Note: Small plates and lost pages. Nephi and Moroni separated by 1000 years, and another 1400 years to Joseph, yet Lord prepares a way.

Words of Mormon 1:7
And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.

Note: Elder Holland quote - even as the lord of the vineyard... Deeper meaning of atonement. Bringing back to source - at one ment. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-laborers-in-the-vineyard?lang=eng

Jacob 5:47
But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?

Note: The vineyard = the world The master = Jesus Christ Servants = Lord's prophets Tame Olive Tree = the house of Israel Wild Olive Tree = Gentiles or non-Israel Branches = Groups of People Roots of the tame Olive Tree = the gospel covenant Fruit of the tree = the livesor works of men Digging pruning fertilizing = the Lord's work with his children Transplanting the branches = scattering of groups or restoring them to original place Decaying of branches = wickedness and apostasy Casting the branches into the fire = the judgement of god Ralph e Swiss = ensign 1988 August

Jacob 5:3
For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like unto a tame olive-tree, which a man took and nourished in his vineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay.

Note: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1973/10/ten-keys-to-understanding-isaiah?lang=eng&query=Bruce+r+McConkie+Isaiah+keys

2 Nephi 11:1
And now, Jacob spake many more things to my people at that time; nevertheless only these things have I caused to be written, for the things which I have written sufficeth me.

Note: BoM Institute Student manual says that it's not a lack of charity, but lack of power to save.

2 Nephi 13:7
In that day shall he swear, saying: I will not be a healer; for in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; make me not a ruler of the people.

Note: "To bring the plan of happiness to fruition [fulfillment], God issued to Adam and Eve the first commandment ever given to mankind. It was a commandment to beget children. A law was explained to them. Should they eat from 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' (Genesis 2:17), their bodies would change; mortality and eventual death would come upon them. But partaking of that fruit was prerequisite to their parenthood" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 46; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 34). Elder Nelson

2 Nephi 2:25
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Note: Innocence = no law and no sin

2 Nephi 2:23
And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

Note: Cleave - intransitive verb : to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly synonyms see stick

Matthew 19:5
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

Note: Purpose of meetings

D&C 43:8
And now, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.

Note: Selfless service. No program. Lost themselves in work. Blessing occur when in motion.

Alma 31:37
And after that they did separate themselves one from another, taking no thought for themselves what they should eat, or what they should drink, or what they should put on.

Note: All were previously inactive/desenters

Alma 31:32
O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and also Amulek and Zeezrom and also my two sons—yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ.

Note: This was a reactivation effort

Alma 31:8
Now the Zoramites were dissenters from the Nephites; therefore they had had the word of God preached unto them.

Note: Must have been a trial of faith for nephi to be asked to make a second set of plates. What a lot of work.

1 Nephi 19:3
And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord.

Note: I wonder how good it really was or whether this is just nephi's positive attitude.

1 Nephi 18:23
And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days *we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land.

Note: First directions were again to go to the mountain - temple.

1 Nephi 16:30
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball.

Note: Writing didn't show up at first - it came after they were obedient to the pointers.

1 Nephi 16:26
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.

Note: Mountain = temple

1 Nephi 18:3
And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.

Note: Jerusalem had already fallen in 597. "According to the Babylonian Chronicles[2], he laid siege to Jerusalem, which eventually fell on 2 Adar (March 16) 597 BC." - Wikipedia.org

1 Nephi 17:21
Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

Note:

1 Nephi 17:20
And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.

Note: Lehi's family had a chance to approach before the mist came in. Not everyone had to struggle through the mist?

1 Nephi 8:23
And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.

Note: Not simply asking which to join, but came with intent to act on that knowledge.

JS-History 1:18
My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

Note: Moroni appeared to Joesph Smith 22 times according to history of the church?

Testimony of Joseph Smith
"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.

Note: Does the evidence of him remembering his sins no more matter?

Alma 36:19
And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

Note: You can know by being born of God.

Alma 36:5
Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself;

Note: You can know by being born of God.

Alma 36:5
Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself;

Note: Which is the surer knowledge? Why? Today, even visions are disputed as Chemical imbalances - a piece of bad beef per Dickens. But the spiritual is completely dismissed. But is it real? And how can you know?

Alma 36:4
And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.

Note: Why were people so angry with the people of Ammon?

Alma 35:11
And thus the Zoramites and the Lamanites began to make preparations for war against the people of Ammon, and also against the Nephites.

Note: the people of Ammon had every reasons to fear the Zoramites. They were the buffer between the Ammonites and the Lamanites. The Zoramites were Nephites who had just brought in the Ammonites to protect them from the Lamanites. And they were wealthy.

Alma 35:9
And he breathed out many threatenings against them. And now the people of Ammon did not fear their words; therefore they did not cast them out, but they did receive all the poor of the Zoramites that came over unto them; and they did nourish them, and did clothe them, and did give unto them lands for their inheritance; and they did administer unto them according to their wants.

Note: Re-activation. Everyone of us.

3 Nephi 18:32
Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.

Note: Holiest order of god refers to melchizedek

D&C 84:18
And the Lord confirmed a priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations, which priesthood also continueth and abideth forever with the priesthood which is after the holiest order of God.

Note: Consider 2 boys - one struggles with porn, one weight. We would do everything we could for both, but limits to what we can do. No temple, no high adventure. But are we reaching out equally to both? Are we encouraging both? Are we loving them as the savior?

D&C 38:26
For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just?

Note: Power of godliness is the power to become godly, to exhalt, to stand in presence of God.

D&C 84:21
And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;

Note: Purpose of church

2. Priesthood Principles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized by God to assist in His work to bring to pass the salvation and exaltation of His children. The Church invites all to "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" (Moroni 10:32; see also D&C 20:59). The invitation to come unto Christ pertains to all who have lived, or will ever live, on the earth.