I Am the Bread of Life

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I Am the Bread of Life

• www.kevinhinckley.com

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Out of the mouth of

• While singing the song, "I Belong to the Church
  of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" in primary
  one week, I overheard one of my five-year-old
  students singing the song this way (not knowing
  she had the words wrong) "I know who I am, I
  know God's plan, I'll follow him to VEGAS."
• One Sunday morning when my daughter Kelly was
  about 3-4 years old I was curling her hair in
  the usual "bob" she smiled at me and looked
  straight in my eyes and told me she looked like
  "George Washington". Surprised, I had no idea she
  even knew who he was never mind the name, so I
  asked her, "do you know who he is?" She turned
  again to look at me as though I were addle
  brained and very seriously said, "Of course, he
  was our country's first Stake President!
• We were teaching our junior primary the second
  Article of Faith. As an introduction, I asked if
  anyone already knew it (we'd been singing it
  every now and then). A little boy, about five
  years old, raised his hand and jumped to his feet
  and proclaimed, "We believe that men will be
  punished for their nonsense!"

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Question

• Does the Lord want us dependent on Him?
• As you get older do you find yourself depending
  on Him more or less?

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The Infinite Atonement

• The powers of the Atonement do not lie
  dormant until one sins and then suddenly
  spring forth to satisfy the needs of the
  repentant person. Rather, like the forces of
  gravity, they are everywhere present,
  exerting their unseen but powerful
  influence.
• Nephi alluded to the omnipresence of these
  motivational powers He doeth not anything save
  it be for the benefit of the world for he loveth
  the world, even that he layeth down his own life
  that he may draw all men unto him. (2 Ne 2624)
• In this sense, the Savior exerts a form of
  spiritual gravity that draws and entices all men
  unto him. (Tad Callister, p. 211-212)

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The Savior as a Teacher

• Parables
• Object Lessons
• 1- First the example, the object
• 2- Then, the lesson

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1) The Object (experience)

• Jesus went over the sea of GalileeAnd a great
  multitude followed him, because they saw his
  miracles
• And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he
  sat with his disciples.
• And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
• When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a
  great company come unto him, he saith unto
  Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may
  eat?
• And this he said to prove him for he himself
  knew what he would do.
• Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of
  bread is not sufficient for them, that every one
  of them may take a little.
• Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
• There is a lad here, which hath five barley
  loaves, and two small fishes but what are they
  among so many?
• And Jesus said, Make the men sit downSo the men
  sat down, in number about five thousand.
• And Jesus took the loaves and when he had given
  thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the
  disciples to them that were set down and
  likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
• When they had eaten and were satisfied, he said
  unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that
  remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they
  gathered them together, and filled twelve
  baskets...

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Question

• Why would He feed the 5000 and raise their
  expectations?

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After they cross the sea2) The Lesson

• When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not
  therethey also took shipping, and came to
  Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
• And when they had found him on the other side of
  the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, how camest
  thou hither?
• Jesus answered them and said, Ye seek me, not
  because ye desire to keep my sayings, neither
  because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did
  eat of the loaves and were filled.
• They answered Our fathers did eat manna in the
  desert as it is written, He gave them bread from
  heaven to eat.
• Then Jesus said unto them Moses gave you not
  that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you
  the true bread from heaven.
• And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life
  he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he
  that believeth on me shall never thirst.
• The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I
  am the bread which came down from heaven.
• And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of
  Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is
  it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
• He explainsI will raise up in the resurrection
  of the justEvery man therefore that hath heard,
  and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto
  me.Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
  believeth on me hath everlasting life.
• I am that bread of life.
• This is the bread which cometh down from heaven,
  that a man may eat thereof, and not die. Your
  fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are
  dead. But I am the living bread which came down
  from heaven

Elder Holland During the Saviors Galilean
ministry, He chided those who had heard of Him
feeding the 5,000 with only five barley loaves
and two fishes, and now flocked to Him expecting
a free lunch. That food, important as it was, was
incidental to the real nourishment He was trying
to give them (Ensign, Nov. 1997, 65)
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Question

• How do we become as dependent on Him as we are
  for our daily bread?

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The Contrast

• Greatest Love
• I decided long ago, never to walk in anyones
  shadows
• If I fail, if I succeed
• At least I live as I believe
• No matter what they take from me
• They cant take away my dignity
• Because the greatest love of all
• Is happening to me
• I found the greatest love of all
• Inside of me
• The greatest love of all
• Is easy to achieve
• Learning to love yourself
• It is the greatest love of all

• I Need Thee Every Hour
• I need thee every hour,
• Most gracious Lord
• No tender voice like thine
• Can peace afford
• I need thee every hour
• Stay thou near by
• Temptations lose their power
• When thou are nigh
• I need thee, oh, I need thee
• Every hour I need thee
• Oh, bless me now, my Savior
• I come unto thee

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Mahatma Gandhi

• E. Stanley Jones, a Christian evangelist, once
  asked Gandhi as he sat on a cot in an open
  courtyard of a jail,
• Isnt your fasting a kind of coercion?
• Yes, Gandhi said very slowly, the same kind of
  coercion which Jesus exercises upon you from the
  cross.
• As Jones reflected upon that sobering rejoiner,
  he said,
• I was silent. It was so obviously true that I am
  silent again everytime I think about it. He was
  profoundly right.

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Ghandi

• Calcutta was a battleground of hate. Gandhi,
  a Hindu, stayed at a Muslim hom in the heart
  of the riot district. Some Hindus were
  incensed at Gandhis conciliatory conduct
  towards the enemy. An attempt on his life
  failed.
• Finally, Gandhi announced a fast to the death
  unless the foes altered the course. It would be
  peace for them or death for him. After three days
  of fasting, the suffering of one revered by an
  entire nation proved too much for the people to
  bear. The softening and persuasive powers of his
  suffering melted hearts of stone.
• Weapons, from knives to guns, were laid at his
  feet. Almost overnight the healing occurred.
• Lord Mountbatten, on of the military leaders
  present observed, What 50,000 well-equipped
  soldiers could not do, the Mahatma has done, He
  has brought peace.