rel200_CaseStudy3
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Apr 3, 2024
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Eternal Family
REL 200C
Case Study #3
Before Class
Step 1:
Review the following required readings for Proclamation paragraph 3 and answer the questions below.
Talks:
Why Ordinances and Covenants Matter
– ChurchofJesusChrist.org
Why the Covenant Path
– Elder D. Todd Christofferson
With the Power of God and Great Glory
– Elder David A. Bednar
Questions (You will probably need 1-2 paragraphs to answer the questions sufficiently):
Explain how covenants and ordinances are different, and how they are interrelated.
Covenants are agreements or promises made between two parties, often between God and
individuals or a community. These agreements typically involve mutual obligations and
responsibilities. Ordinances are rituals by religious traditions. They are symbolic acts that show spiritual truths and serve as expressions of faith. Certain ordinances are seen as manifestations of covenants between individuals and God.
What becomes available to us through worthy covenant-making and participating in priesthood ordinances? (Provide at least 1 quote
and 1 scripture
in your response.)
“Thus, in the ordinances of the holy priesthood, the power of godliness is manifest in the lives of all who make and keep covenants with God.” - Elder David A. Bednar Through Covenant making and ordinances, we individuals often believe they gain access to blessings, guidance, and spiritual growth.
What is the next ordinance you will participate in? How could you make it a more sacred and meaningful experience? What is the next “saving” ordinance on the covenant path for you?
I’m unsure what my next ordinance will be. I think I’ll know through my connection with god when I should do an ordinance. When I do approach my next ordinance I will show reverence and keep it sacred. Step 2:
Read the following teaching of Elder Neil L. Andersen to help you respond to the prompts below.
Eternal Family
REL 200C
The Lord has long anticipated this important period of human history. He knows the end from the beginning. The Savior has assured us in our day, “Be of good cheer, and
do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”
As we find our way in a world less attentive to the commandments of God, we will certainly be prayerful, but we need not be overly alarmed. The Lord will bless His Saints with the added spiritual power necessary to meet the challenges of our day.
Here is my major theme this morning: As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they
are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.
To understand better, think of these comparisons: If the world were growing more physically dark, He could give us enhanced night vision. If loud noises were constantly in our ears, He could give us a filtering mechanism to block the unwanted sound. If the race we were running was extended, He could give us increased lung and muscle capacity. If the exam we were taking was more difficult, He could quicken our minds—a blessing many here at BYU would like to receive.
My brothers and sisters, as evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory power, an additional spiritual endowment, a revelatory gift for the righteous.
This added blessing of spiritual power does not settle upon us just because we are part of this generation. It is willingly offered to us; it is eagerly put before us. But as with all spiritual gifts, it requires our desiring it, pursuing it, and living worthy of receiving it. “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?”
Faith is the muscle of spiritual knowledge and power. Faith is a spiritual gift of God, but it is developed and magnified as we eagerly pursue our journey of embracing and following the Savior.
Questions (You will probably need 1-2 paragraphs to answer the questions sufficiently):
1.
How would you define “compensatory power” considering the context in Elder Andersen’s teaching above?
Compensatory power refers to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can receive strengths and blessings. We can progress spiritually and gain “Power” as we progress. It can compensate for human limitations and weaknesses, giving us strength. 2.
List at least three ways how what Nephi taught in 1 Nephi 14:12-14 is like Elder Andersen’s insight. (Provide the scriptural phrase
and verse number
for all three.)
Teaching
Scriptural Phrase
Verse Number
Prevalence of opposition and “I beheld that the great mother of 1 Nephi 14:13
Eternal Family
REL 200C
contention against the Church and its teachings.
abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth”
Importance of maintaining faith and righteousness despite these challenges.
“beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations”
1 Nephi 14:12
Highlight the power and blessings that come to those who remain faithful to the teachings of the Lamb of God
“and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.”
1 Nephi 14:14
3.
How does one gain access to this “compensatory power” or “spiritual endowment”?
Accessing the "compensatory power" or "spiritual endowment" often involves a combination of personal effort, faith, and adherence to principles taught in religious teachings.
By actively seeking to align our lives with these principles and practices, we can cultivate a deeper connection to the divine and access the compensatory power and spiritual endowment promised by God. During and After Class
Step 3:
Complete one of the following
Case Studies by pondering the scenario and responding to the prompts for
that scenario.
Scenario Options:
Scenario A: Is Baptism (etc.) Really Necessary?
After graduating from BYU-Idaho you take a job that lands you and your new family in a lovely town in southern Florida. You love everything about your new job, including your energetic coworkers, many of whom you've learned are Evangelical Christians. Lately, now that they have gotten to know you, these coworkers have been regularly engaging you in playful religious banter and at times have even thoughtlessly mocked some of your beliefs. Recently they jokingly chided you for believing too much in "works" and too little in the "grace" of Jesus Christ. You protested that Jesus is central to your faith and you're surprised they didn't know that. They retorted that your church only pays lip service to Jesus but does not truly teach that salvation comes by grace through faith, as the Bible says it does.
Feeling a bit annoyed (but not letting it show), you ask them to explain what they mean. One of them named Rick says, "
Mormons believe that as long as they get baptized and keep all the Mormon rules they will be saved—that's called believing in salvation by works. But the Bible is clear that there is nothing that we can do to cause God to save us. Heck, not even baptism is essential.
"
"
Wait a minute
," you say, pondering that last statement. "
You guys don't believe baptism is necessary to be saved? Come on, that's all over the place in the Bible!
" "
Well,
" Rick continues undeterred, "
Baptism might be a nice outward ceremony to show your commitment to God (and we have nothing against people
who do this), but salvation by faith means we are saved when we believe in Christ. Salvation is a free gift from Christ to those who have faith in him—totally independent of our own works, righteousness, or ceremonial actions (like baptism).
"
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