Thursday, October 20, 2016

Lesson 24: All Are Alike unto God


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 5:33–34Alma 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.
12Alma 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?