11 Lesson March 10-16 D&C 20-22 The Rise of the Church of Christ
Welcome,
Business, Introductions of Guests
Opening
Prayer
Celebrating
Easter ??? As an
individual, as a family, as a ward and stake
Sharing
Time and Question Time (Explain)
D&C
20–21 – Jesus Christ has restored His Church.
7 Dispensations – 6th Dispensation, Christ established
His Church during His mortal ministry.
Read Matthew 16:15–19
“15
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and
said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto
thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
??? Who and what is the rock?
Read Ephesians 2: 19-20
“19
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with
the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner
stone;”
READ Ephesians 4: 11-13
“11
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work
of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in
the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”
??? Have we “all come in
the unity of the faith?”
READ D&C 20 Section
Heading
“Revelation
on Church organization and government, given through Joseph Smith the Prophet,
at or near Fayette, New York. Portions of this revelation may have been given
as early as summer 1829. The complete revelation, known at the time as the
Articles and Covenants, was likely recorded soon after April 6, 1830 (the day
the Church was organized). The Prophet wrote, “We obtained of Him [Jesus
Christ] the following, by the spirit of prophecy and revelation; which not only
gave us much information, but also pointed out to us the precise day upon
which, according to His will and commandment, we should proceed to organize His
Church once more here upon the earth.”
READ D&C 21: 1-2
“1
Behold, there shall be a record kept among you; and in it thou shalt be called
a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the
church through the will of God the Father, and the grace of your Lord Jesus
Christ, 2 Being inspired of the Holy Ghost to lay the foundation thereof, and
to build it up unto the most holy faith.
???
What is the difference between Priesthood and Priesthood Keys?
Who hold
Priesthood keys? – Ward, Stake, General Authorities
??? For you personally, why do we
need a Church? (Discuss several comments.)
D&C
20:37, 75–79; 22 – Sacred ordinances help me become like the Savior.
Section 20 gives specific wording
for the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament.
READ D&C 20:37
“37
And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of
baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized,
and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the
church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take
upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the
end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of
Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his
church.”
??? In what ways do ordinances help
me become like the Savior?
Think of baptism,
confirmation, the sacrament, the endowment, and sealings
Discuss at length
D&C
20:38–60 – Priesthood service blesses Church members and their families.
READ D&C 20: 38-42
“38
The duty of the elders, priests, teachers, deacons, and members of the church
of Christ—An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize; 39 And to
ordain other elders, priests, teachers, and deacons; 40 And to administer bread
and wine—the emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ— 41 And to confirm those
who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of
fire and the Holy Ghost, according to the scriptures; 42 And to teach, expound,
exhort, baptize, and watch over the church ….”
??? How do individuals
who hold the Priesthood bless you and others?
Discuss
several comments.
D&C
21 – Obeying God’s word through His prophets will give me divine protection.
READ D&C 21: 4-5
“4
Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and
commandments (Joseph Smith, Russell M. Nelson) which he shall give unto you as
he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; 5 For his word ye shall
receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.”
??? What is our
responsibility according to these verses?
??? How do we know when
the prophet is teaching inspired concepts/doctrine?
READ D&C 21: 6 & 9
“6
For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea,
and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and
cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory. … 9 For,
behold, I will bless all those who labor in my vineyard with a mighty blessing,
and they shall believe on his words, which are given him through me by the
Comforter, which manifesteth that Jesus was crucified by sinful men for the
sins of the world, yea, for the remission of sins unto the contrite heart.”
??? According to these
verses what are some of the promised blessings?
Handout # 1 (5 copies)
Elder
D. Todd Christopherson shared some blessings that come from getting on and
staying on the covenant path.
“1.
First is the nature of our obedience to God. More than simply having
good intentions, we solemnly commit to live by every word that proceeds forth
from the mouth of God. In this, we follow the example of Jesus Christ … We feel
accountable to God for our choices and our lives. We take upon us the name of
Christ. We are focused on Christ—on being valiant in the testimony of Jesus and
on developing the character of Christ.
2. A
second unique aspect of the covenant path is our relationship with Deity.
The covenants God offers to His children do more than guide us. They bind us to
Him, and, bound to Him, we can overcome all things.
3. [Third,]
God provides an almost incomprehensible gift to help covenant-makers be
covenant-keepers: the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift is the right to the
constant companionship, protection, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Also known
as the Comforter, the Holy Spirit “filleth with hope and perfect love.”
4. Fourth,
those pursuing the covenant path also find singular blessings in various divinely
appointed gatherings. [Gathering of Israel on both sides of veil. Gathering
in sacrament meeting and other meetings.] The covenant people also gather to
the temple, the house of the Lord, to obtain the ordinances, blessings, and
revelation uniquely available there.
5.
Finally, it is only in pursuing the covenant path that we inherit the
blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ultimate blessings of salvation
and exaltation that only God can give.”
Handout # 2 – Some teaching of President Russell M. Nelson
A Few of the Teachings of President Russell M. Nelson: Prophet, Seer and Revelator (2018-2024)
“In coming days, it will not be possible to survive
spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence
of the Holy Ghost.” (April 2018)
“…Construction of these temples may not change your
life, but your time in the temple surely will. … I bless you to identify those
things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple. I bless you
with greater harmony and love in your homes and a deeper desire to care for
your eternal family relationships. I bless you with increased faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ and a greater ability to follow Him as His true disciples.” (April
2018)
“Ultimately, we realize that only the comprehension of
the true Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood
of men and the true sisterhood of women. That understanding inspires us with
passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of
segregation.” (August 2018)
“For many years, Church leaders have been working on
an integrated curriculum to strengthen families and individuals through a
home-centered and Church-supported plan to learn doctrine, strengthen faith,
and foster greater personal worship.” (October 2018) – Come Follow Me.
“We hope and pray that each member’s home will become
a true sanctuary of faith, where the Spirit of the Lord may dwell.” (April
2019)
“Jesus Christ directed us to call the Church by His
name because it is His Church, filled with His power.” The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints “My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that
if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He
whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of
the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. (October 2018)
“As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our
efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and
consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His
truths.” (April 2020)
“Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are
you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life?” (October
2020)
“Faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available
to us in this life. All things are possible to them that believe.” (April 2021)
“Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual
foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you
are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His
power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong
because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.” (October 2021)
“Every person who has made covenants with God has
promised to care about others and serve those in need.” (April 2022)
“The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples
build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the
situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.” (April 2023)
“When you are confronted with a dilemma, think
celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones
let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial.
When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the
pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! As you recover from an
accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial! ... As you focus on
thinking celestial, expect to encounter opposition.” (October 2023)
“The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on
both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will
help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!” (October 2024)
Testimony
Closing Prayer
Celestial Beings from
Beyond the Grave Who Visited Joseph Smith
Jesus Christ – at least 9
recorded visits to Joseph Smith, sometimes with God The Father.
1. Adam
2. Abraham
Father Adam, Abraham, and Alvin
(Joseph’s brother) appeared to the Prophet in a vision recorded in D&C 137.
3. Seth
4. Enoch
5. Isaac
6. Jacob
John Taylor taught that Joseph
received visitations from Seth, Enoch, Isaac, Jacob, and unnamed others.
7. Raphael – In D&C 128, the
angels Raphael and Gabriel appeared to instruct the Prophet Joseph.
8. Gabriel (Noah)
9. Moses
10. Elias
11. Elijah
In 1836, Moses, Elias and Elijah
appeared to Joseph and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple to restore keys.
12. John the Baptist
13. Peter
14. James
15. John (and possibly other New
Testament Apostles, according to John Taylor—JD, 21:94)
John the Baptist, Peter, James,
and John all appeared to restore the priesthoods to Joseph.
16. Paul (perhaps, judging from
Joseph Smith’s thorough description of him in TPJS, p. 180)
17. Nephi
18. Mormon
Orson Pratt said that Joseph
often received visits from Nephi and Mormon, among other scriptural figures.
19. Alma (perhaps, as well as
other Book of Mormon prophets, according to George Q. Cannon—JD, 13:47)
20. The three Nephites (and
possibly other Nephite Apostles, according to John Taylor—JD, 21:94)
21. Moroni
22. Unnamed angels at a meeting
on January 21, 1836
23. Many angels at the
dedication of the Kirtland Temple, March 27, 1836
24. Many angels, not
specifically identified, as noted in Doctrine and Covenants 128:20-21. That
scripture notes the voices (meaning visits) of Moroni, Michael, and Peter,
James, and John. It also speaks of “the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and
of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring
their dispensations, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and
glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon
precept; here a little and there a little.”
