Learner Readiness
Over the years I have asked myself this question: Do I ever get this feeling that I have the gospel all neatly bound and packaged? That either I have the answer to all pertinent gospel questions and I just don't think about the those areas that don't conform to my nicely packaged paradigm. When it comes to the doctrine of Christ there seems to be many levels. There is the general level but as we go deeper there are more personal levels.
Dallin Oaks touches on aspects of the doctrine of Christ that bids me to go deeper, taking perhaps a more critical look at my life and my current progress back to God --- if I chose to do so. If I choose to seek.
Learner Involvement and Application
- What has He done for us?
Read A
A - At a stake conference many years ago, I met a woman who said she had been asked to come back to church after many years away but could not think of any reason why she should. To encourage her I said, “When you consider all of the things the Savior has done for us, don’t you have many reasons to come back to church to worship and serve Him?” I was astonished at her reply: “What’s He done for me?” For those who do not understand what our Savior has done for us, I will answer that question in His own words and with my own testimony.
Say: The rest of Elder Oakes' talk are Christ's words and Elder Oakes' own testimony.
My hope today is for each of you to consider what the Savior has done for you, individually. I also want to discover ways that for each of us to more abundantly feast on our Saviors love.
- Doing the Will of the Father
Read B
B - Always, Jesus honored the Father and followed Him. Even as a youth He declared to His earthly parents, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). “For I came down from heaven,” He later taught, “not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38; see also John 5:19). And the Savior taught, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6; see also Matthew 11:27).
Q: What does this mean? (no man cometh unto the Father, but by me)?
Read C
C - We return to the Father by doing His will. Jesus taught, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). He explained:
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22–23).
Who then will enter the kingdom of heaven? Not those who merely do wonderful works using the name of the Lord, Jesus taught, but only “he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Say: Let's discuss what the will of the Father for all man.
Q: How could it be possible for a man to prophecy in Christ's name, cast out devils and to many wonderful works and yet not be doing the will of the Father? How could this be?
Read D, verse 41 only.
Q: How does this verse help us understand, the phrase, "depart from me, I never knew you".
Q: How does this verse help us understand, the phrase, "depart from me, I never knew you".
D 2 Nephi 9:41-43 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.
Q: What does it mean to be the keep of the gate?
42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.
Q: How does this verse help us understand, the phrase, "depart from me, I never knew you"?
Q: What is the will of the Father?
43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.
Q: What is hid from who doesn't come unto Christ in the depths of humility?
-The Great Exemplar
Read E
E - Jesus showed us how to do this. Again and again He invited us to follow Him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
Q: Any thoughts on this?
-Focus on Eternal Life
Read F
F He also challenges us to focus on Him, not on the things of the world. In His great sermon on the bread of life, Jesus explained the contrast between mortal and eternal nourishment. “Labour not for the meat which perisheth,” He said, “but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you” (John 6:27). The Savior taught that He was the Bread of Life, the source of eternal nourishment. Speaking of the mortal nourishment the world offered, including the manna Jehovah had sent to feed the children of Israel in the wilderness, Jesus taught that those who relied on this bread were now dead (see John 6:49). In contrast, the nourishment He offered was “the living bread which came down from heaven,” and, Jesus taught, “if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever” (John 6:51).
Some of His disciples said this was “an hard saying,” and from that time many of His followers “went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:60, 66). Apparently they did not accept His earlier teaching that they should “seek … first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). Even today some who profess Christianity are more attracted to the things of the world—the things that sustain life on earth but give no nourishment toward eternal life. For some, His “hard saying” is still a reason not to follow Christ.
Q: What is the hard saying that Jesus said? (have faith only on Him, focus only on Him)
2 N 31:19 ... Nay, for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of Him who is mighty to save.
Q: Are these easy sayings for us or hard sayings for us?
-Challenge and Testimony
Read G
G Jesus issued the challenge “What think ye of Christ?” (Matthew 22:42). The Apostle Paul challenged the Corinthians to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). All of us should answer these challenges for ourselves. Where is our ultimate loyalty? Are we like the Christians in Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s memorable description who have moved their residence to Zion but still try to keep a second residence in Babylon?1
There is no middle ground. We are followers of Jesus Christ. Our citizenship is in His Church and His gospel, and we should not use a visa to visit Babylon or act like one of its citizens. We should honor His name, keep His commandments, and “seek not the things of this world but seek … first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33, footnote a; from Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 6:38).
Read H
H Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten and Beloved Son of God. He is our Creator. He is the Light of the World. He is our Savior from sin and death. This is the most important knowledge on earth, and you can know this for yourself, as I know it for myself. The Holy Ghost, who testifies of the Father and the Son and leads us into truth, has revealed these truths to me, and He will reveal them to you. The way is desire and obedience. As to desire, Jesus taught, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). As to obedience, He taught, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17). I testify of the truth of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen
Conclusion
Say: Brethren, as I actively seek, I have movement in my life. But, as I move from grace to grace, weaknesses that I didn't know were so abhorrent to God become awful to me. Every time this happens, my soul is racked. As I go through the process of repentance my soul is pained no more. This process requires exertion on our part. It also requires looking to our Savior for mercy. This is all we can do.
2 N 9:18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be fullforever.
D 2 Nephi 9:41-43 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.
42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them. 43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.
