Mosiah 4-6

1
Ye Shall Be Called the Children of Christ

• Mosiah 4-6

2
Mosiah 111-12, 57 Fathers Children of Christ
Heavenly Father Father of our spirits
Earthly fathers Fathers of our physical, mortal bodies
Christ Father of our spiritual rebirth, became a father to us because he gave us immortality or eternal life through his death and sacrifice-Joseph Fielding smith, Answer to Gospel Questions, 4178-79
3
Mosiah 57
Physical Birth Spiritual birth
Water Water
Blood Blood
Spirit Spirit
Given a name Given a name
4
Mighty Change of Heart . . .That we have no more
disposition to do evilMosiah 52

• Why is it important for us to
• know that the people who heard
• King Benjamins sermons and
• experienced a mighty change of
• heart were already members of
• the Church?
• What challenges do we face in maintaining a
  change of heart?
• How can we meet these challenges?

5
The Analogy of the Egg

• It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird
  it would be a jolly sight harder for a bird to
  learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like
  eggs at present. And you cannot go on
  indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg.
  We must be hatched or go bad.
• CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, 169-170

6
Better eggs or hatched?

• It is this lifelong process of being hatched, or
  transformed from the fallen natural-man state
  into the image and likeness of Christ that
  confronts each of us with the daily choice of
  becoming whole or only going partway. How often
  we come to God seeking only the release of our
  pain, praying only about symptoms rather than
  about becoming whole seeking only relief rather
  than expansion and growth ... When we only pray
  about symptoms, it is like we are trying to
  remain eggs. Better eggs, yes, but not
  transformed eggs.

7
Trapped in our egg-like shell

• I found that there is a life-transforming and
  liberating difference between being willing to
  let go of a particular sin (merely an outward
  change of behavior) and surrendering all the
  accompanying burdens to the Saviors Atonement.
  My conclusion from working with people in
  addiction and spiritual agony is that true
  healing can only occur when there is total
  surrender of all the burdens that are creating
  barriers between the Lord and us burdens like
  self-pity, guilt, worthlessness, and inferiority,
  every burden of self-punishment that keeps us
  from becoming whole.

How do we know this is happening in our
lives? What are the indicators?
8
Mosiah 31-11Angels message glad tidings of
great joy
Why?
9
According to the angel, who will receive
salvation through the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
Mosiah 311 People who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned Doctrine and Covenants 13779 we learn that people who die without a knowledge of the gospel but who would have received the gospel with all their hearts will be heirs of the celestial kingdom.
Mosiah 316 Little children who die in infancy (DC 13710)
Moshiah 312-13, 18-19 People with a knowledge of the gospel who repent and exercise faith in Jesus Christ, become as little children
10
Mosiah 318-19Natural Man

• What is the natural man?
• How do we put off the natural man?

11
Natural Man The part of us that sins and wants
to follow the world

• The phrase natural man is understood by
  Latter-day Saints to be an unrepentant person it
  does not imply that mortals are by nature
  depraved or evil, but only that they are in a
  fallen condition. Natural man describes persons
  who are without God in the world, and they have
  gone contrary to the nature of God (Alma 4111).
  The Lord declared to Joseph Smith Every spirit
  of man was innocent in the beginning and God
  having redeemed man from the fall, men became
  again, in their infant state, innocent before
  God (DC 9338)
• (in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Encyclopedia of
  Mormonism, 5 vols. 1992, 3985).

12
Why would the natural man be an enemy to God?

• Because sin and worldliness keep us from being
  worthy to be in His presence.

13
Mosiah 319

• yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit
• becometh a saint through the atonement of
  Christ
• becometh as a child

14
becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ

• What does it mean to become a saint?
• Saint implies sanctification, or holiness. In the
  Book of Mormon, the word is used to refer to
  devoted members of the Lords Church. ( 1 Nephi
  1412 and 2 Nephi 918.)

15
becometh as a child

• What adjectives does King Benjamin use to
  describe this process of becoming as a child?
• Submissive
• Meek
• Humble
• Patient
• Full of love
• Willing to submit to all things which the Lord
  seeth fit

16

• Becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble,
  patient, full of love. We are not asked to be
  childish, but to become like a childwilling to
  submit to a righteous Father, doing His will
  instead of our own (see 3 Nephi 113738).

17
Less than the dust of the earth

• Mosiah 45
• Why do you think King
• Benjamin emphasized peoples
• nothingness and unworthiness?
• Why is it essential to recognize our dependence
  on the Lord?
• How is our behavior different when we feel more
  than adequate for a task laid before us?

18
Sons and Daughters of Christ
19
Come Thou FountMosiah 234, DC 8438

• O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm
  constrained to be!
• Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my
  wandering heart to thee.
• Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave
  the God I love
• Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for
  thy courts above.

20
Mosiah 41-3
Joy, Spirit, peace of conscience
Fear, fall
21
Result of King Benjamins teaching of Christ

• Mosiah 42
• Mosiah 43
• Is it sometimes hard to know when weve been
  forgiven?
• How does King Benjamin describe this feeling?

22

• Most of us clearly understand that the atonement
  is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that
  we know and understand that the atonement is also
  for saints for good men and women who are
  obedient and worthy and conscientious and who are
  striving to become better and serve more
  faithfully. I frankly do not think many of us
  get it concerning this enabling and
  strengthening aspect of the atonement, and I
  wonder if we mistakenly believe we must make the
  journey from good to better and become a saint
  all by ourselves, through sheer grit, willpower,
  and discipline, and with our obviously limited
  capacities There is help from the Savior for the
  entire journey of life from bad to good to
  better and to change our very nature.
• Dave A Bednar, BYU Dev, Jan 8,2002

23

• What we must remember about the Savior is that
  He and He alone had the power to lay down His
  life and take it up again. He had the ability to
  die from His mortal mother, Mary, and the ability
  to overcome death from His immortal Father. Our
  Savior, Jesus Christ, went willingly and
  deliberately to His death, having told His
  followers that this would happen. Why? one might
  ask.
• The answer to give immortality to all mankind
  and the promise of eternal life to those who
  believed in Him (see John 315), to give His own
  life for a ransom for others (see Matthew 2028),
  to overcome Satans power, and to make it
  possible for sins to be forgiven. Without Jesus
  Atonement, there would be an impassable barrier
  between God and mortal men and women. When we
  comprehend the Atonement, we remember Him with
  awe and gratitude
• Robert D Hales,(in Conference Report, Oct. 1997,
  34 or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 26).

24
Mosiah 411-12, 13-30

• What did King Benjamin teach about how we retain
  a remission of our sins?
• Knowledge of the glory of God
• Retain in remembrance
• Humble yourselves

His goodness His love Received remission of sins
Greatness of God Own nothingness His goodness and
long-suffering towards us
Depths of humility Calling on the name of the
Lord daily Standing steadfastly in the faith
25
Mosiah 413-15

• According to King Benjamin, what obligations do
  parents have to their children?
• Why is this so important today?

26
The Family A Proclamation to the World

• Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to
  love and care for each other and for their
  children. Children are an heritage of the Lord
  (Psalms 1273). Parents have a sacred duty to
  rear their children in love and righteousness, to
  provide for their physical and spiritual needs,
  to teach them to love and serve one another, to
  observe the commandments of God and to be
  law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands
  and wivesmothers and fatherswill be held
  accountable before God for the discharge of these
  obligations.

27
President Gordon B. Hinckley

• The health of any society, the happiness of its
  people, their prosperity, and their peace all
  find their roots in the teaching of children by
  fathers and mothers.
• Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 79 or Ensign, Nov.
  1993, 60

28
Julie B. Beck

• The responsibility mothers have today has never
  required more vigilance. More than at any time
  in the history of the world, we need mothers who
  know. Children are being born into a world where
  they wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
  against principalities, against powers, against
  the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
  spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians
  612). However, mothers need not fear. When
  mothers know who they are and who God is and have
  made covenants with Him, they will have great
  power and influence for good on their children.
• Mothers Who Know, Ensign, Nov 2007, 7678

29
How can we teach youth to love and serve?
30
Care for the Needy Mosiah 416-26

• King Benjamin speaks about caring for the needy
  for 10 verses.
• Why do you think he spent so much time on the
  subject?

31
What is the right way to help the needy?

• Principles taught by King Benjamin
• 416
• 419
• 421
• 422
• 424

Not deny the beggar
Accept we are all beggars
God doth grant us whatsoever we ask that is right
Condemn not or be condemned
Generous heart
32
Why is charitable service an important
characteristic of members of Christs Church?
How can we make sure we give the right assistance
in the right way?
33
Mosiah 519

• Suppose that in this community there are ten
  beggars who beg from door to door for something
  to eat, and that nine of them are impostors who
  beg to escape work, and with an evil heart
  practice imposition upon the generous and
  sympathetic, and that only one of the ten who
  visit your doors is worthy of your bounty. Which
  is best, to give food to the ten, to make sure of
  helping the truly needy one, or to repulse the
  ten because you do not know which is the worthy
  one? You will all say, administer charitable
  gifts to the ten, rather than turn away the only
  truly worthy and truly needy person among them.
  If you do this, it will make no difference in
  your blessings, whether you administer to worthy
  or unworthy persons, inasmuch as you give alms
  with a single eye to assist the truly needy.
• (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.8,
  p.12, March 5, 1860)

34
Watch thoughts, words, and deeds Mosiah 427-30

• How are thoughts, words, and deeds related?
• How can they help us retain remission of sins?

35
Marion G. Romney

• For notwithstanding the tongue is a small member
  of the body, it is very effective and it seldom
  wears out. James reminds us that as with a small
  bit in a horses mouth, we turn about his whole
  body and with a very small helm great ships
  driven by fierce winds are easily controlled, so
  with the tongue, a little member of the body,
  great things are boasted and great fires are
  kindled. (See James 32-8.)
• Speak Kind Words, Ensign, Aug 1977, 2

36
Jeffrey R. Holland

• In all of this, I suppose it goes without saying
  that negative speaking so often flows from
  negative thinking, including negative thinking
  about ourselves. We see our own faults, we
  speakor at least thinkcritically of ourselves,
  and before long that is how we see everyone and
  everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of
  hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody
  around us are miserable.
• I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once
  said "The spirit of the gospel is optimistic it
  trusts in God and looks on the bright side of
  things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags
  men down and away from God, looks on the dark
  side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield
  obedience." We should honor the Savior's
  declaration to "be of good cheer." (Indeed, it
  seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking
  that commandment than almost any other!) Speak
  hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about
  yourself. Try not to complain and moan
  incessantly. As someone once said, "Even in the
  golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly
  grumbled that everything looked too yellow."
• I have often thought that Nephi's being
  bound with cords and beaten by rods must have
  been more tolerable to him than listening to
  Laman and Lemuel's constant murmuring. Surely he
  must have said at least once, "Hit me one more
  time. I can still hear you." Yes, life has its
  problems, and yes, there are negative things to
  face, but please accept one of Elder Holland's
  maxims for livingno misfortune is so bad that
  whining about it won't make it worse.
• The Tongue of Angels, Ensign, May 2007, 1618

37
Take upon ourselves the name of Christ

• The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that in
  obedience there is joy and peace unspotted,
  unalloyed and as God has designed our happiness,
  He never hasHe never will institute an
  ordinance or give a commandment to His people
  that is not calculated in its nature to promote
  that happiness.
• Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel.
  Joseph Fielding Smith 1976, 25657

38
The NameMosiah 5
Vs 7 How do you get the name?
Vs 9,10 Why is the name important?
Vs 12 Where is the name written?
Vs 11 How do we lose the name?
Vs 12 What must we know besides the name
Vs 13 How do we come to know about the man whose name w have taken?
Vs 9,10 What is the name?
39
Mosiah 58-15

• Taking upon us the name of Christ is not a
  one-time eventNotice how different the gospel is
  from the ideas of the world. I t seems to be a
  common concern of many people to find out who
  they are. King Benjamin emphasized that a more
  important question would be whose you are. To
  take upon ourselves the name of Christ means to
  belong to Him by covenant. When our time on
  earth is through we will either be called by the
  name of Christ (Mosiah 59,15) and belong to
  Him, or we shall be called by some other name
  and belong not to Christ but to Satan (Mosiah
  510, Alma 538-39)
• BOM Seminary student Study Guide, 77

40
Christlike lives
Evolving Society Based on cooperation Everyone is
a winner Diversity No rights or wrongs Many
right ways Leads to moral decline and societal
breakdown
Traditional Society Based on competition Winners/l
osers Consistent Pattern Rights and wrongs One
right way Leads to wars and conflicts
Based on cooperation
Everyone is a sinner
Diversity of Spiritual Gifts
Rights and Wrongs
Leads to Zion Society
Gospel Society (King Benjamin)
41
The means whereby salvation comethMosiah 46-8

• Christs supreme sacrifice can find full
  fruition in our lives only as we accept the
  invitation to follow him. This call is not
  irrelevant, unrealistic, or impossible. To follow
  an individual means to watch him or listen to him
  closely to accept his authority, to take him as
  a leader, and to obey him to support and
  advocate his ideas and to take him as a model.
  Each of us can accept this challenge. Peter said,
  Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an
  example, that ye should follow his steps (1 Pet.
  221). Just as teachings that do not conform to
  Christs doctrine are false, so a life that does
  not conform to Christs example is misdirected,
  and may not achieve its high potential destiny.

• Howard W. Hunter, He Invites Us to Follow Him,
  Ensign, Sep 1994, 2

42
Next Week

• Mosiah 7-11
• A Seer . . . Becometh a Great Benefit to His
  Fellow Beings

43
King Benjamins Counsel
Mosiah 413-15 Teach the children
Mosiah 416-26 Share with the poor
Mosiah 427-30 Watch your thoughts, words, and deeds
44
Mosiah 318-19Natural Man

• What is the natural man?
• How do we put off the natural man?

45
Natural Man The part of us that sins and wants
to follow the world

• The phrase natural man is understood by
  Latter-day Saints to be an unrepentant person it
  does not imply that mortals are by nature
  depraved or evil, but only that they are in a
  fallen condition. Natural man describes persons
  who are without God in the world, and they have
  gone contrary to the nature of God (Alma 4111).
  The Lord declared to Joseph Smith Every spirit
  of man was innocent in the beginning and God
  having redeemed man from the fall, men became
  again, in their infant state, innocent before
  God (DC 9338)
• (in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Encyclopedia of
  Mormonism, 5 vols. 1992, 3985).

46
Why would the natural man be an enemy to God?

• Because sin and worldliness keep us from being
  worthy to be in His presence.

47
Mosiah 319

• yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit
• becometh a saint through the atonement of
  Christ
• becometh as a child

48
becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ

• What does it mean to become a saint?
• Saint implies sanctification, or holiness. In the
  Book of Mormon, the word is used to refer to
  devoted members of the Lords Church. ( 1 Nephi
  1412 and 2 Nephi 918.)

49
becometh as a child

• What adjectives does King Benjamin use to
  describe this process of becoming as a child?
• Submissive
• Meek
• Humble
• Patient
• Full of love
• Willing to submit to all things which the Lord
  seeth fit

50

• Becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble,
  patient, full of love. We are not asked to be
  childish, but to become like a childwilling to
  submit to a righteous Father, doing His will
  instead of our own (see 3 Nephi 113738).