Chapter 19: In the World not of the World
“While we are in the world, we are not of the world. We are expected to overcome the world and to live as becometh saints.”
Taught by Alexi Bullock
Before we get started, I want to share 2 easy ways to invite the spirit.
Make everyone put them into practice
-Both are not hard,
-don’t ask much
-put our faith into action to show our willingness to participate
Quote #1 Scripture D&C 82:10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but
when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.
-The best part about these 2 easy ways
-Lord is bound to bless us when we do righteous things
First way is to raise our hand to participate or answer a question.
Ask everyone to do so.
Going to make it easy have everyone turn to a scripture.
If you can’t, better make sure your neighbor is in case I call on you.
James 2: 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
--can’t just have faith and hope things will work out, but you have to put in action.
--You all just put forth the action of raising your hand
--Put yourself out there, even a willingness to participate, open yourself up to the spirit.
--During the lesson, try to participate at least once, even if you aren’t called on
Second way is to write down inspiration.
--Being willing and prepared to write down inspiration invites the spirit to teach.
Thank you for participating in my introduction, now let’s get into the lesson because it’s an incredible topic.
Quote #2 “While we are in the world, we are not of the world. We are expected to overcome the world and to live as becometh saints.” (becometh be appropriate or suitable to)
As saints expected to overcome the world
Why?
--The Lord expects more of us than he does of the world because we know better
Quote #3 D&C 82:3 “For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.”
Think of a child, they can’t follow the rules unless they know what they are first.
Any thoughts about this?
2-part quote #4 & #5
Quote #4 When we join the Church … , we are expected to forsake many of the ways of the world and live as becometh saints. We are no longer to dress or speak or act or even think as others too often do. Many in the world use tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor, and are involved in the use of drugs. Many profane and are vulgar and indecent, immoral and unclean in their lives, but all these things should be foreign to us. We are the Saints of the Most High.
Quote #5: Do not get the impression from what I have said that I feel that we should keep aloof from everybody outside of the Church and not associate with them. I have not said that, but I do want us to be consistent Latter-day Saints, and if the people of the world walk in darkness and sin and contrary to the will of the Lord, there is the place for us to draw the line.
Doesn’t mean we can’t hang out with non-members. In fact, we should hang out with non-members, as long as we keep our standards.
--How many of you personally know of non-members in our neighborhood?
--We should try to befriend everyone in neighborhood
--BUT “live life such that others will know your standards”
--Christ’s prayer about the disciples “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:15–17.)
--Bold statement about not wondering about the world: “If we are living the religion which the Lord has revealed and which we have received, we do not belong to the world. We should have no part in all its foolishness. We should not partake of its sins and its errors—errors of philosophy and errors of doctrine, errors in regard to government, or whatever those errors may be—we have no part in it. The only part we have is the keeping of the commandments of God. That is all, being true to every covenant and every obligation that we have entered into and taken upon ourselves.6
Pitching Tent
Best way to live in not of, analogy of pitch tent:
Pitching tent towards sodom & gomorah:
Overview:
Abraham & Lot’s families returned to Canaan from Egypt, and Lot chose to live with his tent facing the people of Sodom and Gomorah. What made the land near Sodom appealing to Lot? (See Genesis 13:10. It was “well watered” and beautiful.) Later he lived in the city of Sodom itself (Genesis 14:12)
What is today’s modern-day sodom & gomorah? reality TV, gossip magazines, gossiping? time-sucking digital games, bad websites,
--What things might we do that are the spiritual equivalent of pitching our tents toward Sodom?
(We may associate with evil things instead of shunning them, or we may allow ourselves to commit small sins without thinking that they may lead to bigger ones.)
Good moment to write down something in your life you may want to change because it might lead to a bigger problem down the road.
Like Lot, in the BoM, the people of King Benjamin also pitched their tents facing a specific direction.
Quote #6 Mosiah 2:6 And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them
--How can we point our homes more toward the temple instead of worldly places?
--How can we change our behavior before little problems or sins become big ones?
How to stay different from the rest of the world
- keep Sabbath day holy
- obey Word of Wisdom
- respect names of Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ
- dress modestly
- keep law of chastity
- forsake evils of the world
- keep the commandments
Sabbath Day Holy
Quote #7 This commandment was given in the beginning, and God commanded the Saints and all peoples of the earth that they should observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy—one day in seven. Upon that day we should rest from our labors, we should go unto the house of the Lord and offer up our sacraments upon His holy day…. On this day we should offer unto Him our thanks and honor Him in prayer, in fasting, in singing, and in edifying and instructing each other.
Obeying the Word of Wisdom
Quote #8 The Word of Wisdom is a basic law. It points the way and gives us ample instruction in regard to both food and drink, good for the body and also detrimental. If we sincerely follow what is written with the aid of the Spirit of the Lord, we need no further counsel.
Respecting the name of Deity
Quote #9 We should hold the name of Deity in the most sacred and solemn respect.…Filthiness in any form is degrading and soul-destroying, and should be avoided as a deadly poison by all members of the Church.…Above all other peoples on the earth, the Latter-day Saints should hold in the utmost sacredness and reverence all things that are holy.
Dressing modestly and keeping the law of chastity
Quote #10 The Latter-day Saints should not follow the fashions and the immodesty of the world. We are the people of the Lord. He expects us to live clean, virtuous lives, to keep our thoughts clean and minds pure and faithful in the observance of all his other commandments. I am making a plea for modesty and chastity and for all the members of the Church, male and female alike, to be chaste, clean in their lives, and obedient to the covenants and commandments the Lord has given us.
Forsake evils of the world
Quote #11 Apparently it is easier for man to sin than to live a life of righteousness; therefore, greater effort needs to be put forth to avoid evil and conform our lives to the elevating principles of the gospel. This is understandable since … “the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to 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…” Mos 3:19, Spencer W. Kimball
Keep the Commandments
Taught this from childhood in this simple hymn: Quote #12 Look up Hymn 303: Keep the commandments, keep the commandments in this there is safety, in this there is peace. He will send blessings, he will send blessings. Words of a prophet, keep the commandments. In this there is safety and peace.”
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