That Ye May Have Fellowship with Us and with God

1. Read 1 John 1:1–4.
2. He wants us to recognize and find the way toward fellowship. To seek the connection between us and God and understand that connection.
• 1 John 1:8–10 Admit that we sin and ask for repentance
• 1 John 2:3–6 Follow the commandments and walk in the light
• 1 John 2:9–11; 3:11–19 Love everyone and want them to want in the light with them
• 1 John 2:15–17 Love and strive for the kingdom of god and leave the world away
• 1 John 2:20–21, 27 Seek for truth
• 1 John 3:4–6 Don’t sin
3. Choose one of the ways to greater joy and fellowship with God as you described it above and write a paragraph explaining how you can better implement those principles in your life.
• Love and strive for the kingdom of god and leave the world away
• Our eternal destiny is to inherit the kingdom of God, but we must be faithful to him or else his inheritance disappears. Our inheritance is earned through our hard work and pushing away the world and everything that keeps us away.

Living Our Religion

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
James 1:19	Wrath	Listening
		Slow to speak
James 3:1-13	Bossy
	If one is offensive
	boast
	An evili tongue	Good conversation
James 4:11	Harsh words
	Judging
ISMC James 3:8	Use the same tongue we prayer with to hurt	Self-control
	Hurt the ones we love

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	Follow God’s will
Wars	Repent
Desire to kill	Pure
Commit adultery	Accept the heavy and see it as good
	Humble
	Sees people equally

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

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
Noah	7	Being warned he constructed an ark	He became an heir of righteousness
Abraham	8	Went looking for a place without knowing where to go	He found the place and received it as his inheritance
Sara	11	She believed that the Lord would deliver his promise	She conceived and gave birth.
Abraham	17	Offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice	His seed went forth through Isaac
Isaac	20	Blessed Jacob and Esau of things to come	They were blessed
Jacob	21	Blessed both sons of Joseph while dying	They were blessed
Moses	24-27	Suffered affliction and forsake Egypt	saved in infancy, Escaped Egypt, Passed through Red Sea
Rehab	31	Received spies upon Lord's direction	Perished not

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

Example	Faith	Blessing
Nephi	That God would deliver the plates that Laban had	They received them
Enos	Prayed unto God for strength	Found what needed and got through the wilderness
Moroni	Believed that God would protect the plates he hid	Joseph Smith brought them forth and translated them

Read Hebrews 12:1–2 and write what Paul encouraged the Saints to do to show their faith.

Set aside sins and natural tendencies to do evil once you do so gain patience and move forward to God’s will.

Read the institute student manual Points to Ponder sections “Developing Faith Is Active Belief, Which Is More than Just Belief” (p. 400); “Fully Developed Faith Is Power” (pp. 400–401). Describe in writing how faith is different than belief.

Belief is just a passive knowledge of a concept. Faith is 100% knowledge that compels one to act. Faith is a principle of continuous action. Faith is gradually lifted when we act. When we act we receive revelation of the truthfulness of that which we do.

Christ is Greater

Greater Than Angels:

Angels are servants whereas he is the Son.

Greater Than Moses:

Moses was a faithful servant, he is a faithful Son and redeemer.

Greater Than High Priest:

High Priest only have the Aaronic priesthood while Christ has the higher one, the Melchizedek

In Hebrews 1, Paul gives us three great truths about Jesus Christ:

Under the direction of God the Father, he created the world. (verse 2)

Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins. (verse 3)

Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God. (verse 6)

Reasons why Christ came to earth to gain a mortal experience

Hebrews 2:7-18

Chirst had to face temptations because to know any goodness one has to be presented to the bitter. He was the one who took our sins to make salvation an option unto us

Hebrews 4:13-16

Christ needs to receive personal experience to understand temporal trails. This way he help us through ours and give us comfort.

Alma 7:11-15

Christ had to take on all of our sicknesses, infirmities, temptations, and pain This way he can fully understand each of us. To make death crumble unto us and him and bring about life.

Doctrine & Covenants 122:8

Christ had to descend below all things in order to truly gain victory over sin and death.

Finding Solutions in the Scriptures to Life’s Challenges

People sometime argue and complain over petty matters in church meetings or throughout the week. Philippians 2;1-8, 14-15

Almost every dispute and situations of contention are a cause of one thing: pride. It is when one person thinks that their opinion is better qualified than the alternative. The remedy for pride is humility. One should not esteem himself/herself above another. Accepting others idea, although one doesn’t fully agree with it, is showing love and respect toward one another.

Many youth feel that their parents’ testimony is sufficient for them. Since they have good parents, they rely on them for all their spiritual strength. Philippians 2:12-15

Each person is a daughter/son of God. For one to grow spiritually they must obtain a personal relationship with him. To do so they must achieve their own testimony and understand that their knowledge and wisdom will gain their own salvation. A person depending on their parent’s testimony does not prove that they have that relationship with their Heavenly Father. It merely demonstrates that the parents do, while the child lack that thereof.

An investigator is considering joining the church, but his family will no longer associate with him if he does Philippians 3:7-16 4:13

Leaving ones family is probably one of the hardest and most delicate things to do. The investigator should ask himself how much the church means to him. The church contains the true gospel of Christ. He is the head of it and he promises whoever enters into it shall be protected and strengthen. If the investigator believes and knows that the church is true, he/she should do anything in their power to become a part of it, even if it means doing one of the hardest things. They must understand that they can “do all things through Christ.”

How is this writing assignment an example of the principle taught in 2 nephi 32:3

These situations above are situations found in our daily lives. Even I have been confronted by them. Many of them will come when lest expected. This is why one should always be prepared and how better to prepare then to ponder the scriptures. When one reads the scriptures, their spirit feasts upon those words. Once you are given a situation like the ones above you is ready to explain because the spirit knows the answers.

Live as Saints Should Live

Paul explains to us that we must seek out salvation and live in a way in which we can receive it. In order to get salvation one needs to be righteous, repent, and to help other’s come towards their salvation.

Paul teaches us several ways that we can prepare for salvation”

Romans 12:1 be holy

Romans 12:2 avoid worldliness

Romans 12:9 do God’s will

Romans 12:13 avoid evil

Romans 12:16 give service

Romans 12:21 be humble

Romans 13:1 do good

Romans 13:3 be obedient

Romans 13:8 choose the right & love others

Romans 13:9 keep the commandments

We should not judge others because those people will be hurt, not only that but we will also be judge for judging.

We need to treat others equally and become united with them. The most important thing to remember is that we are all daughters/sons of God.

Paul referred to the people of Christ as Saints.

Be Free and Live

Baptism is the third step to entering into gospel of Jesus Christ. Before baptism, one must have faith that the gospel is true and furthermore they should repent of their sins. When they repent of their sin, they will become clean from the natural man.

Christ death and resurrection can be considered a symbol to baptism. When we are baptized we are immerged into the water, this is a representation of the death of our pervious life. When we are lifted up from the water, it is a symbol of our new and clean life. Christ died and then was buried, he then was lifted and became whole and perfect.

Baptism requires full immersion into the water because of the mere symbolism of being buried. In addition, Christ was fully immerged, so should we be also? If it were just a sprinkle, we wouldn’t have all of our sins wiped away.

As said before when we are baptized we become new. To keep that “newness” we must stay away from sin, repent, and take the sacrament to renew our covenants. That way we shall be clean forever.

The natural man dies when we are baptized. However, we must do all that is in our power to keep our souls vacant with the spirit and not invite that natural man back.

We know whom we serve based on our acts and deeds. If we serve Satan, we obviously sin and partake of the worldly things. If we serve God, we do good deeds and are righteous. Freedom doesn’t come from the person that has you bound by things of the world. When you choose the right, you are free. We are free from the captivity of sin. We also allow more happiness and are blessed with eternal life.

As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap

Modern Day Interpretation:

Galatians 6:8

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

If one invests in the temporal, physical, mortal, then he/she will live in corruption; but if one invests in things that are spiritual and everlasting, then he/she will receive life eternal.

Read Mosiah 18:8–10; Doctrine and Covenants 1:10; 58:26–27. List the verses in Galatians 6 under each column that corresponds with the appropriate topic:

	Mosiah 18:8-10	D&C 1:10	D&C 58:26-27
Galatians 6	2, 10,16	4, 5	8, 9, 10

Be Thou an Example

Required of the servants of the Lord according to 1 Corinthians 4:2

That he/she be faithful

Group that is Selected to be the example in 1 Corinthians 4:9-17 are the apostles.

However today it is not just the apostles but any person that choose to follow Christ. It’s the people who see the warning signals but choose to follow good instead of bad.

There are many times when one knows what’s right and understands it but doesn’t act upon it. It is not enough to simply know what is right. One has to chose it and be it. If he/she decides to be examples they have to genuinely let their light shine and they can othey get that shine only if the act upon what is right. (Alma 39:11–12)

There is an additional power that comes to those who live what they know. If what they know is good and right, then they will have the power of Christ. They will have the Holy Ghost testify to others that it is all good J

Counsel for Missionaries

Paul Missionary Attributes

Paul was a missionary and a good one in fact. He was a prime example of Jesus Christ. Here are some attributes that he had for teaching others of the Gospel:

1 Thessalonians 1:1–6

Grateful for the investigators (2)

Prayed personally for each of their investigators (2)

Saw everyone as a descendent of God (4)

Inviting of the Holy Ghost (5)

1 Thessalonians 2:1–13

Made humble by difficult experiences (2)

Used simple and clear words (4&5)

Were gentle with people (7)

Lost themselves & cared for others (8)

Preached the gospel, not anything else (9)

Let investigator know they have responsibility (10)

Gave glory to God (13)

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12

Prayed that they would accept the gospel

2 Thessalonians 3:7–9

Was a prime example

What Missionaries Can Do to Act and Teach in a Godly Manner

Missionaries today might look at Paul’s attributes as an example to model their missions. First and foremost, missionaries should lose themselves and only be worried for the children of God. If they emerge themselves in the work, they will be greatly blessed and successful. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, it states, “willing to have imparted unto, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.” Another important attribute is seeing everyone as a daughter/son of Heavenly Father, no matter his or her appearance or habits. Heavenly Father loves his children no matter what, so why can’t we either? It is important to understand that everyone deserves the gospel of Christ. Take every opportunity to reach out to someone a share this glorious truth. Once you have people to teach, teach as Christ and Paul would, in simple clear words. It is important that the investigator understands what the missionary is sharing. Sometimes it is hard, but if you try your best, the Holy Ghost will fill in the rest. Let them know that they are witnesses and they should ask God if what they learn is true. And Last but not Least, always pray for the people you teach and be an example, be as Christ was, humble and caring.

Apply these principles better in your life

As President David O. McKay once stated, “Every Member a Missionary,” we as member of the church have the responsibilities to do as Paul and missionaries do. However, we do it differently. We do it in our everyday lives. A key thing we must follow is seeing everyone as a daughter/son of God. We must treat others as our brothers and sisters, no matter how different they are. In the pre-existence, we all knew each other and loved each other, let us do the same on earth. Love each other.

Paul’s First Ministry

1. Paul started his ministry Antioch. He that went trough Salamis, Paphos, Antioch in Pisidia, Inconium, and Lycaonia.

2. Many people persecuted Paul and Banabas because of their beliefs. I bet they were a little bit discouraged but they never gave up! Missionaries today might even feel discouraged but they should read the outcomes of doing the work of the Lord:

• If you minister unto the Lord and pair it up with fasting and praying the Holy Ghost will prompt you.
• Once you receive that prompting you act, go forth and bear testimony, doing this will eventually bring people to Christ!
• Doing so will not only get others closer to Christ, but also bring you closer.

3. Some people may ask why do missionaries worry so much about going 2 by 2? However, its a ancient way. Barnabas was Paul companion. He was one of the first disciplines that taught in the regions listed above. He was a Levite from Cyprus. When he heard about the gospel, he dropped all he had and served the Lord. He was a great man who did everything and anything to build up the kingdom. He was considered an apostle, although not one of the twelve.

When the Lord is sending two missionaries, he is offering two testimonies to enter into the investigators heart. Having two is a great advantage because it is two bearing witness of the Lord. The spirit will be much stronger if the two are in tune with it themselves.

4.Paul healed a man, whom was crippled. When the people heard of this "miracle" they praised both Paul and Barnabas and declared them Gods. One thing lead to another and they started bring them animal sacrifices. When this occurred they both went into the city and explained that they were wrong and they should preach the Lord God!

5. There was vast contrast between Acts 14:8-13 and Acts 14:19-22. In the latter verses, some Jews from Antiock and Iconium persuaded the same people that in previous verses praised him, to persecute him by stoning him and dragging him out of the city and leaving him for dead. After he woke up Barnabas and him left the land.

After a while they both returned to that land to preach. They explained that one has to go through much tribulation to enter the Kingdom of God. Both experiences were examples of tribulation. At first, they received praise and they had to understand that glory is something that destroys. The other one was obvious physical tribulation. Sometime tribulation are going to be sneaky and other time they are going to obvious, but one must understand that they have to fight through it nonetheless to receive the Kingdom.

Questions. Acts 13-14

1. Using the map “Paul’s 1st Journey” found in the map section of the institute student manual (p. 218), list the name of the place Paul started this mission and four other cities he taught in.

2. Review Acts 13:1–5 and outline in writing three points that could help a missionary who is discouraged

3. Read the Bible Dictionary entry for “Barnabas” and the institute student manual commentary for Acts 9:27, “Who Was Barnabas?” (p. 259). Write a paragraph describing Barnabas. What blessings and advantages do you see for the Lord sending missionaries out two by two.

4. Review Acts 14:8–18. Explain in writing what happened to Paul and Barnabas. How did Paul and Barnabas respond to this praise and attention

5. Review Acts 14:19–22 and compare in writing the way the people treated Paul in these verses with how he and Barnabas were treated in Acts 14:8–13. How did Paul say we would enter the kingdom of God? How are both these experiences examples of the principle Paul taught in verse 22?