The Savior’s Instructions about the Holy Ghost: John 14:15–17, 26–27; 15:26–27; 16:7–8, 13–14

1.            As you study the following verses, make a list of what the Savior taught about (1) what the Holy Ghost does and (2) what disciples must do to receive the Holy Ghost:

•                John 14:15–17: Jesus said that if His disciples loved Him, they would keep His commandments. The Holy Ghost is another Comforter and is the Spirit of truth.

•                John 14:26–27: The Holy Ghost teaches all things. The Savior said it would bring peace to the disciples and bring the Savior’s words to the disciples’ remembrance. 

•                John 15:26–27: The Holy Ghost testifies of Jesus Christ. He also instructed the disciples to bear witness of Him.

•                John 16:7–8: The Holy Ghost was sent when the Savior died. The Spirit will help rid the world of sin.

•                John 16:13–14: The Holy Ghost is a guide. He directs us to the truth. The Holy Ghost glorifies Christ.

2.            Add to your list as you study the following resources:

•                Institute student manual Points to Ponder, “The Holy Ghost Brings Man to His Fullest Potential” (pg. 167)

The Holy Ghost purifies us. It quickens our intellectual faculties and helps us put the natural man. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity.

•                Institute student manual Points to Ponder, “As a Messenger of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost Teaches Faithful Members” (pg. 168)

The Holy Ghost instructs and enlightens the minds of those who obey the commandments. He reveals the mysteries of God. He is a special messenger from the Father and the Son.

•                Bible Dictionary, “Holy Ghost” (pg. 704)

The Holy Ghost is the way by which we receive a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It sanctifies us from all sin.

3.            Review your list of what the Holy Ghost does. Then write responses to the following tasks:

•                Describe how the Holy Ghost helped the Apostles fulfill their missions after the Savior’s death and resurrection.

The Holy Ghost allowed the apostles to receive their testimonies. It blessed them to know what to say as they taught. It purified and sanctified them. It helped them bring people to Christ. Their mission would not have been fulfilled without the Holy Ghost.

Write a paragraph about a time when the Holy Ghost blessed you in one of the ways you listed above. Give an example of how the Holy Ghost has inspired you.

       One of the main ways the Holy Ghost has blessed my life is through my testimony. It is through the Holy Ghost that I know this gospel is true. When I have prayed for answers, the Holy Ghost has guided me. It confirms the truth to me all the time. The Holy Ghost is the best teacher. I’m very grateful for the Holy Ghost and the testimony I’ve been blessed with. 

A New Commandment: John 13:34–35

1.            According to John 13:34–35, how can others know if we are disciples of Jesus Christ?

Others know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ by how we treat people. Christlike love is the biggest indicator of your discipleship and commitment to Him. Christ taught that we must love everyone, overlook their faults, and even love those who are unkind to us. 

2.            List some specific ways a disciple of Jesus Christ might respond in the following situations (in accordance with John 13:34–35):

•                Someone you know is ridiculed or made fun of because of the way he or she dresses. 

A disciple of Jesus Christ would not lash out at the person who ridiculed them. They would forgive and treat that person with kindness and respect.

•                You see a new person at church.

A disciple of Christ would welcome the new person at church. They would smile, introduce themselves, and get to know the new person.

3.        Ponder the question, “Do people know that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ by the way I treat them?” Select a family member, coworker, or neighbor and make a short list of things you can do during the coming week to show him or her the kind of love the Savior would show. Then follow through with what you wrote down.

I can definitely do better at showing that I believe in the Savior. This week I can show my husband more Christlike love. I can show him more patience when we disagree on something or when he is impatient with me. I can also pray for him and do better at overlooking his imperfections. 

Preparing for the Savior’s Second Coming: Mark 13; Luke 21:5 – 38; Joseph Smith – Matthew

1. “Take heed” and “Watch”

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

In order to be prepared to meet the Lord, believes could…

1. Pray always
2. Beware of false prophets (don’t be deceived)
3. Have faith, not fear

2. Additional Truths About How to Prepare for the Second Coming

·     Doctrine & Covenants 87:8 – Stand in holy places and be not moved

·     Joseph Smith – Matthew 1:32 – Watch for signs (like the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet)

·     Joseph Smith – Matthew 1:37 – Treasure up the word

·     Joseph Smith – Matthew 1:46 – 50 – Be a faithful and wise disciple now, so you’re ready when He comes

·     Doctrine & Covenants 33:17 – Have your lamp “trimmed and burning, and oil with you”

·     Doctrine & Covenants 45:56 – 57 – Have the Spirit as your guide

The Widow’s Mites: Mark 12:41 – 44

1. In Mark 12:30, the Savior said, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all they strength: this is the first commandment.” This widow from this parable showed that she loved God with all her heart, and was willing to give everything she had to Him. James E. Talmage said, “The rich gave much yet kept back more; the widow's gift was her all. It was not the smallness of her offering that made it especially acceptable, but the spirit of sacrifice and devout intent with which she gave.” The widow showed her devotion to Christ by sacrificing everything she had. Even though it wasn’t very much, she gave all that she could.

2. Mark 12:44 says, “For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” The wealthier people gave more, but they also had a lot more to begin with. They did not sacrifice nearly as much as the widow did. She gave 100% of what she had, and they gave a much smaller percentage of what they had. I think this teaches that an acceptable offering to the Lord is one where we sacrifice for Him. That could mean that we make a financial sacrifice, or that we sacrifice our time or our talents for Him. For example, when we read the scriptures five minutes before we go to bed, and we’re falling asleep as we read, that’s not much of a sacrifice. On the other hand, if we set aside an hour of our time to read the scriptures, even though we’re busy, that will mean so much more to God because we’re showing Him that we love Him enough to make a small sacrifice for Him. 2 Nephi 25:23 teaches us that we must do all that we can to follow Christ, but ultimately it is only through His grace that we are saved. It’s so important to do our very best and do all that we can to show that we love Him.

3. I could better follow the widow’s example of sacrifice and obedience by doing better at making the gospel the focus of my life. I need to do better at sacrificing my time to read the scriptures, pray, and think about the Savior. Right now I know I’m not giving my all. I can commit to doing better so that I can show the Savior how much I really love Him and how grateful I am for everything He has done for me.  

Parables and Accounts That Teach Eternal Truths: Luke 16:1 – 12, 19 – 31; 17:11 – 19; 18:1 – 14

• Luke 16:1 – 12, The Parable of the Unjust Steward: The major principle form this parable is that we need to carefully approach the task of preparing for eternal life.

• Luke 16:19 – 31, The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: This parable teaches us about the spirit world. Before Christ’s visit to the spirit world, there was a great gulf between “Abraham’s bosom” and hell. Now people in spirit prison can receive the gospel.

• Luke 17:11 – 19, The Parable of the Ten Lepers: I think there are two main principles in this parable. The first is faith, because all ten lepers needed faith to be healed. The second principle is gratitude, because only one thanked Jesus for this miracle.

• Luke 18:1 – 8, The Parable of the Unjust Judge: The main principle is “men ought always to pray, and not to faint”.

• Luke 18:9 – 14, The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican: The main principle in this parable is to avoid self-righteousness and not to think that this is an assurance of justification before God. 

Being a Disciple of Jesus Christ: Luke 10:38-42; 11:1-13; 12:13-40; 13:23-24; 14:16-33

1. One of the things it means to be a disciple of Christ is a willingness to put him first.   We must love him with all we are.  Following him has to be more important than having the beautiful material things the world offers. Nice clothes, the latest technology, things money can buy have to be put aside.  We need to seek the Lord first, then have faith that the rest will work out.  The Savior teaches about a wealthy man who had so much he needed more space to hold it, he died before he could complete the larger barn.  All his stuff didn’t matter at all.  Following him is also more important than the good things we can do.  Martha wanted to put together a nice meal for the Savior and his disciples, a reasonable desire, but when she asked Jesus to tell Mary to come help her, he told her she worried about it too much about it, other things were more important.

The costs of following Christ may be great.  We may lose our parents or family, we will need to give up what we want, and become dedicated to doing his will.

2. I don’t like to admit it to myself but the teaching I would like to apply more fully in my life as a disciple of Christ is Faith.  I think sometimes in being self reliant, and hard working, which are things I and my family value, I stop relying on the Lord and feel like I can just take care of things.  There is no room for faith, just work.  I am going to apply my efforts to having more faith that the Lord will help me.  I think it will grow a feeling of greater humility, which I hope can help me depend more fully on the Lord.

3. Ultimately what is required to be a disciple of Christ is to give all that we are to him.  We must be willing to turn over our will to him.  When we do this, we are like the man who sold all he had to buy the field where lay the pearl of great price.

The Good Shepherd: John 10

1. Review John 10:1–11 and identify two parts of the parable that Jesus compared Himself to. What additional information do you learn from 2 Nephi 9:41–42 that helps you understand the symbol of Jesus Christ as the door in the parable?

In John 10:1-11 Jesus compares himself to the shepherd and to the door of the sheepfold.  In 2 Nephi 9:41-42 the idea if Christ as the door or gate is repeated.  Our Savior is the gate or door because it is through him and his atonement, that we are able to return to our Heavenly Father.

2.    Read John 10:12–29 and the institute student manual commentary for John 10:1–15, “The Symbolism of the ‘Good Shepherd’” (pgs. 109–10). Then respond in writing to the following questions:

o       How is what a shepherd does for his sheep similar to what Jesus Christ does for us?

A good shepherd, just like our Savior, is willing to give his life for his sheep.  The good shepherd, just like our Savior, leads, and shows the way.  The good shepherd, like our Savior knows those he cares for.

o       How do we know if we are of the Savior’s fold?

We know we are of the Savior’s fold, if we know his voice.  We follow him.

o       What does the Savior teach about giving His life for the sheep?

The Savior teaches that the good shepherd loves his sheep and is willing to give his life for them.  A hired servant will run away and abandon the sheep in the face of danger but the good shepherd never will.  Our Savior gave his life for us, even when it was so difficult, he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for us, his sheep.

3.    Read 3 Nephi 15:11–24 and 16:1–3 and describe who the “other sheep” are referred to in John 10:16.

The other sheep that Jesus refers to are the people on the American continent that the Savior visited after his resurrection.  The lost tribes of Israel are the rest of the other sheep.