Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us today as we pause to reflect on some listener comments from this past week. We consider what this daily pause can be like and we reflect on the impact that regular communication can have with our Father. 

Jacob Z Hess: "Meaningful prayer doesn’t always have to be eloquent, lengthy, or deeply philosophical. Prayer can feel as familiar and nourishing as pausing, with full presence, to receive a hug from a beloved, wise friend. Simple “daily bread” prayers also have a valuable place at the table."

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we conclude our study this week with Alma's words to Shiblon. We consider the wonderful approach Alma takes with this second son and we reflect on what we can learn from his words.

John W Welch: I like what Alma does when he talks to these sons. In Alma 38:2, he said to Shiblon, “And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you.” Wow! Our children need to know that we are confident and that they are going to give us joy. They need to know that they are loved. As a grandparent, have you told your grandchildren that you are happy with who they are—that they give you joy? If so, it surely meant a lot. Alma then described two specific attributes of this young boy—“steadiness” and “faithfulness unto God.” “Steadiness”—that is a remarkable adjective to use to describe a young person. Do we build up confidence in our children and our grandchildren by describing their positive attributes?

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us as we conclude Alma's words to Helaman. We discuss the symbol of the role of the Liahona in our lives and we reflect on how we counsel with the Lord. 

Elder Jeffrey R Holland: “The call of the Book of Mormon is always ‘Look that ye might live.’ Whether that is to look up to a staff held aloft by a prophet of God or down upon a personal, sphere-like Liahona, it is the same. They mark the way of eternal life. Indeed, they are similitudes of the Way of Eternal Life. All things are the typifying of Christ”

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we continue our study of Alma's words to Helaman. We consider how we need to be open and honest with what we do know and we reflect on the impetus of the small and simple things. 

W Mark Bassett: I express my witness that our Father in Heaven loves His children, and yet, like Nephi and Alma, I do not know the meaning of all things. Nor do I need to know all things; I too shall forbear and wait patiently upon the Lord, knowing “I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true. …

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us as we conclude the study of Alma 36. We consider how this wonderful wisdom literature must have been carefully prepared by Alma and we reflect on the lessons we learn about the importance of scripture. 

Neal A Maxwell: “‘Taste,’ in the spiritual sense, involves the capacity to savor joy, sweetness, goodness, and light, for they are ‘discernible.’ Even so, we are not only to possess the capacity to discern and distinguish thusly; we are also to use our agency so that we come to prefer, and even strongly desire, the taste of gospel goodness, sweetness, and joy…. Only those who have significantly developed the tastebuds of the soul will be even partially prepared for the incredible beauties of the world ahead”

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we continue our study of Alma 36 where we delve deeper into Alma's conversion experience. We consider what we can learn about the important Hebrew writing form of chiasmus and we reflect on the lessons we learn about repentance. 

Elder Jeffrey R Holland: “Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that, that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength. Call out like Alma, “O Jesus, … have mercy on me.” He will help you get back up. He will help you repent, repair, fix whatever you have to fix, and keep going. Soon enough you will have the success you seek.”

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us today as we begin our study on the Come Follow Me materials where Alma begins to share his wisdom with his sons. We consider the lessons of deliverance we learn in this record and we reflect on the lessons we learn from Alma's conversion.

K Douglas Bassett: “To understand this promise we need to define the word prosper in a Book of Mormon context. Certainly prosperity had to do with the physical and spiritual circumstances of the obedient, but beyond that it is used in the framework of deliverance.… Notice how closely related the ideas of prosperity and deliverance are. The parallel usage of these two words is not uncommon in the Nephite text (see Omni 1:6-7; Mosiah 2:31; 7:29, 33; Alma 9:9, 13; 36:29-30)”

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we pause from our study of the Come Follow Me materials and we share some listener comments. We also consider an article from this month's Ensign and we reflect on what it teaches us about having Gospel questions.

Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf: Asking questions isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a precursor of growth.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

I cannot wait to share today's podcast with you! We meet Jason Sant, a wonderful Study Buddy and we discuss Amulek's words about change and repentance to the Zoramites. We consider how the path of repentance can be a lot easier to begin than we think and we reflect on the patience it often requires.

Jeffrey R Holland: You can change anything you want to change, and you can do it very fast. That’s another satanic suckerpunch—that it takes years and years and eons of eternity to repent. It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say, “I’ll change”—and mean it. Of course there will be problems to work out and restitutions to make. You may well spend—indeed you had better spend—the rest of your life proving your repentance by its permanence. But change, growth, renewal, and repentance can come for you as instantaneously as for Alma and the sons of Mosiah.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we look at the influence of the writings of Zenos and Zenock on Alma's words. We consider the influence their words have on the Book of Mormon we have today and we reflect on further insights into the seed analogy. 

Bruce C Hafen: "We grow in two ways—removing negative weeds and cultivating positive flowers. The Savior’s grace blesses both parts—if we do our part. First and repeatedly we must uproot the weeds of sin and bad choices. It isn’t enough just to mow the weeds. Yank them out by the roots, repenting fully to satisfy the conditions of mercy. But being forgiven is only part of our growth. We are not just paying a debt. Our purpose is to become celestial beings. So once we’ve cleared our heartland, we must continually plant, weed, and nourish the seeds of divine qualities. And then as our sweat and discipline stretch us to meet His gifts, 'the flow’rs of grace appear,' like hope and meekness. Even a tree of life can take root in this heart-garden, bearing fruit so sweet that it lightens all our burdens 'through the joy of his Son.' And when the flower of charity blooms here, we will love others with the power of Christ’s own love."