New Testament: That Ye May Have Fellowship with Us and God| 1 John 1-3

What is John's desire for those he wrote to?
He wants those he is writing to find and have fellowship with the saints, John, Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ. Also that their joy would be filled by the gospel and Jesus Christ.

How can we come to know God better and have greater joy and fellowship with God?

1John 1:8-10 - Confess of our sins and not lie about them
          2:3-6 - Keep the commandments - walk as the Savior did
          2:9-11; 3:11-19 - Love our neighbors and walk in the light
          2:15-17 - Love not the things of the world be not of the world, the world does not last long as
                         does the things of Heaven. Christ
          2:20-21, 27 - We know the truth from Christ, We are anointed by Him
          3:4-6 -  Atonement, we know Christ through the Atonement

For me, the one I want to work on the most to have greater joy in the fellowship of God is Love our neighbors and walk in the night. I tend to struggle with loving my neighbor a lot. Especially when it comes to roommates. You are living with each other and stress is high during school especially. You all have been raised different ways and you expect different things. Its easy to just ignore the situation and not having anything to do with it. Creating a some form of ommission by not trying. You just do everything else but don't do that one thing. Trying to love the people you live with. Its easy to love those you don't actually live with them. My neighbors are my roommates and with a new semester coming up I am going to make an effort to serve my roommates to help increase my love for them. I'm going to involve all of them. Also by loving my roommates and being more like Christ and loving my fellow brothers and sisters in our journey on Earth.

New Testament: Works of Righteousness | Hebrews 13

How should we treat strangers and "those bonds?"

 "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." (verses 1-3)

How is marriage looked upon?
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."
(verse 4)

What warnings are given about covetousness?
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (verse 5)

What is "the same, yesterday and today and forever?"
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (verse 8)

How are we sanctified?
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered, without the gate."
(verse 12)

How do we respond to those who rule over us?
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
(verse 17)

Who did Paul ask the people to pray for?
"Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly."
(verse 18)

New Testament: Jesus is Greater Than Angels | Hebrews 1&2

In these chapters we learn about Christ. Why he came to this Earth, his power, what is purpose was on this Earth. I liked the insights that I have gained from these two chapters. 

What is Jesus Superior?

Jesus Christ is superior to angels, Moses, High Priests of Moses, and the Aaronic priesthood. 

What are three truths that can be found in Chapter 1 of Hebrews?

1-Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, so we could be clean of sin. 

2-We are created in God's image, Jesus Christ is in the image of our Father. 

3-God Speaks to us by of his Prophets

Bonus:

4-Christ created al the worlds

Christ came to this Earth to gain a mortal experience just like us. A mortal experience of trails, pain, and affliction. He needed to come to this Earth to receive a body of flesh and blood. Christ needed to come to this Earth to atone for the sins of His brothers and sisters, to understand how to help them better. If he hadn't done the atonement He would have only known as spiritually. By sacrificing Himself He was able to understand us physically. By understanding us physically He is able to be merciful towards and understand how to be able to succor HIs people. He knows why we sin, what we are feeling, our pains, and our trails. He came to this earth so he had a better understanding of how He could help us. 

New Testament: Baptism | Romans 6

What must be done with sin before baptism can occur?

Stop committing and living in sin. We should not continue in sin.

What events from Christ's life are symbolized in baptism?

Death, Burial, and Resurrection

Considering this symbolism, why couldn't someone be baptized by sprinkling?

The whole body needs to be covered. Sprinkling doesn't get the whole body covered. "Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Sprinkling does not destroy the body of sin like baptism submersed in water.

What do these verses teach us about how we can maintain the "newness of life"?

As I understand it, because of the symbolism of baptism when we are baptized and we repent our bodies of sin die and we are reborn of Christ. Just like resurrection. Baptism signifies the end of an old life and a beginning of a new life. Our life is new when we repent and start going on a new path of righteousness making us new. Life is "new" again each time we repent and realign ourselves to Christ.

According to Mosiah 3:19, what part of us would ideally die at baptism?

The natural man, who is an enemy of God


We know whose servant we are by knowing who we obey. If we obey God, we are His servants. If we obey Satan by committing sins and lusting after sin, we are his servants when we are servants of sin we are not free. We are free from being righteous but we aren't truly free. When we are righteous, we are free from sin. Verse 18 states "Being then made free from sin, yes became the servants of righteousness." The trust will set us free. The gospel of Christ is the truth that makes us free.

New Testament: Forgiveness | 2 Corinthians 2:1-11

What were the people of Corinth commanded to do "if any have caused grief"?
The Corinths are commanded to forgive that person and to forgive that person. Rather be overcome with sorrow or get mad at that person forgive them and love them.

What blessings do we see if we forgive?
The Lord has commanded that if we forgive others of their trespasses the Lord will forgive us of our trespasses. If it weren't for the atonement the Lord wouldn't forgive us. Because of the atonement we are able to forgive others. To me it makes perfect sense that we are required to forgive because Jesus Christ supplied the mercy for God to forgive us. If Jesus Christ can do that for us it shouldn't be that hard for us. We are also able to us Christ Love to help forgive those that have heard us. I have felt that blessing when I have tried to forgive other that have really hurt. I like what verse 10 in 2 Corinthians says, "To who ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Through Christ we'll be able to forgive anyone.  The atonement is great not just for repentance but also for forgiveness as well.

What is the danger in failing to forgive?
When we choose to not forgive we fall into the danger of not being forgiven by Christ and our Heavenly Father and we fall into the trap Satan. Satan does not want us to forgive. He wants us to live in contention and to be fighting with each other continually. If we don't forgive we don't progress and become more like Christ and our Heavenly parents. When we don't forgive we are contributing to a type of pride we don't want to have. Selfish pride, the pride to not put down our selfish feelings for being the better person and just loving the other person. 

New Testament:Proper Authority and Ministering to the People| Acts 19 & 20

These two chapters go over Paul's time with the Corinthians. In these two chapters Paul uses the power of the priesthood for five different things: baptism, bestowing the Holy Ghost,  Healing/casting out evil spirits, blessing & passing the sacrament, and raising a young man from the dead. The importance of these two chapters is the priesthood being exercise in the proper way with the proper authority. 

What did Paul do for the Corinthian saints because it hadn't been done right the first time?

Paul baptizes the Corinthians in the name of Jesus Christ after the manner of Jon the Baptist. He also bestows upon them the gift of the Holy Ghost since they didn't not receive that earlier. They needed to be baptized in the proper way. 

How does this answer the question many nonmembers have about the need of being baptized when they have already been baptized? 

Baptism needs to be done in the correct ay through the Priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ. If it isn't done in the correct way then the baptism in a sense is not valid and it is as though it truly didn't happen. In order for the baptism to be standing and valid it need to be done in the correct way in the proper name in the proper authority. 

In what way does Paul bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost?

By the laying on of hands with the power of the priesthood. 

On what day of the week did the Saints meet to break bread? What evidence is there in John 20:1,19 for why the sabbath day was changed.

The saints met on the first day of the week to break bread and partake of the sacrament. It was changed to the day that Christ had risen from the tom and showed himself unto Mary Magdalen and the twelve apostles. I think the reason it changed is the signfigance that Christ conquered on and death by sacrificing His body and blood, what the sacrament symbolizes. 

New Testament: The Vision of Peter | Acts 10

I will be doing weekly posts about the New Testament for my religion class. Hopefully those who read this find my insights helpful for different chapters and books in the New Testament. We are studying from Acts to Revelation so do enjoy!

Acts 10:1-17, Acts 11:1-18

-Who appeared to Cornelius and what was his message?
An angel of the Lord appeared unto Cornelius. The angel tells Cornelius to send men to Joppa and to call upon Peter and have Peter come to Cornelius.

-What was Peter's reaction to the Lords command during his vision upon the housetop?
Peter was a little astonished that the Lord would ask him and tell him to eat something unclean and common. Due to the lifestyle of the Jews they didn't eat anything with an uncloven hoof and a number of other things that weren't "kosher". He was surprised the Lord would ask such a question. Peter hadn't done such a thing.

-Why did Peter react the way he did?
He reacted the way he did because he hadn't eaten anything that unclean and common. He thought the Lord was talking about eating things Peter shouldn't. Peter acts as if the Lord is accusing him, chastising him about something he didn't do. Peter didn't understand that the Lord was teaching him something else.

-Why do you think the Lord repeated the vision three times to Peter?
I believe the Lord repeated the vision to Peter three times because Peter was having a hard time understanding the vision, he was probably confused like Joseph Smith was when the messenger came to him three times. It was the Lord's way of ensuring Peter actually understood what he was seeing. Sometimes we need to be repeated to about something to understand what the Lord is telling us.

Acts 10:18-36, 44

-When Peter clearly understood the meaning of the vision, what did he declare?
"Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of al:)." (Acts 10:34-36)

-What does it mean that "God is no respecter of persons"?
It means God does not think more or less of a person. He respects all people. He wants everyone to hear the gospel. It doesn't matter the person is a jew, a gentile, or a citizen of the Roman Empire. He wants all people to hear the gospel and to become clean. He doesn't think more of one person over another person. He does not want a select few to know about Him, He wants all to know about him.

-How did the Holy Ghost assist the Jewish saints in understanding that the blessings of the gospel where to be available to all people at that time?
The Holy Ghost feel on all of those that would hear the words of Peter. From my reading in the manual it says that the Holy Ghost was used as a way of a convincing power. Since the people were not baptized, the Holy Ghost convinced the people of the power of God. The Holy Ghost was able to testify to all of those who were desirous to hear the word of God.