Week 50 is scheduled for study Dec. 9-15, 2024. To lay hold of something is to adopt it as part of your life. In this case we are laying hold of all good things.

Day 1

Moroni 7:12-20 – The Light of Christ helps me know truth from error.

Today’s lesson invites us to watch the video “Patterns of Light: Discerning Light.” This is part 2 of three parts. I suggest watching all three parts. Well worth your time.

The manual brings up a very common question most of us ask at some point – Is this inspiration or it is just me? How can I tell the difference? Elder Bednar addresses that scenario in his talk on Patterns of Light. The Holy Ghost does indeed give us inspiration and revelation, but He also brings to our remembrance the things we have already learned and experienced. He reminds us of past experiences and lessons to help us learn how to better “think Celestial” and to help us piece together ways to remember for ourselves the principles of the gospel without having to relearn them from scratch.

The Holy Ghost uses all that is good to help us learn. That base of material consists in part in new thoughts, new insights, old thoughts and insights, past experiences, and things we have already heard and learned as far back as our childhood. Anything that leads us to do good and to learn wisdom is fair game. He uses our complete library of experiences to teach us what is right and what is wise. Whether it comes directly from our past or is something new He introduces to us is immaterial. The point is that the Spirit is the master teacher and He uses everything at His disposal to make His point for each situation.

If a thought or emotion comes to me and leads me to do what is right or protects me in my current situation, does it really matter what the source is for that thought or emotion? Since all good things come from Christ, I say no, I don’t think so. Good is good whether it is originally from the Spirit or whether it comes from hearing in my mind my mother reminding me that she taught me better than what I was thinking of doing. Again, goodness is goodness no matter its source.

The gift of the Holy Ghost we receive at baptism gives us a level of influence from the Holy Spirit that others rarely have access to. When we are seeking for His influence in our life each day the priesthood connection we have with the third member of the Godhead invites a greater level of inspiration and revelation into our life that those outside the church rarely experience. He prompts them to do good, and fills their thoughts with good things to encourage them to choose the right, but it is the ordinance of receiving the gift of His company and influence that opens the doors of constant inspiration and revelation that can be ours through consistent obedience to Christ’s commandments.

Day 2

Moroni 7:20-48 – Because of Jesus Christ, I can “lay hold upon every good thing.”

Until this reading of these verses I never comprehended what a powerful and insightful sermon Mormon gave the Saints of his day on the plan of salvation. I’ll use my own language to describe what he is saying. I hope that by doing so it will be clearer than you might have seen it stated in the past.

In order to save His children from being eternally lost, God sent His angels and even spoke to prophets with His own mouth, giving them His word that they might exercise faith in Him (Moroni 7:22). But what does that mean? I think it means God taught the prophets the truth about His plan for our eternal happiness, either personally or through angels and that truth made it possible for the prophets to believe and exercise that belief by changing the way they lived their lives.

The plan of salvation is full of promises of future glory, power, and joy. But first we have to have it taught to us so we have something to believe in. Then when we have chosen to believe in the promises given by God we have to begin to behave differently than we behaved before. This change of behavior is us exercising or practicing our faith, which is belief put into action. Belief is static, but the practice of that belief (faith) causes changes to occur.

Note in these verses that Mormon tells us that God taught the Prophets first, and they in turn were to teach it to the “residue” or the rest of the people. The prophets were God’s spokesmen on earth. This is why we look to the prophet for direction and explanations in so many things. The living prophet teaches us how God wants us to lay hold on all the good things available to us in our day. Our current prophet has told us we need to learn to “think Celestial.” He and the other Apostles have taught us many ways we can implement that counsel in our lives.

Moroni 7:30-32 teaches us about the calling of angels and how they fit into the gospel plan to save God’s children. The “they” referred to in verse 30 refers to the angels. I was surprised by the statement in verse 31 that says the responsibility of the angels is “to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, … to prepare the way among the children of men” that the chosen vessels of the Lord (the prophets) can declare God’s word and bear their testimony of Him. Mormon finishes this thought by saying that it is through the testimony of the prophets that the “residue of man [the rest of mankind] may have faith in Christ.” This is how God has planned to bring to pass His covenants with His children.

30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.

31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.

32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.

All the good things referred to in today’s verses are promises made by God in His covenants with His children. When we lay hold of good things we choose to embrace all that Christ has taught us and live by his commandments. It is modeling our life after Christ that is the definition of laying ahold of all good things, for all good things come from Christ. By modeling our life after Jesus Christ we become his sons and daughters and receive the promises of grace, mercy, and forgiveness for our sins. Without faith in Christ there is no forgiveness and we would all be eternally lost to our Father in Heaven.

Day 3

Moroni 7:44-48 – Charity is the pure love of Christ.

We often think of charity as something we possess – to have charity. But to be charitable is something we are. The Websters 1828 dictionary defines charity this way.

In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow man, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.

Moroni 7:45 defines charity like this.

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Today’s lesson suggests replacing the word charity with the name Jesus Christ. Jesus is charitable in that he is the embodiment of all these attributes of charity. Jesus is long suffering, is kind, envies not, is not puffed up or haughty, seeks not his own comfort, but that of others, is not easily provoked, thinks only pure and clean thoughts, rejoices only in truth, he bears all things, believes all truth, hopes for the best for all of us, and has endured all that the world and Satan could force upon him.

These are all qualities of the soul we can strive to obtain. As we become more of each of these qualities, we become more like Christ. We cannot presume to achieve his level of anything, but we can improve ourselves while in this life and stay on the covenant path that will one day lead us to his perfection or wholeness. Each of these attributes in verse 45 teaches us a way to overcome a part of what it means to be carnally minded. The natural man is none of these things, while the Saint is learning to put these worldly attributes of being selfish, intolerant, etc., behind them in their quest for being truly charitable.

Day 4

Moroni 9:3-5 – Anger leads to sorrow and suffering.

It seems to me that today’s verses describe the exact opposite of charity. These feelings of revenge and hatred, this love of destruction is all that charity is not. These Nephites being described are ripe in iniquity, for the Spirit can no longer influence them for good. They are wholly under Satan’s control and influence. We are currently neither in one camp or the other. We are still able to choose which direction we want to go.

I think it is important that we understand that we only have two choices from which to select our future. We can either seek for eternal life and the joy living like Christ brings, or we can choose to satisfy all our earthly lusts and the passions of the flesh, which leads to eternal separation from God (damnation). Satan is at one end of the spectrum enticing us to come to him, while Jesus is at the other end of the spectrum enticing us to follow him. Our choice. There is no third alternative. Mortality was designed in such a way that all our moral choices lead us to option one or option two. Anything we choose, or think we choose, that is not what leads us directly to Christ ultimately leads us to Satan. This is why we must be purposeful in our discipleship.

Only following the teachings of Jesus and trying to become more like him in our daily choices and feelings will save us from the ravages of eternal sorrow and suffering. Earthly sorrow and suffering still exist, for it is the nature of mortality to experience these things. The purpose of sorrow and suffering is to teach us the value of choosing Christ in all things, for only following his commandments and becoming like him can save us from eternal sorrow and suffering.

Day 5

Moroni 9:25-26 – I can hope in Christ regardless of my circumstances.

The ability to choose good over evil cannot be taken from us. We are always free to choose whose side we want to be on. Only when we have given ourselves over completely to one side or the other does the ability to choose become less important. If we choose to follow the world/Satan eventually we won’t be able to hear the voice of the Spirit any longer. When He is unable to teach us to choose good any longer that is when Satan has gained full power over us.

When we have chosen to do good all the days of our life and our disposition has changed such that we no longer have a desire to do evil or rebel against God, Satan’s ability to tempt us is weakened to the point that we become free to choose good all the days of our life, for that is our only desire. The first path mentioned here leads to complete captivity, while the second path leads to complete freedom of choice.

What happens around us may make it more difficult or easier for us to make a particular choice, but outside influences never rob us of our ability to ultimately make our own choice. The more often we choose to do good and follow Christ and His Spirit, the easier it becomes to ignore the temptations of the world to do otherwise. This is why our only hope for happiness that is lasting is found in choosing Christ.

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BoM50-2024 – May Christ Lift Thee Up