joani's Easter lesson
In the front of my Book of Mormon i have some statistics written so they will be readily available when i teach a class.
references to names and titles of Christ in the BofM 3,925
number of verses in the BofM 6,607
number of verses per reference to Christ 1.68
next, pres. packer's article in this month's ensign page 15-16 specifically (the whole article is awesome) he states that the word atonement is only used once in the New Testament "but the word atone in form and tense appears 39 times in the Book of Mormon."
i added that bit of information to my title page. i always write in my scriptures because i probably will not have my notebook with me at any given time. nor will i be able to find said notebook at any given time because i did not receive mom's "paper organization gene" unfortunately.
our understanding of the fall that we could have mortal bodies and our need for agency that we could be tested. adam and eve were brave enough to partake of the fruit and so take on mortality and all the good and hard things that entails: sickness and disease--physical death. sin and separation from our Father--spiritual death.
the condescension of Christ. i love thinking of his love for us and his trust in mary and joseph. really? he is the creator of this world and others, God's anointed, the Jehovah of the OT and nephi is praying to him in 3Nephi 1 saying that we are going to be killed tomorrow if the sign of your birth doesn't take place. i always think of disney's "alladin, of the lamp", when the genie says "unlimited power of the universe, in a little tiny living space." Christmas eve on this continent Christ committed (again) to nephi that the next day he would come to earth as a baby, born in a stable to save them and ultimately all of us.
he willingly gave up the "fun" part of doing His Father's will--creating worlds, etc. (there had to be some status and respect that came with that job) to come down here to live with man, have them not believe Him or even value Him. after all his teachings and miracles they kill Him in the most painful and ignominious manner known to man. it is amazing to me!
how can i complain about anything? all these things give me experience. 2 Nephi 2. how am i doing? i ask my classes what is the most life alternating thing that can happen to you. we write them on the board look them over and decide which one wins. it's not marriage or kids or going on a mission or thru the temple. i vote it's death. now you're breathing--now you're not. then i have them look up alma 34:32-34, particularly 34 "you cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that i will repent, that i will return to my God. nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
if death, an external force cannot change me then there is no external force that can. that is why God asks me not to procrastinate the day of my repentance until the end. . . i need to daily become the person i want to be--worthy to be in my Father's presence.
the last time i visited with rob he told me he had a lot of time to think and he had been thinking about the atonement. he was amazed that it had so much to do with every aspect of his life--he had never really realized it. he knew about the big picture and knew that he couldn't fully grasp it, but it was in the smallest details of his life also as he prayed that the pain would ease just enough that he could rest. that he would have peace of mind concerning his family. he was so accepting of God's will in his life.
i am so grateful for the atonement in my life. that Christ loves me so much that He was willing to take upon himself my sins my pain. that i get to be with Him and our Father in Heaven again with the people i love the most--my family.
again, good luck joani, you will do a great job!
ps. the missionaries said to look up elder hollands talk "missionary work and the atonement"
love you, le anne
references to names and titles of Christ in the BofM 3,925
number of verses in the BofM 6,607
number of verses per reference to Christ 1.68
next, pres. packer's article in this month's ensign page 15-16 specifically (the whole article is awesome) he states that the word atonement is only used once in the New Testament "but the word atone in form and tense appears 39 times in the Book of Mormon."
i added that bit of information to my title page. i always write in my scriptures because i probably will not have my notebook with me at any given time. nor will i be able to find said notebook at any given time because i did not receive mom's "paper organization gene" unfortunately.
our understanding of the fall that we could have mortal bodies and our need for agency that we could be tested. adam and eve were brave enough to partake of the fruit and so take on mortality and all the good and hard things that entails: sickness and disease--physical death. sin and separation from our Father--spiritual death.
the condescension of Christ. i love thinking of his love for us and his trust in mary and joseph. really? he is the creator of this world and others, God's anointed, the Jehovah of the OT and nephi is praying to him in 3Nephi 1 saying that we are going to be killed tomorrow if the sign of your birth doesn't take place. i always think of disney's "alladin, of the lamp", when the genie says "unlimited power of the universe, in a little tiny living space." Christmas eve on this continent Christ committed (again) to nephi that the next day he would come to earth as a baby, born in a stable to save them and ultimately all of us.
he willingly gave up the "fun" part of doing His Father's will--creating worlds, etc. (there had to be some status and respect that came with that job) to come down here to live with man, have them not believe Him or even value Him. after all his teachings and miracles they kill Him in the most painful and ignominious manner known to man. it is amazing to me!
how can i complain about anything? all these things give me experience. 2 Nephi 2. how am i doing? i ask my classes what is the most life alternating thing that can happen to you. we write them on the board look them over and decide which one wins. it's not marriage or kids or going on a mission or thru the temple. i vote it's death. now you're breathing--now you're not. then i have them look up alma 34:32-34, particularly 34 "you cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that i will repent, that i will return to my God. nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
if death, an external force cannot change me then there is no external force that can. that is why God asks me not to procrastinate the day of my repentance until the end. . . i need to daily become the person i want to be--worthy to be in my Father's presence.
the last time i visited with rob he told me he had a lot of time to think and he had been thinking about the atonement. he was amazed that it had so much to do with every aspect of his life--he had never really realized it. he knew about the big picture and knew that he couldn't fully grasp it, but it was in the smallest details of his life also as he prayed that the pain would ease just enough that he could rest. that he would have peace of mind concerning his family. he was so accepting of God's will in his life.
i am so grateful for the atonement in my life. that Christ loves me so much that He was willing to take upon himself my sins my pain. that i get to be with Him and our Father in Heaven again with the people i love the most--my family.
again, good luck joani, you will do a great job!
ps. the missionaries said to look up elder hollands talk "missionary work and the atonement"
love you, le anne
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