead Moses 5:13

After Adam and Eve began to have sons an ddaughters, who came among them?

What did Satan say? When Satan tells the people to “Believe it not”? What is he talking about?

What did he not want them to believe? Did the people listen to Satan? Who did the people love more? What happened to the people as a result of loving Satan more than God? Notice the sentence, “And men began from that time forth to be carnal,

sensual, and devilish.” Think about Moroni 10:32. How does this sentence relate to “denying yourselves of all ungodliness?”

How is denying yourself of all ungodliness related to loving God with your might, mind and strength?

What can you do to love God more mightily? What can you do to love God with all of your mind? All of your strength?

Seven—Logic Statement Then…We have studied the first portion of the logic statement (if). We will now study the “then” portion of this statement.

Read through this portion of the logic statement. What are some of the words that stand out to you? As I read it, I find the two most intriguing words to be grace and be perfect in Christ. We have studied what it means to be perfected in Christ. Today, let’s concentrate on the other concept.

What is grace? Why do we need His grace in order to be made perfect in Christ?

GraceTo understand a little bit more about grace, we will study a verse from 2 Nephi and a passage from Alma.Read 2 Nephi 25:23

Nephi explains that he labors diligently to write. Why is he writing? Why do you think that Nephi wants to persuade his children to believe in

Christ? Nephi teaches that Christ will reconcile us to God. He continues, “for we

know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do.” How do we receive salvation?

Why do you think that being reconciled with God is considered salvation? To understand this concept more, we will study the following passage from

Alma.

Read Alma 42:1-15


Who is Alma speaking to? To understand the context of the situation, read the portion in Italics before

Alma 39. Alma was speaking to his son, Corianton. While on a mission to the Zoramites, Corianton had committed sexual sin. This was a big problem to the mission and potentially to his salvation. Alma spends a lot of time teaching Corianton about the importance of chastity, Christ’s role in our lives, the judgment, the difference between wickedness and happiness, and finally, that it is just for all of us to be punished according to our sins (if we don’t repent).

In verse 1, what do we learn that Corianton was supposing about injustice and the sinner receiving punishment according to his sins?

Why do you think that Corianton thought that it wasn’t fair for a sinner to be punished?

Alma begins to explain why it is fair to us to be consigned to a state of misery when we sin. In verse 2, he begins his explanation. Who does Alma start to talk about in verse 2?

Why were Adam and Eve sent out of the Garden of Eden? According to verse three, how had Adam become like God? What did God do

to the tree of life after Adam had obtained knowledge? What did Heavenly Father grant to men? (See verse 4.) How is this mortal life

a time to repent and serve God? According to verse 5, why did God protect the tree of life? What would have

happened to Adam if he had partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at this time – before he had repented? If Adam had partaken of the fruit of the tree of life before repenting, and if he would have lived forever in his sins, what would have happened to the entire plan of salvation?

After partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam was appointed to death—spiritual and physical. How does Alma describe this at the end of verse 6? What do you think that this means? How did Adam’s partaking of the forbidden fruit cause him to be lost and fallen?

When Adam and Eve fell, how were they cut off from God? Read through verses 8-9. Because of the fall of Adam, all mankind is exposed

to physical and spiritual death. What does Alma teach about being reclaimed from physical and spiritual death? How are we “reclaimed” from spiritual death?

Can we reclaim ourselves from Spiritual death? Is there anything that we can do to save ourselves from the physical and spiritual death that have come in result of the Fall?

Because of the Fall, what had happened to the nature of mankind? Define these words: Carnal, sensual, and devilish. How have you seen these

characteristics displayed in the world around you? Think of the temptations you face. How are they carnal, sensual, and devilish

desires? How is being carnal, sensual, and devilish related to spiritual death? What is

spiritual death? How do you think that giving in to the natural man will keep us separated from God?

Because of the fall, the Lord granted our time in mortality to be a probationary state. What does the word “probationary” or “probation” mean? How can we use this mortal life to prepare to meet God?

According to verse 11, what would be our fate if we didn’t have the plan of Salvation? Why do you think that we’d be miserable without the Atonement and plan of Salvation?

At the time of Adam’s fall, had the Atonement been made? Would there have been a chance for Adam and Eve to be reclaimed or saved from his fallen state?

In verse 13, Alma begins to explain the balance between mercy and justice. What were the conditions necessary in order to bring about the plan of redemption? Why is repentance necessary? Who makes it possible for us to repent?

If we were able to receive mercy without repentance, then would God still be just?

Think about this – we must repent in order to receive mercy. What is repentance? Is it only saying sorry and promising never to do it again? What role does Christ play in our repentance? Is it truly possible for us to repent without Christ?

Without the Atonement, according to verse 14, we are in the grasp of justice. What does this mean? If we are in the grasp of justice, what happens to us when we sin? Will we ever be able to return in God’s presence without repentance and the Atonement?

Remember – being cut off from God=Spiritual death. Without the Atonement and Repentance, we would be forever dead spiritually. How does this make you feel?

In order for the plan of mercy to be brought about, what did we need? (See verse 15.) Who atoned for the sins of the world? How did Christ’s Atonement both “appease the demands of justice” and offer us mercy?

Thanks to Christ and His Atonement, we can be reconciled with God. We can be born again, spiritually, and live forever in happiness—rather than experience eternal physical and spiritual death. Christ’s Atonement is considered an act of grace. It was done out of love for us.

Read the following story (told by Gordon B. Hinckley) in order to understand how Christ’s Atonement is an act of love and grace.

Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.

A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’

‘I will risk it,’ he replied.

The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’

The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’

One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time!’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.

‘Now,’ said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.

‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’

In a day or so, Big Tom found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.

The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’

‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’‘Oh teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton and what did the

teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.‘How can I whip this child?’ the teacher thought. ‘But I must, I must do

something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one

shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’

The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’

‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’

Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’

President Hinckley continues, “To lift a phrase from this simple story, Jesus, my Redeemer, has taken ‘my licking for me’ and yours you.

Contemplate what Christ’s grace—his willingness to pay for your sins—means to you. Write down any thoughts.

Again, ask yourself these questions: What is grace? Why do we need grace in order to become perfect in Christ? How does it make you feel to know that Christ does offer grace? What can you do to deny yourself of all ungodliness and love God, so that you

can be a recipient of His Grace?

Eight—Second Logic Statement—If, Then…The 32nd verse of Moroni 10 ends with another conditional logic (if, then) statement). We will study it as our concluding assignment.

In this final logic statement, you will see that it begins with “if,” but it is missing “then.” In this case, “then” is understood.

If by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, [then] ye can nowise deny the power of God.

Go back over your notes about grace and becoming perfect in Christ. What have your learned so far?

When we have experienced the grace of God and have been made perfect in Christ, what will we know about Heavenly Father? Why do you think that we will not deny His power after these experiences?

Read Alma 36:3-5 Familiarize yourself with the context of this chapter. Alma is speaking with

his son, Helaman. In verse three, what does Alma teach Helaman about those who will put their

trust in God? Do you think that Alma understands the power of God? Does he deny it? Why

do you think that He has such a strong testimony of God’s power? According to verse four, how can we gain a testimony of God’s power? Does it

come from the carnal mind or spiritual mind? What do you think this means? Do you think that it is possible to gain a testimony of God’s power and love in our lives if we are giving into the desires and temptations of the natural man?


In verse 5, Alma explains how he had received this testimony. What does he say?

Read Alma 36:6-11 What did Alma do with the sons of Mosiah when he was younger? Who was

sent to Alma? Why do you think that God sent this angel to Alma and the sons of Mosiah? What happened when the angel appear? What did he say to Alma and the

sons of Mosiah? After the angel made this pronouncement, what happened to Alma for three

days and three nights? The angel said more to Alma and the sons of Mosiah. Was Alma able to

hear/understand what the angel said? Why not?

Read Alma 36:12-16 As Alma was in his coma-like state (for three days and three nights), what did

he experience? In verse 12, it says, “I was racked with eternal torment.” Look up the

definition of the word “torment.” Have you ever experienced agonizing pain or suffering?

What was the cause of Alma’s great suffering? Why do you think that Alma’s sins caused him such pain? In verse 13, what does Alma say that he had rebelled against? Why do you

think that rebelling against God and His commandments can make us feel so horrible?

Note, in verse 14, Alma says, “I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction.” Alma had not physically killed or murdered anyone, but had led people away from God and toward spiritual death. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus warns the disciples to be careful not of that which would kill our bodies, but of that which would kill our spirits/souls. How is mocking the faithful, persecuting the meek, and leading people away from the church comparable to a murder? What kind of death do we experience when we reject God?

Even though Alma might have had a lot of fun while he was out persecuting church members, what was the real result of such sin? (See verse 14.)

As Alma suffered in this misery, what did he wish? (See verse 15.) How long was Alma suffering this kind of pain? Even though you might not have committed such grievous sins as Alma has,

what is the result of your own mistakes and sins? How do you suppose you would feel if you had to face God—with your sins

fully exposed—never having repented?

Read Alma 36:17-18 While Alma was racked in torment, what did he finally remember? Why do you think that the thought of Christ, one who came to atone for our

sins, would be a hopeful thought to Alma as he was racked in the pain of his sins?

As Alma remembered his father’s teachings of Christ, what did he do?

Read Alma 36:19-21 As soon as Alma asked for mercy, what happened to him? Why do you suppose he was no longer harrowed up by the memory of his

sins? What happened to Alma? What does his experience have to do with grace?

In verse 20-21, what did Alma feel? How does this compare with the pain he was feeling earlier? What was the cause of the joy that Alma felt? After having gone through this dramatic experience, how do you think that

Alma felt about His Savior? If Alma was so wicked, why do you think that Jesus chose to forgive Alma? How do you think that the Savior will treat you when you choose to repent?

Read Alma 36:22-28 After being consumed with the joy of Christ’s grace, what did Alma see? Notice the last phrase of verse 22. Where did Alma’s soul long to be? After seeing this vision—of God at his throne—what happened to Alma? What did he tell the people? In verse 24, Alma tells us how he has labored. What does he say? What do

you think that he means when he says that he has “labored without ceasing”? What was Alma able to teach others as a result of sharing his testimony? According to verse 27, how has Alma been supported by God? Does Alma

have a testimony of God? Do you think that Alma would ever deny God’s power?

At the beginning of verse 28, what does Alma tell Helaman? How do you think that Alma knows that he will be raised to dwell with God

forever? How is Alma’s story an illustration of Moroni’s conditional logic statement: “if

by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can nowise deny the power of God”?

Have you experienced forgiveness and the gift of grace in your life? How did this make you feel? Write your testimony of Heavenly Father’s power in your scripture journal.

If you have not experienced this gift of grace, then contemplate what might be holding you back. What can you change in your life? How can you repent? Think of the music you listen to, the websites you visit, the words you say. Take time to repent, and feel the joy that accompanies Christ’s grace. As you experience this blessing, take time to record your feelings and testimony.

Think about what you have learned this week. Why do you think that Moroni invites us to come unto Christ? How do you think that you can take this invitation seriously and experience the promised blessings associated with this invitation?

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Come Unto Christ Scripture Study Series