Lesson 33: Sharing the Gospel with the World – Scriptures and Quotes

Lesson 33: Sharing the Gospel with the World – Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – Matthew 12:38-40

Reading 2 – Jonah 1:1-2

Reading 3 – Nahum 3:1-5

Reading 4 – Jonah 1:3

Reading 4A - Sidney Sperry wrote: "A call on a mission - and direct from the Lord! But it was no surprise to the prophet to be called, for he had probably carried out many missions for the Lord in Israel before. His surprise lay not in the fact of the call but in the kind of call, and rebellion arose in his heart. It was a call to go to Nineveh, 'the great city' of Assyria, and preach to its heathen inhabitants, for their wickedness had come up before the Lord. . . .

"Jonah was torn between his loyalty to God and the whip of his emotions. The latter were at a fever pitch and in the end determined his actions. Because he couldn't face the mission call, he determined to flee the country and get away from the unpleasant responsibility. He did not intend to lay down his prophetic office; he merely wanted to absent himself without leave for a time until an unpleasant situation adjusted itself."

Reading 5 – Jonah 1:10-17

Reading 6 – Jonah 2:1-9

Reading 7 – Jonah 3:3-8

Reading 8 - Jonah 4:1-3

Reading 9 – Micah 5:2

Reading 10 – Micah 2:12-13

Reading 11 – Micah 4:1-7

Reading 12 – Micah 5:7-9

President Hinckly said:

Ever since the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated, we have interpreted that scripture from Isaiah, repeated again in Micah (see Micah 4:1–2), as applying to this sacred house of the Lord. And of this place, since the day of its dedication, an ever-increasing number from across the world have said in effect, “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He might teach us of His ways, that we might walk in His paths.”

I believe and testify that it is the mission of this Church to stand as an ensign to the nations and a light to the world. We have had placed upon us a great, all-encompassing mandate from which we cannot shrink nor turn aside. We accept that mandate and are determined to fulfill it, and with the help of God we shall do it.

There are forces all around us that would deter us from that effort. The world is constantly crowding in on us. From all sides we feel the pressure to soften our stance, to give in here a little and there a little.

We must never lose sight of our objective. We must ever keep before us the goal which the Lord has set for us. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “An Ensign to the Nations, a Light to the World,” Liahona, Nov 2003, 82–85)

In 1842 the Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).

Lesson 33: Sharing the Gospel with the World - Class Member Study Guide

Lesson 33: Sharing the Gospel with the World - Class Member Study Guide

Study the following scriptures:

1. Jonah 1–2. The Lord calls Jonah to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Jonah tries to flee from the Lord on a ship, is swallowed by a great fish, prays, and is delivered from the belly of the fish.
Jonah 3–4. Jonah prophesies the downfall of Nineveh and is angry when the people of Nineveh repent and the Lord spares the city (theJoseph Smith Translation of Jonah 3:9–10 explains that the people, not God, repented). The Lord teaches Jonah to love all people.

Micah 2:12–13; 4:1–7, 11–13; 5:2–4, 7–8; 6:6–8; 7:18–20. Micah prophesies of the mission of Israel in the last days.

Why did the Lord want Jonah to go to Nineveh? (See Jonah 1:2.) Why did Jonah go to Tarshish instead? (See Jonah 1:3.) What are some reasons why we choose not to share the gospel? What can we learn from the story of Jonah that can help us be more valiant in obeying the Lord and sharing the gospel?

What did Micah prophesy about the latter-day temple? (See Micah 4:1–2.)

How can Micah 6:6–8 help us when we feel overwhelmed by all that is expected of us?

The Rest of the Story: More about Hezekiah and his great grandson, Josiah

More about Hezekiah

We discussed in Sunday's class Hezekiah's priorities and how the first thing he did when he became king was to cleanse the temple, sanctify the priests and restore temple worship.
His trust and faith in the Lord and in the Lord's prophet, Isaiah,  enabled him to be a great king and leader to the people of Judah. He was inspired, directed and miracles occured because of his faithfulness.  He extended an invitation to all of Israel to join with him and the Kingdom of Judah in temple worship, but the northern kingdom of Israel, "laughed him to scorn" and refused to join with them.  Consequently, Israel was overcome by Assyria and the ten tribes are lost and dispersed.
Interestingly, Hezekiah's son and grandson reverted to idolatry and wickedness and the people of Judah were again led away from worshiping the only true God.  Consequently, they were oppressed and invaded by Egypt.

Hezekiah's Great-Grandson, Josiah

Hezekiah's great-grandson, Josiah began his reign when he was only eight years old and his reign is chronicled in 2 Chronicles 34-35.  He destroyed idolatry in Judah and again restored and repaired the temple.  During the restoration, a copy of the law was discovered and in reading the scriptures, Josiah realized how far Judah had strayed from true worship. He immediately rent his clothes in repentance and consulted the prophets. He and his people again covenanted to serve the Lord and even though it was prophesied that Judah would suffer the consequences of their idolatry and wickedness, Josiah would not have to see the fulfillment of the prophecy because of his righteousness.  Josiah was the last righteous king of Judah and after his death (609 BC) his kingdom fell into decline and eventually was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon in 587 BC. (Lehi and his family left Jerusalem approximately 600 BC, before the Babylonian conquest)

Lesson 32: "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth"

Read and study the following material for next week's September 7th Gospel Doctrine class

Old Testament Class Member Study Guide, (2001), 22

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Study the following scriptures:

1. a. Job 1–2. Job experiences severe trials. He remains faithful to the Lord despite losing his possessions, children, and health.
   
2. b. Job 13:13–16; 19:23–27. Job finds strength in trusting the Lord and in his testimony of the Savior.
   
3. c. Job 27:2–6. Job finds strength in his personal righteousness and integrity.
   
4. d. Job 42:10–17. After Job has faithfully endured his trials, the Lord blesses him.
   

• •What kind of man was Job? What trials did Job experience?
• •How did Job’s testimony of the Savior help him endure his trials? (See Job 19:25–27.) How can a testimony of the Savior give us strength during adversity?
• •Job’s integrity was another source of spiritual strength during his afflictions (Job 27:2–6). What is integrity? How did personal integrity strengthen Job during his trials? How can personal integrity help us during times of trial?
• •After Job had faithfully endured his trials, how did the Lord bless him? (See Job 42:10–15; James 5:11.) How does the Lord bless us as we faithfully endure trials? (See Job 23:10; 3 Nephi 15:9.)

Additional reading: Other chapters in Job; Doctrine and Covenants 121:1–10.

Lesson 31: “Happy Is the Man That Findeth Wisdom” – Scriptures and Quotes

Lesson 31: “Happy Is the Man That Findeth Wisdom” – Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of – page 754

Reading 2 – Bible Dictionary – Ecclesiastes – Page 659

Reading 3 – Bible Dictionary – Fear – page 672

Reading 4 – Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:9-10

Reading 5 – Proverbs 2:2-6

Reading 6 – 2 Nephi 9:28-29

Ecclesiastes 7:11-12

Reading 7 – Proverbs 3:5-7

Doctrine and Covenants 59:21

Reading 8 – Proverbs 6:16-19

Reading 9 – Matthew 12:36-37

Proverbs 15:1

Reading 10 - Elder Gordon B. Hinckley said: “We seldom get into trouble when we speak softly. It is only when we raise our voices that the sparks fly and tiny molehills become great mountains of contention” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1971, 82; or Ensign, June 1971, 72).

Reading 11 – Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 13:10, 16:18-19

Reading 12 - President Ezra Taft Benson said:  “The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means ‘hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.’ It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.

 “Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of ‘my will and not thine be done.’ As Paul said, they ‘seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s’ (Philippians 2:21).

 “Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled (see Alma 38:12; 3 Nephi 12:30).

 “The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives (see Helaman 12:6). They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.

 “Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s. … 

 “Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression (see Alma 12:10–11). The proud are not easily taught (see 1 Nephi 15:3, 7–11). They won’t change their minds to accept truths, because to do so implies they have been wrong” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 3–5; or Ensign, May 1989, 4, 6).

President Ezra Taft Benson said: “Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.

“Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family members away. … 

 “Pride adversely affects all our relationships—our relationship with God and His servants, between husband and wife, parent and child” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 5; or Ensign, May 1989, 6).

Lesson 31: “Happy Is the Man That Findeth Wisdom” Old Testament Class Member Study Guide

Study the scriptures discussed here and as much of the books of Proverbsand Ecclesiastes as you can.

Proverbs are generally short sayings that give counsel about living righteously. The Old Testament records that Solomon “spake three thousand proverbs” (1 Kings 4:32). Some of these wise sayings are included in the book of Proverbs. Although Solomon and the other authors of this book were not prophets, much of what they wrote was inspired by the Lord. The book of Ecclesiastes also contains wise sayings, and some believe Solomon to be its author.

• The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes emphasize the importance of wisdom. What differences are there between being learned and being wise? (See Proverbs 1:7; 9:9–10; 2 Nephi 9:28–29.)
• What counsel is given in Proverbs 3:5–7? What experiences have taught you to trust the Lord?
• Why is the Lord concerned with the words we speak? (See Proverbs 16:27–28; 18:8; 25:18; Matthew 12:36–37.) How can we overcome the problems of lying, gossiping, or speaking negatively about others?
• Proverbs 13:10 and 16:18 teach that pride leads to contention and destruction. How can pride do this? How does pride affect our families?
• Proverbs 22:6 says to “train up a child in the way he should go.” What should parents do to follow this counsel? (See D&C 68:25–28.) How can parents more effectively teach children the principles of the gospel?
• Why is it important to develop a happy attitude and a good sense of humor? (See Proverbs 15:13; 17:22.) What can we do to encourage uplifting humor in our families?

Lesson 30 Come to the House of the Lord

To prepare for next week's Gospel Doctrine Class:

Study the following scriptures:

1. a.2 Chronicles 29–30. Hezekiah, king of Judah, opens the doors of the temple and instructs the priests and Levites to cleanse and sanctify it for worship (29:1–19). When the temple is cleansed, Hezekiah and his people worship together and praise the Lord (29:20–36). Hezekiah invites all Israel to come to the temple in Jerusalem (30:1–9). Some laugh at the invitation, but the faithful of Israel worship the Lord in Jerusalem (30:10–27).
   
2. b. 2 Chronicles 32:1–23. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invades Judah and speaks against the Lord (32:1–19). Isaiah and Hezekiah pray for help, and an angel of the Lord destroys much of the Assyrian army (32:20–23).
   
3. c. 2 Chronicles 34. After Hezekiah’s son and grandson rule in wickedness, Hezekiah’s great-grandson Josiah becomes king of Judah. Josiah destroys the idols in the kingdom and repairs the temple (34:1–13). The book of the law is found in the temple and read to Josiah, who weeps when he learns how far the people have strayed from the law (34:14–21). Huldah the prophetess tells of the forthcoming desolation of Judah but prophesies that Josiah will not have to witness it (34:22–28). Josiah and his people covenant to serve the Lord (2 Chronicles 34:29–33).
   
   Consider and ponder the following questions:
   
   • What can we learn from Hezekiah about the proper relationship between trusting in our own efforts and trusting in the Lord? (See 2 Chronicles 32:7–8.
     *While Josiah and his people were at the temple, what did they covenant to do? (See 2 Chronicles 34:31–33.) How can we prepare to make the sacred temple covenants? Once we have made these covenants, why is it important that we return to the temple as often as possible?
     
     Additional reading: 2 Kings 18–19; 22–23; Isaiah 37:10–20, 33–38.