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LESSON #1 NEPHI’S NOTECARD and THE WORLD’S SECOND CHANCE (2 Nephi 25-30)
OBJECT
For an object, I would have a stack of 3x5 notecards sitting at the front of my classroom. And a copy of the Book of Mormon.
ICEBREAKER
Then, for an icebreaker, I might start with a short joke. And here’s how it goes: Do you know the definition of a good stake high councilor talk?
Answer: It should have a good beginning. It should have a good ending. And the two should be as close together as possible. Ah those poor high councilors, they get such a bad rep, don’t they.
Well what about you? How do you like to give a sacrament meeting talk and why?
Write everything out word for word and read it
Memorize your talk
Use a notecard with bullet points to guide you along
Totally wing it. Just say what comes to mind in the moment.
Have some of your students share.
Well, as I was reading the Book of Mormon one time I came to the realization that it’s really a book of talks. Or sermons. You’ll have a couple of chapters of history and then you get a sermon, then more history, then another sermon, all the way throughout the Book of Mormon. And since I’m the type of person that likes to use a notecard with bullet points, I often wonder what the speakers notecard for those talks might have looked like, if they were to use one. And at this point, I’d hold up one of the notecards I had displayed at the front of my classroom. Well, in 2 Nephi 25-30, Nephi gives a talk to his people. And I sat down, and I studied these chapters, and I imagined what Nephi’s Notecard might have looked like. And this is what I came up with. And if you liked, you could print out a copy of this notecard and give it to each of your students as a handout and either invite them to place it somewhere within those chapters or use it to go through their chapters and write in these labels for each part, or make notes in their digital scriptures with it. Here’s what I saw?
2 Nephi 25 (and specifically verses 9-30) The Jews will reject the Savior and fall into a state of apostasy
2 Nephi 26:1-11 The Nephites/Lamanites will reject the Savior and fall into a state of apostasy
2 Nephi 26:12-22 The Gentiles will reject the Savior and fall into a state of apostasy
2 Nephi 27 BUT, in the Latter-days, the Lord will give the world a Second Chance: The ____________________________
(And I’m not going to tell you what that is quite yet. We’ll see that later in the video)
2 Nephi 28-29 Satan’s Counterattack
2 Nephi 30 The Final Victory
Now that’s an oversimplification of the content of Nephi’s sermon but I feel that that’s going to at least give as an overall framework to start from or a general synopsis of the talk. The portion of the talk that I’m not going to spend as much time on is the message of that beginning portion (although we will go back later and hit on some very significant sub-messages from those chapters). But basically, Nephi explains that all three groups of people, the Jews, the Nephites/Lamanites, and the Gentiles will all reject Jesus Christ and fall into a state of apostasy. And we all know the name we give to that period of earth’s history right? We call that, the Great Apostasy. Great as in “Large, All-Encompassing, or Expansive”. And you can see why, all three major groups are lost. At this point in Nephi's talk we might throw our hands up in despair and say “But Nephi, this can’t be how the story ends! Tell me there’s more to this talk than doom and gloom. Is there any hope for the world? ”. And to this Nephi begins to smile a little and he says, “Yes, you’re right, that isn’t the end of the story”. God is going to give the world Jew/Lamanite/and Gentile a second chance.
THE WORLD’S SECOND CHANCE
And what is that second chance? See if you can figure it out by reading the following scripture references. I think we see the message most clearly in chapter 27, but it does make an appearance in various places of Nephi’s sermon, in almost every chapter in fact. Invite some of your students to read the following scriptures out loud. One quick idea on how to do this is to throw a ball to someone and have them read, then that person gets to choose who they throw the ball to next, and that person reads, and so on. But here are the verses.
2 Nephi 25:17-18
2 Nephi 26:16
2 Nephi 27:6
2 Nephi 27:26
2 Nephi 28:2
2 Nephi 29:1-2
2 Nephi 25:17-18
17 And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.
18 Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.
2 Nephi 26:16
16 For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust.
2 Nephi 27:6
6 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered.
2 Nephi 27:26
26 Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.
2 Nephi 28:2
2 And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel.
2 Nephi 29:1-2
1 But behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel;
2 And also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed; and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel;
So what is the world’s second chance? What will he do to reach out his "hand again the second time to recover [his] people”? What is this marvelous work and a wonder? What is this book that shall be of great worth unto the children of men, that will whisper out of the dust, that will convince people of the true Messiah, and shall be a standard for the house of Israel?
It’s the Book of Mormon and the restoration of Christ’s church that would accompany it’s coming forth. God refused to abandon the world to its own devices. This book would offer the world another chance and would restore the plain and precious truths that had been lost for centuries during the great apostasy. And to me, that’s one of the most important purposes of the Book of Mormon. The Church was not organized until after the Book of Mormon was published. That had to come first. And this book, this marvelous work and a wonder would not only teach important doctrines and restore lost truths, but it would also lead people to the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Because, if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a divinely appointed prophet, and if Joseph Smith was a divinely appointed prophet, then the Church that he helped to restore IS the true Church.
Now we can go back to Nephi’s Notecard and fill in the blank. The Book of Mormon is the world’s second chance.
HISTORY OF THE COMING FORTH OF THE BOOK OF MORMON (2 Nephi 27)
And you can really see this message clearly in 2 Nephi 27. I won’t read these verses here, but those first 5 verses of that chapter contain a description of the spiritually perilous and apostate conditions that will be found in the last days. Men drunken with iniquity, people starving for spiritual sustenance, a rejection of God’s prophets and truth. But, starting in verse 6, we see that the Lord won’t allow that to continue indefinitely, but in that day, he will send forth the words of a book which will save the world from itself. And the words of that book will, as it prophesies in verse 26, will cause the wisdom of the wise and the learned to perish and the understanding of the prudent to be hid. So for 2 Nephi 27, here’s a quick assignment for you. Read through it and see if you can identify the following major events in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Use the word bank to See if you can find where it talks about Moroni delivering the plates to Joseph, the translation of those plates, the visit to Professor Anthon, and the testimony of the Three Witnesses. Also, if you’ve ever wondered what's written in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, the answer is in this chapter. See if you can find that as well.
27:6 Moroni delivering the plates to Joseph
27:7-8, 10-11 The sealed portion
27:9 Joseph and Oliver translate
27:12-14 The 3 Witnesses
27:15-18 Professor Anthon Story
27:19-21 Joseph finishes translating and publishes the Book of Mormon
27:22 Plates returned to Moroni
BLESSINGS OF THE BOOK
But if I were teaching, I would want to focus the bulk of my attention on the following question: What blessings will the Book of Mormon bring us? What does it do for us? The answer to that question is going to be found all throughout the remaining chapters.
And I’ll give you two ways that you can approach answering that question. You could list the following references on the board and ask your class members to search for and identify the blessings, OR you could approach it with a crossword puzzle as well.
2 Nephi 27:29 It will bring us understanding and light
2 Nephi 27:30 It will bring us joy
2 Nephi 28:2 It will be of great worth to us
2 Nephi 29:2 It shows that God remembers his promises
2 Nephi 30:5 It will restore knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ
2 Nephi 30:6 It will removes scales of darkness from our eyes, It will help us to become pure and delightsome
2 Nephi 30:7 It will make us delightsome
2 Nephi 30:8 It will bring about the restoration of God’s people upon the earth.
8 DOWN The spiritually _________ will HEAR and heed the words of the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 27:29) DEAF
7 ACROSS The spiritually ________ will SEE the light the Book of Mormon brings (2 Nephi 27:29) BLIND
9 ACROSS The Book of Mormon will bring THIS to people (2 Nephi 27:30) JOY
1 DOWN The Book of Mormon will be of great ________ to the people of the Latter-days (2 Nephi 28:2) WORTH
4 DOWN The Book of Mormon proves that God will always ______________ his promises (2 Nephi 29:2) REMEMBER
6 ACROSS The Book of Mormon restores _________________ of Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 30:5) KNOWLEDGE
5 ACROSS The Book of Mormon will make us pure and ________________ if we follow its teachings (2 Nephi 30:6) DELIGHTSOME
5 DOWN The Book of Mormon removes ________________ (2 Nephi 30:6) DARKNESS
2 DOWN The Book of Mormon will help bring about the ________________ of God's people (2 Nephi 30:8) RESTORATION
3 DOWN The Book of Mormon will prepare the earth for the ____________________. (2 Nephi 30:9-18, Hint: What time period is this section describing?) MILLENNIUM
TAKING IT TO HEART
At the conclusion of this activity, a possible question to consider asking. What would you add to this list? What blessings has the Book of Mormon brought into your life personally?
A BIBLE, A BIBLE
But, sadly, all of these blessings will not come without opposition. Satan is going to vehemently oppose the Book of Mormon and will lead a focused attack on its legitimacy in the last days. That attack is described in Chapter 29. What are people going to say about the Book of Mormon? At least the Christian world. What will be one of their major arguments against it? Find it in verse 3:
3 And because my words shall hiss (or whistle) forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.
What’s their accusation? The Bible is all there is, the Bible is all we need. There’s no need for a Book of Mormon. This additional book of scripture has no legitimacy. You ever heard that argument before? I know I have, especially on my mission.
SEARCH ACTIVITY-ROLE PLAY
You’ve heard me say this before, but the scriptures never offer a problem without the solution being somewhere nearby. The remainder of chapter 29 helps us to know how we might respond to that argument. So I want you to imagine something. Imagine you’re sitting on a bus, and you strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you and the fact that you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ comes up. And they look at you and say, with sincerity, I mean, if somebody just wants to argue with you, it’s probably not worth your time or effort, but how would we respond to someone who genuinely had this concern. But they say, “Why do we need the Book of Mormon? I’ve always been taught that the Bible is all we need. That it’s the last word on God’s will. The final authority. Can’t I just get by with the Bible?”
Without looking at chapter 29, how would you respond to that? Would you know what to say? Allow a few of your students to tackle that question or wrestle with it a bit. And then I’d ask if they struggled with that a bit? If so, 29:7-11 has some great responses to that charge.
Study those verses and see if they offer us any help. I see at least three unique points that the Lord makes in response to that accusation or dismissal of this other testament of Jesus Christ. What do you see?
1. God remembers and cares about all nations
So in verse 7 he says:
7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
And then in verse 8:
Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
So why would God only speak to one people. Doesn’t he love everybody equally? And if you look closely at a map of the world, there are really two connected landmasses. The Old World, and the New World. Doesn’t it make sense that God would give those in the new world a chance to know him, and hear his word, and be taught his Gospel? Because God remembers all nations and all people.
2. The second reason I see there at the beginning of verse 8. Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Are you upset with me because I’m giving you something more?
And then he reiterates this at the end of verse 9 and then verse 10
And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.
10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.
You almost sense that God’s a little frustrated that Christianity has put a gag order on him for so long. And I wonder about that one too. Why are people so averse to receiving more of God’s word. I find it hard to believe that all God would do for us is give us the Bible and then say, now you figure it out the rest of that on your own, and then turn and walk away. It’s obvious that the Bible all by itself has not been enough to clarify God’s truth. There are so many different ways to interpret the Bible. I can quote you one verse and say “See, this is the truth”, but then you can pull out a different Bible verse and say “No, no, you’re wrong, see the Bible says this”. In fact two people can be looking at the same verse and come up with two completely different meanings from it. What’s an honest seeker of the truth to do? Well, with the Book of Mormon, with two witnesses, we can rest assured what the proper interpretation is. Additionally, the Book of Mormon will lead us to His church and his living prophets which will teach us the fullness of the gospel message and give us a proper and divine understanding of what’s been revealed in the Bible.
And how wonderful is it that we have so much more of God’s word to study, and learn from, and apply. I feel kind of bad for my Christian friends out there who only get to study from the Bible, and then I walk in with my giant Quad THICK with God’s word. I hope we don’t take that for granted. And I love the Bible, and I’ve taught it for years, and I know how powerful, and true it is. But, we, as members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the latter-days get 886 MORE pages of God’s inspired word in the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. I’m not complaining. Give me more! I just think it’s a little narrow-minded and frankly a bit pretentious to limit God to just the Old and New Testaments. And I can’t wait until I can study MORE of God’s words. I don’t know exactly when and probably not until the millennium, but I want to read the sealed portion! I can’t wait to dig deep into those writings. Or some of the missing books of the Bible or additional epistles of Paul that have been lost. The more, the better.
3. God is the same forever. You see that at the beginning of verse 9:
9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure.
If God spoke to living prophets in the past, what makes us think that he would stop now. Why would that major means of communication between God and man change after the early apostles died. If that’s how he worked with his children for thousands of years, from Adam to John the Beloved, why stop?
Did that help? Do you see how that chapter can help us to answer that objection? So the next time somebody sincerely asks us why we need the Book of Mormon instead of just the Bible, we’ve got something we can say. Thank you Nephi!
TRUTH
The Book of Mormon is a marvelous work and wonder sent by God to end apostasy and doctrinal misunderstanding. If I embrace it, I will receive great blessings of knowledge and light.
VIDEO
There’s a really fun video that you could show here entitled “A Compelling Witness?” I’ll admit that it’s more geared towards the youth, but I think it communicates a good message. That being, we don’t really have to try to prove the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon to anyone. That’s probably not going to work anyway. There are lots of evidences behind the miraculous nature of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, but really, it’s the words and the power of the teachings, and the message of the Book of Mormon that gives it its impact. If people would just be willing to give it a chance, to genuinely search it and not with an agenda of skepticism or doubt, then I believe they will feel the truthfulness and the power of this sacred book.
TAKING IT TO HEART
What is marvelous and wonderful about the Book of Mormon to you?
I WILL GO AND DO
Therefore what. If the Book of Mormon is true, and you believe that it is. What should we do about it?
A few suggestions:
Study it diligently this year.
Seek to live what it teaches.
Value it.
Express gratitude to God for it.
Testify of it to others.
THE TAKEAWAY
I love the Book of Mormon. I bear witness that it is true. It has changed my life for good. I’m fairly certain that you’ve heard me say this before, but a large portion of my testimony lies in the literary power of the Book of Mormon. I have a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in English literature. Which means I spent the majority of my college years reading and writing. Reading the greatest literature mankind has produced, classic and contemporary and then writing about it. And I also took a number of creative writing classes. And then, I write these scripts for these lessons every week, usually about 14 pages each time. And I’ll tell you something. Writing is not easy. It’s hard work to write and even harder to write well. So I testify with my background and area of proficiency, that the Book of Mormon is comparable in meaning and complexity and beauty and impact as some of the greatest writing in history. No way Joseph Smith just woke up one morning and decided to whip out a 2 Nephi 9 or Alma 32 or Ether 12 after eating corn bread with Emma. No way he wrote this book in 65 days with a third-grade education. The existence of the Book of Mormon is a miracle, truly a marvelous work and a wonder.
THE SOURCE OF THE WONDER
So I hope that this has been able to help you to understand the power and the miraculous impact the Book of Mormon does and can have in people’s lives. But, I do need to back track just a little bit. I’d like to add a supplemental little thought here before we move on. We need to be careful to not get so wrapped up in the beauty of the Book of Mormon itself that we forget its main purpose and the source of its power, its marvelousness, and it’s wonder. When you stop and think about it, it’s not really the Book of Mormon itself that is the world’s second chance. The Book of Mormon doesn’t save people. The Book of Mormon doesn’t redeem. We don’t worship the Book of Mormon. We’ve got to be careful not to admire the beautifully wrapped box so much that we forget the gift inside. The reason the Book of Mormon is so important to us is because of WHO it testifies of and WHO it points us to and WHO is the source of its power. So let’s go all the way back to chapter 25:18 to remind ourselves why the Book of Mormon will be such a powerful force for good in the last days. What is it?
18 Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah,
The reason the Book of Mormon is so powerful is because of its witness of Jesus Christ. It’s been sent for the express purpose of convincing us of the true Messiah, that Jesus is the Christ. And that’s its subtitle right. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. We talked about this at the beginning of the year, but statistically speaking, the Book of Mormon mentions Christ in some way an average of every 1.7 verses. Which is why it’s a wonder to me that much of Christianity doesn’t want to include us under their umbrella. And anytime I hear that accusation, I just want to shout out 2 Nephi 25:26
26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
And also verse 29
29 And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.
The Book of Mormon is one of the greatest witnesses on earth of the divinity and power of Jesus Christ and his gospel. This witness will offer the world a second chance to come unto Christ and make him and his gospel the center of our lives.
TAKING IT TO HEART
If we truly wish to call ourselves “Christians” then. Can we claim that title? Let’s ask ourselves how well we’re doing at living verse 26.
Do I talk of Christ? Is he part of my conversations both casual and formal? Does his name come up throughout my week, or only on Sunday?
Do I rejoice in Christ? Am I a gospel optimist? Am I able to maintain my joy in the face of trial and tragedy?
Do I preach of Christ? Do I take my responsibility to proclaim the gospel seriously. Do I look for opportunities to share my faith with others?
Do I prophesy of Christ? Remember from Revelation 19:10 that the spirit of prophesy is the testimony of Jesus. Do I bear testimony of Jesus frequently? Does my life and example testify of Him? And what am I doing to actively strengthen my testimony?
And do I write of Christ? Do I keep a journal of my experiences with Him, and do I pass those things on to others and my posterity?
THE TAKEAWAY
Christ is the message and the purpose of the Book of Mormon. I know that centering our lives on His word, and His grace, and His example, and His sacrifice, and His love will bring us joy, purpose, and strength now and in the life to come. I believe in Christ; he is my King! With all my heart to him I’ll sing; I’ll raise my voice in praise and joy, In grand amens my tongue employ. (Hymn #134)
LESSON #2 THE GREATEST MAGICIAN (2 Nephi 28)
That is a beautiful message that we find in this sermon of Nephi’s. But there is another huge section in there that we haven’t talked about yet. Do you think Satan is going to sit idly by while the Book of Mormon and it’s message of Christ destroys his works wickedness? Not on your life. He’s going to counterattack. And that’s what we mainly find in chapter 28.
OBJECT
For an object to this portion of the lesson I might bring out a magic wand or a magic hat or both and set them at the front. I place some Amazon links in the video description if you’re interested.
Magic Wand: https://amzn.to/4bUjWgL
A magic hat: https://amzn.to/430fhWS
ICEBREAKER
Then for an icebreaker I like to begin with a magic trick. Now I’m a bit of an amateur magician and so I have a bunch of great tricks that I can choose from. But you may not. So let me suggest an easy trick that anybody can do without having to buy some expensive gimmick or spend forever practicing. This is called the Professor’s nightmare and allow me to demonstrate it for you.
Show video demonstration
And you don’t even need to really buy anything as long you have some kind of cord or rope lying around. can make your own with a piece of thin cord. Cut three different lengths. One should be 11 inches (28 cm, for our international listeners), the second one should be 21 inches (53 cm), and the third should be 31 inches (79 cm).
But after the trick, I ask them: Did I really magically cause the ropes to stretch and change size? And they should say no. And then you can admit to them. Your right, I didn’t, I deceived you. I tricked you into thinking that I did. And if you mess up, or they figure out how you did it. No big deal. You can say “That’s great! You guys can’t be deceived. That’s a good thing.”
Then I would ask them if they know who the greatest magician of all time is? They may be familiar with Houdini or David Copperfield, or Penn and Teller, but there’s someone out there that I consider to be even better, the greatest deceiver to ever exist. Who would that be? Satan. Satan is the greatest magician. He is a master of illusion. He’s very good at tricking people into believing certain things that just aint so or fooling them into doing things that are to his advantage, his liking. Now the trick that I just performed is merely harmless entertainment. Being fooled by me won’t result in any lasting damage. But if we get fooled by Satan’s deceptions, he might trick us right out of our eternal exaltation. It’s absolutely essential that we learn how not to be deceived.
Well thank heavens, Heavenly Father is going to help us with that. And right now, you are probably holding one the greatest in your hands. The scriptures are one of our best tools to not being deceived. They reveal the greatest magician’s tricks. If you study them, and familiarize yourself with them, you are much less likely to fall for them the next time he tries them on you. 2 Nephi 28 is a great place to see some of these tricks. It’s chock full of them.
SEARCH ACTIVITY
A way to approach these tricks is to assign each student one of them and give them some time to ponder and reflect on it. Then, allow them to share what they came up with. I would give each the following handout and then assign them one of the following tricks. Their job will be to 1: name it. All magic tricks have titles that magicians use to identify them. The Professor’s Nightmare for example, or some other well-known ones, The Linking Rings, Scotch and Soda, Svengali Deck, and Cups and Balls. One of their jobs will be to identify or create a name for the trick. What might Satan call it. I’ll even give them a word bank on the handout of possible trick names they could choose from. These are the names that I’ve given to the tricks, but they can certainly make up some of their own. Then 2, they need to describe the effect of the trick. What is the ruse, the deception, the instructions for the trick. Then 3, evidence of the tricks effectiveness in today’s world. Evidence that the trick works. Can they give an example of how Satan is performing that trick right now. And then 4, what do they feel is the solution to the trick? What’s the truth? Reveal the secret.
Now those instructions may be a little challenging for them to comprehend, so it may be a good idea to give them an example first. So here we go.
2 Nephi 28:3-4
3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord—
4 And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.
I would label this trick “Confuse and Contend.” What’s the effect? To fill the world with so many contending voices and religions and philosophies and opinions that people won’t know what to believe or what to do or where to find truth. Evidence of this trick. Well it’s estimated that there are about 4200 different religions in the world today. There are also many, many competing voices out there saying different things, all claiming to know the truth and worse, to tear down or defame anyone else who disagrees. Fake news, cancel culture, public shaming, online bickering, making one an offender for a word, and uncivil political discourse are just a few evidences I see in our world that this trick is working. When it comes to religion, life philosophy, or politics we live in a very contentious and confusing world. This is a trick Joseph Smith was very familiar with and why I think his story resonates with so many people. And Joseph also exemplifies what I feel is the solution to this trick. Seek truth from divinely appointed sources. God himself through prayer, hearkening to his living prophets, and studying the scriptures can offer us certainty in a confused and contentious world.
So do you see how I did that there. Give your students a similar example and then encourage them to go through that process themselves with their assigned “trick”.
1. 2 Nephi 28:7
2. 2 Nephi 28:8
3. 2 Nephi 28:9-15
4. 2 Nephi 28:20
5. 2 Nephi 28:21, 24-25
6. 2 Nephi 28:22
7. 2 Nephi 28:26,31
8. 2 Nephi 28:27-30
2 Nephi 28:7
7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.
I would call this trick “YOLO, or you only live once.” This is the Hedonist philosophy of life that we talked about a few lessons ago. The effect is to get your victim to believe that the purpose of life is the pursuit of pleasure. Whatever feels good do it. So drinking alcohol and doing drugs makes you feel good, so do it! Lust and sexual indulgence provide pleasure, give in! Greed, gluttony, laziness, and partying are enjoyable, yield to them! It will make you happy! Evidence of this trick working? Alcoholism and drug addiction rates are high. Many a young adult has found their lives and futures derailed or forever impacted by the “party” and loose morality culture found on many college campuses and social groups. And how often has the lure of a momentary pleasure, indiscretion, or indulgence destroyed a marriage, fragmented a family, or led to criminal activity. The Eat, Drink, and be Merry philosophy is a trick. Satan advertises the pleasure, but masks the after-effect. The solution then is to look past the enticement to the consequence: The hangover, the addiction, the aimlessness, the shallow and short-lived relationships, the diseases, and the negative impacts on society, family, and children.
2 Nephi 28:8
8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
I would call this trick the “You don’t have to be THAT good” trick. This philosophy is a slight variation of the last one. I think it’s an improvement on that one, but not by much. The effect is to convince people that God just doesn’t expect much from his children. It’s the permissive God they’re teaching. It’s discipleship with no vision, no commitment to progress, and a propensity for rationalizing away sin. It’s the “no big deal” attitude. Any evidence of that deception in our world? That may be a bit harder to identify, but perhaps there are “religious people” out there that justify and excuse less than Christian behavior. This might be a way that Satan still is able to get at those who claim to be disciples of Christ. So they say, I’m not a bad person. I’m not out there killing or raping or doing drugs. I don’t even drink alcohol. So who cares if I’m a bit dishonest, who cares of I treat others poorly, who cares if I lose my temper with my family, who cares if my language and media choices are less than appropriate. God will just slap me on the wrist, and I’ll be OK. Solution to the trick? Always be striving. Endure to the end. If Jesus Christ stands as our perfect example, then we all have things we can be working on so let’s not get complacent. Now, on the other hand, let’s not get discouraged that we’re not perfect. I mean that’s the other side of the coin. Sometimes we have people that feel they will never measure up, and that God isn’t merciful, which causes them to become discouraged and want to give up. Well that trick works too. Satan doesn’t care how he makes us miserable—either extreme will work in his book.
2 Nephi 28:9-15
Now there’s a theme to this next trick over the next 8 verses or so. And it’s one of the big ones. One of Satan’s finest tricks. A real showstopper. Can you see what it is? What idea is repeated over and over in this section?
9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.
10 And the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them.
11 Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted.
12 Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.
13 They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up.
14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.
15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!
Let’s call this trick, “Look at Me!” It’s the problem of pride right?! They’re puffed up. And these verses seem to suggest that there are three major area that seem to particularly tempt people to pride. Riches, outward appearance (fine clothing here), and learnedness. I’m richer than you, I’m better looking than you, or I’m smarter than you. When we’ve been blessed with something admirable, it’s the tendency of most people to play the “Look at Me!” game. When my kids were little, they would be playing something or doing something and they would say, “Look at Me, daddy, look what I did, look what I can do!” And we would praise them, and say “Oh that’s good.” Sadly, it’s hard for us to grow out of that tendency and grown adults still play the “Look at me!” game. Look at my success, look at my house, look at my car, look at my intellect, look at my religious piety, look at my body, look at my popularity. Aren’t I a good boy, or a good girl! It’s hard for us not to seek the praise and admiration of the world and conclude that when we have it, we’re better, more valuable, more deserving of good things than others. I think there’s a reason why Nephi spends so many verses on this one. This trick is so effective that almost all of us are fooled by it now and then, myself included because I know that I have my own “Look at Me’s” that I struggle with. In magic, one of the most delightful types of tricks to perform is the kind that you do in such a way as to lead the spectator into a false sense of security and confidence. You fake that you’ve messed up, you make them feel like they have you, or that they’ve figured out the gimmick, only to spring it back on them at the last moment and pull the rug out from under them, so to speak—to show them that you’ve been in control all along. I think that’s what it’s going to be like for a lot of us with Satan. We feel prideful and confident, and in control, when really, Satan has had us eating from the palm of his hand all along. The Book of Mormon has a lot to say about pride, so I know that we are going to deal with it on a much deeper level in the future. But the solution: We’ve got to learn to not come to the conclusion that because we have more than somebody else, that we are better than somebody else. Rather, let’s be grateful for what we’ve been given, but also rejoice in the good fortune of others, and recognize that all we have and are, is because of God.
:20
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
I’d call this trick “Anger Management”. Anger is an especially destructive trick of the devil. There is a lot of anger out there directed at the church and the gospel. I’m often shocked at how worked up people get about those of us that live our religion. Sometimes I’ve had to delete some of the comments on this channel because of that kind of thing. People that are offended, upset, and just downright irritated with faith and belief. It makes me wonder why they don’t have better things to do with their time. And it’s not just anger at religion. Anger in general. Satan will rage in the hearts of the children of men. I see it everywhere. Online, on the news. People are angry at this, and angry at that. Our political discourse is full of anger, social media is often full of anger. And I appreciate this quote from Mark Twain. "Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” I believe that’s true. Our solution then, control your anger, take a step back from the situation and look at it unemotionally, seek first to understand, then to be understood.
:21, 24-25
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
And then we’ll add verses 24-25
24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion.
25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!
This is such a fascinating one. This is directed mainly at members of the church. I would call it “Pacifiers and Lullabies”. Satan will pacify and lull people into carnal security. And will lead them “ carefully” down to hell. Carefully is a good magician word. You can’t be too brazen in magic; you have to be extremely careful and measured in your deception. And what’s the trick here? Casualness and complacency. Make your target feel content with doing the minimum. Sometimes we may get complacent in our Sunday worship, our dedication to our callings, our prayers, our language, our media choices, our scripture study. He says that Satan will pacify us and lull us away in carnal security. This is a variation on the “eat, drink, and be merry, nevertheless fear God” philosophy. Now, one of the greatest inventions ever created for parents is a small object called a pacifier. When my infants were upset or fussy, I'd often give them a pacifier and lo and behold they would go to sleep. Or I would sing them a lullaby and again, this would help them to sleep. Apparently, this is what Satan wants to do with us. He wants to put us to sleep, spiritually. And once he has us asleep, it's much easier to manipulate us, much easier to wrap us up in his chains. You all know this, when you were at scout camp or girls camp, when was the best time to play pranks on people? When they were asleep. That is when we are at our most vulnerable. And that descent into sleep is usually slow and imperceptible. Don’t let Satan put you to sleep. Stay vigilant, stay watchful. Awake and arise. That’s the solution.
:22
22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
I’d call this trick “Nothing here”. Another trick of the devil is to tell people that he doesn’t exist. Which seems rather strange. Why would he not want people to believe in him? Isn’t he self-centered and proud? However, it’s actually diabolically clever. If there’s no devil, or hell, then there must also be no God or heaven. And if there’s no God or devil, then there are no eternal consequences to our decisions. No right or wrong, no future judgment, no accounting for our behavior. So get away with what you can. One of the techniques of magic is to tell people you are not doing something at the exact moment you are doing it. It’s amazing how effective that can be in deflecting attention away from the trick you are trying to perform. I’ll often begin a magic trick by presenting an object and saying, “Here’s an ordinary deck of cards”, or an ordinary coin, or an ordinary pencil, when I know full well that those objects are anything but ordinary. Evidence of this trick? Widespread atheism and a loss of faith. The solution. I think King Benjamin said it best: 9 Believe in God ; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
2 Nephi 28:26, 31
26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!
And
31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Another trick is the “Who Needs God?” trick. The effect is to get your target to believe that a belief in god is a crutch—to say, “I don’t need some divine being helping me out. I can do it all on my own. I don’t need commandments, and scriptures, and living prophets, or some spirit whispering in my ear. I’ll put my trust in the flesh of my own arm, not God’s. I’ll put my trust in money, or science, or my own intellect. The solution would be to recognize God’s wisdom over our own. And that takes humility and faith.
One More
2 Nephi 28:27-30
27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!
28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.
29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
The trick: Enough! The Effect: Get your target to believe that they don’t need any more of God’s word. Evidence: What probably first comes to mind with that one is the Christian world out there that doesn’t want to accept the Book of Mormon or the counsels of living prophets; that say, “A Bible, a bible, we have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible”. We already addressed that issue earlier. But I believe that attitude can be manifest in other ways as well.
TRUTH
Satan uses many tactics to draw people away from God and make them miserable. The better I understand those tricks, the better able I will be to resist them.
I WILL GO AND DO
Reflect on your relationship with these “Revealing Satan’s Tricks” resources. Study the scriptures. Listen to the prophets. Follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Attend your church meetings. All of these methods will help give us the help we need to not be fooled.
THE TAKEAWAY
Well you can see, Satan is a great magician with a whole lot of tricks up his sleeve. But now that we know what to look for, we’re much less likely to be fooled. A number of years ago there was a Television show entitled “Magic’s Greatest Secrets Finally Revealed”. It was put on by a masked magician who revealed the secrets behind a lot of classic magic effects. Why did he wear a mask? Because he was afraid of the backlash he would get from the magic community for revealing their secrets, which is exactly what happened. Magicians were angry. Their craft was being destroyed. Well I like to hold up my scriptures and say, “Satan’s greatest secrets finally revealed”, or hold up a conference edition of the Liahona and say, “Satan’s greatest secrets finally revealed”. Therefore, let’s frustrate Satan. Let’s make him wring his hands in displeasure. No wonder he opposes the Church so much. It reveals his tricks! Let’s not be fooled. Satan is a phony, a charlatan, a cheat. Keep your eyes on the scriptures and the brethren, and the next time Satan tries one of these tricks on you, you can look back at him with a smug look on your face and say, “I know how you do it. You’re not going to fool me. That trick may have worked on Laman and Lemuel, but it won’t work on me. You might have gotten away with that with King Noah, but I’m smarter than that. Judas Iscariot was tricked by that one, but I already know the secret.” May we remain undeceived, unfooled by the greatest magician, is my prayer.
LESSON #3 ALL ARE ALIKE UNTO GOD (2 Nephi 26)
One more final brief message from chapter 26 because we’re going to visit this topic again later this year when we get to the story of Zeniff in the Book of Mosiah, but it’s a significant enough message that it would do us well to consider it in both locations.
OBJECT
For an object I would bring in a box of crayons and then a small picture to color.
ICEBREAKER
Then for an icebreaker, I would invite them to come forward and select just one color to use and encourage them to take it back and color their picture with it. When done, ask them what they think about their pictures and if there was anything they feel could have made them better? Now, chances are, they’re probably going to make this comment before you even ask that question. They’re going to wonder if they can choose some other colors to color with. And you just say, nope, just one color is all you get. And when you ask your question, they’re going to say that more colors would have made their picture better. And then you ask why?
Well, because their beauty in a diversity of colors. Variety is more exciting, more interesting, better. Keep that idea in mind as we take a look at an important message in 2 Nephi 26.
SEARCH ACTIVITY-WHAT’S THE MESSAGE?
I want you to study 26:24-28, and 33, and be prepared to summarize in one sentence what you feel the major message of these verse is?
24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.
25 Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.
26 Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
27 Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.
28 Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.
33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
So what’s the message? What one thing does Nephi want all of us to remember?
Possible answers:
a
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do you think we’ve done as mankind since the dawn of this earth’s existence at applying those truths? We don’t have a very good record do we. Racism, prejudice, bigotry, hatred, slavery, contention, pogroms, genocides, hate crimes have been ever present in our society. And I don’t believe there is any nation, or culture, or religion, or organization that is completely free from it.
And why? Why do you think it’s been such a problem? I think it’s the adversary that gets to us. When we see someone that is different from us, whether it’s skin color, gender, culture, sexual attraction, political affiliation, social class, or religion, what does he tempt us to think? My way of being different is better than your way of being different. I’m right, you’re wrong. My race, my nation, my religion, my opinions, are the correct ones and therefore, I am better than you. There must be something wrong with you. And wouldn’t the world just be a better place if you weren’t in it. Or, I’m stronger, richer, smarter than you, therefore, I will mistreat you, exploit you, or ignore you. Those conclusions, I’m afraid, have led to some of the most evil, heinous, and tragic events and circumstances in history.
In fact, it might lead someone to ask, “Why did God make us all so different then?” I think the answer to that lies in the lesson of the crayons. I think God was hoping we’d come to a far different conclusion than the one Satan tempts us to come to. Hopefully, when we see difference between us and others, we say, “Isn’t that wonderful! That we’re not all the same. That there is variety, diversity, individuality, and beauty in God’s creation. We see it in the animal kingdom, we see it in the diverse palette of color that God has used in his artistry, we see it in the various landscapes he’s placed on our planet. God apparently loves variety. And we see that manifest in his children as well.
THE SOLUTION
Allow me to take you quickly over to 2 Nephi 29 to a couple of verses that I feel offer us another part of the solution to hatred. There is a group of people that throughout the ages have been sorely persecuted, despised, murdered—the victims of some of the most terrible atrocities motivated by pure evil. The Jews. God has something to say about antisemitism in this chapter. And in his condemnation of it, we can also see some solutions to all kinds of bigotry.
4 But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?
5 O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.
6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?
God’s apparently not very happy with the way the world has treated his ancient covenant people. Did you see any solutions in there, though, to bigotry? All you have to do is basically the opposite of what God is denouncing them for. So we should thank them. Whatever group of people we’re tempted to despise or persecute, we can ask ourselves what we can thank them for. Every culture, every nation, every religion has something good they’ve offered the world. Seek that. Seek the positive and reasons to be grateful for them. I would call this “Seeing with Zeniff’s eyes,” but we’ll examine that idea more deeply when we get to the story of Zeniff. But, look for reasons to be grateful. Instead of cursing others, bless them, pray for them, help them. Instead of hating them, love them. It’s such an important idea that we call it the second great commandment, second only to loving God—love your neighbor as yourself. And instead of forgetting, or ignoring, or disregarding others, remember them. If only mankind could have adopted this mindset, I believe that some of history’s most horrific and tragic scenes would have been avoided.
TAKING IT TO HEART
Therefore what? If we truly take to heart the lesson of the verses we just read, How should that change us? How would a person who really understood the “All are alike” principle act?
Possible answers:
They would oppose all forms of racism/bigotry/discrimination and hatred.
They would invite all people to come unto Christ and never exclude anyone from their missionary efforts.
They would strive to see all people as God sees them, as His beloved children.
I WILL GO AND DO
I have an application challenge for you. An experiment. For one day, look around and for every person you see or interact with, remind yourself: They are a beloved child of God.
So I see my wife and my children and say. They are beloved children of God.
I see the students who open their scriptures and participate in my class and say. They are beloved children of God.
I see the student who disrupts my class or openly expresses their desire not to be there. They are a beloved child of God.
I see my neighbors who have left the church or no longer attend. They are beloved children of God.
I see on television those who disagree with my religious or political views. They are beloved children of God.
I see the person who roots for the other team. They are a beloved child of God.
I watch the news and see the enemies of our nation. They are beloved children of God.
The homeless individual on the side of the road. They are a beloved child of God.
THE TAKEAWAY
I believe that it is important for us to sing “I am a Child of God”, but I believe that it just as equally important for us to be able to look at others and say, “You are a child of God, and He has sent you here, has given you an earthly home with at least Heavenly Parents, kind and dear, so I’ll lead you, guide you, walk beside you, and help you find the way, I’ll teach you all that you must do, to live with Him someday”. All are alike unto God. The worth of ALL souls is great in the sight of God. I pray that we can all strive to live as if we really believe that.
