Lesson 2: ~Chapter 1~

Choose to Pursue Spiritual Power

See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to

love the Lord thy God to walk in his ways,

and to keep his commandments,

and his statutes, and his judgments….

Deuteronomy 30:15-16, 19-20: [15-16]

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Meditation Thoughts

“Not Willing that Any Should Perish”

Christ is not willing that any should perish No not any, no not any!

Great is his love that can tenderly cherish, Bless so many, bless so many.

Chorus: Not willing that any should perish,

He would save all, for this was he sent Not willing that any should perish,

He would save you, come now, repent!

Jesus has furnished a blessed salvation, Great, wide, reaching, great, wide, reaching,

Bidding us flee from sin’s great condemnation, He’s beseeching, he’s beseeching.

Chorus:

Life may be yours, ‘tis life you are choosing, Christ confessing, Christ confessing; Oh, do not perish, salvation refusing, Seek His blessing, seek His blessing.

Chorus:

Christ is the friend of the weary and lonely, Come and hear him, come and hear him;

Will you now choose Him and trust in Him only, Keeping Him near, keeping Him near.

Chorus:

“Not Willing that Any Should Perish” Copyright 1907, The Lorenz Publishing Co., Dayton, OH

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Choose to Pursue Spiritual Power ~Chapter 1~

Deuteronomy 30:15-16:19-20 [15] See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; [16] In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and

to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. Before we begin, please refer to page 7 in your lesson titled “Put Off & Put On” – follow the instructions at the top of that page.

Please read Deuteronomy 30:15-20: compare and contrast the first verse from the last.

If we are going to choose to pursue spiritual power we first to need find out what spiritual power is, and secondly from where we get it (What do you think spiritual power is? Where does it come from? How does it make you feel?). The way of the world says that in order to be stronger and gain power, we must build ourselves up and seek strength and dominance over others. People everywhere are interested in how to be stronger, how to take authority, to rise up and take control. We look for methods, formulas and techniques for becoming bigger and better. But, the results leave us disappointed even to the point of depression and despair. Can you think of times in your life when you have chosen to seek strength through the world’s

methods?___________________________________________________________________

How did it turn out?___________________________________________________________

The Lord has a different approach for us to take. He invites us to accept or choose weakness in order to be strengthened. We do not become strong by embracing strength, but by embracing weakness. This is the answer to all spiritual power! When Paul learned this answer he was able to say…. (fill in the blanks from 2 Corinthians 12:10) “Therefore I take pleasure in ___________, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for ________ sake; for when I am _________, then am I ___________”. What is the difference between being weak unto the Lord and weak unto sin? ____________

__________________________________________________________________________

Can you think of a specific time in your life when you have chosen to embrace weakness unto

God and felt like Paul? __________________________________________________________

How were you blessed? _________________________________________________________

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There is a principal that runs through the scriptures; blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:7 I V). Webster’s full definition of MEEK is: 1) enduring injury with patience and without resentment: mild. 2) deficient in spirit and courage: submissive. It almost seems that the two definitions contradict each other, doesn’t it? If one has the ability to endure injury with patience and without resentment, how could they possibly be deficient in “THE SPIRIT”? Read 2 Timothy 2:24-25 and fill in the blanks: 24 And the servant of the Lord must

not_______; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; 25 In _____________ instructing

those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the

acknowledging of the _________;

All who want power from God must realize that truth. His power is released through our weakness. We have to understand that we are weak, whether we want to admit it or not, but the power of humility is in recognizing and agreeing before God that we really can do nothing of our own selves. We must be willing to choose God and serve Him all of the time and not just when it is convenient for us. He wants us to be willing to lay down our lives, die to ourselves, and humble ourselves. Humility is not something that can be seen on the outside, but that which is required to enter into the Kingdom of God. What does the Lord say in Jacob 3:8? Nevertheless, the Lord God sheweth us our _________, that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have_______ to do these things. We gain additional knowledge in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 2:13-17: 13 Believe in God;

believe that he is, and that he created all things both in and in ;

14 Believe that he has all , and all , both

in heaven and in earth; 15 Believe that man doth not all

things which the Lord can . 16 And again: Believe that ye must

repent of your sins and them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask

in sincerity of heart that he would you: 17And now, if you

all these things, see that ye do them.

We have a responsibility to our Lord, our families and our friends to choose to listen to the Lord and obey His commandments. We must choose to love one another and prefer our brother that we may not offend. We must choose to prepare our spirits, our lives and our homes, that we may receive the spiritual power that He has planned for us.

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What is the counsel given in Doctrine & Covenants 85:36b and 81:1c? [36:b] Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of

, house of , a house of , a house of learning, a house

of , a house of , a house of .

[81:1c] Beware from henceforth and refrain from sin lest sore fall

upon your heads; for unto whom much is much is ;

and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater .

As Latter Day Saints who have the fullness of the restored gospel, we have a great responsibility to be valiant in our testimony of Jesus Christ. Choose to share with those when we have an opportunity, even create opportunities that we may not only share our testimonies, but be a strong example of what Christ has done for you and the lives of your family. Choose this day whom you will serve. Joshua 24:15: …but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

This Do In Remembrance of Me

This do in remembrance of me, He said, blessing and breaking the Passover bread. Take now and eat, for my body is pure,

yet sorrow and sin will be mine to endure. Drink of the cup, blood spilled freely for you.

Honor our covenant. Strive to be true, and use my atonement to keep yourselves clean. Cherish these symbols; recall what they mean.

Simple instructions were given that day. Many have lost them and fallen away.

Others uphold them in word but not deed, claiming to know Him but failing to heed.

What will Saints do when the tray comes around? Will we think of Jesus, to whom all are bound,

or let our minds wander wherever they will, forgetting what happened on Calvary’s hill? I never knew you, are hard words to hear,

but we have been warned, and Christ’s meaning is clear: Disciples must value His life and its price,

else they have denied Him and His sacrifice. How then can He know us, for we can’t know Him

deterred by indifference and unresolved sin. The bread and the wine demand urgent thought:

remembrance…repentance…to live as He taught. The gift of the sacrament changes a heart,

but those who partake must remember their part. The Savior provided the Light and the Way.

May we be renewed in Him each Sacrament Day. Written by Susan Noyes Anderson

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Please continue the Lesson by reading the following copied text of Chapter 1 “The Life of Spiritual Power” from the book Choose Life by J.C. Stuart. Think upon and answer the questions that are at the end of the chapter; you can record your answers below [additional space on page12]. 1.

2.

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“Put Off” & “Put On” ~ Christ is the Key

Mosiah 1:119-120: For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been, from the fall of Adam, and will be, for ever and ever; But if he yields to [chooses to obey] the enticings of

the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a saint, through the

atonement of Christ, the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

DO THIS: As you read your lesson, identify [write down] those things that do not allow the ‘enticings of the Holy Spirit’ to dwell in you. PUT OFF those habits of THE NATURAL MAN and PUT ON or yield to [obey] the enticings of the Holy Spirit, the attributes that becometh a saint

[see scripture above]. Make a PLAN OF ACTION to become THE SPIRITUAL MAN IN CHRIST. THE NATURAL MAN Choose the Enticings of Holy Spirit THE SPIRITUAL MAN

PUT OFF PUT ON PLAN OF ACTION

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~Notes~