Saturday, November 24, 2012

Lesson 41: “He Did Expound All Things unto Them” – Scriptures and Quotes



Reading 1 – 3 Nephi 23:1-3

Reading 2 – Elder Henry B. Eyring said: “We treasure the word of God not only by reading the words of the scriptures but by studying them. We may be nourished more by pondering a few words, allowing the Holy Ghost to make them treasures to us, than by passing quickly and superficially over whole chapters of scripture” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 115; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 84).
  
Reading 3 - President Spencer W. Kimball said: “I have had many people ask me through the years, ‘When do you think we will get the balance of the Book of Mormon records?’ And I have said, ‘How many in the congregation would like to read the sealed portion of the plates?’ And almost always there is a 100-percent response. And then I ask the same congregation, ‘How many of you have read the part that has been opened to us?’ And there are many who have not read the Book of Mormon, the unsealed portion. We are quite often looking for the spectacular, the unobtainable. I have found many people who want to live the higher laws when they do not live the lower laws” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 531–32).
  
Reading 4 – 3 Nephi 21:22-29

Reading 5 - President Ezra Taft Benson said:  “The prophets likened latter-day Zion to a great tent encompassing the earth. That tent was supported by cords fastened to stakes. Those stakes, of course, are various geographical organizations spread out over the earth. Presently, Israel is being gathered to the various stakes of Zion. …   “… Stakes are a defense for the Saints from enemies both seen and unseen. The defense is direction provided through priesthood channels that strengthens testimony and promotes family solidarity and individual righteousness” (“Strengthen Thy Stakes,” Ensign, Jan. 1991, 2, 4).

Reading 6 – 3 Nephi 23:9-11

Reading 7 - Elder Neal A. Maxwell:  "Over time there has occurred what has been called 'the dilution of Christianity from within.' This has resulted not only in a diminishing regard for Christ on the part of a number of theologians but also in their discounting the resurrection, as Bultmann expressed it, as merely 'a symbolic expression for the renewal of life for the disciples.' Once again, the supernal importance of the 'other books' of scripture is evident: they reinforce the reality of resurrection. Especially is this the effect of the Book of Mormon's additional 'gospel,' 3 Nephi, with its report of the visitation of and instruction by the resurrected Jesus. The resurrection of many others also occurred and, by Jesus' pointed instruction, was written into the record, doubtless with our age in mind." (Not My Will, But Thine, pp27-28)





Saturday, November 10, 2012

Lesson 39: “Behold, My Joy Is Full” – Scriptures and Quotes




Reading 1 – 3 Nephi 17:1-3

Reading 2 - Joseph Smith History 1:11-12

Reading 3 – Doctrine and Covenants 138:1, 11

Reading 3 – Elder J. Golden Kimball said, "Think of God. How many of us think of God thirty minutes out of twenty-four hours? There is not one out of five hundred that actually thinks of God and his Son Jesus Christ thirty minutes a day. I do; but the first thing I know, my mind wanders off on something else." (CR, Apr 1926)

Reading 4 – 3 Nephi 17:11-21

Reading 5 – 3 Nephi 18:1-11

Reading 6 – 3 Nephi 18:24-25

Reading 7 – 3 Nephi 19:10-14

Reading 8 – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has written: “As Christ had not yet appeared to them for this second day (and because the Father and Son could not permanently be with them—or us—in a telestial world), the next best companionship came from that member of the Godhead who can be with mortals permanently—the Holy Ghost. In their ministry these newly called apostles could not always have the daily, physical presence of the Savior with them. Nevertheless, because they were to lead the Church of Jesus Christ in righteousness and be witnesses of his name throughout the Nephite world, they would surely need the prompting, the protection, the revelation, and the comfort of that One who is the spiritual extension and telestial representative of the Father and the Son.

“In our own time the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked wherein The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differed from other religions of the day. He replied that the distinction lay in ‘the gift of the Holy Ghost’ and that all other considerations ‘were contained in that gift.’  In light of these experiences—ancient or modern, Old World or New—perhaps all disciples of Christ, all members of his true Church, should pray for the influence and guidance of the Holy Ghost as that heavenly gift ‘which they most desire.’” (Christ And The New Covenant, p. 278)

Reading 9 – Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote, "How vital it is that each of us come to have a personal witness that we are led by living prophets. President Lee observed that someone once said, 'That person is not truly converted until he sees the power of God resting upon the leaders of this church, and until it goes down into his heart like fire.' President Lee said this observation was 'absolutely true,' adding that 'until the members of this church have that conviction that they are being led in the right way, and they have a conviction that these men of God are men who are inspired and have been properly appointed by the hand of God, they are not truly converted.' (Neal A. Maxwell, Things As They Really Are, p.70 p.71)

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Lesson Outline - Lesson 38: “Old Things Are Done Away, and All Things Have Become New”


Lesson 38: “Old Things Are Done Away, and All Things Have Become New”, Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (1999),168

1)      Introduction
a)      3 Nephi 12-15
b)      Includes Sermon on the Mount
i)        We have 3 versions
(1)   Bible
(2)   Book of Mormon
(3)   Joseph Smith Translation
(4)   Some differences between these versions
(a)    Given to different groups of people
(i)     "More righteous part" of the Nephites
(ii)   The Book of Mormon version makes clear when Christ is speaking only to his 12 Disciples and when He is speaking to the larger group
(b)   Given at different times
(i)     Before and after Christ's resurrection
(c)    Given at different locations
(i)     Book of Mormon – Sermon at the Temple
(5)   Different writers/translators
(a)    Book of Mormon – Mormon – a prophet
(i)     Translated by Joseph Smith – a prophet
(b)   JST – Joseph Smith – a prophet
(c)    Matthew – Uncertain who may have contributed to original account
(i)     Uncertain who translated from Hebrew to Greek to English
(ii)   Luke has a similar sermon - Luke 6: 20-49
1.      Luke 6:20 -  20 ¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
2.      Matthew 5:3 - 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

c)      Among the most valuable words ever written
i)        READ – Erastus Snow said, “[The Book of Mormon] makes clear many dark sayings of the Jewish Scriptures, as they have come down to us. It sheds a flood of light over the Bible; it contains the key of knowledge and understanding; and it is more precious than all the works of modern times, and is worth more. (Journal of Discourses, Vol.23, p.300 p.301, Erastus Snow, October 7, 1882)”
d)      Reading 1 - President Harold B. Lee wrote: "Christ came not only into the world to make an atonement for the sins of mankind but to set an example before the world of the standard of perfection of God's law and of obedience to the Father. In his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, or what might be said to be an 'autobiography, every syllable of which he had written down in deeds,' and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives." (Stand Ye In Holy Places, pp341-342)
2)      Beatitudes
a)      Reading 2 – Beatitudes –Bible Dictionary – page 620
Name given to certain declarations of blessedness in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 3-11, cf. Luke 6: 20-22). They describe certain elements that go to form the refined and spiritual character, and all of which will be present whenever that character exists in its perfection. Rather than being isolated statements, the Beatitudes are interrelated and progressive in their arrangement. A more comprehensive and accurate listing is found in 3 Ne. 12 and JST Matt. 5, where a greater spiritual emphasis is given.
i)        Beatitudes are a description of a happy life

b)      Book of Mormon contains an introduction to this sermon
i)        Reading 3 – 3 Nephi 12:1-2
 1 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called, (now the number of them who had been called, and received power and authority to baptize, was twelve) and behold, he stretched forth his hand unto the multitude, and cried unto them, saying: Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
  2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.
ii)      ASK – To whom was this sermon directed?
(1)   12 Nephite Disciples
(2)   Those who were covenant members of the Church
(a)    Those who “come down into the depths of humility” and are baptized and have received the Holy Ghost.
iii)    READ - Daniel Ludlow has written: "This more complete version of the sermon changes the entire emphasis of the Beatitudes.  Here the Savior is not saying 'you are more blessed if you mourn than if you do not mourn,' but he is saying 'If you are called upon to mourn, then you are blessed if you come unto me, and are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, etc.' Thus, if you do truly hunger and thirst after righteousness, you shall be filled 'with the Holy Ghost.' (A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p263)
c)      Note also that each of the Beatitudes in the Sermon at the Temple is preceded with the term “And”, which ties them together – we are expected to do all of them, not just one or two.
d)      READ - Verse 3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
i)        Poor in spirit = Humility
ii)      Key change in Book of Mormon is “who come unto me”
iii)    Reading 4 – Moroni 10:32-33
 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
  33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
iv)    Coming unto Christ is key
(1)   Many of the requirements of the Sermon on the Mount/Temple seem impossible.  They are impossible unless we come unto Christ.
(2)   Later, we will hear Christ command us to be perfect.
(3)   “Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me” – 3 Nephi 12:3
(4)   Moroni says – “Come unto Christ and be perfected in him. . . . by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ . . . . ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ
(5)   We cannot be perfect, we cannot approach God, without the Atonement of Christ.
v)      Christ gives us the Beatitudes because he is the only way we can live these important commandments.
(1)   READ – “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)

e)      Mourning
i)        READ - Verse 4 And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
ii)      ASK – Is the Savior saying that it is good to mourn for anything bad?  How does this tie into the idea that the Beatitudes are a description for a happy life?
iii)    Tie together with the previous – “Blessed are the poor in spirit – the humble – who come unto me” and the preface talking about baptism
iv)    If I am humble and preparing for baptism, what am I mourning about? – My sins – being sorry for my sins is a vital part of repentance
(1)   Only if I repent of my sins can I have a happy life

f)       Meekness
i)        READ - Verse 5 And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
ii)      Meekness is vital to dealing with the great sin of pride.
iii)    Reading 5 -  Elder Neal A. Maxwell has written, “In daily discipleship, the many ways to express selfishness are matched by many ways to avoid it. Meekness is the real cure, for it does not merely mask selfishness but dissolves it! Smaller steps could include asking ourselves inwardly before undertaking an important action, Whose needs am I really trying to meet? Or in significant moments of self expression, we can first count to 10. Such thoughtful filtering can multiply our offering by 10 as a mesh of reflective meekness filters out destructive and effusive ego.” (Neal A. Maxwell, "Repent of [Our] Selfishness" Ensign, May 1999, p. 23, emphasis added)
iv)    READ - President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Meekness implies a spirit of gratitude as opposed to an attitude of self-sufficiency, an acknowledgment of a greater power beyond oneself, a recognition of God, and an acceptance of his commandments” (“With All Thy Getting Get Understanding,” Ensign, Aug. 1988, 3–4).
g)      Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness
i)        READ - Verse 6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.
(1)   Spiritual hunger that causes us to turn back to Christ
(2)   ASK – Do we have this hunger for righteousness?  Is it as powerful as our physical hunger is?


h)      Merciful
i)        READ – Verse 7 And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
ii)      Once we are forgiven by Christ, He asks us to forgive others
i)        Pure in Heart
i)        Verse 8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
ii)      Our humility and our repentance and our meekness and our longing for righteousness and our mercy will, through the Atonement of Christ make us pure.
iii)    READ - D&C 93:1 -  1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;
iv)    Reading 6 – Hugh Nibley has written, “Zion is the pure in heart, the pure in heart, not merely the pure in appearance. It is not a society or religion of forms and observances, of pious gestures and precious mannerisms: it is strictly a condition of the heart. Above all, Zion is pure, which means ‘not mixed with any impurities, unalloyed’; it is all Zion and nothing else. “(Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol.9, Ch.2, p.26)

3)      Perfection
a)      The commandment to be perfect – Verse 48 – causes a lot of people great concern because they may view it as impossible to obey.
b)      See if you can see a difference between these verses in the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon at the Temple
i)        Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
ii)      Sermon at the Temple - 3 Nephi 12:48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
iii)    Differences
(1)   Christ is resurrected and has completed his earthly ministry, so now He is like his Father – perfect
(2)   “I would that ye should” is added in the Book of Mormon version – implies that this is something we move toward with the help of Christ and His Atonement
c)      Reading 7 - President Brigham Young explained that "we all occupy diversified stations in the world and in the kingdom of God. Those who do right, and seek the glory of the Father in heaven, whether they can do little or much, if they do the very best they know how, they are perfect .... 'Be ye as perfect as ye can,' for that is all we can do .... To be as perfect as we possibly can according to our knowledge is to be just as perfect as our father in Heaven is. He cannot be any more perfect than he knows how, any more than we. When we are doing as well as we know in the sphere and station which we occupy here we are justified." (Journal of Discourses, 2:129-130)
d)      Reading 8 - Joseph Fielding McConkie & Robert L. Millet have written:  "We are perfect when we are whole, fully formed, finished. The word finished is most important here. We cannot through discipline and self-will be perfect in the sense that we are finished. We cannot conquer the flesh, overcome the trials and tribulations and sins of this world, on our own. We become finished only in and through Christ. Moroni explained that the Saints of God are ‘continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith’ (Moroni 6:4, italics added). In short, we become perfect, fully formed, finished, in Christ (Moroni 10:32). His grace is a divinely given enabling power, a sacred source of strength which enables us to accomplish what we could never accomplish, worlds without end, on our own. We become perfect in Christ to the degree that we trust perfectly in his infinite ability to make of us, now unworthy creatures, persons capable of and comfortable with celestial society. In speaking of that celestial glory, the revelation attests: ‘These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood’ (D&C 76:69, italics added)." (Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4:78)
e)      READ - President Joseph Fielding Smith observed,
"I believe the Lord meant just what he said: that we should be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. That will not come all at once, but line upon line, and precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be like God.
"But here we lay the foundation. Here is where we are taught these simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in this probationary state, to prepare us for that perfection. It is our duty to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. Why? Because...if we are keeping the commandments of the Lord, we are on that road to perfection, and that can only come through obedience and the desire in our hearts to overcome the world. It is the duty of every man to try to be like his Eternal Father." (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:18-19.)
4)      Salt and Light
a)      READ – 3 Nephi 12:13 – 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.
i)        Salt is a powerful symbol for those familiar with the Jewish temple
ii)      Reading 9 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written:  “Among the ancient Hebrews salt … was used as a preservative, in seasoning food, and in all animal sacrifices. (Lev. 2:13; Ezek. 43:24; Mark 9:49–50. [Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24]) So essential was it to the sacrificial ordinance that it was the symbol of the covenant made between God and His people in connection with that sacred performance. (Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5.)  Accordingly, our Lord’s statement, made first to the Jews and then to that other great body of Hebrews, the Nephites, that they had power ‘to be the salt of the earth,’ takes on great significance. … They had power, in other words, to be the seasoning, savoring, preserving influence in the world, the influence which would bring peace and blessings to all others” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 667–68).
b)      Light
i)        READ – 3 Nephi 12:14-16
14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
  15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
  16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
ii)      Reading 10 – Doctrine and Covenants 101:39-40, Doctrine and Covenants 103:9-10
D&C 101 -   39 When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men;
  40 They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

D&C 103  9 For they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men;
  10 And inasmuch as they are not the saviors of men, they are as salt that has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.
iii)    Savor = Savior
c)      READ - In a Mission President's Seminar (June 1999), President Gordon B. Hinckley observed, "Our message is so imperative, when you stop to think that the salvation, the eternal salvation of the world, rests upon the shoulders of this church. When all is said and done, if the world is going to be saved, we have to do it. There is no escaping from that. No other people in the history of the world have received the kind of mandate that we have received. We are responsible for all who have lived on the earth. That involves family history and temple work. We are responsible for all who now live upon the earth, and that involves missionary work. And we are going to be responsible for all who will yet live upon the earth."

5)      Calling Us to a Higher Level
a)      In the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon at the Temple
i)        Christ explains what sort of person He is
ii)      Christ asks us to become like Him through His Atonement
iii)    Christ asks us to help Him in His great work to save all mankind
(1)   We will want to do this if we have become like Christ
b)      Christ is calling us to a higher level
c)      READ - C.S. Lewis said, The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we were “gods” and He is going to make good his words. If we let Him — for we can prevent Him, if we choose — He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly . . . His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what he said. [Mere Christianity (New York, Macmillan, 1952) pp. 172-175)xx
6)      Testimony

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Lesson 38: “Old Things Are Done Away, and All Things Have Become New” – Scriptures and Quotes


Reading 1 - President Harold B. Lee wrote: "Christ came not only into the world to make an atonement for the sins of mankind but to set an example before the world of the standard of perfection of God's law and of obedience to the Father. In his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, or what might be said to be an 'autobiography, every syllable of which he had written down in deeds,' and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives." (Stand Ye In Holy Places, pp341-342)

Reading 2 – Beatitudes –Bible Dictionary – page 620

Reading 3 – 3 Nephi 12:1-2

Reading 4 – Moroni 10:32-33

Reading 5 -  Elder Neal A. Maxwell has written, “In daily discipleship, the many ways to express selfishness are matched by many ways to avoid it. Meekness is the real cure, for it does not merely mask selfishness but dissolves it! Smaller steps could include asking ourselves inwardly before undertaking an important action, Whose needs am I really trying to meet? Or in significant moments of self expression, we can first count to 10. Such thoughtful filtering can multiply our offering by 10 as a mesh of reflective meekness filters out destructive and effusive ego.” (Neal A. Maxwell, "Repent of [Our] Selfishness" Ensign, May 1999, p. 23, emphasis added)

Reading 6 – Hugh Nibley has written, “Zion is the pure in heart, the pure in heart, not merely the pure in appearance. It is not a society or religion of forms and observances, of pious gestures and precious mannerisms: it is strictly a condition of the heart. Above all, Zion is pure, which means ‘not mixed with any impurities, unalloyed’; it is all Zion and nothing else. “(Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol.9, Ch.2, p.26)

Reading 7 - President Brigham Young explained that "we all occupy diversified stations in the world and in the kingdom of God. Those who do right, and seek the glory of the Father in heaven, whether they can do little or much, if they do the very best they know how, they are perfect .... 'Be ye as perfect as ye can,' for that is all we can do .... To be as perfect as we possibly can according to our knowledge is to be just as perfect as our father in Heaven is. He cannot be any more perfect than he knows how, any more than we. When we are doing as well as we know in the sphere and station which we occupy here we are justified." (Journal of Discourses, 2:129-130)

Reading 8 - Joseph Fielding McConkie & Robert L. Millet have written:  "We are perfect when we are whole, fully formed, finished. The word finished is most important here. We cannot through discipline and self-will be perfect in the sense that we are finished. We cannot conquer the flesh, overcome the trials and tribulations and sins of this world, on our own. We become finished only in and through Christ. Moroni explained that the Saints of God are ‘continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith’ (Moroni 6:4, italics added). In short, we become perfect, fully formed, finished, in Christ (Moroni 10:32). His grace is a divinely given enabling power, a sacred source of strength which enables us to accomplish what we could never accomplish, worlds without end, on our own. We become perfect in Christ to the degree that we trust perfectly in his infinite ability to make of us, now unworthy creatures, persons capable of and comfortable with celestial society. In speaking of that celestial glory, the revelation attests: ‘These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood’ (D&C 76:69, italics added)." (Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4:78)

Reading 9 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written:  “Among the ancient Hebrews salt … was used as a preservative, in seasoning food, and in all animal sacrifices. (Lev. 2:13; Ezek. 43:24; Mark 9:49–50. [Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24]) So essential was it to the sacrificial ordinance that it was the symbol of the covenant made between God and His people in connection with that sacred performance. (Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5.)  Accordingly, our Lord’s statement, made first to the Jews and then to that other great body of Hebrews, the Nephites, that they had power ‘to be the salt of the earth,’ takes on great significance. … They had power, in other words, to be the seasoning, savoring, preserving influence in the world, the influence which would bring peace and blessings to all others” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 667–68).

Reading 10 – Doctrine and Covenants 101:39-40, Doctrine and Covenants 103:9-10