If we feast upon the words of Christ, we can know all things that we should do.
3 aAngels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, bfeast upon the cwords of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will dtell you all things what ye should do.
Doctrinal Mastery--Aquiring Spiritual Knowledge: God is the Source of All Truth
1. God knows all things and is the source of all truth (see Mosiah 4:9). Because our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to progress toward becoming like Him, He has encouraged us to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118). In our search for truth, we can trust Him completely, relying on His wisdom, His love, and His power to teach and bless us. God has promised to reveal truth to our minds and hearts through the Holy Ghost if we will diligently seek Him (see D&C 8:2–3).
2. To help us, Heavenly Father has taught us how to acquire spiritual knowledge. He has established the conditions we must follow in order to gain such knowledge. God’s divinely ordained pattern requires that we have an honest desire to know the truth (see Moroni 10:4–5) and are willing to live according to that which He has revealed (see John 7:17). Our sincere desire will lead us to seek truth through prayer (see James 1:5–6; 2 Nephi 32:8–9) and to diligently study the word of God (see 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Nephi 32:3).
- What do you think is the difference between reading casually and “feast[ing] upon the words of Christ” (2 Nephi 32:3)?
Nephi used the phrase “the words of Christ” to describe teachings inspired by the Holy Ghost. List some ways or places you can read, hear, or receive teachings inspired by the Holy Ghost.
The words of Christ include the scriptures and the words of modern-day prophets. To help you ponder what it might mean to “feast upon the words of Christ,” read the following quotations:
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “To feast means more than to taste. To feast means to savor. We savor the scriptures by studying them in a spirit of delightful discovery and faithful obedience. When we feast upon the words of Christ, they … become an integral part of our nature” (“Living by Scriptural Guidance,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 17).
Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “If you and I are to feast upon the words of Christ, we must study the scriptures and absorb His words through pondering them and making them a part of every thought and action” (“Healing Soul and Body,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 15).
- In your scripture study journal, write in your own words what you think it means to feast upon the words of Christ.
Ponder the difference between the words feast, snack, and starve. Think for a moment about how some less-effective ways of studying the words of Christ might be compared to snacking or even starving.
Fill in the rest of the following principle according to 2 Nephi 32:3: When we feast on the words of Christ, the words of Christ will __________________.
- In your scripture study journal, either write about a time when feasting on the words of Christ helped you know what to do in your life or describe a situation you now face where feasting on the words of Christ could help you.
Fill in the blanks below to evaluate how well you are feasting on the words of Christ and how you might improve. In each of the examples below, write the word—feast, snack, or starve—that best describes how well you seek to know the words of Christ in that setting. For example, you might feast on the scriptures in your personal study but only snack on the words of Christ in general conference.
Personal scripture study: _____________________
Sacrament meeting: ___________________
General conference: __________________
Family scripture study: ___________________
Seminary: _____________________
Family home evening: ____________________
Aaronic Priesthood quorum meeting or Young Women class: _______________
Sunday School: ______________________
Personal prayer: ______________________
- Take a moment to choose one of the activities for which you wrote that you currently “snack” or “starve.” In your scripture study journal, write how you will better feast on the words of Christ in that setting. Then follow through and do it.
Book of Mormon Central
General Conference
A Sure Foundation, Bishop Davies
The Blessing of Scripture, Elder Christofferson
Feasting Upon the Words of Christ, Elder Wada of the Seventy
No comments:
Post a Comment