Ask students to read Alma 7:19 silently, looking for the spiritual condition of the people in Gideon. Tell students that when Alma the Younger was serving as high priest, he visited the people of the Church in Gideon and urged them to evaluate their spiritual condition. What are the benefits of checking on these regularly? (We can fix problems and avoid trouble or danger in the future.)Įxplain that we similarly need to consistently review the condition of our spiritual lives to assess weaknesses and avoid danger.
The Book of Mormon teaches us how to follow the path to God’s kingdomĪsk students to consider things that need to be checked regularly to keep them in good working condition (for example, checking engine oil or smoke detector batteries, or getting a checkup by a doctor or dentist). “The Great Commandment-Love the Lord,” chapter 1 in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson (2014), 37–45. “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods before Me,” chapter 14 in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Uchtdorf, “Pride and the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. This lesson will help students commit to forsake sin and more fully seek after God’s kingdom. To seek for the kingdom of God is to make living the gospel a top priority in our lives. These sins are a threat to the unity and progress of God’s kingdom on earth. Consequently, we decided to make this study available, in the hope that it will benefit others as it has benefited us.When the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob encouraged his people to seek for the kingdom of God (see Jacob 2:18), he did so at a time when the sins of pride, love of riches, and immorality were serious problems. These include guarantees of employment following formal education, working in the field we have been trained for, life-long careers at the same workplace, single family incomes, to name a few. Things we took for granted as societal norms are evaporating. What are we doing with our lives and the resources that God has provided? More importantly, where are we going? What are we going to do until our Lord returns?ĭuring the journey over the past few years, from relative comfort to an unknown future, we have discussed the dilemma with many of like precious faith.We learned that many are facing similar situations as the world economy is going through a metamorphosis. It is the duty of each of us to examine ourselves in light of the biblical arguments presented. The work came from honest consideration of the Scriptures relating to the subject. The adapted articles are not designed to pass judgment on any person’s education, career choice, station in life, or personal situation. We have to figure out how to faithfully apply them when weighing up the practical decisions of our lives. The principles will not fit our circumstances exactly. God provides us principles to bring into balance and not laws to execute. They are reserved for those who are “called to be saints” (1 Cor 1:2), those who are termed “the elect of God” (Col 3:12), in whose lives the Creator has intervened to actively work. These principles will not work for those who are not the chosen of God.
We must take the “whole counsel of God” and not just the parts we agree with. What is expounded in the first few articles needs to be balanced with the principles explored in later articles. We ask the reader not to abandon ship until you have had an opportunity to hear the whole argument.
This study was a journey of discovery as we navigated through the scriptures.