Teaching

1.    Read 2 Peter 2:1–19. Record the characteristics of false teachers described by Peter. Explain in writing how your list helps you recognize false teachers today.

•  Denying the Lord
• “The way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (people will speak evil of the gospel)
•  “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (I’m not really sure what that mean, maybe that make you want to buy things and covet worldly items?)
•  “walk after the flesh in lust”
•  “Despise government”
•   Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities”
• “speak evil of the things they understand not”
•  “They count it pleasure to riot in the daytime” (I think this means live a riotous life and party all the time, the scriptures notes say “rioting and reveling”)
•  “Having eyes full of adultery”
•  “beguiling unstable souls” (pulling those who do not have a strong testimony foundation from God)
•  “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of flesh through much wantonness”
•  “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”

         When I read this list I definitely feel like I can pin point people who do these things. Not necessarily because they are absolutely evil, but mostly my heart tells me it is because they do not know any better. It tells me things because they were taught by someone else, who was taught by someone else, and really it is just a cycle. It helps me recognize when I might find myself in the presence of a false teacher, but it also helps me understand why people think this way and think it is okay when it really isn't  It also makes me want to strengthen my testimony and my foundation in Christ so I don’t become easily deceived.

2.    Read 2 Peter 2:20–22; Doctrine and Covenants 82:3, 7. In your own words, write a few sentences describing the dangers of returning to the “pollutions of the world.”

            To me it means that when someone has an understanding of the gospel and turn away from it regardless of that understanding, then their situation is worse that if they were to not have any knowledge. I think this is because when we know something is right and we still reject it we will, in the end, bring sorrow to ourselves. I think that God wants us to understand that when we leave the gospel on this earth and live unrighteous lifestyles we will not be truly happy in the end. People who recognize the gospel and still turn away put damnation upon themselves (All damnation really means is that they halt their spiritual growth). When the second coming comes those who knew the gospel and still turned away from it will have a stronger understanding of what they turned away from and therein is their sorrow and torment. This torment will be worse for them than for someone who had no understanding in the first place.  The stronger your testimony is and the more you understand, the worse your torment will be when you fall away. 

Living Our Religion

1.    Read James 1:19; 3:1–13; 4:11; and the institute student manual commentary for James 3:8, “The Importance of Taming the Tongue” (p. 410). Using these resources, make two lists:

Things We Say That Are Offensive to God	Things We Say That Are Pleasing to God.
Speaking evil of those around us Curse men Boasting	Thank and bless God Bless those around us Speak with meekness of wisdom

2.    Referring to the following chart, read James 4:1–4 and identify four symptoms of people who are friends of the world. Read James 4:7–12 and write a prescription that would help people overcome the “world.” Write your responses in the appropriate column:

Symptoms of Being in the World (James 4:1-4)	Prescription for Being out of the World (James 4:7-12
Lust Killings Ask amiss Waste	Submissive Purify your hearts Humble yourselves Speak no evil one to another

My Thoughts:

While studying this week, I found this quote.

We have careful thought for the stranger,
And smiles for the sometime guest,
But oft for our own the bitter tone,
Though we love our own the best.
-Margaret E. Sangster

I LOVE this quote, it really speaks the truth to my heart. Lately I've been reading a blog called The Orange Rhino (www.theorangerhino.com). It is a blog written by a young mother and its her goal to not yell at her kids for 365 days. I believe she has passed her goal but mostly I was inspired by her and her determination. she talks a lot about what the quote above says. So often we'd be horrified if someone knew about our terrible behaviors, however when we are around those we are most comfortable with, whom we love the most, we are more likely to be mean, say hurtful things, or yell. She talks about how backwards this is. We should be treating those we love the most with even more respect and love. We need to determine to be kind and live good lives for ourselves and those we love. We need to be good examples. This lady encourages all who read her blog to try to improve themselves in some way. It's really inspirational.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

1.    In Hebrews 11, Paul recounted the faith of many ancient men and women. Read Hebrews 11 and fill in the chart below listing eight other people and how each person demonstrated his or her faith and what blessings the Lord gave each of them.

Name	Verse	How They Demonstrated Faith	Blessings They Received
Abel	4	Offered a “more excellent sacrifice”	A witness from God that he was righteous
Enoch	5	He had a strong testimony and he “pleased God”	He was translated “that he should not see death”
Noah	7	His “house” (or Family) was saved from the flood. “became an heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”	Prepared the Ark
Abraham	8	Followed the Lord’s commandments without knowing what would happen	“sojourned in the land of promise…dwelling in tabernacles”
Sara	11	Believed strongly that God would keep his promises	Had a child in her old age.
Abraham	17	Was willing to sacrifice his son	Was blessed with the Abrahamic covenant to continue through Isaac.
Moses’s Parents	23	Hid Their song from Pharaoh for 3 months	They were not afraid of the King’s commandments.
Moses	24	“Refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter” and rather he suffered affliction with the people of God.	Was able to save the children of Israel from their bondage
Rahab	31	Received the spies with peace	Did not perish with the rest of the city.

2.    Give at least three examples of other individuals found in scriptures or whom you know who could be included in this chapter.

Ammon (and his brothers) followed the spirit to teach the Lamanites and they were protected and were able to convert because of it.
Alma the Elder had continuous faith in the Lord and prayed often (along with other saints) and his Son was eventually converted and changed.
The Sons of Helaman had faith that if they did not doubt God would deliver them, and they were all protected from death.
3.    Read Hebrews 12:1–2 and write what Paul encouraged the Saints to do to show their faith.
To Trust in the Lord, to be patient and to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us”.
 
4.    Read the institute student manual Points to Ponder sections, “Developing Faith Is Active Belief, Which Is More than Just Belief” (p. 400) and “Fully Developed Faith Is Power” (pp. 400–401). Describe in writing how faith is different than belief.
Belief is passive. Faith however is more active. When someone has Faith it is implied that they will do something about that Faith. However faith is not just an action, it is also a power. In “Fully developed Faith is Power” faith is said to be “the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things” Faith may start out as a belief, but once it is acted upon and exercised it becomes stronger and more of a conviction. It has more power and meaning. Through faith things have happened and lives have been changed. Through belief however things remain the same. 

"And I Will Not Fear"

Hebrews 13:6 

"So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear 

what man shall do unto me"

Principle: If you are righteous then the Lord is there to help you, and you should not fear what man can do or say.

             I LOVE this scripture. I don't know why but it really stood out to me this week. I know for me personally, I find that I am scared to share my opinions, thoughts, or feelings on the gospel. My testimony is something that I never really want to see get attacked and so I usually shy away from conversation starters in that topic area. However, recently (and especially from starting the Blog for this class) I have slowly felt more confident in sharing my testimony. It is important to remember that if you are doing what is right, you will have the guidance and inspiration from the spirit to know what to say to those who are mocking you. However, it is important to note that if you do not have the right attitude (such as you are not using the knowledge or inspiration you’ve received to teach or share joy but instead are using it to demean the other person and make them feel stupid) then your words will not have a positive affect or be filled with the spirit. The spirit is the only one who can truly touch someone’s heart, and if you chase it away with your desire to be “better than the other person” then you cannot help or teach them. 
                In the end, it is important to remember that we need to be righteous and not worry about what the people around us think. I know that is hard, and it is still hard for me. However, I feel happiness when I live my life the way the Lord would have me. We shouldn't worry about the people around us. We should simply be filled with love and service to everyone regardless of how they live or what their circumstances are. Worry about yourself and how to make yourself better.

Free Agency

As I've stated before, these are my own thoughts. I don't speak for a large group as much as I speak about what I personally feel is correct. Here is something not part of my class, but just my thoughts that I wanted to share on here.     
   
       Our free agency is such a central part of our existence on this earth. It is something that God allowed us to have so that we could find where we are most happy (this is why there are 3 kingdoms of glory, but I'll address that another time). I think a perfect example in the scriptures that shows how important one's agency is, is the story of Samson (most common referred to as 'Samson and Delilah').

         When Samson was born, his mother was promised that her son would "...begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." (Judges 13:5) So we know that Samson was foreordained to deliver Israel.  We also know that as Samson got older he wasn't very good at following the Lord's commandments. Instead he liked to do his own thing. In the end however, Samson still ended up doing what the Lord foreordained him to do, that is deliver Israel. However, what would have happened if Samson had followed the Lord's commandments and did everything he could to stay close to the Lord. I doubt that the Lord wanted Samson to die the way he did. 

         As I've said before, I believe that we are in full control of the way our lives turn out. Heavenly Father knows this too, and if we stay close to him he will spiritually inspire us to make the choices that will benefit ourselves the best and that will bring us greater happiness. Those choices will consequently lead us back to him where we can have full happiness. However, when we do not listen, when we choose not to listen, he can not help us. Not because he doesn't want to but because we do not want to hear it and we eventually stop listening. The Lord knows the best path for us, but our free agency determines how our lives end up. 

         Samson chose his life to be a certain way and so the end of his life was of his choosing. I think if Samson had listened to the Lord and stayed true to his covenants he would have delivered Israel and possibly lived a much longer healthier life. He might have been able to accomplish other things as well. The Lord knew that whatever Samson chose, he would be able to deliver Israel (foreordained) but it was up to Samson to choose how he wanted his life to be (agency). 

Jesus is Greater than Angels

1.       Refer to “Epistle to the Hebrews” in the Bible Dictionary (pp. 746–47). Read the first paragraph and the “Analysis of Hebrews,” number 1–5. Make a list of what Jesus Christ is superior to.

•  Greater than the Angels
•  Greater than Moses
• Jesus words are more important that Moses’s
• Greater than the high priests of Moses
•  Greater than the order of Aaron (because he is of the order of Melchizedek)

2.       Read Hebrews 1. Make a list of three truths Paul taught about the Savior Jesus Christ.

• 1:2 “Heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”
• 1:3 “He had by himself purged our sins”
• 1:4 “1:4 “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they”

3.    Read Hebrews 2:7–18; 4:13–16; Alma 7:11–15; Doctrine and Covenants 122:8. In writing describe how these scriptures explain reasons the Son of God came to earth to experience mortality.
These scriptures all mention that Christ came to earth to experience mortality so that he could know and understand the trials and pains that we have gone through. He came to not only provide a way to save us, but to be able to comfort and aid us in our circumstances. 

Hebrews 2:18

Hebrews 2:18

“For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succor them that are tempted.”

Principle: Our trials can help us know how to help other when they go through similar experiences.

                This scripture specifically speaks about Christ and that he went through so much so that he may be able to know what we are experiencing or going through. However, I feel that this can relate very much to us. So often we go through trials in life that are hard. However, it is important to remember those trials can help us reach out to those that may be suffering. We are here on this earth to essentially be “God’s hands” and he gives us the Spirit so that we may know how to help those who are suffering.  God knows when someone is best suited to help someone else and sometimes that means that we may have experienced the same trials and so we can have more understanding and empathy where others would not. We must always be in tune with the spirit so that we can “succor them” who are experiencing difficult trials in their lives. 

Be Thou an Example of the Believers

1. Review 1 Timothy 2:9–10 and describe in writing what Paul said about dress standards. How does Doctrine and Covenants 61:18, 36 help us understand that what Paul taught applies to both men and women? Study Moses 6:9; Mosiah 2:37; Alma 41:2. Then list three reasons our bodies could be considered sacred. How does understanding that our bodies are sacred help us know why they should be covered modestly? What is mentioned in Alma 1:32 that relates to the other concern Paul mentioned about dress? What can you do to apply these principles in your life?

I think the main message Paul is trying to convey in 1 Timothy, is that a woman shouldn't make her appearance a top priority, but should instead focus on helping others and doing good works towards the people around her. 
The versus in D&C teach us that “what I say unto one I say unto all” and through this we know that men too need to be aware of how high they prioritize their appearance over the good works they should accomplish. 

Moses tells us that we are created after the image of God which is a special thing, and a privilege. In Mosiah the Lord tells us that “he dwelleth not in unholy temples”. He is calling our bodies ‘temples’, and this means they are sacred, however we are not doing what is right he cannot influence us, or help us. Lastly, Alma says that part of the plan of restoration that God has planned is that our spirits will be restored to our bodies, which shows how important our bodies are in God’s plan for everyone. 

Knowing all this helps us know that our bodies are to be respected and treated with care and reverence. When something is precious to someone they treat it with care and don’t flaunt it around to be openly judged by the world. Also openly showing off our bodies or putting our attention on our looks is in a sense saying that we treasure that part of our lives above other things in our lives. While it is good to keep our bodies healthy and to look nice and presentable, it should not be our main focus throughout the day. Alma 1:32 says that people who were not following the gospel of Christ tended to put their time and energy into their apparel and would adorn themselves in expensive things just so that they would look better than others (as evidence of the statement “being lifted up in the pride  of their own eyes”). 

I can personally apply these principles because I know that I tend to focus on how I look a lot, whether I mean to or not. Society has taught us to live like this. I think it is important to look nice and stay healthy, but once I get dressed for the day that should be the end of it. How I look is not what really matters, but what really matters is how I act. I also firmly believe that when we dress a certain way we act a certain way, and so when we stay modest and not overdress ourselves, we are going to be more modest and reverent in our daily activities and be more willing to look for what help others might need, instead of worrying what others might think/not think of us based on how we look that day. 


2. List the evidences Paul mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:1–5 that an apostasy would not only come in the future, but that some people were already practicing false doctrines.
The versus don't expressly mention what was going on currently, but Paul does talk about the future. He says people who will leave the church because of the deceit of those around them and the false doctrines that people will teach against God. He says that these people who strive to lead others away from God are spiritually blind “having their conscience seared with a hot iron”. They will tell lies and they will be hypocrites. 
He says some people will look down upon marriage and some will command that people stop eating meat.


3. How could Paul’s counsel to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 be used to strengthen a new missionary or a young person called to serve in any responsibility?
I think it gives young missionaries hope. I think young people tend to wonder how they can help teach people, and if older people will listen to them or ignore them simply because they are younger, but Paul counsels Timothy to not let people use the fact that he is young against him, but to be an example. By following Christ and providing good works to others through manual labor or through conversation you can be a good influence for God’s teachings and people will notice that.


4. Review 1 Timothy 6:7–11 and answer the following questions:
• What did Paul teach about the love of money?
   Money doesn't matter. We did not come into this world with money, and we will not be taking it with us when we die. The people that desire simply to be rich will be the ones falling into many temptations and will be the ones following their lusts. Wanting only money will bring sorrow. 
• In what sense is the love of money the “root of all evil”?
People that love money are covetous of others who have it, and it consumes them to the point that they wander away from the faith and will do all they can to have it even if it means putting others below them in their quest for money.



5. What guidelines are given in 1 Timothy 6:17–19 and Jacob 2:18–19 that when followed can help ensure that you do not focus too much on money or material wealth?
First we must focus on our testimonies and on being close to God. If we obtain riches through our hard works we must use our blessing to help others who are struggling and to provide good works and service to them. We must not put our love into our money because then we are putting the focus on what WE want, not what we NEED or what others NEED. When we focus on ourselves we are doing what Satan would have us do in order to fall away from Christ.