Book of Mormon Lesson # 47 & 48 Moroni 1-10—Sara

Book of Mormon Lesson # 47 & 48—Moroni 1-10

To Keep Them in the Right Way

Come unto Christ

What are some of the things you've really treasured this year from your study of the Book of Mormon?

What are some things you've learned from this year that you didn't know before?

Compared to this same time last year, has your study of the Book of Mormon gotten better (meaningful/ frequent) or worse?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency explained how easy it is to be distracted from remembering the Lord and what we can do to remember Him more frequently:

“Those of you who have served missions may have … come upon your missionary journals put away in a closet in your home. You may have read and felt a shock as you remembered how hard you worked, how constantly you thought of the Savior and His sacrifice for you and for those you tried to meet and teach, and how fervently and often you prayed. The shock may have come from realizing how much the cares of life had taken you from where you once were, so close to always remembering and always praying.

“My message is a plea, a warning, and a promise: I plead with you to do with determination the simple things that will move you forward spiritually.

“Start with remembering Him. You will remember what you know and what you love. The Savior gave us the scriptures, paid for by prophets at a price we cannot measure, so that we could know Him. Lose yourself in them. Decide now to read more, and more effectively than you have ever done before” (“Always,” Ensign, Oct. 1999, 9–10).

What is your goal for this next year with scripture study? (If you don't have one, please take time this Christmas break and set one. Write it where you can see it when you read the scriptures or buy a cheap copy of the Book of Mormon and write it in the book.) Examples include: If you want to learn how to ask questions, mark every time you see Christ, angels, and prophets ask questions; If you want to learn about how to love more deeply, mark every time you see examples of God's love; If you want to learn about the enabling power of the Atonement, mark every time you see examples of people given strength beyond their own in their circumstances etc.


I am sure it must have been stressful at the beginning for Moroni to write in the plates. First of all, there wasn't a lot of room and it is always stressful to write meaningful things in small thank you cards. Secondly, people were trying to hunt him down and I can't imagine writing in metal plates as being a very quiet exercise. But as I reread these simple and short ten chapters, I am filled with gratitude and awe at what we would have lost had he acted on his feelings that there was no room on the plates and that he had nothing to add.




Moroni chapters 1-6:




Moroni starts with the most important things first (remember not a lot of room left). He writes down specific instruction and information about essential gospel ordinances to help future righteous generations.




This time while I was reading through the sacrament prayers, I realized something. The Nephites said these same words when they blessed the sacrament and they learned how to perform the sacrament from Christ! I love when I can see things they did then in the things I am doing now. It always strengthens my testimony and I loved feeling that I really am following Christ and HIS teachings and his ways each time I participate in the sacrament.

There's one quote I really feel impressed to share this week over this blog medium:

Elder Oaks gave a tangible definition for me of what it means to take upon us Christ's name as it says in the sacrament prayers:

“Our witness that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ has several different meanings. Some of these meanings are obvious, and well within the understanding of our children. Others are only evident to those who have searched the scriptures and pondered the wonders of eternal life.

“One of the obvious meanings renews a promise we made when we were baptized. Following the scriptural pattern, persons who are baptized ‘witness before the Church that they have truly repented of … their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end’ (D&C 20:37; see also 2 Nephi 31:13; Moroni 6:3). When we partake of the sacrament, we renew this covenant and all the other covenants we made in the waters of baptism. (See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56], 2:341, 346.)

“As a second obvious meaning, we take upon us our Savior’s name when we become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. By his commandment, this church bears his name. (See D&C 115:4; 3 Nephi 27:7–8.) Every member, young and old, is a member of the ‘household of God’ (Ephesians 2:19). As true believers in Christ, as Christians, we have gladly taken his name upon us. (See Alma 46:15.) As King Benjamin taught his people, ‘Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you’ (Mosiah 5:7; see also Alma 5:14; 36:23–26).

“We also take upon us the name of Jesus Christ whenever we publicly proclaim our belief in him. Each of us has many opportunities to proclaim our belief to friends and neighbors, fellow workers, and casual acquaintances. …

“A third meaning appeals to the understanding of those mature enough to know that a follower of Christ is obligated to serve him. … By witnessing our willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, we signify our willingness to do the work of his kingdom.

“In these three relatively obvious meanings, we see that we take upon us the name of Christ when we are baptized in his name, when we belong to his Church and profess our belief in him, and when we do the work of his kingdom” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1985, 101–2; or Ensign, May 1985, 80).

We'll be going into more depth on Moroni 7 and 10 tomorrow. We're focusing on the questions "How can I discern between good and evil?" and "What can I do to come closer to Christ?"

For those of you already out of town, Merry Christmas! We are excited to see you when you get back!

For those of you still here, church will be at 12:30 on Christmas day with another ward.