#36 "one the morrow come I into the world"

3 Nephi 1-7
When I was thinking about what I should do with this lesson I was thinking of doing something totally different, but I had the same dream 2 times so I knew that I was supposed to do this instead.
I want to start off with the story they have in the lesson manual-it really got my brain thinking.
P160 Gospel doctrine manual:
Elder George A. Smith of the Quorum of the 12 apostles said this:
“A man, traveling through the country, came to a large city, very rich and splendid; he looked at it and said to his guide, ‘this must be a very righteous people, for I can only see but on little devil in this great city.”
“The guide replied, ‘You don not understand, sir; this city is so perfectly given up to wickedness, corruption, degradation and abomination of every kind that it only requires one devil to keep them all in subjection.’
“Traveling on a little further he came to a rugged path and saw an old man trying to get up the hill side, surrounded by seven great, big, coarse looking devils. “’Why,’ says the traveler, ‘this must be a tremendously wicked old man, only see how many devils there are around him!”
“’This,’ replied the guide, ‘is the only righteous man in the country and there are seven of the biggest devils trying to turn him out of his path and they all cannot do it’”

A silly little story but so thought provoking. I think everyone in this room is like this old man. The devil can try his best and send his worst but we will come out strong. Here’s the question that can lead us into our discussion, what does that man do to keep him strong enough to withstand 7 big devils day in and day our? Yea sure we have all our favorite seminary answers (church attendance, prayers, scriptures, blah blah) but I want you to think about your personal life-How? What? Who? Keeps you from succumbing to temptation?

*List responses on board
Testimony of Gospel, Love of Lord, Lords love for me, desire to be obedience, good friends and family, associates etc. The people who surround me on a daily basis inspire me to do better, be better, reach that potential etc. If in your mind you are saying “I wish I had a friend like that” then pay attention, we are going to find out how to get one. But in my life’s experience when you have a problem with something the best way to solve that problem is to look inside yourself instead of looking to others as the problem. So if you want an amazing friend or family members that you are close to you need to be that yourself. And Nephi II and Mormon are going to teach us how to do that.
3 Nephi 1-7 is where we are Here’s the background: Nephi, son of Helaman departs the land 3 Nephi 1:3-4 never to be heard from again. In other words he was probably translated just like Alma the Younger. He gives the records to his son Nephi II which is who this book is named for. In these chapters the signs of Christ Birth occur and righteous are spared death but wickedness abounds still. As we go some righteous go astray, wicked become more wicked but the truly righteous stay strong and they stay strong because they surround themselves with true friends and family and they are true friends themselves.

3 Nephi 1:8 Even though righteous did sorrow they watched steadfastly for signs of times.
*How does this make us a true friend? If we are sharing with each other our beliefs and feelings, that we get from our scripture readings, or spiritual thoughts that we have while hearing of tragedy on the news etc. We are keeping the 2nd coming in our minds. We are preparing each other, reminding one another that it is coming soon.

1:11 Nephi prayed for his friends. Have any of your friends prayed for you? When you know they have or your name has been put in the temple does that not buoy your spirits?

** Ask Janice or Connie things that their friends have done that have lifted their spirits.

The signs of Christ’s birth came, the righteous were saved from death, more people believe.

1:22 Satan sends his devils and tries to spread lies but in the end more people believe and were converted-why? Perhaps the people now felt more confident in baring testimony about Christ’s coming.

*When our lives are touched by signs, whether, personal or worldwide I hope that we can bare testimony of these things.

2:12 The righteous Lamanites and Nephites banded together to fight evil-How long has it been since we banded together with our neighbors for a righteous cause?
*We are doing pretty well. The Party the Wilson’s threw and invited the whole neighborhood member, and nonmember, was a great success. A lot of good can come from get-togethers like that.

Chpt. 3- In this chap Giddanhi- Gadianton Robbers leader write to Lachoneus, governor of the land, and try to persuade him to surrender homes, goods, lives(that aren’t theirs) so they won’t be destroyed
*This reminds us of how satan works in our lives he uses his devils to pull us down by just trying to get us to give in to the smallest things and by so doing can be over run and destroyed anyway. Good thing we are as strong as Lachoneus and we don’t fall for all satan's lies.

3:12 Lachoneus cannot be frightened by demands of robbers, he ignores the letter and goes to the people and 1st of all cries that they should pray for strength.
*We will see Lachoneus is a great leader and friend, someone you want to be like and surround yourself with. His righteousness makes him fearless.
*When your friends come to you for advice and help do you suggest prayer to be the 1st thing to do? Or do you have a list of other advice 1st?

3:13 He suggests they gather all things that will sustain them and gather to 1 central place.
*Can standing together in Holy places strengthen us?
3:14 he suggests fortifications-what kind of fortifications can we help our friends with? A partner to walk with, a place to go amidst struggle, (your home), how about taking your friend to the temple?
3:25 The members (we) dwell in 1 body and 1 mind, we repent and fortify thus having Lords strength to beat our 7 devils off from around us (see story at beginning)
*now Ch 4 and for several years later they spend that time fighting off Gadianton Robbers, continually beating them. Finally when it was all over what did these friends do?
4: 29-33
V29 prayed (cried), rejoiced v30with 1 voice- meaning no one was off in a corner sulking or feeling sorry for themselves, they were all participating in that praying and rejoicing. V31 they all sang-even if they had bad singing voices. V33 They were grateful –all were grateful.
*As friends we need to uplift and strengthen, pray together, sing as one in church-we can be grateful. I have great friends who are constantly reminding me to be grateful for this and that. Do we vent with our friends? Yea, sometimes we do, and that is okay but we need to make sure that we should go over all the things we should be grateful. Leave them uplifted instead of in a rampage.
*I have a great friend, we vent to each other often about kids but always at the end she’s so good to remind me you have great kids stop complaining, they could be so much worse you know! Thanks to her my heart is softened and I let go of my pride. Oh that we could all be friends like that!
Chap 5 Because of all these great friendships v1&3, not one soul among those doubted God and Gospel and they did serve all day and night with diligence-(never stopping) in callings and each other that’s what true friends do.
*Mormon inserts a little about himself and this record right here but we are bypassing that this time.
On to chp 6:3 these nephites then offer lands and work to those robbers that entered into a covenant with them to keep peace. They forgave the very people who were trying to rob and kill them and not only forgave but took them into their own circles.
6:13 which kind of friend would you want? One who had pride, rubbed things in your face, and had revenge on their minds? Or one who would let offending comments wash off their backs and forgive and humble themselves.
*Well if you’d choose 2nd one which one should you be?
6:14 As friends we also need to be firm steadfast, and immoveable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of God.
* if you had a friend that told you every year they could get you free flowers for your yard, how many times of them not following through would it take for you not to believe them? Flowers are a poor example when compared with the gospel and living and keeping the commandments but that gives us an idea of how we should be with everything in our lives, including to the Lord. FIRM, STEADFAST, AND IMMOVEABLE

Ch7 the chief judge is murdered
V2 people are divided up they break off into families and friends because the govt. was destroyed. They go back to the tribal system.
*Are you close enough and have the same enough values as your closest friends and family that you would thrive like this? The tribes were not one in heart or mind but just lived life.

Nephi II was a friend until the end, preaching, performing miracles, baptizing and he never gave up. Those things are the things that make a true friend. We are getting many more new friends this week with our boundary change. What kind of friends do you want? Then what kind of friend are you willing to be? Will we be the king of friend that satan has to send 7 devils to to bring us down? Or can our whole ward be managed by 1 small one? The time is growing short for us just as it was the Nephites to make up our minds when the Lord comes on the morrow. Will He be able to call us his friends? What are we willing to do to be that? I’m striving to be one of His friends and I hope you are as well and it all starts here in our ward, of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ AMEN.