1. To protect themselves after the death of
Lehi, Nephi and other righteous members of Lehi’s family were directed
by the Lord to separate from Laman and Lemuel and their followers. Thereafter,
contentions and wars often defined the relationship between the Nephites and
Lamanites. This lesson discusses how the gospel of Jesus Christ transcends
religious, ethnic, cultural, and other differences to unite God’s children.
2. Dallin H. Oaks, “All Men
Everywhere,” Ensign , May 2006, 77–80.
3. Howard W. Hunter, Faith,
"Ensign, Nov. 1991, 18–19.
5. 2 Nephi 26:23–28, 33 none, any, and all. Jesus
Christ loves all people and invites all to come unto Him and partake of His
salvation. Alma 5:33–34; Alma 19:36.
7. “The Book of
Mormon promises that all who receive and act upon the Lord’s
invitation to ‘repent and believe in his Son’ become ‘the covenant people of
the Lord’ (2 Nephi 30:2). This is a potent reminder that neither
riches nor lineage nor any other privileges of birth should cause us to believe
that we are ‘better one than another’ (Alma 5:54;
Jacob 3:9). ‘Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or
one man shall not think himself above another’ (Mosiah 23:7)” (Oaks)
8. Ponder your attitude toward individuals
who come from a different background.
9. Mosiah 27;
Mosiah 28:1–3 When we see others as our brothers and sisters, our desire to share the
gospel with them increases.
10. “All men and women have not only a physical lineage leading back
to Adam and Eve, their first earthly parents, but also a spiritual heritage
leading back to God the Eternal Father. Thus, all persons on earth are
literally brothers and sisters in the family of God. “It is in understanding
and accepting this universal fatherhood of God that all human beings can best
appreciate God’s concern for them and their relationship to each other. This is
a message of life and love that strikes squarely against all stifling
traditions based on race, language, economic or political standing, educational
rank, or cultural background, for we are all of the same spiritual descent” (TPC:
Howard W. Hunter [2015], 123–24).
11. Helaman 6:1–8-
50 years after the sons of Mosiah served their missions to the Lamanites.
12. Alma 27:1–2, 20–24 - Alma 53:10–11, 13–17 - As people embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ, they become unified with
one another.
14. What do you think it means to have no
“manner of -ites”?
15. “Your
Heavenly Father assigned you to be born into a specific lineage from which you
received your inheritance of race, culture, and traditions. That lineage can
provide a rich heritage and great reasons to rejoice. Yet you have the
responsibility to determine if there is any part of that heritage that must be
discarded because it works against the Lord’s plan of happiness. …
“I testify that you will remove barriers to happiness and
find greater peace as you make your first allegiance your membership in the
Church of Jesus Christ, and His teachings the foundation of your life. Where
family or national traditions or customs conflict with the teachings of God,
set them aside. Where traditions and customs are in harmony with His teachings,
they should be cherished and followed to preserve your culture and heritage” (Richard G.
Scott, Ensign, May 1998, 86–87).
16. How has being a member of the Church
helped you feel unified with Church members who have backgrounds different from
yours?
