Gospel Doctrine, Lesson 42: “This is My Gospel”, 3 Nephi 27-30; 4 Nephi To download past handouts, go to: highlandvalleysundayschoolnotes2012.blogspot.com #1: Camilla Kimball, wife of President Spencer W. Kimball: “’ I’ve always had an inquiring mind. I’m not satisfied just to accept things. I like to follow through and study things out. I learned early to put aside those gospel questions that I couldn’t answer. I had a shelf of things I didn’t understand, but as I’ve grown older and studied and prayed and thought about each problem, one by one I’ve been able to better understand them.’ “She twinkles, ‘I still have some questions on that shelf, but I’ve come to understand so many other things in my life that I’m willing to bide my time for the rest of the answers.’” (“Camilla Kimball: Lady of Constant Learning”, Ensign, Oct. 1975) #2: President Gordon B. Hinckley: “This is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth. A minister said to me one time, ‘It is egotistical to say that.’ I said, ‘I didn’t say that. The Lord said it. I am only quoting.’ This is the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We can and we must recognize the good in other churches and in other people. We can disagree without being disagreeable. We must be tolerant. We must work with others who are engaged in good caused to bring about good results. But we must never lose sight of the fact that the God of heaven brought forth this work in this the Dis- pensation of the Fulness of Times, that His true church might be upon the earth.” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 549) #3: Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “I was present when the Lord revealed to President Spencer W. Kimball that the time had come, in His eternal providences, to offer the fullness of the gospel and the blessings of the holy priesthood to all men. “I was present, with my brethren of the Twelve and the counselors in the First Presidency, when all of us heard the same voice and received the same message from on high. “It was on a glorious June day in 1978. All of us were together in an upper room in the Salt Lake Temple. We were engaged in fervent prayer, pleading with the Lord to manifest his mind and will concerning those who are entitled to receive his holy priesthood. Presi- dent Kimball himself was mouth, offering the desires of his heart and of our hearts to that God whose servants we are… It was one of those rare and seldom-experienced times when the disciples of the Lord are perfectly united, when every heart beats as one, and when the same Spirit burns in every bosom. “I have thought since that our united prayer must have been like that of the Nephite disciples— the Lord’s Twelve in that day and for that people— who ‘were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting’ to learn the name that
Transcript
Gospel Doctrine Lesson 42 ldquoThis is My Gospelrdquo
3 Nephi 27-30 4 Nephi To download past handouts go to highlandvalleysundayschoolnotes2012blogspotcom
1 Camilla Kimball wife of President Spencer W Kimball ldquorsquoIrsquove always had an inquiring mind Irsquom not satisfied just to accept things I like to follow through and study things out I learned early to put aside those gospel questions that I couldnrsquot answer I had a shelf of things I didnrsquot understand but as Irsquove grown older and studied and prayed and thought about each problem one by one Irsquove been able to better understand themrsquo
ldquoShe twinkles lsquoI still have some questions on that shelf but Irsquove come to understand so many other things in my life that Irsquom willing to bide my time for the rest of the answersrsquordquo (ldquoCamilla Kimball Lady of Constant Learningrdquo Ensign Oct 1975)
2 President Gordon B Hinckley ldquoThis is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth A minister said to me one time lsquoIt is egotistical to say thatrsquo I said lsquoI didnrsquot say that The Lord said it I am only quotingrsquo This is the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints We can and we must recognize the good in other churches and in other
people We can disagree without being disagreeable We must be tolerant We must work with others who are engaged in good caused to bring about good results But we must never lose sight of the fact that the God of heaven brought forth this work in this the Dis-pensation of the Fulness of Times that His true church might be upon the earthrdquo (Teachings of Gordon B Hinckley 549)
3 Elder Bruce R McConkie ldquoI was present when the Lord revealed to President Spencer W Kimball that the time had come in His eternal providences to offer the fullness of the gospel and the blessings of the holy priesthood to all men
ldquoI was present with my brethren of the Twelve and the counselors in the First Presidency when all of us heard the same voice and received the same message
from on high
ldquoIt was on a glorious June day in 1978 All of us were together in an upper room in the Salt Lake Temple We were engaged in fervent prayer pleading with the Lord to manifest his mind and will concerning those who are entitled to receive his holy priesthood Presi-dent Kimball himself was mouth offering the desires of his heart and of our hearts to that God whose servants we arehellip It was one of those rare and seldom-experienced times when the disciples of the Lord are perfectly united when every heart beats as one and when the
same Spirit burns in every bosom
ldquoI have thought since that our united prayer must have been like that of the Nephite disciplesmdash the Lordrsquos Twelve in that day and for that peoplemdash who lsquowere gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fastingrsquo to learn the name that
the Lord had given to his Church (1 Ne 271-3) In their day the Lord came personally to an-swer their petition in our day he sent his Spirit to deliver the message
ldquoAnd as it was with our Nephite brethren of old so it was with us We too had come to-gether in the spirit of true worship and with unity of desire We were all fastinghellip There was a marvelous outpouring of unity oneness and agreement in council This session continued for somewhat more than two hours Then President Kimball suggested that we unite in for-mal prayer and said modestly that if it was agreeable with the rest of us he would act as voice
ldquoIt was during that prayer that the revelation came The Spirit of the Lord rested might-ily upon us all we felt something akin to what happened in the day of Pentecost and at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple From the midst of eternity the voice of God conveyed by the power of the Spirit spoke to his prophet The message was that the time had now comerdquo (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R McConkie 159-61)
4 President Ezra Taft Benson ldquoMost of us think of pride as self-centeredness conceit boastfulness arrogance or haughtiness All of these are elements of the sin but the heart or core is still missing
ldquoThe central feature of pride is enmitymdash enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen Enmity means lsquohatred toward hostility to or a state of opposi-
tionrsquordquo (ldquoBeware of Priderdquo CR April 1989)
5 Elder Sheldon F Child of the Seventy explained what it means to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with one another when he spoke about honesty and integrity
ldquoWhen we say we will do something we do it
ldquoWhen we make a commitment we honor it
ldquoWhen we are given a calling we fulfill it
ldquoWhen we borrow something we return it
ldquowhen we have a financial obligation we pay it
ldquoWhen we enter into an agreement we keep itrdquo (CR April 1997)
6 President N Eldon Tanner ldquoA young man came to me not long ago and said lsquoI made an agreement with a man that requires me to make certain payments each year I am in arrears [behind in fulfilling financial obligations] and I canrsquot make those payments for if I do it is going to cause me to lose my home What shall I do
ldquoI looked at him and said lsquoKeep your agreementrsquo
ldquorsquoEven if it costs me my homersquo
ldquoI said lsquoI am not talking about your home I am talking about your agreement and I think your wife would rather have a husband who would keep his wordhellip and have to rent a home than to have a home with a husband who will not keep his covenants and his pledgesrdquo (CR Oct 1966)
ldquoThat There May Not Be So Much Contentionrdquo ldquoAnd he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another but that they should look forward with one eye having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821)
The gospel provides ways to help us deal with contention
Contention Is Destructive The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that one reason for the restoration of the gospel was ldquothat there may not be so much contention one with anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821)
The frequent warnings the Lord gives us about contention seem to indicate that contention is a common problem No-where is this problem more evident than in the home where it can be very destructive Contention creates pressure and tension as well as hurt and angry feelings that can damage relationships If uncontrolled it can lead to spouse and child abuse and other serious consequences
ldquoIf Satan can succeed in creating in us habits of arguing quarreling and contention it is easier then for him to bind us with the heavier sins which can destroy our eternal lives A contentious spirit can affect almost any phase of our livesrdquo (Marvin J Ashton in Conference Report Apr 1978 p 12)
Any time that people must interact with one another in the home at work at church or in any other situation there is the possibility that contention will arise Contention means argument dispute quarreling or discord Everyone has different likes and dislikes We cannot always expect to be in agreement but we need not allow differences of opinion to lead to contention
It is easier to control anger and avoid contention if we identify what causes these feelings Some basic causes are selfish-ness jealousy pride and stress A child who has a low sense of self-worth who feels insecure in his relationships or who feels jealous or resentful of siblings is apt to be angry and contentious The same principles apply to adults
Pressures both in and out of the home frustrations and disappointments can create a high level of tension in family mem-bers of all ages Sometimes we or our children do not know how to deal with tensions or hostile feelings in a productive or nondestructive way We may find release for a guilty conscience in anger and contention We may dwell on anotherrsquos faults or magnify petty differences into major issues thus causing anger and resentment We may respond to hurt or pain either physical or psychological by becoming angry at others
The relationship of parents with each other is an important factor in causing or minimizing contention When a father and mother treat each other with respect show love and settle differences with discussion and good humor there is less con-tention in the home When parents fail to show love and respect do not communicate well or settle differences with loud language and uncontrolled anger children learn from their example
The Scriptures Suggest Ways to Manage Contention
Many would have us believe that arguing and quarreling are a normal release for our feelings and even emotionally healthy But the Lord teaches us other wise As explained in Mosiah 414-15 we are to teach our children not to quarrel but rather to love and serve one another
Many scriptures give us help in solving the problem of contention
Mosiah 1821 mdash Promote Unity and Love
When Alma was teaching the Nephites to prepare them for baptism he ldquocommanded them that there should be no con-tention one with anotherrdquo Then he gave them a key to obeying this commandment their hearts should be ldquoknit together in unity and in love one towards anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821) We teach love in our families when we show affection and re-spect for each family member letting them know how important and valuable they are to us and to the Lord We express love by giving time attention and service to one another We can build unity in our homes by doing things together mdash praying playing working eating talking and attending Church meetings together
Proverbs 1310 mdash Beware of Pride and Selfishness
In this scripture we are warned ldquoOnly by pride cometh contentionrdquo When we think first of ourselves setting our own opinions and desires before those of others we are cultivating selfishness and pride President Gordon B Hinckley said ldquoSelfishness is the canker that drives out peace and love Selfishness is the root on which grow argument anger disre-spect infidelity and divorcerdquo (in Conference Report Apr 1983 p 68) When parents always think first of themselves
children may be unwanted or neglected seldom listened to or seen as burdens Selfish children often become manipulat-ive self-centered and greedy
4 Nephi 12 mdash Deal Justly One with Another
Following Jesusrsquo personal ministry among the Nephites ldquothe people were all converted unto the Lordhellip and there were no contentions and disputations among them and every man did deal justly one with anotherrdquo (4 Nephi 12) Parents have the responsibility to direct the affairs of their home but their authority needs to be exercised justly and as the Lord has directed
President Gordon B Hinckley explained ldquoDiscipline with severity discipline with cruelty inevitably leads not to correction but rather to resentment and bitterness It cures nothing It only aggravates the problem It is self-defeating The Lord in setting forth the spirit of governance in his Church has also set forth the spirit of governance in the home in these great words of revelation
ldquo lsquoNo power or influence can or ought to be maintainedhellip only by persuasion by long-suffering by gentleness and meek-ness and by love unfeignedhellip
ldquo lsquoReproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost [and only then I think] and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved lest he esteem thee to be his enemy
ldquo lsquoThat he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of deathrsquo (DampC 12141 43-44)
ldquoWrote Paul to the Ephesians lsquoAnd ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lordrsquo (Eph 64)
ldquoWhen little problems occur as they inevitably will restrain yourself Call to mind the wisdom of the ancient proverb lsquoA soft answer turneth away wrathrsquo (Prov 151)
ldquoThere is no discipline in all the world like the discipline of love It has a magic all its ownrdquo (ldquoThe Environment of Our Homesrdquo Ensign June 1985 p 6)
3 Nephi 1818-21 mdash Pray Always
In this scripture the Savior taught the Nephites to ldquowatch and pray alwaysrdquo and to ldquopray in your families unto the Father always in my name that your wives and your children may be blessedrdquo
Elder F Enzio Busche tells how he resolved a conflict by praying for guidance
ldquoOne day when circumstances made it necessary for me to be at home at an unusual time I witnessed from another room how our eleven-year-old one just returning from school was directing ugly words towards his younger sister They were words that offended me mdash words that I had never thought our son would use My first natural reaction in my anger was to get up and go after him Fortunately I had to walk across the room and open a door before I could reach him and I remember in those few seconds I fervently prayed to my Heavenly Father to help me to handle the situation Peace came over me I was no longer angry
ldquoOur son being shocked to see me home was filled with fear when I approached him To my surprise I heard myself say-ing lsquoWelcome home sonrsquo and I extended my hand as a greeting And then in a formal style I invited him to sit close to me in the living form for a personal talk I heard myself expressing my love for him I talked with him about the battle that every one of us has to fight each day within ourselves
ldquoAs I expressed my confidence in him he broke into tears confessing his unworthiness and condemning himself beyond measure Now it was my role to put his transgression in the proper perspective and to comfort him A wonderful spirit came over us and we ended up crying together hugging each other in love and finally in joy What could have been a disastrous confrontation between father and son became through the help from the powers above one of the most beau-tiful experiences of our relationship that we both have never forgottenrdquo (in Conference Report Apr 1982 pp 98-99)
We will have more harmony in our homes as we seek the Lordrsquos help in controlling negative feelings and overcoming dif-ferences If we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses the Lord will help us to change them to strengths Changing habits and patterns of behavior that are well established is not easy and requires consistent effort We may make good progress and then find ourselves slipping backward again If we persist with Godrsquos help we gradually make the changes that will improve our personal and home lives
(from the Home and Family Education manual lesson 3)
The Virtue of Kindness Elder Joseph B Wirthlin
(CR April 2005)
Many years ago when I was called as a bishop I had a desire for the bishopric to visit those who were less active in the Church and see if there was anything we could do to bring the blessings of the gospel into their lives
One day we visited a man in his 50s who was a respected mechanic He told me the last time he had been to church was when he was a young boy Something had happened that day He had been acting up in class and was being noisier than he should when his teacher became angry pulled him out of class and told him not to come back
He never did
It was remarkable to me that an unkind word spoken more than four decades earlier could have had such a profound effect But it had And as a consequence this man had never returned to church Neither had his wife or children
I apologized to him and expressed my sorrow that he had been treated that way I told him how unfortu-nate it was that one word spoken in haste and so long ago could have the effect of excluding his family from the blessings that come from Church activity ldquoAfter 40 yearsrdquo I told him ldquoitrsquos time the Church made things rightrdquo
I did my best to do so I reassured him that he was welcome and needed I rejoiced when this man and his family eventually returned to church and became strong and faithful members In particular this good brother became an effective home teacher because he understood how something as small as an unkind word could have consequences that extend throughout a lifetime and perhaps beyond
Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends It softens hearts and molds re-lationships that can last lifetimes
Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given but they can linger with us over the years One day when I was in college a man seven years my senior congratulated me on my performance in a football game He not only praised how well I had done in the game but he had noticed that I had showed good sportsmanship Even though this conversation happened more than 60 years ago and even though itrsquos highly unlikely the person who complimented me has any recollection of this conversation I still remember the kind words spoken to me that day by Gordon B Hinckley who would later become Presi-dent of the Church
The attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness are inseparably linked with President Hinckley When my fa-ther passed away in 1963 President Hinckley was the first person to come to our home Irsquoll never forget his kindness He gave my mother a blessing and among other things promised her that she had much to look forward to and that life would be sweet for her These words have brought comfort to her and to me and Irsquoll never forget his kindness
Kindness is the essence of a celestial life Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others Kindness
should permeate all of our words and actions at work at school at church and especially in our homes
Jesus our Savior was the epitome of kindness and compassion He healed the sick He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him He was kind to all who had sinned condemning only the sin not the sinner He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice thus freeing all from the effects of death and all from the effects of sin on conditions of repentance
The Prophet Joseph Smith exemplified kindness in his life to everyone old and young One child who bene-fited from the Prophetrsquos kindness remembered
ldquoMy older brother and I were going to school near to the building which was known as Josephrsquos brick store It had been raining the previous day causing the ground to be very muddy especially along that street My brother Wallace and I both got [our feet] in the mud and could not get out and of course child-like we began to cry for we thought we would have to stay there But looking up I beheld the loving friend of children the Prophet Joseph coming to us He soon had us on higher and drier ground Then he stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little heavy-laden shoes took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces He spoke kind and cheering words to us and sent us on our way to school rejoicingrdquo1
There is no substitute for kindness in the home This lesson I learned from my father He always listened to my motherrsquos advice As a result he was a better wiser and kinder man
I have tried to follow my fatherrsquos example and listen to my wifersquos point of view I value her opinion For ex-ample when my wife begins a sentence with the words ldquoI should think you would helliprdquo I instantly pay atten-tion and begin searching my mind for something I may have done wrong Ofttimes before my wife has fin-ished her sentence I have already planned out in my mind a magnificent apology
In truth my wife is a model of kindness gentleness and compassion And her insight counsel and sup-port have been invaluable to me Because of her I too am a wiser and kinder person
The things you say the tone of your voice the anger or calm of your wordsmdashthese things are noticed by your children and by others They see and learn both the kind and the unkind things we say or do Nothing exposes our true selves more than how we treat one another in the home
I often wonder why some feel they must be critical of others It gets in their blood I suppose and it be-comes so natural they often donrsquot even think about it They seem to criticize everyonemdashthe way Sister Jones leads the music the way Brother Smith teaches a lesson or plants his garden
Even when we think we are doing no harm by our critical remarks consequences often follow I am re-minded of a boy who handed a donation envelope to his bishop and told him it was for him The bishop using this as a teaching moment explained to the boy that he should mark on the donation slip whether it was for tithing fast offerings or for something else The boy insisted the money was for the bishop him-self When the bishop asked why the boy replied ldquoBecause my father says yoursquore one of the poorest bish-ops wersquove ever hadrdquo
The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things or have perfect thoughts or
have perfect feelings The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement support and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father
Each one of us will travel a different road during this life Each progresses at a different rate Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another
Never look down on those who are less perfect than you Donrsquot be upset because someone canrsquot sew as well as you canrsquot throw as well as you canrsquot row or hoe as well as you
We are all children of our Heavenly Father And we are here with the same purpose to learn to love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves2
One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask ldquoHow well am I doing in helping others reach their potential Do I support others in the Church or do I criticize themrdquo
If you are criticizing others you are weakening the Church If you are building others you are building the kingdom of God As Heavenly Father is kind we also should be kind to others
Elder James E Talmage a man who is remembered for his doctrinal teachings showed great kindness to a neighbor family in distress They were complete strangers to him Before he was an Apostle as a young father he became aware of great suffering at a neighborrsquos home whose large family was stricken with the dreaded diphtheria He did not care that they were not members of the Church his kindness and charity moved him to act The Relief Society was desperately trying to find people to help but no one would be-cause of the contagious nature of the disease
When he arrived James found one toddler already dead and two others who were in agony from the dis-ease He immediately went to work cleaning the untidy house preparing the young body for burial clean-ing and providing for the other sick children spending the entire day doing so He came back the next morning to find that one more of the children had died during the night A third child was still suffering ter-ribly He wrote in his journal ldquoShe clung to my neck ofttimes coughing [germs] on my face and clothing hellip yet I could not put her from me During the half hour immediately preceding her death I walked the floor with the little creature in my arms She died in agony at 10 AMrdquo The three children had all departed within the space of 24 hours He then assisted the family with the burial arrangements and spoke at their graveside services3 This he did all for a family of strangers What a great example of Christlike kindness
When we are filled with kindness we are not judgmental The Savior taught ldquoJudge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgivenrdquo4 He also taught that ldquowith what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againrdquo5
ldquoButrdquo you ask ldquowhat if people are ruderdquo
Love them
ldquoIf they are obnoxiousrdquo
Love them
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
the Lord had given to his Church (1 Ne 271-3) In their day the Lord came personally to an-swer their petition in our day he sent his Spirit to deliver the message
ldquoAnd as it was with our Nephite brethren of old so it was with us We too had come to-gether in the spirit of true worship and with unity of desire We were all fastinghellip There was a marvelous outpouring of unity oneness and agreement in council This session continued for somewhat more than two hours Then President Kimball suggested that we unite in for-mal prayer and said modestly that if it was agreeable with the rest of us he would act as voice
ldquoIt was during that prayer that the revelation came The Spirit of the Lord rested might-ily upon us all we felt something akin to what happened in the day of Pentecost and at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple From the midst of eternity the voice of God conveyed by the power of the Spirit spoke to his prophet The message was that the time had now comerdquo (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R McConkie 159-61)
4 President Ezra Taft Benson ldquoMost of us think of pride as self-centeredness conceit boastfulness arrogance or haughtiness All of these are elements of the sin but the heart or core is still missing
ldquoThe central feature of pride is enmitymdash enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen Enmity means lsquohatred toward hostility to or a state of opposi-
tionrsquordquo (ldquoBeware of Priderdquo CR April 1989)
5 Elder Sheldon F Child of the Seventy explained what it means to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with one another when he spoke about honesty and integrity
ldquoWhen we say we will do something we do it
ldquoWhen we make a commitment we honor it
ldquoWhen we are given a calling we fulfill it
ldquoWhen we borrow something we return it
ldquowhen we have a financial obligation we pay it
ldquoWhen we enter into an agreement we keep itrdquo (CR April 1997)
6 President N Eldon Tanner ldquoA young man came to me not long ago and said lsquoI made an agreement with a man that requires me to make certain payments each year I am in arrears [behind in fulfilling financial obligations] and I canrsquot make those payments for if I do it is going to cause me to lose my home What shall I do
ldquoI looked at him and said lsquoKeep your agreementrsquo
ldquorsquoEven if it costs me my homersquo
ldquoI said lsquoI am not talking about your home I am talking about your agreement and I think your wife would rather have a husband who would keep his wordhellip and have to rent a home than to have a home with a husband who will not keep his covenants and his pledgesrdquo (CR Oct 1966)
ldquoThat There May Not Be So Much Contentionrdquo ldquoAnd he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another but that they should look forward with one eye having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821)
The gospel provides ways to help us deal with contention
Contention Is Destructive The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that one reason for the restoration of the gospel was ldquothat there may not be so much contention one with anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821)
The frequent warnings the Lord gives us about contention seem to indicate that contention is a common problem No-where is this problem more evident than in the home where it can be very destructive Contention creates pressure and tension as well as hurt and angry feelings that can damage relationships If uncontrolled it can lead to spouse and child abuse and other serious consequences
ldquoIf Satan can succeed in creating in us habits of arguing quarreling and contention it is easier then for him to bind us with the heavier sins which can destroy our eternal lives A contentious spirit can affect almost any phase of our livesrdquo (Marvin J Ashton in Conference Report Apr 1978 p 12)
Any time that people must interact with one another in the home at work at church or in any other situation there is the possibility that contention will arise Contention means argument dispute quarreling or discord Everyone has different likes and dislikes We cannot always expect to be in agreement but we need not allow differences of opinion to lead to contention
It is easier to control anger and avoid contention if we identify what causes these feelings Some basic causes are selfish-ness jealousy pride and stress A child who has a low sense of self-worth who feels insecure in his relationships or who feels jealous or resentful of siblings is apt to be angry and contentious The same principles apply to adults
Pressures both in and out of the home frustrations and disappointments can create a high level of tension in family mem-bers of all ages Sometimes we or our children do not know how to deal with tensions or hostile feelings in a productive or nondestructive way We may find release for a guilty conscience in anger and contention We may dwell on anotherrsquos faults or magnify petty differences into major issues thus causing anger and resentment We may respond to hurt or pain either physical or psychological by becoming angry at others
The relationship of parents with each other is an important factor in causing or minimizing contention When a father and mother treat each other with respect show love and settle differences with discussion and good humor there is less con-tention in the home When parents fail to show love and respect do not communicate well or settle differences with loud language and uncontrolled anger children learn from their example
The Scriptures Suggest Ways to Manage Contention
Many would have us believe that arguing and quarreling are a normal release for our feelings and even emotionally healthy But the Lord teaches us other wise As explained in Mosiah 414-15 we are to teach our children not to quarrel but rather to love and serve one another
Many scriptures give us help in solving the problem of contention
Mosiah 1821 mdash Promote Unity and Love
When Alma was teaching the Nephites to prepare them for baptism he ldquocommanded them that there should be no con-tention one with anotherrdquo Then he gave them a key to obeying this commandment their hearts should be ldquoknit together in unity and in love one towards anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821) We teach love in our families when we show affection and re-spect for each family member letting them know how important and valuable they are to us and to the Lord We express love by giving time attention and service to one another We can build unity in our homes by doing things together mdash praying playing working eating talking and attending Church meetings together
Proverbs 1310 mdash Beware of Pride and Selfishness
In this scripture we are warned ldquoOnly by pride cometh contentionrdquo When we think first of ourselves setting our own opinions and desires before those of others we are cultivating selfishness and pride President Gordon B Hinckley said ldquoSelfishness is the canker that drives out peace and love Selfishness is the root on which grow argument anger disre-spect infidelity and divorcerdquo (in Conference Report Apr 1983 p 68) When parents always think first of themselves
children may be unwanted or neglected seldom listened to or seen as burdens Selfish children often become manipulat-ive self-centered and greedy
4 Nephi 12 mdash Deal Justly One with Another
Following Jesusrsquo personal ministry among the Nephites ldquothe people were all converted unto the Lordhellip and there were no contentions and disputations among them and every man did deal justly one with anotherrdquo (4 Nephi 12) Parents have the responsibility to direct the affairs of their home but their authority needs to be exercised justly and as the Lord has directed
President Gordon B Hinckley explained ldquoDiscipline with severity discipline with cruelty inevitably leads not to correction but rather to resentment and bitterness It cures nothing It only aggravates the problem It is self-defeating The Lord in setting forth the spirit of governance in his Church has also set forth the spirit of governance in the home in these great words of revelation
ldquo lsquoNo power or influence can or ought to be maintainedhellip only by persuasion by long-suffering by gentleness and meek-ness and by love unfeignedhellip
ldquo lsquoReproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost [and only then I think] and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved lest he esteem thee to be his enemy
ldquo lsquoThat he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of deathrsquo (DampC 12141 43-44)
ldquoWrote Paul to the Ephesians lsquoAnd ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lordrsquo (Eph 64)
ldquoWhen little problems occur as they inevitably will restrain yourself Call to mind the wisdom of the ancient proverb lsquoA soft answer turneth away wrathrsquo (Prov 151)
ldquoThere is no discipline in all the world like the discipline of love It has a magic all its ownrdquo (ldquoThe Environment of Our Homesrdquo Ensign June 1985 p 6)
3 Nephi 1818-21 mdash Pray Always
In this scripture the Savior taught the Nephites to ldquowatch and pray alwaysrdquo and to ldquopray in your families unto the Father always in my name that your wives and your children may be blessedrdquo
Elder F Enzio Busche tells how he resolved a conflict by praying for guidance
ldquoOne day when circumstances made it necessary for me to be at home at an unusual time I witnessed from another room how our eleven-year-old one just returning from school was directing ugly words towards his younger sister They were words that offended me mdash words that I had never thought our son would use My first natural reaction in my anger was to get up and go after him Fortunately I had to walk across the room and open a door before I could reach him and I remember in those few seconds I fervently prayed to my Heavenly Father to help me to handle the situation Peace came over me I was no longer angry
ldquoOur son being shocked to see me home was filled with fear when I approached him To my surprise I heard myself say-ing lsquoWelcome home sonrsquo and I extended my hand as a greeting And then in a formal style I invited him to sit close to me in the living form for a personal talk I heard myself expressing my love for him I talked with him about the battle that every one of us has to fight each day within ourselves
ldquoAs I expressed my confidence in him he broke into tears confessing his unworthiness and condemning himself beyond measure Now it was my role to put his transgression in the proper perspective and to comfort him A wonderful spirit came over us and we ended up crying together hugging each other in love and finally in joy What could have been a disastrous confrontation between father and son became through the help from the powers above one of the most beau-tiful experiences of our relationship that we both have never forgottenrdquo (in Conference Report Apr 1982 pp 98-99)
We will have more harmony in our homes as we seek the Lordrsquos help in controlling negative feelings and overcoming dif-ferences If we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses the Lord will help us to change them to strengths Changing habits and patterns of behavior that are well established is not easy and requires consistent effort We may make good progress and then find ourselves slipping backward again If we persist with Godrsquos help we gradually make the changes that will improve our personal and home lives
(from the Home and Family Education manual lesson 3)
The Virtue of Kindness Elder Joseph B Wirthlin
(CR April 2005)
Many years ago when I was called as a bishop I had a desire for the bishopric to visit those who were less active in the Church and see if there was anything we could do to bring the blessings of the gospel into their lives
One day we visited a man in his 50s who was a respected mechanic He told me the last time he had been to church was when he was a young boy Something had happened that day He had been acting up in class and was being noisier than he should when his teacher became angry pulled him out of class and told him not to come back
He never did
It was remarkable to me that an unkind word spoken more than four decades earlier could have had such a profound effect But it had And as a consequence this man had never returned to church Neither had his wife or children
I apologized to him and expressed my sorrow that he had been treated that way I told him how unfortu-nate it was that one word spoken in haste and so long ago could have the effect of excluding his family from the blessings that come from Church activity ldquoAfter 40 yearsrdquo I told him ldquoitrsquos time the Church made things rightrdquo
I did my best to do so I reassured him that he was welcome and needed I rejoiced when this man and his family eventually returned to church and became strong and faithful members In particular this good brother became an effective home teacher because he understood how something as small as an unkind word could have consequences that extend throughout a lifetime and perhaps beyond
Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends It softens hearts and molds re-lationships that can last lifetimes
Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given but they can linger with us over the years One day when I was in college a man seven years my senior congratulated me on my performance in a football game He not only praised how well I had done in the game but he had noticed that I had showed good sportsmanship Even though this conversation happened more than 60 years ago and even though itrsquos highly unlikely the person who complimented me has any recollection of this conversation I still remember the kind words spoken to me that day by Gordon B Hinckley who would later become Presi-dent of the Church
The attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness are inseparably linked with President Hinckley When my fa-ther passed away in 1963 President Hinckley was the first person to come to our home Irsquoll never forget his kindness He gave my mother a blessing and among other things promised her that she had much to look forward to and that life would be sweet for her These words have brought comfort to her and to me and Irsquoll never forget his kindness
Kindness is the essence of a celestial life Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others Kindness
should permeate all of our words and actions at work at school at church and especially in our homes
Jesus our Savior was the epitome of kindness and compassion He healed the sick He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him He was kind to all who had sinned condemning only the sin not the sinner He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice thus freeing all from the effects of death and all from the effects of sin on conditions of repentance
The Prophet Joseph Smith exemplified kindness in his life to everyone old and young One child who bene-fited from the Prophetrsquos kindness remembered
ldquoMy older brother and I were going to school near to the building which was known as Josephrsquos brick store It had been raining the previous day causing the ground to be very muddy especially along that street My brother Wallace and I both got [our feet] in the mud and could not get out and of course child-like we began to cry for we thought we would have to stay there But looking up I beheld the loving friend of children the Prophet Joseph coming to us He soon had us on higher and drier ground Then he stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little heavy-laden shoes took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces He spoke kind and cheering words to us and sent us on our way to school rejoicingrdquo1
There is no substitute for kindness in the home This lesson I learned from my father He always listened to my motherrsquos advice As a result he was a better wiser and kinder man
I have tried to follow my fatherrsquos example and listen to my wifersquos point of view I value her opinion For ex-ample when my wife begins a sentence with the words ldquoI should think you would helliprdquo I instantly pay atten-tion and begin searching my mind for something I may have done wrong Ofttimes before my wife has fin-ished her sentence I have already planned out in my mind a magnificent apology
In truth my wife is a model of kindness gentleness and compassion And her insight counsel and sup-port have been invaluable to me Because of her I too am a wiser and kinder person
The things you say the tone of your voice the anger or calm of your wordsmdashthese things are noticed by your children and by others They see and learn both the kind and the unkind things we say or do Nothing exposes our true selves more than how we treat one another in the home
I often wonder why some feel they must be critical of others It gets in their blood I suppose and it be-comes so natural they often donrsquot even think about it They seem to criticize everyonemdashthe way Sister Jones leads the music the way Brother Smith teaches a lesson or plants his garden
Even when we think we are doing no harm by our critical remarks consequences often follow I am re-minded of a boy who handed a donation envelope to his bishop and told him it was for him The bishop using this as a teaching moment explained to the boy that he should mark on the donation slip whether it was for tithing fast offerings or for something else The boy insisted the money was for the bishop him-self When the bishop asked why the boy replied ldquoBecause my father says yoursquore one of the poorest bish-ops wersquove ever hadrdquo
The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things or have perfect thoughts or
have perfect feelings The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement support and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father
Each one of us will travel a different road during this life Each progresses at a different rate Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another
Never look down on those who are less perfect than you Donrsquot be upset because someone canrsquot sew as well as you canrsquot throw as well as you canrsquot row or hoe as well as you
We are all children of our Heavenly Father And we are here with the same purpose to learn to love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves2
One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask ldquoHow well am I doing in helping others reach their potential Do I support others in the Church or do I criticize themrdquo
If you are criticizing others you are weakening the Church If you are building others you are building the kingdom of God As Heavenly Father is kind we also should be kind to others
Elder James E Talmage a man who is remembered for his doctrinal teachings showed great kindness to a neighbor family in distress They were complete strangers to him Before he was an Apostle as a young father he became aware of great suffering at a neighborrsquos home whose large family was stricken with the dreaded diphtheria He did not care that they were not members of the Church his kindness and charity moved him to act The Relief Society was desperately trying to find people to help but no one would be-cause of the contagious nature of the disease
When he arrived James found one toddler already dead and two others who were in agony from the dis-ease He immediately went to work cleaning the untidy house preparing the young body for burial clean-ing and providing for the other sick children spending the entire day doing so He came back the next morning to find that one more of the children had died during the night A third child was still suffering ter-ribly He wrote in his journal ldquoShe clung to my neck ofttimes coughing [germs] on my face and clothing hellip yet I could not put her from me During the half hour immediately preceding her death I walked the floor with the little creature in my arms She died in agony at 10 AMrdquo The three children had all departed within the space of 24 hours He then assisted the family with the burial arrangements and spoke at their graveside services3 This he did all for a family of strangers What a great example of Christlike kindness
When we are filled with kindness we are not judgmental The Savior taught ldquoJudge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgivenrdquo4 He also taught that ldquowith what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againrdquo5
ldquoButrdquo you ask ldquowhat if people are ruderdquo
Love them
ldquoIf they are obnoxiousrdquo
Love them
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
ldquoThat There May Not Be So Much Contentionrdquo ldquoAnd he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another but that they should look forward with one eye having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821)
The gospel provides ways to help us deal with contention
Contention Is Destructive The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that one reason for the restoration of the gospel was ldquothat there may not be so much contention one with anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821)
The frequent warnings the Lord gives us about contention seem to indicate that contention is a common problem No-where is this problem more evident than in the home where it can be very destructive Contention creates pressure and tension as well as hurt and angry feelings that can damage relationships If uncontrolled it can lead to spouse and child abuse and other serious consequences
ldquoIf Satan can succeed in creating in us habits of arguing quarreling and contention it is easier then for him to bind us with the heavier sins which can destroy our eternal lives A contentious spirit can affect almost any phase of our livesrdquo (Marvin J Ashton in Conference Report Apr 1978 p 12)
Any time that people must interact with one another in the home at work at church or in any other situation there is the possibility that contention will arise Contention means argument dispute quarreling or discord Everyone has different likes and dislikes We cannot always expect to be in agreement but we need not allow differences of opinion to lead to contention
It is easier to control anger and avoid contention if we identify what causes these feelings Some basic causes are selfish-ness jealousy pride and stress A child who has a low sense of self-worth who feels insecure in his relationships or who feels jealous or resentful of siblings is apt to be angry and contentious The same principles apply to adults
Pressures both in and out of the home frustrations and disappointments can create a high level of tension in family mem-bers of all ages Sometimes we or our children do not know how to deal with tensions or hostile feelings in a productive or nondestructive way We may find release for a guilty conscience in anger and contention We may dwell on anotherrsquos faults or magnify petty differences into major issues thus causing anger and resentment We may respond to hurt or pain either physical or psychological by becoming angry at others
The relationship of parents with each other is an important factor in causing or minimizing contention When a father and mother treat each other with respect show love and settle differences with discussion and good humor there is less con-tention in the home When parents fail to show love and respect do not communicate well or settle differences with loud language and uncontrolled anger children learn from their example
The Scriptures Suggest Ways to Manage Contention
Many would have us believe that arguing and quarreling are a normal release for our feelings and even emotionally healthy But the Lord teaches us other wise As explained in Mosiah 414-15 we are to teach our children not to quarrel but rather to love and serve one another
Many scriptures give us help in solving the problem of contention
Mosiah 1821 mdash Promote Unity and Love
When Alma was teaching the Nephites to prepare them for baptism he ldquocommanded them that there should be no con-tention one with anotherrdquo Then he gave them a key to obeying this commandment their hearts should be ldquoknit together in unity and in love one towards anotherrdquo (Mosiah 1821) We teach love in our families when we show affection and re-spect for each family member letting them know how important and valuable they are to us and to the Lord We express love by giving time attention and service to one another We can build unity in our homes by doing things together mdash praying playing working eating talking and attending Church meetings together
Proverbs 1310 mdash Beware of Pride and Selfishness
In this scripture we are warned ldquoOnly by pride cometh contentionrdquo When we think first of ourselves setting our own opinions and desires before those of others we are cultivating selfishness and pride President Gordon B Hinckley said ldquoSelfishness is the canker that drives out peace and love Selfishness is the root on which grow argument anger disre-spect infidelity and divorcerdquo (in Conference Report Apr 1983 p 68) When parents always think first of themselves
children may be unwanted or neglected seldom listened to or seen as burdens Selfish children often become manipulat-ive self-centered and greedy
4 Nephi 12 mdash Deal Justly One with Another
Following Jesusrsquo personal ministry among the Nephites ldquothe people were all converted unto the Lordhellip and there were no contentions and disputations among them and every man did deal justly one with anotherrdquo (4 Nephi 12) Parents have the responsibility to direct the affairs of their home but their authority needs to be exercised justly and as the Lord has directed
President Gordon B Hinckley explained ldquoDiscipline with severity discipline with cruelty inevitably leads not to correction but rather to resentment and bitterness It cures nothing It only aggravates the problem It is self-defeating The Lord in setting forth the spirit of governance in his Church has also set forth the spirit of governance in the home in these great words of revelation
ldquo lsquoNo power or influence can or ought to be maintainedhellip only by persuasion by long-suffering by gentleness and meek-ness and by love unfeignedhellip
ldquo lsquoReproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost [and only then I think] and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved lest he esteem thee to be his enemy
ldquo lsquoThat he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of deathrsquo (DampC 12141 43-44)
ldquoWrote Paul to the Ephesians lsquoAnd ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lordrsquo (Eph 64)
ldquoWhen little problems occur as they inevitably will restrain yourself Call to mind the wisdom of the ancient proverb lsquoA soft answer turneth away wrathrsquo (Prov 151)
ldquoThere is no discipline in all the world like the discipline of love It has a magic all its ownrdquo (ldquoThe Environment of Our Homesrdquo Ensign June 1985 p 6)
3 Nephi 1818-21 mdash Pray Always
In this scripture the Savior taught the Nephites to ldquowatch and pray alwaysrdquo and to ldquopray in your families unto the Father always in my name that your wives and your children may be blessedrdquo
Elder F Enzio Busche tells how he resolved a conflict by praying for guidance
ldquoOne day when circumstances made it necessary for me to be at home at an unusual time I witnessed from another room how our eleven-year-old one just returning from school was directing ugly words towards his younger sister They were words that offended me mdash words that I had never thought our son would use My first natural reaction in my anger was to get up and go after him Fortunately I had to walk across the room and open a door before I could reach him and I remember in those few seconds I fervently prayed to my Heavenly Father to help me to handle the situation Peace came over me I was no longer angry
ldquoOur son being shocked to see me home was filled with fear when I approached him To my surprise I heard myself say-ing lsquoWelcome home sonrsquo and I extended my hand as a greeting And then in a formal style I invited him to sit close to me in the living form for a personal talk I heard myself expressing my love for him I talked with him about the battle that every one of us has to fight each day within ourselves
ldquoAs I expressed my confidence in him he broke into tears confessing his unworthiness and condemning himself beyond measure Now it was my role to put his transgression in the proper perspective and to comfort him A wonderful spirit came over us and we ended up crying together hugging each other in love and finally in joy What could have been a disastrous confrontation between father and son became through the help from the powers above one of the most beau-tiful experiences of our relationship that we both have never forgottenrdquo (in Conference Report Apr 1982 pp 98-99)
We will have more harmony in our homes as we seek the Lordrsquos help in controlling negative feelings and overcoming dif-ferences If we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses the Lord will help us to change them to strengths Changing habits and patterns of behavior that are well established is not easy and requires consistent effort We may make good progress and then find ourselves slipping backward again If we persist with Godrsquos help we gradually make the changes that will improve our personal and home lives
(from the Home and Family Education manual lesson 3)
The Virtue of Kindness Elder Joseph B Wirthlin
(CR April 2005)
Many years ago when I was called as a bishop I had a desire for the bishopric to visit those who were less active in the Church and see if there was anything we could do to bring the blessings of the gospel into their lives
One day we visited a man in his 50s who was a respected mechanic He told me the last time he had been to church was when he was a young boy Something had happened that day He had been acting up in class and was being noisier than he should when his teacher became angry pulled him out of class and told him not to come back
He never did
It was remarkable to me that an unkind word spoken more than four decades earlier could have had such a profound effect But it had And as a consequence this man had never returned to church Neither had his wife or children
I apologized to him and expressed my sorrow that he had been treated that way I told him how unfortu-nate it was that one word spoken in haste and so long ago could have the effect of excluding his family from the blessings that come from Church activity ldquoAfter 40 yearsrdquo I told him ldquoitrsquos time the Church made things rightrdquo
I did my best to do so I reassured him that he was welcome and needed I rejoiced when this man and his family eventually returned to church and became strong and faithful members In particular this good brother became an effective home teacher because he understood how something as small as an unkind word could have consequences that extend throughout a lifetime and perhaps beyond
Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends It softens hearts and molds re-lationships that can last lifetimes
Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given but they can linger with us over the years One day when I was in college a man seven years my senior congratulated me on my performance in a football game He not only praised how well I had done in the game but he had noticed that I had showed good sportsmanship Even though this conversation happened more than 60 years ago and even though itrsquos highly unlikely the person who complimented me has any recollection of this conversation I still remember the kind words spoken to me that day by Gordon B Hinckley who would later become Presi-dent of the Church
The attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness are inseparably linked with President Hinckley When my fa-ther passed away in 1963 President Hinckley was the first person to come to our home Irsquoll never forget his kindness He gave my mother a blessing and among other things promised her that she had much to look forward to and that life would be sweet for her These words have brought comfort to her and to me and Irsquoll never forget his kindness
Kindness is the essence of a celestial life Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others Kindness
should permeate all of our words and actions at work at school at church and especially in our homes
Jesus our Savior was the epitome of kindness and compassion He healed the sick He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him He was kind to all who had sinned condemning only the sin not the sinner He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice thus freeing all from the effects of death and all from the effects of sin on conditions of repentance
The Prophet Joseph Smith exemplified kindness in his life to everyone old and young One child who bene-fited from the Prophetrsquos kindness remembered
ldquoMy older brother and I were going to school near to the building which was known as Josephrsquos brick store It had been raining the previous day causing the ground to be very muddy especially along that street My brother Wallace and I both got [our feet] in the mud and could not get out and of course child-like we began to cry for we thought we would have to stay there But looking up I beheld the loving friend of children the Prophet Joseph coming to us He soon had us on higher and drier ground Then he stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little heavy-laden shoes took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces He spoke kind and cheering words to us and sent us on our way to school rejoicingrdquo1
There is no substitute for kindness in the home This lesson I learned from my father He always listened to my motherrsquos advice As a result he was a better wiser and kinder man
I have tried to follow my fatherrsquos example and listen to my wifersquos point of view I value her opinion For ex-ample when my wife begins a sentence with the words ldquoI should think you would helliprdquo I instantly pay atten-tion and begin searching my mind for something I may have done wrong Ofttimes before my wife has fin-ished her sentence I have already planned out in my mind a magnificent apology
In truth my wife is a model of kindness gentleness and compassion And her insight counsel and sup-port have been invaluable to me Because of her I too am a wiser and kinder person
The things you say the tone of your voice the anger or calm of your wordsmdashthese things are noticed by your children and by others They see and learn both the kind and the unkind things we say or do Nothing exposes our true selves more than how we treat one another in the home
I often wonder why some feel they must be critical of others It gets in their blood I suppose and it be-comes so natural they often donrsquot even think about it They seem to criticize everyonemdashthe way Sister Jones leads the music the way Brother Smith teaches a lesson or plants his garden
Even when we think we are doing no harm by our critical remarks consequences often follow I am re-minded of a boy who handed a donation envelope to his bishop and told him it was for him The bishop using this as a teaching moment explained to the boy that he should mark on the donation slip whether it was for tithing fast offerings or for something else The boy insisted the money was for the bishop him-self When the bishop asked why the boy replied ldquoBecause my father says yoursquore one of the poorest bish-ops wersquove ever hadrdquo
The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things or have perfect thoughts or
have perfect feelings The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement support and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father
Each one of us will travel a different road during this life Each progresses at a different rate Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another
Never look down on those who are less perfect than you Donrsquot be upset because someone canrsquot sew as well as you canrsquot throw as well as you canrsquot row or hoe as well as you
We are all children of our Heavenly Father And we are here with the same purpose to learn to love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves2
One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask ldquoHow well am I doing in helping others reach their potential Do I support others in the Church or do I criticize themrdquo
If you are criticizing others you are weakening the Church If you are building others you are building the kingdom of God As Heavenly Father is kind we also should be kind to others
Elder James E Talmage a man who is remembered for his doctrinal teachings showed great kindness to a neighbor family in distress They were complete strangers to him Before he was an Apostle as a young father he became aware of great suffering at a neighborrsquos home whose large family was stricken with the dreaded diphtheria He did not care that they were not members of the Church his kindness and charity moved him to act The Relief Society was desperately trying to find people to help but no one would be-cause of the contagious nature of the disease
When he arrived James found one toddler already dead and two others who were in agony from the dis-ease He immediately went to work cleaning the untidy house preparing the young body for burial clean-ing and providing for the other sick children spending the entire day doing so He came back the next morning to find that one more of the children had died during the night A third child was still suffering ter-ribly He wrote in his journal ldquoShe clung to my neck ofttimes coughing [germs] on my face and clothing hellip yet I could not put her from me During the half hour immediately preceding her death I walked the floor with the little creature in my arms She died in agony at 10 AMrdquo The three children had all departed within the space of 24 hours He then assisted the family with the burial arrangements and spoke at their graveside services3 This he did all for a family of strangers What a great example of Christlike kindness
When we are filled with kindness we are not judgmental The Savior taught ldquoJudge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgivenrdquo4 He also taught that ldquowith what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againrdquo5
ldquoButrdquo you ask ldquowhat if people are ruderdquo
Love them
ldquoIf they are obnoxiousrdquo
Love them
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
children may be unwanted or neglected seldom listened to or seen as burdens Selfish children often become manipulat-ive self-centered and greedy
4 Nephi 12 mdash Deal Justly One with Another
Following Jesusrsquo personal ministry among the Nephites ldquothe people were all converted unto the Lordhellip and there were no contentions and disputations among them and every man did deal justly one with anotherrdquo (4 Nephi 12) Parents have the responsibility to direct the affairs of their home but their authority needs to be exercised justly and as the Lord has directed
President Gordon B Hinckley explained ldquoDiscipline with severity discipline with cruelty inevitably leads not to correction but rather to resentment and bitterness It cures nothing It only aggravates the problem It is self-defeating The Lord in setting forth the spirit of governance in his Church has also set forth the spirit of governance in the home in these great words of revelation
ldquo lsquoNo power or influence can or ought to be maintainedhellip only by persuasion by long-suffering by gentleness and meek-ness and by love unfeignedhellip
ldquo lsquoReproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost [and only then I think] and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved lest he esteem thee to be his enemy
ldquo lsquoThat he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of deathrsquo (DampC 12141 43-44)
ldquoWrote Paul to the Ephesians lsquoAnd ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lordrsquo (Eph 64)
ldquoWhen little problems occur as they inevitably will restrain yourself Call to mind the wisdom of the ancient proverb lsquoA soft answer turneth away wrathrsquo (Prov 151)
ldquoThere is no discipline in all the world like the discipline of love It has a magic all its ownrdquo (ldquoThe Environment of Our Homesrdquo Ensign June 1985 p 6)
3 Nephi 1818-21 mdash Pray Always
In this scripture the Savior taught the Nephites to ldquowatch and pray alwaysrdquo and to ldquopray in your families unto the Father always in my name that your wives and your children may be blessedrdquo
Elder F Enzio Busche tells how he resolved a conflict by praying for guidance
ldquoOne day when circumstances made it necessary for me to be at home at an unusual time I witnessed from another room how our eleven-year-old one just returning from school was directing ugly words towards his younger sister They were words that offended me mdash words that I had never thought our son would use My first natural reaction in my anger was to get up and go after him Fortunately I had to walk across the room and open a door before I could reach him and I remember in those few seconds I fervently prayed to my Heavenly Father to help me to handle the situation Peace came over me I was no longer angry
ldquoOur son being shocked to see me home was filled with fear when I approached him To my surprise I heard myself say-ing lsquoWelcome home sonrsquo and I extended my hand as a greeting And then in a formal style I invited him to sit close to me in the living form for a personal talk I heard myself expressing my love for him I talked with him about the battle that every one of us has to fight each day within ourselves
ldquoAs I expressed my confidence in him he broke into tears confessing his unworthiness and condemning himself beyond measure Now it was my role to put his transgression in the proper perspective and to comfort him A wonderful spirit came over us and we ended up crying together hugging each other in love and finally in joy What could have been a disastrous confrontation between father and son became through the help from the powers above one of the most beau-tiful experiences of our relationship that we both have never forgottenrdquo (in Conference Report Apr 1982 pp 98-99)
We will have more harmony in our homes as we seek the Lordrsquos help in controlling negative feelings and overcoming dif-ferences If we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses the Lord will help us to change them to strengths Changing habits and patterns of behavior that are well established is not easy and requires consistent effort We may make good progress and then find ourselves slipping backward again If we persist with Godrsquos help we gradually make the changes that will improve our personal and home lives
(from the Home and Family Education manual lesson 3)
The Virtue of Kindness Elder Joseph B Wirthlin
(CR April 2005)
Many years ago when I was called as a bishop I had a desire for the bishopric to visit those who were less active in the Church and see if there was anything we could do to bring the blessings of the gospel into their lives
One day we visited a man in his 50s who was a respected mechanic He told me the last time he had been to church was when he was a young boy Something had happened that day He had been acting up in class and was being noisier than he should when his teacher became angry pulled him out of class and told him not to come back
He never did
It was remarkable to me that an unkind word spoken more than four decades earlier could have had such a profound effect But it had And as a consequence this man had never returned to church Neither had his wife or children
I apologized to him and expressed my sorrow that he had been treated that way I told him how unfortu-nate it was that one word spoken in haste and so long ago could have the effect of excluding his family from the blessings that come from Church activity ldquoAfter 40 yearsrdquo I told him ldquoitrsquos time the Church made things rightrdquo
I did my best to do so I reassured him that he was welcome and needed I rejoiced when this man and his family eventually returned to church and became strong and faithful members In particular this good brother became an effective home teacher because he understood how something as small as an unkind word could have consequences that extend throughout a lifetime and perhaps beyond
Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends It softens hearts and molds re-lationships that can last lifetimes
Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given but they can linger with us over the years One day when I was in college a man seven years my senior congratulated me on my performance in a football game He not only praised how well I had done in the game but he had noticed that I had showed good sportsmanship Even though this conversation happened more than 60 years ago and even though itrsquos highly unlikely the person who complimented me has any recollection of this conversation I still remember the kind words spoken to me that day by Gordon B Hinckley who would later become Presi-dent of the Church
The attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness are inseparably linked with President Hinckley When my fa-ther passed away in 1963 President Hinckley was the first person to come to our home Irsquoll never forget his kindness He gave my mother a blessing and among other things promised her that she had much to look forward to and that life would be sweet for her These words have brought comfort to her and to me and Irsquoll never forget his kindness
Kindness is the essence of a celestial life Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others Kindness
should permeate all of our words and actions at work at school at church and especially in our homes
Jesus our Savior was the epitome of kindness and compassion He healed the sick He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him He was kind to all who had sinned condemning only the sin not the sinner He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice thus freeing all from the effects of death and all from the effects of sin on conditions of repentance
The Prophet Joseph Smith exemplified kindness in his life to everyone old and young One child who bene-fited from the Prophetrsquos kindness remembered
ldquoMy older brother and I were going to school near to the building which was known as Josephrsquos brick store It had been raining the previous day causing the ground to be very muddy especially along that street My brother Wallace and I both got [our feet] in the mud and could not get out and of course child-like we began to cry for we thought we would have to stay there But looking up I beheld the loving friend of children the Prophet Joseph coming to us He soon had us on higher and drier ground Then he stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little heavy-laden shoes took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces He spoke kind and cheering words to us and sent us on our way to school rejoicingrdquo1
There is no substitute for kindness in the home This lesson I learned from my father He always listened to my motherrsquos advice As a result he was a better wiser and kinder man
I have tried to follow my fatherrsquos example and listen to my wifersquos point of view I value her opinion For ex-ample when my wife begins a sentence with the words ldquoI should think you would helliprdquo I instantly pay atten-tion and begin searching my mind for something I may have done wrong Ofttimes before my wife has fin-ished her sentence I have already planned out in my mind a magnificent apology
In truth my wife is a model of kindness gentleness and compassion And her insight counsel and sup-port have been invaluable to me Because of her I too am a wiser and kinder person
The things you say the tone of your voice the anger or calm of your wordsmdashthese things are noticed by your children and by others They see and learn both the kind and the unkind things we say or do Nothing exposes our true selves more than how we treat one another in the home
I often wonder why some feel they must be critical of others It gets in their blood I suppose and it be-comes so natural they often donrsquot even think about it They seem to criticize everyonemdashthe way Sister Jones leads the music the way Brother Smith teaches a lesson or plants his garden
Even when we think we are doing no harm by our critical remarks consequences often follow I am re-minded of a boy who handed a donation envelope to his bishop and told him it was for him The bishop using this as a teaching moment explained to the boy that he should mark on the donation slip whether it was for tithing fast offerings or for something else The boy insisted the money was for the bishop him-self When the bishop asked why the boy replied ldquoBecause my father says yoursquore one of the poorest bish-ops wersquove ever hadrdquo
The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things or have perfect thoughts or
have perfect feelings The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement support and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father
Each one of us will travel a different road during this life Each progresses at a different rate Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another
Never look down on those who are less perfect than you Donrsquot be upset because someone canrsquot sew as well as you canrsquot throw as well as you canrsquot row or hoe as well as you
We are all children of our Heavenly Father And we are here with the same purpose to learn to love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves2
One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask ldquoHow well am I doing in helping others reach their potential Do I support others in the Church or do I criticize themrdquo
If you are criticizing others you are weakening the Church If you are building others you are building the kingdom of God As Heavenly Father is kind we also should be kind to others
Elder James E Talmage a man who is remembered for his doctrinal teachings showed great kindness to a neighbor family in distress They were complete strangers to him Before he was an Apostle as a young father he became aware of great suffering at a neighborrsquos home whose large family was stricken with the dreaded diphtheria He did not care that they were not members of the Church his kindness and charity moved him to act The Relief Society was desperately trying to find people to help but no one would be-cause of the contagious nature of the disease
When he arrived James found one toddler already dead and two others who were in agony from the dis-ease He immediately went to work cleaning the untidy house preparing the young body for burial clean-ing and providing for the other sick children spending the entire day doing so He came back the next morning to find that one more of the children had died during the night A third child was still suffering ter-ribly He wrote in his journal ldquoShe clung to my neck ofttimes coughing [germs] on my face and clothing hellip yet I could not put her from me During the half hour immediately preceding her death I walked the floor with the little creature in my arms She died in agony at 10 AMrdquo The three children had all departed within the space of 24 hours He then assisted the family with the burial arrangements and spoke at their graveside services3 This he did all for a family of strangers What a great example of Christlike kindness
When we are filled with kindness we are not judgmental The Savior taught ldquoJudge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgivenrdquo4 He also taught that ldquowith what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againrdquo5
ldquoButrdquo you ask ldquowhat if people are ruderdquo
Love them
ldquoIf they are obnoxiousrdquo
Love them
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
The Virtue of Kindness Elder Joseph B Wirthlin
(CR April 2005)
Many years ago when I was called as a bishop I had a desire for the bishopric to visit those who were less active in the Church and see if there was anything we could do to bring the blessings of the gospel into their lives
One day we visited a man in his 50s who was a respected mechanic He told me the last time he had been to church was when he was a young boy Something had happened that day He had been acting up in class and was being noisier than he should when his teacher became angry pulled him out of class and told him not to come back
He never did
It was remarkable to me that an unkind word spoken more than four decades earlier could have had such a profound effect But it had And as a consequence this man had never returned to church Neither had his wife or children
I apologized to him and expressed my sorrow that he had been treated that way I told him how unfortu-nate it was that one word spoken in haste and so long ago could have the effect of excluding his family from the blessings that come from Church activity ldquoAfter 40 yearsrdquo I told him ldquoitrsquos time the Church made things rightrdquo
I did my best to do so I reassured him that he was welcome and needed I rejoiced when this man and his family eventually returned to church and became strong and faithful members In particular this good brother became an effective home teacher because he understood how something as small as an unkind word could have consequences that extend throughout a lifetime and perhaps beyond
Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends It softens hearts and molds re-lationships that can last lifetimes
Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given but they can linger with us over the years One day when I was in college a man seven years my senior congratulated me on my performance in a football game He not only praised how well I had done in the game but he had noticed that I had showed good sportsmanship Even though this conversation happened more than 60 years ago and even though itrsquos highly unlikely the person who complimented me has any recollection of this conversation I still remember the kind words spoken to me that day by Gordon B Hinckley who would later become Presi-dent of the Church
The attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness are inseparably linked with President Hinckley When my fa-ther passed away in 1963 President Hinckley was the first person to come to our home Irsquoll never forget his kindness He gave my mother a blessing and among other things promised her that she had much to look forward to and that life would be sweet for her These words have brought comfort to her and to me and Irsquoll never forget his kindness
Kindness is the essence of a celestial life Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others Kindness
should permeate all of our words and actions at work at school at church and especially in our homes
Jesus our Savior was the epitome of kindness and compassion He healed the sick He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him He was kind to all who had sinned condemning only the sin not the sinner He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice thus freeing all from the effects of death and all from the effects of sin on conditions of repentance
The Prophet Joseph Smith exemplified kindness in his life to everyone old and young One child who bene-fited from the Prophetrsquos kindness remembered
ldquoMy older brother and I were going to school near to the building which was known as Josephrsquos brick store It had been raining the previous day causing the ground to be very muddy especially along that street My brother Wallace and I both got [our feet] in the mud and could not get out and of course child-like we began to cry for we thought we would have to stay there But looking up I beheld the loving friend of children the Prophet Joseph coming to us He soon had us on higher and drier ground Then he stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little heavy-laden shoes took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces He spoke kind and cheering words to us and sent us on our way to school rejoicingrdquo1
There is no substitute for kindness in the home This lesson I learned from my father He always listened to my motherrsquos advice As a result he was a better wiser and kinder man
I have tried to follow my fatherrsquos example and listen to my wifersquos point of view I value her opinion For ex-ample when my wife begins a sentence with the words ldquoI should think you would helliprdquo I instantly pay atten-tion and begin searching my mind for something I may have done wrong Ofttimes before my wife has fin-ished her sentence I have already planned out in my mind a magnificent apology
In truth my wife is a model of kindness gentleness and compassion And her insight counsel and sup-port have been invaluable to me Because of her I too am a wiser and kinder person
The things you say the tone of your voice the anger or calm of your wordsmdashthese things are noticed by your children and by others They see and learn both the kind and the unkind things we say or do Nothing exposes our true selves more than how we treat one another in the home
I often wonder why some feel they must be critical of others It gets in their blood I suppose and it be-comes so natural they often donrsquot even think about it They seem to criticize everyonemdashthe way Sister Jones leads the music the way Brother Smith teaches a lesson or plants his garden
Even when we think we are doing no harm by our critical remarks consequences often follow I am re-minded of a boy who handed a donation envelope to his bishop and told him it was for him The bishop using this as a teaching moment explained to the boy that he should mark on the donation slip whether it was for tithing fast offerings or for something else The boy insisted the money was for the bishop him-self When the bishop asked why the boy replied ldquoBecause my father says yoursquore one of the poorest bish-ops wersquove ever hadrdquo
The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things or have perfect thoughts or
have perfect feelings The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement support and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father
Each one of us will travel a different road during this life Each progresses at a different rate Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another
Never look down on those who are less perfect than you Donrsquot be upset because someone canrsquot sew as well as you canrsquot throw as well as you canrsquot row or hoe as well as you
We are all children of our Heavenly Father And we are here with the same purpose to learn to love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves2
One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask ldquoHow well am I doing in helping others reach their potential Do I support others in the Church or do I criticize themrdquo
If you are criticizing others you are weakening the Church If you are building others you are building the kingdom of God As Heavenly Father is kind we also should be kind to others
Elder James E Talmage a man who is remembered for his doctrinal teachings showed great kindness to a neighbor family in distress They were complete strangers to him Before he was an Apostle as a young father he became aware of great suffering at a neighborrsquos home whose large family was stricken with the dreaded diphtheria He did not care that they were not members of the Church his kindness and charity moved him to act The Relief Society was desperately trying to find people to help but no one would be-cause of the contagious nature of the disease
When he arrived James found one toddler already dead and two others who were in agony from the dis-ease He immediately went to work cleaning the untidy house preparing the young body for burial clean-ing and providing for the other sick children spending the entire day doing so He came back the next morning to find that one more of the children had died during the night A third child was still suffering ter-ribly He wrote in his journal ldquoShe clung to my neck ofttimes coughing [germs] on my face and clothing hellip yet I could not put her from me During the half hour immediately preceding her death I walked the floor with the little creature in my arms She died in agony at 10 AMrdquo The three children had all departed within the space of 24 hours He then assisted the family with the burial arrangements and spoke at their graveside services3 This he did all for a family of strangers What a great example of Christlike kindness
When we are filled with kindness we are not judgmental The Savior taught ldquoJudge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgivenrdquo4 He also taught that ldquowith what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againrdquo5
ldquoButrdquo you ask ldquowhat if people are ruderdquo
Love them
ldquoIf they are obnoxiousrdquo
Love them
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
should permeate all of our words and actions at work at school at church and especially in our homes
Jesus our Savior was the epitome of kindness and compassion He healed the sick He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him He was kind to all who had sinned condemning only the sin not the sinner He kindly allowed thousands of Nephites to come forward and feel the nail prints in His hands and feet Yet His greatest act of kindness was found in His atoning sacrifice thus freeing all from the effects of death and all from the effects of sin on conditions of repentance
The Prophet Joseph Smith exemplified kindness in his life to everyone old and young One child who bene-fited from the Prophetrsquos kindness remembered
ldquoMy older brother and I were going to school near to the building which was known as Josephrsquos brick store It had been raining the previous day causing the ground to be very muddy especially along that street My brother Wallace and I both got [our feet] in the mud and could not get out and of course child-like we began to cry for we thought we would have to stay there But looking up I beheld the loving friend of children the Prophet Joseph coming to us He soon had us on higher and drier ground Then he stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little heavy-laden shoes took his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces He spoke kind and cheering words to us and sent us on our way to school rejoicingrdquo1
There is no substitute for kindness in the home This lesson I learned from my father He always listened to my motherrsquos advice As a result he was a better wiser and kinder man
I have tried to follow my fatherrsquos example and listen to my wifersquos point of view I value her opinion For ex-ample when my wife begins a sentence with the words ldquoI should think you would helliprdquo I instantly pay atten-tion and begin searching my mind for something I may have done wrong Ofttimes before my wife has fin-ished her sentence I have already planned out in my mind a magnificent apology
In truth my wife is a model of kindness gentleness and compassion And her insight counsel and sup-port have been invaluable to me Because of her I too am a wiser and kinder person
The things you say the tone of your voice the anger or calm of your wordsmdashthese things are noticed by your children and by others They see and learn both the kind and the unkind things we say or do Nothing exposes our true selves more than how we treat one another in the home
I often wonder why some feel they must be critical of others It gets in their blood I suppose and it be-comes so natural they often donrsquot even think about it They seem to criticize everyonemdashthe way Sister Jones leads the music the way Brother Smith teaches a lesson or plants his garden
Even when we think we are doing no harm by our critical remarks consequences often follow I am re-minded of a boy who handed a donation envelope to his bishop and told him it was for him The bishop using this as a teaching moment explained to the boy that he should mark on the donation slip whether it was for tithing fast offerings or for something else The boy insisted the money was for the bishop him-self When the bishop asked why the boy replied ldquoBecause my father says yoursquore one of the poorest bish-ops wersquove ever hadrdquo
The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things or have perfect thoughts or
have perfect feelings The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement support and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father
Each one of us will travel a different road during this life Each progresses at a different rate Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another
Never look down on those who are less perfect than you Donrsquot be upset because someone canrsquot sew as well as you canrsquot throw as well as you canrsquot row or hoe as well as you
We are all children of our Heavenly Father And we are here with the same purpose to learn to love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves2
One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask ldquoHow well am I doing in helping others reach their potential Do I support others in the Church or do I criticize themrdquo
If you are criticizing others you are weakening the Church If you are building others you are building the kingdom of God As Heavenly Father is kind we also should be kind to others
Elder James E Talmage a man who is remembered for his doctrinal teachings showed great kindness to a neighbor family in distress They were complete strangers to him Before he was an Apostle as a young father he became aware of great suffering at a neighborrsquos home whose large family was stricken with the dreaded diphtheria He did not care that they were not members of the Church his kindness and charity moved him to act The Relief Society was desperately trying to find people to help but no one would be-cause of the contagious nature of the disease
When he arrived James found one toddler already dead and two others who were in agony from the dis-ease He immediately went to work cleaning the untidy house preparing the young body for burial clean-ing and providing for the other sick children spending the entire day doing so He came back the next morning to find that one more of the children had died during the night A third child was still suffering ter-ribly He wrote in his journal ldquoShe clung to my neck ofttimes coughing [germs] on my face and clothing hellip yet I could not put her from me During the half hour immediately preceding her death I walked the floor with the little creature in my arms She died in agony at 10 AMrdquo The three children had all departed within the space of 24 hours He then assisted the family with the burial arrangements and spoke at their graveside services3 This he did all for a family of strangers What a great example of Christlike kindness
When we are filled with kindness we are not judgmental The Savior taught ldquoJudge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgivenrdquo4 He also taught that ldquowith what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againrdquo5
ldquoButrdquo you ask ldquowhat if people are ruderdquo
Love them
ldquoIf they are obnoxiousrdquo
Love them
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
have perfect feelings The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement support and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father
Each one of us will travel a different road during this life Each progresses at a different rate Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another
Never look down on those who are less perfect than you Donrsquot be upset because someone canrsquot sew as well as you canrsquot throw as well as you canrsquot row or hoe as well as you
We are all children of our Heavenly Father And we are here with the same purpose to learn to love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves2
One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask ldquoHow well am I doing in helping others reach their potential Do I support others in the Church or do I criticize themrdquo
If you are criticizing others you are weakening the Church If you are building others you are building the kingdom of God As Heavenly Father is kind we also should be kind to others
Elder James E Talmage a man who is remembered for his doctrinal teachings showed great kindness to a neighbor family in distress They were complete strangers to him Before he was an Apostle as a young father he became aware of great suffering at a neighborrsquos home whose large family was stricken with the dreaded diphtheria He did not care that they were not members of the Church his kindness and charity moved him to act The Relief Society was desperately trying to find people to help but no one would be-cause of the contagious nature of the disease
When he arrived James found one toddler already dead and two others who were in agony from the dis-ease He immediately went to work cleaning the untidy house preparing the young body for burial clean-ing and providing for the other sick children spending the entire day doing so He came back the next morning to find that one more of the children had died during the night A third child was still suffering ter-ribly He wrote in his journal ldquoShe clung to my neck ofttimes coughing [germs] on my face and clothing hellip yet I could not put her from me During the half hour immediately preceding her death I walked the floor with the little creature in my arms She died in agony at 10 AMrdquo The three children had all departed within the space of 24 hours He then assisted the family with the burial arrangements and spoke at their graveside services3 This he did all for a family of strangers What a great example of Christlike kindness
When we are filled with kindness we are not judgmental The Savior taught ldquoJudge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgivenrdquo4 He also taught that ldquowith what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againrdquo5
ldquoButrdquo you ask ldquowhat if people are ruderdquo
Love them
ldquoIf they are obnoxiousrdquo
Love them
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
ldquoBut what if they offend Surely I must do something thenrdquo
Love them
ldquoWaywardrdquo
The answer is the same Be kind Love them
Why In the scriptures Jude taught ldquoAnd of some have compassion making a differencerdquo6
Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind
My brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends mortality Our work here is but a shadow of greater and unimaginable things to come
The heavens opened to the Prophet Joseph Smith He saw the living God and His Son Jesus the Christ
In our day a prophet President Gordon B Hinckley walks the earth and provides direction for our time
As our Heavenly Father loves us we also should love His children
May we be models of kindness May we ever live up to the words of the Savior ldquoBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to anotherrdquo7 Of these truths I bear witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen
References 1 Margaret McIntire Burgess in Juvenile Instructor Jan 15 1892 66ndash67
2 See Mark 1230ndash31
3 See John R Talmage The Talmage Story Life of James E TalmagemdashEducator Scientist Apostle (1972) 112ndash14
4 Luke 637
5 Matt 72
6 Jude 122
7 John 1335
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
LESSON 42 OUTLINE Last week we finished up Christrsquos three day visit to the Nephites ~Was that the last they saw of him (no) Letrsquos switch continents for a minute About one year earlier Christ had been crucified and resurrected ~After His resurrection to whom did He appear (The twelve and their wives and others according to apocryphal literature) ~And how long did he minister to them (40 days) The bible tells us very little about Christrsquos teachings during this time But there were many many books discovered in the 20th century which scholars call ldquo40 Day Litera-turerdquo So we know it happened in the old world We also know he continued to minis-ter to the Nephites after those three days
3 Nephi 2613
Letrsquos discuss one of those visits 3 Nephi 271-4 8
v1 What were the disciples doing (preaching the gospel as Christ had commanded them mighty prayer and fasting
v2 ~Why do you think Christ continued to appear to them rather than answering through the Holy Ghost as He usually does
v3 ~What is the word there that jumps out at you (disputations) ~Are ldquodisputationsrdquo pleasing to Heavenly Father
v4 ~How should we present the questions that we all have from time to time Quotation 1 (read verse 8) Quotation 2
Elder Bruce R McConkie compared this revelation to the Nephite apostles to one he witnessed in our day concerning the revelation that all worthy males have the oppor-tunity to be ordained to the priesthood Letrsquos read his words
Quotation 3 Letrsquos turn to chapter 28 Before Christ leaves his disciples he asks them the same question he asked the Twelve before leaving them ~Do you remember the question (see 3 Ne 281) ~What did three of them desire (to continue preaching the gospel until His Second Coming see verse 9) ~What does it mean to be translated (immortal body v 15 no pain or sorrow
1
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
except for the sins of the world v 9) Letrsquos read what those three disciples did from that time on
3 Nephi 2818
~Did they have any opposition as they preached 3 Nephi 2819-22
Despite the opposition within about 2 years everyone was converted as it says in verse 23 ~What are they doing now today
3 Nephi 2827-31
Although there is much more to feast on in 3 Nephi yoursquoll have to take it home for dessert Letrsquos turn now to 4 Nephi Hugh Nibley has this to say about 4 Nephi ldquoEvery book [in the Book of Mormon] is the most marvelous in the world but this is really something If we get stalled in it for the rest of the semester it would be worth it Theyrsquore all like this but this is a particularly important bookhellip Itrsquos an epitome itrsquos a digest The whole Book of Mormon is there You donrsquot have to read anything but this one bookhellip How many chapters does it have One Does it get it all in there Yes it does It contains the best case and the worst casehellip Itrsquos a marvelous thingrdquo (ldquoTeachings
of the Book of Mormon Semester 4 Lecture 102 maxwellinstitutebyuedu)
So for the rest of our discussion today Irsquod like to focus on the best case I think wersquore all very aware of the worst case since that seems to be the world wersquore living in right now Letrsquos look past all of that to the promises of Zion ~Have you ever wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world were honest ~What would be different (no contract lawyers No locks passwords keys IRS guards etchellip) Just that one principle would change everything for the better wouldnrsquot it Now imag-ine if everyone including all of us were to live the whole gospel wholeheartedly ~Give me some adjectives to describe such a world (peaceful caring gener- ous loving kindhellip) Now letrsquos read Mormonrsquos description of the world of the Nephites after Christrsquos visit
4 Nephi 115-17 Mormonrsquos adjectives are ldquohappyrdquo and ldquoin onerdquo Notice the phrase ldquono contentionrdquo Itrsquos repeated 4 times in this chapter Irsquom not sure we can even imagine such a thing since contention is as common as air now It almost seems impossible to exist with-
2
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
3
out itmdashlike itrsquos a normal even healthy part of life ~But can we feel the Spirit when there is contention in our heart ~Who is the father of contention (Satan see 3 Nephi 1129) ~Is contention any form of anger ~What causes us to be contentious (pride)
Quotation 4
~What must we replace feelings of contention with (charity see v 15) Letrsquos look for one other characteristic of a happy people
4 Nephi 12 ~What does it mean to ldquodeal justlyrdquo with each other
Quotation 5 ~Are we ever justified in not being completely honest and fulfilling our obliga- tions
Quotation 6 So wersquove discussed two keys to happiness no contention and dealing justly with one another ~What is the third key according to 4 Nephi (see 4 Nephi 13) But that is a discussion for another day This week letrsquos make a conscious effort to re-place feelings of contention with feelings of love And of course letrsquos always be honest in our dealings with our fellow men By doing so we will be helping to ldquoestablish Zionrdquo and prepare ourselves and others within our sphere of influence for the happy millennial days to come
