Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me

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

Over the past couple of weeks I have been fortunate enough to be able to listen to the Liberating Saints Virtual Summit. I am going to share with you over the next three days my main takeaways from this conference but I strongly recommend you engage with the interviews on the webpage that is available until Monday 23rd September. If you miss it, they are available for a cost. As a parent, leader, spouse, child or relative, there are some key messages and points that you should hear from these interviews regarding pornography and building healthy physical intimacy in relationships: http://ls.leadingsaints.org/presell-page29085624

*Of course, this episode is discussing mature content so please be aware of having little ones around*

LDS Gospel Topics: Pornography is any depiction, in pictures or writing, that is intended to inappropriately arouse sexual feelings. Pornography is more prevalent in today’s world than ever before. It may be found in written material (including romance novels), photographs, movies, electronic images, video games, social media posts, phone apps, erotic telephone conversations, music, or any other medium.

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 discuss the invitation Paul gives near the close of his epistle to examine ourselves and check our following of the Gospel in its simplicity. We consider when are the times when we can and should be having a spiritual check up.

Elder Carlos E Asay: Many of us receive an annual physical checkup and see our dentists twice a year. Some of us try to watch our diet, get the proper amount of rest, and exercise daily. All of this is done so that we might lengthen our days in mortality and enjoy a fulness of life.

I wonder, however, if we are paying sufficient attention to the spiritual aspects of our lives. Are we conducting frequent “spiritual checkups” to assess our standing before God and to determine whether we are on the path leading to eternal life? Alma asked: “Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?” (Alma 5:27). These and other questions might be used to obtain readings of our spiritual temperature and pulse rate.

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 study Paul's teachings about identifying false prophets and his explanation about why it should be no surprise why they are so deceptive. We consider how we can be able to discern them today.

Elder James E Faust: Shakespeare wrote, “The prince of darkness is a gentleman”, and “the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose”. As the great deceiver, Lucifer has marvelous powers of deception. As Paul said to the Corinthians, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light”.

Some of Satan’s most appealing lines are “Everyone does it”; “If it doesn’t hurt anybody else, it’s all right”; “If you feel all right about it, it’s OK”; or “It’s the ‘in’ thing to do.” These subtle entreaties make Satan the great imitator, the master deceiver, the arch counterfeiter, and the great forger.

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 [email protected]

Join us as we continue the discussion about the principle of giving freely as a cheerful giver. The consider the reasons why we might give and also the fact that we are all beggars in the sight of the Lord.

Elder Jeffrey R Holland: For one thing, we can, as King Benjamin taught, cease withholding our means because we see the poor as having brought their misery upon themselves. Perhaps some have created their own difficulties, but don’t the rest of us do exactly the same thing? Isn’t that why this compassionate ruler asks, “Are we not all beggars?” Don’t we all cry out for help and hope and answers to prayers? Don’t we all beg for forgiveness for mistakes we have made and troubles we have caused? Don’t we all implore that grace will compensate for our weaknesses, that mercy will triumph over justice at least in our case? Little wonder that King Benjamin says we obtain a remission of our sins by pleading to God, who compassionately responds, but we retain a remission of our sins by compassionately responding to the poor who plead to us.

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

We begin our study of this week's Come Follow Me materials, beginning we Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian saints to give cheerfully of their possessions for others. We discuss today about the importance of willingness in this effort.

Elder Alexander B Morrison: Among the long lines of contributors was a poor widow, who cast into the treasure chest all that she had, two small bronze coins, known as mites. Taken together they amounted to less than half a cent in American money. Noting the disparity between what she gave and the much greater contributions of some others, Jesus proclaimed, “Of a truth …, this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.” Though the rich had given from their abundance, “she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had”. Jesus knew it is not the amount we give that matters. In the arithmetic of heaven, value is determined not by quantity but by quality. It is the intent of the willing heart and mind that is acceptable to 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 [email protected]

We continue the study of the 21 Day Book of Mormon Challenge, this time focusing on Day 6 which deals with the question of baptising infant children. We consider their special status with God and how the Saviour caters for their eternal needs if they do not reach the age of accountability.

Elder Merlin R Lybbert: Because they cannot sin, they have no need of repentance, neither baptism. Adam’s original transgression has no claim as a result of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormon declared the practice of baptizing little children to be a “solemn mockery before God” (Moro. 8:9), for repentance and baptism apply to those who are “accountable and capable of committing sin” (Moro. 8:10). Because all children who die before the age of accountability are pure, innocent, and wholly sin-free, they are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven (see D&C 137:10; Mosiah 3:18). Understanding the special status of little children before God, because of their pure and innocent nature, brings understanding of the Lord’s commandment to “repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in [His] name”.

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 [email protected]

Today we search the importance of having an eye of faith and how this can bless our lives. We consider how it can help us seek answers to our own sincere questions.

Elder Neal L Andersen: Should we really be surprised when the Lord’s prophets declare His will and, for some, questions remain? Of course, some reject the voice of the prophets immediately, but others prayerfully ponder their honest questions—questions that will be settled with patience and an eye of faith. If the proclamation had been revealed in a different century, there would still have been questions, just different questions than those of today. One purpose of prophets is to help us in resolving sincere questions.

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 consider how the principle of godly sorrow can lead to positive, lasting change. We discuss how whilst it may be uncomfortable, it should not be impeding our journey to peace.

Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf: The Apostle Paul taught that “godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation … but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” Godly sorrow inspires change and hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope, and persuades us to give in to further temptation.

Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.

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 [email protected]

Today we discuss a very clear message from Paul about the ministry of reconciliation. He teaches about how the Saviour brings us in line with our Heavenly Father as we make the changes necessary to bring Him into our live.

Elder Ulisses Soares: Our purpose as we seek to learn and to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ must be to increase faith in God and in His divine plan of happiness and in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice and to achieve lasting conversion. Such increased faith and conversion will help us make and keep covenants with God, thus strengthening our desire to follow Jesus and producing a genuine spiritual transformation in us—in other words, transforming us into a new creature, as taught by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians. This transformation will bring us a more happy, productive, and healthy life and help us to maintain an eternal perspective. Isn’t this exactly what happened to the Ethiopian eunuch after he learned about the Savior and was converted to His gospel?

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 the discussion as we consider an extremely difficult commandment - to forgive others. We learn why this is a vital principle but often one of the hardest to truly commit to.

Elder Robert L Simpson: Only as we forgive do we earn the right to be forgiven. This is an eternal principle, so taught by the Savior when he said: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you"