Introduction to the Book of Mormon

Sunday School: Introduction to the Book of Mormon

http://lds.org/general-conference/1986/10/the-book-of-mormon-keystone-of-our-religion?lang=eng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-_3CbLE9nk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wvl2HmTv_U&feature=related

These are links for an introduction to the Book of Mormon.  The first is a talk from President Benson.  The second is a movie and the third a song.  I want everyone to know that I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  It is a book of God and will bring us closer to Christ.  It is the keystone of our church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ac3tWeV3I 

I wanted to share this last link from Elder Holland.  This is his testimony of the Book of Mormon.  Again I testify that this is a true book.  I pray tat you take the time to study it, ponder what you read, and ask God if it is not a true book.  It will change your life.   There was a long scripture we didn't get to in class today, which is a vision Mormon had of our day.
Mormon 8

 25 And behold, their ^aprayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth.

 26 And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for ^aout of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it shall be said that ^bmiracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak ^cfrom the dead.

 27 And it shall come in a day when the ^ablood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret ^bcombinations and the works of darkness.

 28 Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be ^adenied, and ^bchurches become defiled and be ^clifted up in the pride of their hearts; yea, even in a day when leaders of churches and teachers shall rise in the pride of their hearts, even to the envying of them who belong to their churches.

 29 Yea, it shall come in a day when ^athere shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and ^bvapors of smoke in foreign lands;

 30 And there shall also be heard of ^awars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places.

 31 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great ^apollutionsupon the face of the earth; there shall be ^bmurders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it ^cmattereth not, for the Lord will ^duphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the ^egall of bitterness and in the ^fbonds of iniquity.

 32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be ^achurches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.

 33 O ye wicked and perverse and ^astiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get ^bgain? Why have ye ^ctransfiguredthe holy word of God, that ye might bring ^ddamnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the ^erevelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled.

 34 Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

 35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

 36 And I know that ye do ^awalk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not ^blift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of ^cvery fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

 37 For behold, ye do love ^amoney, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

 38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ^aashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that ^bmisery which never dies—because of the ^cpraise of the world?

 39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

 40 Yea, why do ye build up your ^asecret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

  41 Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the ^ablood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.

Old Testament: Joseph of Egypt

The last two weeks for Sunday School we have examined the Life of Joseph.  Here is a man who had much trial, but that trial lead to great blessings for his family.  He was despised of his brothers, and they intended to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery.  In Egypt God prospered him, but because he did not give in to temptation from Potiphar's wife, he was sent to prison.  There again he prospered.  He interpreted the dream of the baker and the butler.  The butler, who was restored to his position, forgot to mention Joseph to others so he might be rescued from prison.  He anguished two long years more, until Pharoah had a dream.  Joseph was called upon to interpret, and as a result became the second only to Pharoah in all the land.  Also, because of the dream they planned, and were prepared for the coming years of famine.  Egypt prospered, as did Joseph.  When his family came to buy corn, he was in a position to save his family.
His life exemplifies the poem "The Weaver". 


My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.  [He knows what they should be]

Oftimes He weaveth sorrow,
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I, the underside.

Not till the loom in silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

- Author Unknown
 
The enclosed films deal mostly with sexual fidelity.  These are the films linked through the lesson manual online. 
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-08-2340-these-things-are-an-abomination?category=book-of-mormon/alma-helaman&&lang=eng
These Things are an Abomination: deals with the question of why to remain pure sexually

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-12-0150-within-bounds?category=topics/standards&&lang=eng
Within Bounds comparing skiing to sexual purity

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-01-03-come-what-may-and-love-it?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2009&&lang=eng
"Come What May, and Love It" Joseph B. Wirthlin


https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-032-joseph-in-egypt?category=old-testament/introduction-deuteronomy&&lang=eng
"Joseph in Egypt" President Benson

https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/i-will-not-fail-thee-nor-forsake-thee?lang=eng
"I Will Not Fail Thee Nor Forsake Thee" President Monson

Sunday School: Introduction to the Book of Mormon

http://lds.org/general-conference/1986/10/the-book-of-mormon-keystone-of-our-religion?lang=eng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-_3CbLE9nk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wvl2HmTv_U&feature=related

These are links for an introduction to the Book of Mormon.  The first is a talk from President Benson.  The second is a movie and the third a song.  I want everyone to know that I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  It is a book of God and will bring us closer to Christ.  It is the keystone of our church. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMWK20vZFwQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ac3tWeV3I 

I wanted to share this last link from Elder Holland.  This is his testimony of the Book of Mormon.  Again I testify that this is a true book.  I pray tat you take the time to study it, ponder what you read, and ask God if it is not a true book.  It will change your life.   There was a long scripture we didn't get to in class today, which is a vision Mormon had of our day. 
Mormon 8

 25 And behold, their ^aprayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth.

 26 And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for ^aout of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it shall be said that ^bmiracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak ^cfrom the dead.

 27 And it shall come in a day when the ^ablood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret ^bcombinations and the works of darkness.

 28 Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be ^adenied, and ^bchurches become defiled and be ^clifted up in the pride of their hearts; yea, even in a day when leaders of churches and teachers shall rise in the pride of their hearts, even to the envying of them who belong to their churches.

 29 Yea, it shall come in a day when ^athere shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and ^bvapors of smoke in foreign lands;

 30 And there shall also be heard of ^awars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places.

 31 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great ^apollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be ^bmurders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it ^cmattereth not, for the Lord will ^duphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the ^egall of bitterness and in the ^fbonds of iniquity.

 32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be ^achurches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.

 33 O ye wicked and perverse and ^astiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get ^bgain? Why have ye ^ctransfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring ^ddamnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the ^erevelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled.

 34 Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

 35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

 36 And I know that ye do ^awalk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not ^blift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of ^cvery fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

 37 For behold, ye do love ^amoney, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

 38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ^aashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that ^bmisery which never dies—because of the ^cpraise of the world?

 39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

 40 Yea, why do ye build up your ^asecret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

  41 Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the ^ablood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.