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LESSON #1 THIS IS THE WAY, THIS IS THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST (2 Nephi 31-32)
OBJECT
Some hiking boots and maybe a walking stick, and a daypack sitting at the front of the class.
ICEBREAKER
And for an icebreaker I just like to ask my students to share the best hike they’ve ever been on. Where were they? What did they see? What made it enjoyable? Now I don’t exactly know if this icebreaker or approach to the lesson is going to work for every teacher out there. I guess it kind of depends on how enjoyable you find hiking or spending time in the outdoors. But for me, that is one of my favorite things to do in life. I love the outdoors. And specifically, I like to challenge myself in the outdoors. I love climbing high mountains AND I love exploring desert canyons. Lucky for me, I live in Utah, where both of these types of experiences are available in abundance. I just find it so fulfilling, so engaging, and so enjoyable. There’s just nothing quite like standing on the top of a high mountain as a reward for determined, continuous effort over a stretch of miles through beautiful terrain. OR, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of descending the narrow, sculpted desert canyons of Southern Utah, often only accessible with ropes and climbing gear and a specific knowledge set and skills in order to do so. So to begin the lesson, I might show a number of pictures portraying some of these beautiful places that I’ve been able to recreate in. I would also allow members of my class to share some of their favorite places and experiences in the outdoors.
Well, there’s a reason that my thoughts turned to hiking and canyoneering while I was studying 2 Nephi chapter 31. Nephi is going to use a metaphor to help us to understand an essential doctrine of the gospel, I might even call it THE key doctrine of the gospel. But what’s that metaphor? What thing does he continually refer to throughout the chapter. Can you find it in 2 Nephi 31:9, 18, 19, and verse 21.
Did you find it? It’s a path. A trail so to speak. And what kind of a path is it? It’s a strait (S T R A I T) meaning narrow, and narrow path. It’s a little redundant, but it’s kind of like saying it’s the narrow and narrow path. Now verse 21 doesn’t use the word “Path” but uses a synonym for a path. What is it? A way. He says, “And now, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way.” So that’s going to be our central metaphor for this lesson. A narrow path. And Nephi is going to compare that path or way to a doctrine of the gospel. What is that doctrine? Well, he’s going to mention it at the beginning and at the end of the chapter. So what is the way, what is the path? He’ll commence his message with it in verse 2, and he’ll conclude his message with it, in verse 21. What doctrine are we examining? The doctrine of Christ. He says in verse 2 . . .
2 Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ;
And in verse 21
21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
There it is, very clear. This is the way; this is the doctrine of Christ. So he begins the chapter with that statement, and he concludes the chapter with that statement, therefore what would you expect to find in the middle? The doctrine of Christ. Here’s what it means to be a Christian—a disciple of Jesus. And really, besides the Sermon on the Mount, this chapter is perhaps one of the best descriptions of discipleship we find anywhere in the scriptures. And we get it in plain, straightforward language. As Nephi explains in the second half of verse 2 and all of verse 3 . . .
wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying.
3 For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.
So Nephi is going to get down to the basics of the gospel. Perhaps in a way admitting that some of his book, 2 Nephi, has been a little tougher to understand. He’s quoted his father, Lehi, and maybe some of you struggled a little bit with the heavily philosophical 2 Nephi 2. He’s quoted his brother, Jacob, and maybe some of you struggled a bit with his deeply doctrinal 2 Nephi 9. And then, he’s extensively quoted his prophet hero, Isaiah, and I’m sure that many have struggled with the symbolism and figurative language of that OId Testament prophet. But now, Nephi desires to be as straightforward and simple as he can possibly be. lead you, guide, walk beside you, and help you find “the way”.
SEARCH ACTIVITY-STUDY GUIDE
I like to approach this chapter as a personal study guide handout. I like to encourage my students to have a personal experience with the chapter. I encourage them to approach it as a personal Q and A with Nephi. If you take a close look at chapters 31 and 32, it almost reads like a conversation. It’s like Nephi is anticipating our questions and concerns. So we’re going to imagine a type of dialogue taking place between us and Nephi. I’ll help by providing the questions that I think Nephi is trying to answer for us, and then give you a chance to interpret what you think Nephi is saying in response to those questions. And, as a teacher, I wouldn’t approach this is a “one answer fits all” kind of assignment either. We’re not going to go through and “correct it” to see if you got the answers right. We are going to go through, and I’ll share my answers and my thoughts, but yours may be different, and so will your students. And that’s ok. This handout acts as more of a vehicle to get us thinking about the counsels of Nephi.
So here we go.
Question #1
What is the destination of the doctrine of Christ? What is our end goal in life? I feel it’s important to first establish the end goal of the doctrine of Christ. What is it all leading to? What do our Heavenly Parents hope to accomplish with this doctrine. To go along with our hiking metaphor, what’s the destination? Personally, I typically don’t like to just go hiking for hiking’s sake. I do enjoy the hiking itself, but I typically like to have a goal in mind. I want to arrive at the peak, I want to see the arch or the waterfall, or I want to complete the canyon. And so What is our objective or final destination?
(2 Nephi 31:15, 18, 20, 21)
Answer: Nephi tells us that it is to “be saved” as it says at the end of verse 15, or to gain “Eternal life” as he says in verse 18 at and at the end of verse 20, or to “be saved in the kingdom of God” in vs. 21. That is our end goal. It’s God’s end goal for all of his children. You might recall the famous statement made in Moses 1:39 where God expresses his eternal mission statement for his children, “For behold, this is my work, and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”. That’s the purpose of the doctrine of Christ, Eternal life, that’s our desired destination. That’s the peak. And I imagine that attaining that destination is going to be comparable to the feeling I get standing on top of a mountain, or coming around the corner and seeing the arch, or the waterfall, or the crystal blue mountain lake, or the overlook into the valley below. Case in point. The destination is going to be worth the journey. I still remember the very first peak I ever climbed when I was a 9-year-old. Lone Peak, the mountain that towers above my home in the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley. And I’ve been hooked ever since. I fell in love with mountains that day, and have continually sought that experience throughout my life. Attaining eternal life, returning to the presence of my Heavenly Parents, will be similar, but on a much higher plane.
Question #2
Well, that prompts our next question for Nephi then. If that’s my purpose, How do I get there. How do I gain eternal life? What’s the trail? What’s the path? What’s the way? Whenever I go on a hike, that’s one of the first things I do. I research the trail. I locate the trailhead. I typically download a GPX track that I can follow on my phone as I go. Nephi is going to describe that path in the simplest, most plain way he knows how. Look for the idea that is repeated in each of the following verses that answers that question.
:10, 12, 13, and 16
10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.
13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
16 And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.
Nephi’s answer: Two words. Follow Christ. That’s it! That’s Nephi’s plain answer on how to gain eternal life. Jesus is the original trailblazer. The original pioneer. He walked the path, and laid it down before us. He came down to earth . So it makes sense that Jesus would proclaim in the gospels “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6) Is it any wonder then, why this entire program of scripture study we’re currently engaged in, is called “Come, follow me”. It’s THE invitation of the gospel. That’s what it means to be a Christian. It’s to seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ. To strive to walk the path that he walked, to live like he lived, love like he loved, obey like he obeyed, and sacrifice like he sacrificed. We follow the example of the Son of the living. And if we don’t, we cannot be saved. Just like, you’re never going to make it to the top of the mountain, if you don’t hike the trail.
If we’re like, “Lord, I’m sure your trail is great, and the views wonderful, but it’s a little rocky, a little steep for my liking, a little too long. I’m not sure I want to make that climb. Looks challenging.” I think I’ll just take this other trail. It looks easier, not quite so difficult, and hopefully, it leads to the same stunning vistas, and beautiful panoramas you’re always talking about. And Jesus says, there is no other way. “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. You want to get to the top, then you’ve got to hike the trail, my trail. The trail I established.
And you can see that idea expressed in different terms as well. What phrases in verses 9 and 17 express the same idea but in different words?
:9 Having set the example before them
:17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do.
Question #3
Now, that answer may seem too simple for some. If I want eternal life, then I follow Christ. Hmm, maybe we need to get a bit more specific. Consequently, Nephi is going to go a little deeper for us. But he’s still going to keep it plain. Right? And maybe we ask Him. Ok. What specific things did Christ do that I need to do? What is Christ's path to eternal life? How did he gain it?
If you look in the following verses and compare them, what ideas pop up repeatedly in them? And on the study guide I’ve even given you the first letter of each to help you out a bit.
The first one here is probably the most significant, because all the others are contained within it. It’s the big thing. What is it from verses 7, 10, and 14.
7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments,
What’s the idea? Keep the commandments. That’s what Christ did. He always followed his Father’s will, and kept his commandments. Obedience to God’s will is THE way I follow Christ and Jesus set the perfect example of that for us. He always did the will of his father. And Nephi is going to give us a prime example of that 100% obedient mindset of Jesus. What’s one thing Jesus did that showed how willing he was to keep his Father’s commandments? Look in verses :4-8, 11-14, and verse 17
Nephi’s answer. His baptism. Now let’s not get too caught up in the doctrinal message of Christ’s baptism from these verses that we miss the reason he’s referring to it here. It’s an illustration. This isn’t a section so much about Christ’s baptism, although it certainly helps us to understand that event better, as it is about Christ’s attitude when he was baptized. So Nephi says:
4 Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.
5 And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!
6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?
7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
So Jesus’s baptism was a prime example of his attitude towards his Father’s will. I want to fulfill ALL righteousness. By being baptized, Christ was witnessing before the Father that he would be obedient. Without excuse. And if there was anybody who ever had somewhat of a valid excuse not to be baptized, Jesus would be it, wouldn’t he? He could have said, "Look, I don’t need my sins washed away, I haven’t got any. I don’t really need to take this step to enter into the way, because I am the way". But Christ wanted to fulfill ALL righteousness. It’s the exact opposite attitude of the one we looked at last week in chapter 28
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;
That’s the “Ah, we can get away with it. God doesn’t expect much,” attitude. But the attitude that will bring us to eternal life is the “I want to fulfill ALL righteousness” attitude that Jesus demonstrated. That’s one of the most important ways we follow Christ. We approach God’s commandments with the same mindset. We make a commitment or covenant of obedience to our Father’s will and make no excuses or rationalizations even when we feel we might have a legitimate claim to ignore them. We’ve got to begin the climb with that understanding. If I want to get to the destination, then I have to follow the prescribed path. The established trail.
And that trail of obedience includes being baptized, like Jesus was, and so that’s mentioned a number of times here. But there’s more.
Not only do I need to be baptized but I need to
2 Nephi 31:8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18 Receive the Holy Ghost
2 Nephi 31:11, 13, 17 Repent
2 Nephi 31:19 Have faith
These things should look familiar to us. They remind us of the 4th article of faith right? Or the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. But I don’t think it serves us to look at these as steps, a checklist, or a linear progression. Like, ok, I start with faith, and next I need to repent, and then I get baptized, and so on, and leave the former steps behind you as complete them. I would not look at these things as signposts, stopping points, or mile markers along the trail. I used to look at it like that, but I don’t see it that way anymore. I believe each of those principles is a way of life, they make up the trail, they are the trail of the doctrine of Christ. The fact that Nephi doesn’t really express these ideas in a neat 1, 2, 3, 4, order speaks to that idea. That’s kind of what led to that insight in my mind. I kept thinking, how do I teach this lesson in a nice linear way. That’s when it kind of dawned on me, this isn’t about a step-by-step process. You see Nephi going back and forth talking about baptism, and repentance, and the Holy Ghost, and then back to repentance, and baptism again. I mean, he doesn’t even mention faith until vs. 19 which is what we usually associate with being the first step. But, if I view these things as THE trail, then I realize that I always need to maintain faith as I follow Christ. I’ve got to believe the destination will be worth the climb. I’ve got to believe that the trail does continue and lead somewhere that I want to go. Also, the more I study repentance, the more I come to the conclusion that it too is a way of life, an attitude, or a condition of the heart. It’s not a matter of steps I take every time I sin, although the steps of repentance help my heart to return to that state, they are not repentance itself. It’s a humble, submissive, and contrite heart with a deep desire to do all that the Father requires. A repentant heart is a heart that, like Christ, desires to fulfill all righteousness. And I carry that repentant heart all throughout my life. When I get off trail, I return to it. Baptism too, in a way is a continual process. Now yes, there is the actual moment of baptism, a gate by which we enter the path, the trailhead, so to speak. But, the covenant or commitment we make in baptism, the cleansing effect of baptism is a continual renewal each week through the ordinance of the sacrament. Again, a lifetime process. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is also continual. The relationship we nurture with him, the guidance we receive from him, that too, most certainly be an integral part of the rest of our lives after that moment that we have received him as a gift. And Nephi has more to say about that in chapter 32, we’ll get there. I think those 4 things are a good way of summing up the main ideas of verses 4-19.
Question #4
But our next question then is once I’ve done those four things in my life—I’ve demonstrated faith, and repented, and been baptized, and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, am I done? Have I made it? Am I at the peak? The final destination? (2 Nephi 31:19)
19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
The answer is no. We’re not there yet. We’ve only entered the gate. Now this aspect of the way reminds me much more of canyoneering. Now when you explore a technical canyon, there is the moment that you first drop into the canyon. The first rappel. Now, typically, you are not going to climb back out on that rope. You are going to continue to move down the canyon encountering multiple other rappels along the way. So it doesn’t make much sense to carry hundreds of feet rope all the way down the canyon and set them and leave them there, and then climb all the way back out on those ropes. No you take them with you. So you make your first rappel and then you pull the rope down and carry it with you to the next rappel, and use it there, a then pull the rope down, and so on. But that moment when you pull the rope down from that first rappel is a critical one, as long as it’s still there, you could climb back up it and out. But once it’s pulled, you are now committed to the rest of the canyon. In fact, that’s what they call that. Committing to the canyon. You can never know for sure what obstacles await you in the future, or exactly what challenges you might encounter, but you’re committed to facing them, because there is no other way out. We might refer to it as the gate of the canyon. To me, that’s kind of like baptism, we make a commitment, a covenant to walk that path, knowing that we will be facing obstacles and a long road ahead of us before we arrive back at home. So we covenant to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, and to keep his commandments, and to always remember him, to remember the one who first walked that path, and created it. But, like Nephi asks us here, once you drop into the canyon, once you step away from the trailhead, is all done. Nay, you’ve only begun. You’ve committed, but now you’ve got to walk. Starting about halfway through verse 17
For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate
Question #5
Our next question then is a big one.
All right Nephi, I feel that I have entered into the path, now what? I like to highlight two phrases here. I’ve given you the first letters to help you out. What do I do? (2 Nephi 31:15, 16, 20)
I Endure to the End
And I Press Forward.
Well those phrases work really well with our hiking metaphor, don’t they? Isn’t that what hiking is all about? We’ve got to endure to the end. We can’t give up when it gets hard. And it will get hard. That’s what the words “Endure”, and “Press” suggest about Christ’s path or way. Christ’s path is not the path of least resistance. That’s the broad path of the adversary. Again, this reminds me of canyoneering. Working your way down a canyon can be quite challenging. It requires a lot of problem solving, obstacle overcoming, and a very physical effort to expend. But, there is one thing that you don’t really have to worry about anymore. And that’s navigation. When you are in the slot canyon, there’s only one obvious way to go. In that case, it’s easy to follow that path because there aren’t any other options. The way to go and the end goal is self-evident. Descend to the bottom of the canyon. That’s it. I think that’s kind of like Jesus’s way. The strait and narrow path. So yes, Christ’s path is hard, but it’s also easy. Living the gospel requires problem solving, obstacles, and difficult work, BUT, at least you know your destination and the direction you need to travel is clear. Satan’s broad path, on the other hand, is easier to walk as the landscape itself doesn’t offer much resistance, but the navigation is far more challenging. It’s so much easier to get lost while moving over wide-open ground. The travel is aimless, no vision, no endpoint, just mindless slogging over open ground. That’s not the kind of hiking or outdoor experience I enjoy. I want to see something. I want to go to a destination. I want to see an arch, a beautiful canyon, a mountain peak. I think that’s what Jesus’s path is like. It may require more effort, but the views are inspiring. The path is beautiful. The path is fulfilling.
Question #6
So our final question for this chapter. There are some specific hiking instructions that Nephi still has to give us. How do we press forward, how do we endure to the end, how do we hike? There are a number of excellent phrases in here to describe our daily walk towards eternal life. Can you pull them out? Excluding some of the ideas that we’ve already talked about such as repenting of our sins, taking upon ourselves the name of Christ, and demonstrating unshaken faith. (2 Nephi 31:13, 19, and 20)
We must follow the Son
:13 with full purpose of heart
Acting No hypocrisy and no deception before God.
With Real intent
:19 Relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save
:20 with a steadfastness in Christ
Having a perfect brightness of hope
Love of God and all men
Feasting upon the word of Christ
Ahh! Aren’t those great. And here, I would invite you to ponder what each of those statements mean. How would you explain these to an investigator of the church?
My thoughts:
What does it mean to follow the son with full purpose of heart? Well, is your purpose, your devotion, your commitment full? If you had describe it in terms of a glass of water, is it full? Or is it half full, is it 3/4 full, or is it almost empty. Are you trying to serve two masters? Hopefully, we can follow with FULL purpose of heart.
Acting no hypocrisy or deception, but with real intent. What does that mean. Is your commitment sincere? We don’t want to be hypocritical. A hypocrite is somebody who preaches one thing, but believes and does another. The root word for hypocrite in Greek means stage actor or pretender. Do you act one way on Sunday, or in front of your parents, or other people, but then act completely different around your friends, or by yourself
Relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
I love this one. We need to rely on Christ, but not just partly, rather, wholly, totally, completely. Remember, Christ pays our debt in full. We don’t earn our way into heaven. Christ’s merits, his sacrifice, and his mighty grace, saves us, wholly. And that grace, should change me. In appreciation for his complete gift, I follow him, wholly, and rely 100% on that grace.
And then vs. 20. A verse that means a lot to me personally. This is the very first scripture that truly and deeply touched my heart as a young man. I think we all have that first time when a scripture just reaches out and grabs you, and you feel its power. I think I was 12 and I was reading my scriptures because that’s what you’re supposed to do. And I read this verse, and it was like time stood still, and it penetrated my heart, and a thought entered into my mind that said, this is what you need to do! This is your path; this is your manual for life. Do this, and you'll be happy, do this and you’ll have eternal life.
Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ. I look to Christ as my leader, as my guide, as my trailblazer, and follow him to the top of my mountain.
Having a Perfect brightness of hope. We don’t want to follow with despair or discouragement and say things like "Oh, I’ll never make it. I’m not good enough, I always fall short." No press forward with hope. A brightness of hope. Follow with joy, and trust, and confidence. I am going to make it, I know I’ll make mistakes, but he’ll forgive me! We’ve got so many reasons to be optimistic about our eternal future.
And a love of God and of all men. I need to have both. If all I do is love God, I may excuse the mistreatment of others in the name of religious zeal, and if all I do is love my fellowman, I might be tempted to tolerate and accept all manner of sinful behavior. I need to be properly balanced between the two. Love God, and my fellowman. It'll be hard to err if I constantly keep both in mind.
Feasting upon the word of Christ. If you don’t mind, I’m not going to really elaborate on that phrase quite yet. Nephi has more to say about that in the next chapter, so stay tuned.
But, isn’t that wonderful? Isn’t that simple? Isn’t that plain? This is the way.
TRUTH
If I wish to gain eternal life, then I must follow “the way” or the example of Jesus Christ.
I believe that’s the simplest way we can put it. Contained within that one word “follow” though is everything that we just discussed. To follow the example of Jesus Christ by striving to keep all of God’s commandments, to fulfill all righteousness, to continuously live the principles of faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost, to feasting upon the words of Christ, to press forward with a perfect brightness of hope. And everything else we discussed. The doctrine of Christ is to follow Christ in all things.
TAKING IT TO HEART
To take this message more to heart. Take a look at “the way” we just examined. Which of those phrases meant the most to you today and why? What phrase, what portion did the Spirit emphasize in your heart?
I WILL GO AND DO
If you had to pick just one phrase from the chapter that you feel you may need to take some action on, which would it be? As we’ve studied together did you sense any promptings within you. At any point did you feel something say, “I need to do a bit better at that” or, “I need to act on that part”. Maybe you haven’t been baptized yet. Is that your next step? Maybe you need to have a little more brightness of hope on your hike. Maybe you just needed a little encouragement to continue pressing forward and enduring to the end. Whatever it was, if you felt something, let the Spirit guide you and I encourage you to be open to responding to its promptings as you examine your own level of discipleship.
THE TAKEAWAY
So, how did you enjoy Nephi’s message? Did you sense the power of that simple, plain message of the doctrine of Christ? I am so grateful for that path. I’m grateful that it’s so clear and defined of a trail and easy to follow in the sense that it’s apparent which way to go. And, as phenomenal and magnificent as eternal life or Celestial glory is going to be, the pathway to it is also beautiful and spectacular. It’s challenging, but just like my beloved canyons of Southern Utah, or my Wasatch peaks, the trail itself is half the experience. It’s not just about the destination, but it’s about the journey too. The thrill of the adventure is so enjoyable and inspiring, that it draws me back time and time again for the uplifting experience they provide. The way of Christ is the same kind of thing but on a far higher and more meaningful level. I pray that we’ll approach our discipleship with that same sense of adventure and wonder. This is the way. This is the doctrine of Christ.
LESSON #2 TWO MORE QUESTIONS (2 Nephi 32)
OBJECT
An object I might display for chapter 32 would be food. Any kind of food. But lots of it. I might just raid my pantry and bring in a whole bunch of different kinds of food to set at the front. Fruits, veggies, canned food, boxes of cereal, I don’t know, just stack it up at the front.
ICEBREAKER
And for an icebreaker I would share some interesting statistics about food consumption in America. Now if you don’t live in America, feel free to do a little research about eating habits in your own countries which shouldn’t be too hard to find. But here are some of the statistics that I might share:
The average American eats an average of 250 pounds of meat or poultry every year. Can you imagine 250 pounds of meat on your table? That’s a lot of protein. https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2021/05/an-overview-of-meat-consumption-in-the-united-states.html
It's estimated that the average American consumes around 150 pounds of sugar and sweeteners per year. Now do the math with that one. 150 pounds divided by 365 days in a year. That’s almost a half a pound of sugar a day. Yikes! Weigh that out sometime. See what 6-7 ounces of sugar looks like. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-availability-and-consumption/
20% of all American meals are eaten in the car. https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-american-eating-habits#fn10
Americans spend 10% of their disposable income on fast food every year. Cause we want the food, and we want it now. https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-american-eating-habits#fn11
Well, I think it’s pretty obvious that Americans have a fairly committed relationship to food. We do a lot of feasting in this nation. We eat a lot. In chapter 31, Nephi is going to use the analogy of eating, or feasting to teach us an important gospel principle. Let’s see what that is.
If you look at the end of chapter 31, it seems like Nephi just wanted to end his talk right there. I mean, he says Amen. Right. Like that should be enough, I don’t know how to make the doctrine of discipleship any simpler. You know what to do, follow Christ, do what he did, you’ll have eternal life. Period. But the first verse of chapter 32 seems to suggest that Nephi is about to walk away from the “pulpit” so to speak, and he stops and realizes that we still have a question. What is that question?
1 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?
So what’s their concern? I think they’re saying . . . But Nephi, how will I know what to do in each moment and each decision in my life? Life is complicated. This seems too simple! How will I know exactly how to act? And, you know, that’s not a bad question, really. Maybe you’ve wrestled with that. The gospel provides us with commandments and principles and standards, but doesn’t always give us all the specifics, the details. There isn’t a 500-page long rule book for us. They don’t print out a list of all the movies, and music, and television shows that are church approved for members to consume each month. The Lord says, “Keep the Sabbath Day Holy”. And we say, but how? What exactly is ok to do and not to do on the Sabbath. Is it ok to watch television on the Sabbath, is it ok to do homework. Give me the rule book”. Or the Lord says. Be modest. And they give us some general principles on how to apply that. But then we ask, well, how short is short? How tight is tight? How am I going to know exactly how to apply these commandments in every situation? And, are there ever times when there are exceptions to the rules, or the commandments. (which, by the way, I do believe there are).
SEARCH ACTIVITY-CASE STUDY
So for an activity, I want you to put yourself into Nephi’s sandals. We’re going to treat this as a case study. Put your students into pairs and say that the older of the two, whichever that is, gets to play Nephi. The other person is going to play the role of the questioning disciple. Let’s say that person is coming to Nephi and asking that same question that I just posed. How will I know what to do? And first, let them try to answer that question without even looking at Nephi’s response first. Have them share their advice with that partner who’s wondering what to do?
But then, send both of them into chapter 32:2-5 to see how Nephi answers that question and then to try again, in their own words, to explain what they feel Nephi’s answer is. Here we go.
2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.
5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
So, what’s Nephi’s answer? Here’s how I would summarize it. How are you going to know what to do? Feast upon the words of Christ. Don’t just snack on them, don’t graze, don’t nibble on them. Feast on them! Indulge your spirit. Lick up your plate. Eat until you're stuffed. Go back for seconds and thirds. “Let your soul delight in fatness.” And where do we find the words of Christ? Where’s the buffet? Where’s the pantry? It’s the scriptures, it’s the words of the living prophets, it’s patriarchal blessings, it’s lessons and talks in church. The more I consume those things, the better I’m going to know what to do, the more guidance I’m going to receive, the more certain I’m going to be that I’m traveling down the correct path. However, there is one particular source of the words of Christ that Nephi seems to be emphasizing here. Yes those verses can be applied to scriptures, and conference talks, and church, but, above all he’s pointing to the Holy Ghost as the great provider of the words of Christ. How will I know what to do in each moment, and how I personally will apply the words of the scriptures and the living prophets? Get the spirit, and once you have the gift of the Holy Ghost, feast on its promptings, listen to them, follow them, IT is going to tell you and show you (I like that he uses those two different verbs in those verses, tell and show) all things what you should do. So it’s as if Christ is saying "If you are willing to make a commitment of obedience to following my example, and you press forward and endure, then I’m going to put something inside of you that will tell you what to do. I’ll give you the Spirit. You don’t need the rule book, the law will be written on your hearts.
I’ll never forget a training that Elder Bednar gave to all Seminary and Institute teachers a number of years ago on recognizing and following the Spirit. And he said something that has stuck with me ever since. He said “We often make it hard on ourselves to receive personal revelation. By that I mean, a covenant promise is that as we honor our covenants, we may always have the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion. But we talk about it and treat it as if hearing the voice of the Lord through His Spirit is the rare event, And that just strikes me as a little curious. It’s like I have to follow these four steps . . and the Holy Ghost is going to speak to you. . . And I go, Wait a minute, We shouldn’t be trying to recognize it when it comes, we should be recognizing what happens that causes it to leave.” It ought to be with us all the time.”
And gosh, Isn’t that insightful! That’s the way I like to envision it now. It’s like your life is represented by a large room. And when you are given the gift of the Holy Ghost, A light comes on in that room, and you can see things, and do things, and make decisions with more clarity and understanding because of that light. So what I think Elder Bednar is suggesting here, is it shouldn’t be that I spend the majority of my time in the darkness and then I do certain things and then the light comes on to help me once in a while. But hopefully the light is almost always on, and I need to be very wary and careful about the things that I do that cause it to turn off.
So back to Nephi. And again he begins to walk away from the pulpit, but once more, perceives there’s another question.
And so he says in vs. 8
8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing.
They're still wondering about something. And I’m just going to give you the question, because we realize what the question is as he gives us the answer.
And now you’re going to have your student pairs switch places or roles. Now the other person gets to play Nephi. And they are going to try and answer the disciple’s question without looking at Nephi’s answer yet.
And the question is “Ok, Nephi how do I get the Spirit, then? How do I make sure that that light is always on. I’m not sure I feel like the Holy Ghost is always guiding me.”
Let your Nephi’s wrestle with that. And then, give them a chance to read verses 8-9 and then answer again with what they feel Nephi is saying.
Nephi’s answer:
8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.
9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.
So how do you get the help of the Spirit? You pray for it. You pray always. And that doesn’t mean you’re constantly on your knees or even saying a prayer in your heart always. We can’t live that way. We have to have conversations with other people, we have to work, and play, and focus our minds on other things. But to pray always, I feel, is to have a mind and heart continuously open to the mind and will of our Father in Heaven, ever guided, ever illuminated. We still focus on various tasks on any given day, but we are sure that we always have the light shining on all that we do. And we do pray physically often, on our knees, or in our hearts, which I feel is kind of like recharging the batteries that keeps the lights on, but we continuously seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost. And when we do that, and we live like that, then God will consecrate our performance, whatever performance that is. Whether it’s school, or work, or sports, or art, or giving a talk, or spending time with our family or 5 billion other possible things that we can do in our lives, God will consecrate those performances for the welfare of our souls. He’ll make it ALL good in the end. It will all work toward the welfare of our souls. Even if we make some mistakes in interpreting his promptings. Even if we feel it takes a lot of time and practice to learn how the Spirit guides us. Just keep praying. Keep relying, and in the end, when we look back on our lives, we will see how God made it good. Reminds me of one of my favorite verses of all time . . . Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” or that feast upon his words, or that pray always.
TRUTH
If I am willing to feast upon the words of Christ, they will tell me all things that I should do.
If I pray for the guidance of the Spirit in all things, then God will make good of all I do.
TAKING IT TO HEART
As a teacher. I might just share a story at that point of a time that I felt I was guided by the Spirit. Or a time when I prayed, and the Lord made things good. I might share a story of a time when I had a very significant financial decision to make in my life, and I felt that the Spirit guided me in what I should do, and it did work out for the welfare of my soul. Or talk about the numerous times in my life when I’ve prayed for help with my teaching, my marriage, my calling, my children, my struggles, and I’ve felt the Lord inspire me with guidance, inspiration, and comfort.
Then ask your students if they would be willing to share a time from their lives when they felt that feasting on the words of Christ or prayer has told or shown them what to do or brought welfare to their souls.
THE TAKEAWAY
I bear witness that the guidance of the Holy Ghost is real, and I also bear witness of the power of prayer. I invite each of us to reflect on our current relationship with those two truths that we’ve just been brilliantly taught by Nephi. And I can promise that if we approach our hunger for guidance and help from God like a feast, then he WILL feed us.
LESSON # 3 FINAL PHRASES (2 Nephi 33)
ICEBREAKER
I’m going to be brief with this chapter, but I’d like to introduce it with some fitting famous last words. Some “final phrases” so to speak.
Leonardo Da Vinci: “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.” Always the perfectionist.
Benjamin Franklin with his usual dry wit: “A dying man can do nothing easy.”
John Wayne: Turned to his wife and said: “Of course I know who you are. You’re my girl. I love you.”
Steve Jobs: O wow! O wow! O wow!
Harriet Tubman: Swing low, sweet chariot.
Joseph Smith Jr: O Lord My God.
Brigham Young: Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.
Well, what are Nephi’s last four words, the last phrase he writes. “I must obey. Amen” Isn’t that the perfect way for Nephi to end his record. That was his character, his identity, his ethos. Always obedient, right to the end. And this entire last chapter is bittersweet. It’s his final testimony. We’ve spent a long time with Nephi and it’s sad to see him go isn’t it. I’m not going to elaborate personally too much on his words, but I do have a possible teaching activity you could do with this last chapter, I’ve selected a number of other powerful one liners, final phrases, from this last testimony of Nephi. Perhaps a fitting way to end our study of his writings would be to concentrate our attention on one of Nephi’s “final phrases.”
SEARCH ACTIVITY
So I’ve listed a number of what I consider to be the most inspirational statements made by Nephi in this concluding chapter. Your job is simple. Choose one that inspires you, and be prepared to explain what it teaches you and why you find it inspiring.
“When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men” (2 Nephi 33:1)
“I pray continually for [my people] by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night because of them” (2 Nephi 33:3)
“I cry unto God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry” (2 Nephi 33:3)
“I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people” (2 Nephi 33:4)
“I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus” (2 Nephi 33:6)
“If ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ” (2 Nephi 33:10)
“[My writings] teach all men that they should do good” (2 Nephi 33:10)
“I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day” (2 Nephi 33:12
Aren’t those great?! I hope you found inspiration and meaning in at least one of those final phrases.
A personal concluding thought though. Nephi mentions something in verse 11 that just catches my attention. This gets me so excited. Just the prospect of this moment makes me smile. In that verse, Nephi speaks of a future encounter between us and him. After testifying that the words that he has written are true, he challenges us to find out for ourselves if they are truly the words of Christ. And if we happen to come to the conclusion that they are not Christ’s words, he offers this rebuttal . . .
11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
Oh, I wonder what that might be like for those that have denied the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, or opposed it, or refused to even consider it as Christ’s word. Can you imagine Nephi walking up behind that person and just tapping them on the shoulder, and saying, “Surprise! I am real! And my words were true”. Personally. I can’t wait for that day. I so want to meet Nephi. And I know what I'll say to him. I’ll say, “Thank you Nephi. I believe and know that your words are the words of Christ. Your writings have enriched my life and brought me closer to God. I am eternally grateful for your example and your words.”
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