Hic et Nunc

OVERVIEW:

King Benjamin continues and completes his sermon before the people of Zarahemla. He integrates into his discourse many gospel themes: salvation through Christ, the goodness of God, our own nothingness and fallen state, trust in the Lord, the need to repent and humble ourselves before the Lord, the need to remember and retain our dependence before God, standing steadfast in the faith, and much more. His message conveys the promise that if we will follow the covenant principles, we can then be filled with the love of God and retain a remission of our sins. He admonishes us to teach our children to honor the laws of God by walking in truth and soberness. Above all, we are to help those in need.

• Here is this week’s handout: Book of Mormon Lesson 16 .

pax vobiscum

UPDATE: 18 May 2008

I found this article by Wallace Goddard at Meridian Magazine helpful in thinking about how we can better serve the poor. Brother Goddard discusses an interesting challenge for Latter-day Saints:

God expects us to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5). Many of us are tempted to use the self-sufficiency argument to excuse ourselves from our Christian duties.

Of course self-sufficiency is a true principle. We believe in being anxiously engaged in a good cause. We are to cheerfully do all we are able. But it is not my job to impose self-sufficiency on another person. My obligation towards others is charity and benevolence. That is one of the central messages of the Book of Mormon. It is one of the great latter-day challenges.

Here’s a link to the article: Are We Not All Beggars?

Filed under: Gospel Doctrine Tagged: | Book of Mormon, Christianity, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gospel Doctrine, LDS, Mormon, Religion, Serving the Poor