Gospel Essentials Class Notes November 26 2000

 Class lesson centered on topics from Helaman Chapters 4 & 5

 What was the ultimate uprooting of good in the land (secret societies, murder & get gain).

From the text, we learn the following important characteristics of secret combinations

1.      The devil is the inspiration of all such organizations

2.      These organizations are viewed by the Lord as utmost wickedness: 3 Nephi 4:36 And behold, that great city Jacobugath, which was inhabited by the people of the king of Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire, because of their sins and their wickedness, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth, because of their secret murders and combinations;

3.      These groups flourish and thrive when the more pare are wicked and seek to benefit from the spoils of such wickedness. Helaman 2:165 And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works, and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.

4.      Secrecy is the basic operating tenet of these groups

5.      Vows to maintain the secrecy of these groups with covenants and oaths is present.  Ironically, these are often made in the ‘name of the Lord.’

6.      The objectives are to get power and gain.

7.      These groups use immorality, money, violence to achieve their ends.  Assassinating righteous government leaders is a common method.

8.      The only way to lastingly remove these organizations once established is through conversion of the people to righteousness.

 Ultimately we find during this time period (40-6 B.C.), that the …..

 Why are his people chastened? 

·        Helaman 5:90

·        DC 92:1a Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, whom I love; and whom I love I also chasten, that their sins may be forgiven; for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance, in all things, out of temptation; and I have loved you:

 What was the real punishment to this nation for wickedness?

·        Helaman 5:10 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn the hearts of their brethren against them;

·        Helaman 4:68 And if the Lord shall say, Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be cut off from my presence, he will cause that it shall be so.

·        Helaman 5:73 But whosoever repenteth not, is hewn down and cast into the fire, and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness;

By what process do God’s people usually end up in wickedness?

·        Helaman 5:30 Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them;

·        The most revealing passage:  In the day that God blesses us, that is the day we forget Him!   Helaman 4:48-56

What happens to them?  What are descriptions of them?

               Hel 4:57…How Great is the Nothingness (…”how huge is your void”)

               Left unto own strength

·        1 Spirit withdraws

·        Left unto own strength:

o       Helaman 2:59 And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them, because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples;

o       Mormon 1:56 Nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak, like unto our brethren.

·        Hel 5:24 Wicked Hide treasures and lose them; only righteous can hide treasures unto God.

·        Hel 5:41, 48 Land becomes cursed

·        Hel 5:49 Surrounded by demons.

·        Hel 5:52 Miss out on days of probation

·        Hel 5:52 Seek to find happiness in iniquity—that which is contrary to God’s laws.

·        Land becomes cursed

·        Even lose land.

·        Helaman 2:46 And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possesion of almost all their lands.

·        Helaman 5:127 Nevertheless, the people began to harden their hearts, all save it were the most believing part of them, both of the Nephites, and also of the Lamanites, and began to depend upon their own strength, and upon their own wisdom, saying,

What is the ultimate remedy?  (Hard Heart melts, stiff neck bends downward, strong legs kneel, silent voice calls on God).

               Repentance:

·        3 Nephi 5:66 And behold I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Why has repentance been declared? Hel 4:69

When is God willing to accept repentance?

What happens when God’s people repent?

               Hel 5:14

·        II Chronicles 7:14 If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

·        Helaman 2:163 And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his word.