Purpose
To better understand that (1) we are children of God, (2) we can resist Satan’s temptations, and (3) God’s work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.
Scriptures
Additional Reading
Lesson Resources
- Teacher's Manual
- Class Member Study Guide
- Meridian Magazine
- LDS Living
- Brother Beardall's Outline
- James E Neumann Institute
- BYU Study Series
Additional Video
Additional Talks
- Boyd K. Packer, "The Mystery of Life," Ensign, Nov. 1983
- Neal A. Maxwell, "Premortality, a Glorious Reality," Ensign, Nov. 1985
- Christoffel Golden Jr., "Our Father's Plan," Ensign, Nov. 2001
- Marion G. Romney, "We Are the Children of God," Ensign, Sept. 1984
- Bruce R. McConkie, "Christ and the Creation," Ensign, June 1982
- Henry D. Taylor, "The Right to Choose," Ensign, May 1976
- Bruce R. McConkie, "God Foreordains His Prophet and His People," Ensign, May 1974
- Donald Q. Cannon, Larry E. Dahl and John W. Welch, "The Restoration of Major Doctrines through Joseph Smith: The Godhead, Mankind, and the Creation," Ensign, Jan. 1989
- Delbert L. Stapley, "Using Our Free Agency," Ensign, May 1975
- ElRay L. Christiansen, "Power Over Satan," Ensign, Nov. 1974
- M. Russell Ballard, "Answers to Life's Question," Ensign, May 1995
- Marion G. Romney, "Man—A Child of God," Ensign, July 1973
9 comments:
Thanks for posting the Gospel Doctrine thread once again! I have been studying this lesson for the past couple hours. I have many thoughts and feelings inside but I think they are best expressed through the link to the song that I am going to post. Hope you can follow my thought process and how the song relates to the lesson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHANOO2vq3E
mamalori
Thanks for the video. It is an amazing fact, isn't it... that we are daughters of God.
I remember attending a TOFW with Kate. The speaker was John Bytheway and I was struck in a new way by the fact that God is our Father... He talked about how in genealogy we have all of these huge pedigree sheets that show our ancestors for generations and how the reality is that we can write our spiritual pedigree on the back of a business card. Heavenly Father -> Us.
I heard John Bytheway say that in a talk and I was moved as well - my husband is very into our genealogy and although I love to hear about his research it sometimes confuses and give me a headache trying to figure out the connection - I much prefer God > us
A couple of thoughts this morning...
I love when Moses says to Satan, "Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?"
I find it interesting that Moses had to command Satan three times to leave before he leaves - and it is only when he commands him in the name of Christ that it happens. It reminds me of Peter walking on the water. He walks back to the boat with no problem - because he does it with the power of the Savior. I hate it when people say we are never given things that are too hard for us to handle. That is a lie. We are often given things too hard for us to handle - alone. I have to remember to utilize the power of the Savior in my life. I cannot get rid of Satan in my life without the Savior. I cannot pray to my Heavenly Father, but in His name. As Moses said, "man is nothing." Yes, I am a daughter of God, but without Him - his power, his atonement, his love, I am nothing. It is interesting to contemplate this seeming dichotomy...
Another thought...
One of my stake presidency members, President Geary, recently spoke of Heavenly Father's work and glory. He pointed out that Heavenly Father is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. He knows all, sees all and can do all things. Of COURSE His work and glory is to help us come to where He is.
I loved that thought.
President Harold B. Lee: "It is a wonderful thing for us in our younger years to remember what old age brings. Chauncey Depew, a United States Congressman, was asked on his ninetieth birthday about his philosophy of life. He replied that when he was a young man his greatest ambition had been to display his intelligence, but the older he grew the greater was his anxiety to conceal his ignorance. It was indeed the beginning of learning when Moses said, after the great and soul-stirring revelation of the personality of God, 'Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.' (Moses 1:10.) That was in the beginning of his wisdom." (Stand Ye In Holy Places, p198-199)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote that Moses’ statement “surely was not a reflection on man, ‘God’s greatest miracle,’ but a placing of man in the vast perspective of God’s creations and a realizing, even so, that we are God’s exclusive work and his greatest glory”
I love the following quote by President Hinckley. It was the best part of the lesson for me. " Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: … ‘In doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord’ (D&C 81:4)”
mamalori
# What did Moses learn about God from the experiences described in Moses 1:1–7? What did Moses learn about himself?
I think the most important thing that Moses learns is that he is a son of God. He has characteristics of his Heavenly Father
# Why do you think Satan called Moses “son of man”?
This is a great example of one of Satan's most successful half-truths. By telling Moses that he is a son of man, Satan is denying his eternal relationship with God. He is trying to confuse Moses and I think that he wants us all to forget where we really came from. These scriptures are some of the most amazing to me. Because it shows us what to do with the temptations of Satan. It shows us that in order to overcome them we need to remember who we really are! I love when Moses answers Satan..."For behold, I am a son of God"... I think that is an amazing thing to remember as we are tested and tried in this life. WE ARE DAUGHTERS OF A HEAVENLY FATHER WHO LOVES US AND WE LOVE HIM!
pitterpatterchildren
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