Saturday, October 18, 2014

Lesson 35: God Reveals His Secrets to His Prophets – Scriptures and Quotes



Lesson 35: God Reveals His Secrets to His Prophets – Scriptures and Quotes

President Ezra Taft Benson said: “As the prophet reveals the truth, it divides the people. The honest in heart heed his words, but the unrighteous either ignore the prophet or fight him. When the prophet points out the sins of the world, the worldly either want to close the mouth of the prophet, or else act as if the prophet didn’t exist, rather than repent of their sins.
Popularity is never a test of truth. Many a prophet has been killed or cast out. As we come closer to the Lord’s second coming, you can expect that as the people of the world become more wicked, the prophet will be less popular with them” (“Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet,” in Speeches of the Year, 1980. [Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1981], p.29)

Reading 1 – Amos 7:7-8

Reading 2 – Psalms 15:1-2

Reading 3 – 1 Nephi 16:3

Mosiah 2:32-33

Reading 4 – Amos 3:6-7

Reading 5 – Elder Orson F. Whitney said:  "The need for prophecy must be evident to any pious and reflective mind. Prophets are as watchmen on the tower, noting the time of night, telling of the approaching dawn. 'Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.' This means, as I interpret it, that the allwise Dispenser of human affairs will neither cause nor permit any event to take place, concerning which the world need to have fore-knowledge, until he has communicated with his chosen servants, his oracles among men, and has given them due notice of its approach." (Saturday Night Thoughts, p15)

Reading 6 - Elder Matthias F. Cowley said :  "From this we learn that if there are no prophets of the Lord, then our Heavenly Father is doing nothing in a religious sense among the people of this earth; but if He is doing a work among them for their redemption, then there must be prophets." (Cowley's Talks on Doctrine, p23)

Reading 7 – Doctrine and Covenants 1:37-38

Reading 8 – Doctrine and Covenants 21:4-5

Doctrine and Covenants 21:6

Reading 9 – Amos 7:10-13

Wikipedia definition - Cultural Mormon is a term used for Mormons who no longer believe some, or many, of the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), but who self-identify as Mormon. Usually this is a result of having been raised in the LDS faith, or as having converted and spent a large portion of one's life as an active member of the LDS Church. Cultural Mormons may or may not be actively involved with the church, and in some cases may not even be officially members of the church.

Amos 6:1, 3-4, 7-8

Reading 10 - President Ezra Taft Benson said:  "It is not going to be enough just to accept the teachings, standards, and ideals of the Church passively. It will require real activity, real dedication to the principles of righteousness if we are to face the future unafraid. But if we have the courage, sound judgment, and the faith so to do, then no matter what happens we will be able to face any situation with courage and with faith and with the assurance that God will sustain us. I know that now is the time probably more than any other time in our lives to live the gospel. We should not be lulled away into false security as Nephi said many would be in the last days. We should not be pacified and feel in our hearts that we can sin a little, that we can attend to our meetings part of the time, that we can pay a token tithing, that we can live the gospel when it is convenient, and all will be well. We must not be 'at ease in Zion' and say 'Zion prospers, all is well' (2 Nephi 28:21, 24). But we must live the gospel plan in its fulness every day of our lives. Therein is safety. Therein will come a satisfaction which comes from righteous living which will enter our hearts, give us the courage and the strength that we need. There is no security in unrighteousness. The sinful always live in despair (see Moroni 10:22)." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp337-338)

Reading 11– Amos 8:11-13

Joseph Smith 1:41

Joel 2:28-32

Joel 2:12-27


Joel 3:16-17

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