Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me

A little update regarding the lack of episodes over the last day.

There is plenty more of your regular content to come so please stay tuned and get ready to dive in and share together!

@mattsroberts90 on Twitter or email [email protected]

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Today we continue this rich study of 2 Nephi 2:22-29 which identifies key principles of how to find joy in this life. We also consider Satan's work and 'glory' which of course is to cause our misery. We reflect on this and how vital the Fall and the Atonement is in our eternal joy.

BH Roberts: The 'joy' contemplated in the Book of Mormon passage is to arise out of man's rough and thorough knowledge of evil, of sin; through knowing misery, sorrow, pain and suffering; through seeing good and evil locked in awful conflict; through a consciousness of having chosen in that conflict the better part, the good; and not only in having chosen it, but in having wedded it by eternal compact; made it his by right of conquest over evil. It is 'joy' that will arise from a consciousness of having 'fought the good fight,' of having 'kept the faith.' It will arise from a consciousness of moral, spiritual and physical strength. Of strength gained in conflict. The strength that comes from experience; from having sounded the depths of the soul; from experiencing all the emotions of which mind is susceptible; from testing all the qualities and strength of the intellect. A 'joy' that will come to man from a contemplation of the universe, and a consciousness that he is an heir to all that is—a joint heir with Jesus Christ and God; from knowing that he is an essential part of all that is. It is joy that will be born of the consciousness of existence itself—that will revel in existence—in thoughts of and realization of existence's limitless possibilities. A 'joy' born of the consciousness of the power of eternal increase. A 'joy' arising from association with the Intelligences of innumerable heavens—the Gods of all eternities. A 'joy' born of a consciousness of being, of intelligence, of faith, knowledge, light, truth, mercy, justice, love, glory, dominion, wisdom, power; all feelings, affections, emotions, passions; all heights and all depths. 'Men are that they might have joy;' and that 'joy' is based upon and contemplates all that is here set down.

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Join us as we continue into the next section of our Come Follow Me study this week, focusing on 2 Nephi 2:22-29. We barely get half way through this rich passage and learn about conditions of the Fall, Temple Patterns in the Book of Mormon and the foreknowledge and plan of Heavenly Father.

CS Lewis: For God is not merely mending, not simply restoring a status quo. Redeemed humanity is to be something more glorious than unfallen humanity would have been, more glorious than any unfallen race now is...And this super-added glory will, with true vicariousness, exalt all creatures.

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Today we continue our study into the principles of moral agency that are necessary for our progression in 2 Nephi 1-5, particularly 2 Nephi 2. We discuss the value, but the accepted difficulty, in having two opposing choices and also having the power to choose these for ourselves. 

Hugh W Pinnock: It is entirely appropriate to depend upon others for some of what we need. There is no substitute for loving and supportive parents, priesthood and auxiliary leaders, skilled doctors, dedicated teachers, and expert auto mechanics. Turning to these people for help is not wrong. But what is wrong is expecting others to do what we can and should do for ourselves

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Join us as we begin our study of the deep and extensive contents of 2 Nephi 1-5. Today we focus on 2 Nephi 2 and only get through 8 verses! There is so much to unpack here, including moral agency, the impact of others, the redeeming power of Christ and the importance of knowledge of good and evil and laws for moral agency.

David A Bednar: The first and natural consequence of trusting in the Savior is repenting and turning away from evil. As we exercise faith in and on the Lord, we naturally turn toward, come unto, and depend upon Him. Thus, repentance is trusting in and relying upon the Redeemer to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Each of us must '[rely] wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save' because only 'through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah' can we become new creatures in Christ and ultimately return to and dwell in the presence of God.

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Today we post this episode a little early so you can listen and prepare for a question that may arise as you study this section for Come Follow Me this coming week. We discuss the section that discusses the curse that came upon the Lamanites. We consider what this curse actually was and how it is understood today.

Elder Gary E Stevenson: “It was mistakenly included in the printed version of the manual, which had been prepared for print nearly two years ago... When it was brought to the attention of church leaders late last year, they directed that it be immediately removed in our annual online manual, which is used by the great majority of our members. We have also directed that any future printed manuals will reflect this change."

“We’re asking our members to disregard the paragraph in the printed manual. Now I’m deeply saddened and hurt by this error and for any pain that it may have caused our members and for others.”

"We do condemn all racism, past and present, in any form, and we disavow any theory advanced that black or dark skin is a sign of a curse,” he said. “We are brothers and sisters, and I consider you friends. I love and appreciate you.”

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Today we conclude our study of 1 Nephi 16-22 with a look at how the Lord blesses the house of Israel and the gentiles in the latter-days. We reflect on how this applies to us today and how the Saviour is at the centre of it all.

Lisa L Harness: The Savior’s atoning sacrifice should be remembered, always, through our thoughts, actions, and interactions with others. Not only does He remember our names, but He remembers us always.

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Join us as we begin our first study of the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon. We reflect on the power within these chapters and how there are many principles to apply if we look past the imagery that we encounter. We consider the teachings in 1 Nephi 20 and how they apply directly to us.

President Russell M Nelson: We should “liken all scriptures unto us … for our profit and learning.” Danger lurks when we try to divide ourselves with expressions such as “my private life” or even “my best behavior.” If one tries to segment his or her life into such separate compartments, one will never rise to the full stature of one’s personal integrity—never to become all that his or her true self could be.

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Today we continue our study of 1 Nephi 16-22. We move into discussing how the Lord directed this family's wilderness journey through small and simple means, including the ball of curious workmanship. We consider how this applies to our individual journeys and what we can learn about reaching our end destination.

M Russell Ballard: I think I know why Lehi was greatly astonished when he first saw it, because I remember my reaction when I first saw and witnessed a GPS unit. In my mind it was a modern-day device “of curious workmanship.” Somehow, in some way I can’t even imagine, this little device, right in my phone, can pinpoint exactly where I am and tell me exactly how to get where I want to go.

For both my wife, Barbara, and me, the GPS is a blessing. For Barbara it means she doesn’t have to tell me to stop and ask for directions; and for me it means I can be right when I say, “I don’t need to ask anyone. I know exactly where I’m going.”

Now, brothers and sisters, we have available to us a tool even more remarkable than the best GPS. Everyone loses his or her way at some point, to some degree. It is through the promptings of the Holy Ghost that we can be brought safely back onto the right path, and it is the atoning sacrifice of the Savior that can return us home.

LDS Study Session seeks to generate reflection and 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. @mattsroberts90

Join us as we continue our study of 1 Nephi 16-22, this time focusing on Nephi's experience of receiving guidance to build a ship, large enough to carry two large families for many many days! We consider the patterns of revelation that we learn from this experience as just how the Lord guided Nephi from time to time.

David A Bednar: The gradual increase of light radiating from the rising sun is like receiving a message from God “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30). Most frequently, revelation comes in small increments over time and is granted according to our desire, worthiness, and preparation. Such communications from Heavenly Father gradually and gently “distil upon [our souls] as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). This pattern of revelation tends to be more common than rare and is evident in the experiences of Nephi as he tried several different approaches before successfully obtaining the plates of brass from Laban (see 1 Nephi 3–4). Ultimately, he was led by the Spirit to Jerusalem, “not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do” (1 Nephi 4:6). And he did not learn how to build a ship of curious workmanship all at one time; rather, Nephi was shown by the Lord “from time to time after what manner [he] should work the timbers of the ship” (1 Nephi 18:1).