Home » The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints » Sunday Preparation - Talks & Lessons » Gospel Doctrine - Book of Mormon - Lesson 25 (Ammon Defends the Flocks and Converts many Lamanites)
| Re: Gospel Doctrine New Testament Lesson 25 [message #676 is a reply to message #654] |
Fri, 20 July 2012 10:17   |
Amonhi
Messages: 237
Registered: June 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV.
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Quote:Lamoni repents, and sees the Savior. He has his Calling and Election made Sure. Soon, his wife, and servants, also receive the Savior, and go about preaching of what they have seen.
All of these are redeemed from the fall and brought back into the saviors presence; They receive the Holy Ghost and are filled and begin prophesying to their people converting them; all without having even been baptized.
One of the MAJOR missed messages of the Book of Mormon is that spiritual ordinances are real. For example, they only had the Aaronic Priesthood at best as did the Children of Israel because the Mel. Priesthood had been taken since Moses. (However it had been given to a few directly from God like Elisha and Elijah in the same way that 3rd. Nephi and the lesser known Esaias received it. If Lehi's group had the priesthood when they left Jerusalem, it would have been the Aaronic Priesthood, except for the few who received it directly from God like the ones mentioned above...
But we see over and over throughout the Book of Mormon people who are filled with the Holy Ghost, Baptized with Fire, receive the Sealing power, meeting Christ, getting their calling and election made sure, etc. Lamonhi and his family and servants being converted, forgive of sins, receiving the Holy Ghost/First Comforter, redeemed/brought back into God's presence/Second Comforter, etc. is one of those very powerful instances.
The doctrine in the old testament that explains how this can be:
Quote:25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." - Romans 2:25-29
The outward ordinances of the Aaronic Priesthood are meant to be outward symbols of what has already occurred inwardly. The Jews were taught that circumcision was required for salvation just as we are taught that baptism is required for salvation. Using the same logic, we can say, "For he is not a Mormon, which is one outwardly; [u]neither is that baptism, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Mormon, which is one inwardly[/b]; and baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
Here is another Old testament reference:
Quote: 1 And certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
...
4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." - Acts 15:1-11
I'm going to stop here and explain something quickly... Circumcision started with Abraham long before Moses was born, but was concidered to be part of the law of Moses. This is like animal sacrifice as performed by Adam long before Moses was born. The law of Moses is the name given to the Aaronic Priesthood and all of its principles and ordinances which are meant to prepare fallen man (Telestial) to return to God's presence (Terrestrial) thereby restoring man to pre-fallen/the Garden of Eden state.
The law of Moses referred to the following:- Lessor/Aaronic Priesthood
- Ministering of Angels
- preparatory gospel
The preparatory Gospel includes:- Repentance
- baptism
- remission of sins
- the law of carnal commandments
- The Atonement of Christ that makes all the above possible
Quote: 23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not eenter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.
25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;
27 Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb." - D&C 84:25-27
The law of carnal commandments are all the thou shalt/thou shalt not commandments as well as when to fast, how far to walk on Sunday, how many earrings you can wear, how you short your hair should be, when you can dance/date/etc., etc... (Anything that governs you because you cannot govern yourself.) Also, any ordinance and principle of the Aaronic Priesthood including sacrament, (which replaced animal sacrifices while maintaining every symbolic meaning), are all part of the preparing us to the Holy Ghost and fulness of the Gospel...
All this "the Lord in his wrath caused to continue" because the people would not behold the face of God and enter into His presence.
Ok, back to the Old Testiment discussion regarding the need for the law of Moses after Christ fulfilled it...
Quote: "6 ¶And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." - Acts 15:1-11
God was giving the gentiles the Holy Ghost before they were baptized/prepared by the lower law. So Peter concluded that the preparation was not needed as the had received what the lower law prepared them to receive. In other words, the lower law was fulfilled and not needed and the spiritual ordinances were proof that God had accepted their inward commitment without the outward symbol of that commitment.
Christ also taught this in the Book of Mormon...
Quote: "20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." - 3Ne. 9:20
They "knew it not" because there was no physical ordinance marking the even. It happened "at the time of their conversion" not after a baptismal date was set and organized. Also the fact that they received the Holy Ghost before Christ came while they only had the Aaronic Priesthood is also important. Just as 3rd Nephi received the Sealing power by the "Voice" of God, (Hel. 10).
So, John the baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph Smith and with it the Law of Moses including repentance, baptism, remission of sins, the laws of carnal commandments and all the other principles and ordinances required to prepare a people who have hardened their hearts and will not behold the face of God. John the Baptist restored the Law of Moses because that was all he had to restore. Quote:"This lineage was essential, since John was the embodiment of the law of Moses, designed to prepare the way for the Messiah and make ready a people to receive him. He was the outstanding bearer of the Aaronic Priesthood in all history, and was entrusted with its most noble mission." - BD John the Baptist As members of the Church today enter back into God's presence by receiving the second comforter, the lower law and preparatory gospel is fulfilled in them as it was in Christ. Then the law being fulfilled is removed. Until then, they remain under the Lower Law governed by the Aaronic Priesthood principles and ordinances as it continually attempts to prepare them for the greater things.
That being said, I don't suppose that you could teach any of this powerful and structurally backed truth to your gospel doctrine class...
I would recommend asking them a few leading questions like,
"What blessings did they receive, let's list them."
"Which of these blessings have you received? Which ones Can you receive?"
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