RELA275: Teachings & Doctrine of the Book of Mormon Questions (Fall 2023)

What is the prophet of God called to do?

• Protect people through warnings from God

Why are prophets of the Lord rejected?

• The people don’t like being told that what they’re doing is evil and wrong

• Their desires for what they want overcome any desire for good

Why should we trust the prophet and from where do they receive their messages?

• The prophet receives messages from the Lord through angels, the voice of the Lord, and the Holy Ghost

What should we do when we don’t like or agree with what the prophets teach?

• We need to find our own witness and testimony by softening our hearts and praying to God

According to the Lord himself, what differentiated those who were spared in the destruction prior to the appearance of the Savior to the Nephites and those who were not?

• Those who followed the prophet were protected and those who did not follow the prophet were killed

What do we learn from the four groups of people in the vision of the Tree of Life?

• People who move towards God but fall into temptation

• People who partake of the Word of God but fall away in shame because they care more about the world’s opinion

• People who partake of the Word of God and receive Eternal Life

• People who do not want the Word of God and want to be of the world and fall into sin

What are the three elements of the iron rod?

• Scriptures

• Personal Revelation

• Words of the Living Prophets

What does the entire vision of the Tree of Life, and every element of it, symbolize?

• Tree = Love of God and Life

• Iron Rod = Word of God and Truth

• Straight and Narrow Path = the Way

• Mists of Darkness = Temptations of the Devil

• Gulph = The Justice of the Eternal god

• Fountain/River = The Depths of Hell

• Great and Spacious Building = The Pride of the World

What is the condescension of God?

• Jesus descending to be mortal and living with mortals and then being crucified by mortals as an immortal being

What two events are represented by the Tree of Life?

• Christ’s birth and death

What were the six sacred objects preserved by the Nephite prophets throughout the generations?

• Plates of Nephi (Book of Mormon)

• Plates of Brass

• Jaredite Plates

• Interpreters

• Sword of Laban

• Liahona

Why are the six sacred objects from the Nephites so important for us? What are they sacred and preserved?

• They contain the light and truth of God and were preserved for future generations

Why did Alma call these objects “sacred”?

• They are connected with God

What are the scriptures a literal and tangible representation of?

• The Liahona

What is the Fall of Adam and Eve?

• When Adam and Eve partook of the Forbidden Fruit and were sent out of the Garden of Eden

Why is the Fall an essential doctrine to understand?

• To understand the Atonement of Christ and why we have the Plan of Salvation, we need to understand the Fall and how it affected us

What do we need to be redeemed from because of the Fall?

• Satan, temptation, and spiritual death

Did Adam and Eve sin in partaking of the forbidden fruit?

• No

What three essential gifts would we not have without the Fall?

• Agency

• Joy/Happiness

• Life

In what ways was the sacrifice of Christ infinite?

• All of human-kind was saved

In what ways the sacrifice of Christ eternal?

• Christ is unchangeable and eternal

Why was Jesus Christ the only one who could perform the atoning sacrifce?

• He is the son of a mortal mother and an immortal father, giving Him the ability to live for eternity (resurrect) but also to die

What did Christ suffer for us?

• All of our pains and afflicitions and temptations

What was the purpose for His suffering for us?

• So He can have mercy and compassion on us because He has felt what we are feeling

Along with redeeming us from sin and death, what is another significant purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

• Helps us to overcome the natural man and to become good

Why does the Lord give us the weakness of our mortal condition?

• So we can be humble and turn towards God

What does the Bible Dictionary call this aspect of Christ’s grace?

• Enabling Power

What do we learn from the Book of Mormon about the post-mortal Spirit World?

• We are “taken home” to the spirit world after we die

What do we know about the continuation of familial relationships after this life?

• Our family will be reunited in the spirit world

What are resurrected bodies like?

• Every part of our bodies will be restored perfectly

What is the purpose of the questions of Alma 5?

• So that we can reflect and prepare for the Second Coming

What is faith?

• Hope for things which are not seen but are true

What do the seed, soil, tree, and fruit represent in Alma’s discourse on faith in Alma 32?

• Seed = the Word (doctrine, gospel truth)

• Tree = Tree of Life (Jesus and the Love of God)

Why did the children of Israel not look at the serpent on the staff?

• They did not believe it would heal them

What is the specific seed that Alma invites us to plant in our hearts?

• That Jesus Christ is the Savior will atone for us and bring about the resurrection and we will be judged according to our works

What three things does Alma teach by which we need to nourish the tree as it grows in our hearts?

• Diligence

• Faith

• Patience

Why is it important not to procrastinate the day of our repentance?

• Our mortal life is to prepare to meet God, so we need to repent now so we are ready to meet God at any moment

What is chiasmus? What is the significance in relation to the Book of Mormon?

• Chiasmus is a double structure where the second half mirrors the first half in a reverse order

  • Puts the most important thing is put in the middle

• Strong evidence that the Book of Mormon was translated from ancient Hebraic writing

What is the central truth that Alma wants us to learn about repentence?

• Rely on Christ - call unto Him and remember Him

What was required of Alma to be forgiven?

• He needed to cry unto Christ for mercy

What do we learn from the people of King Benjamin about the results of repentence and forgiveness?

• We need to humble ourselves and view us in our imperfect, mortal state to repent and be forgiven

What is a covenant with God?

• A sacred relationship or two-way promise

What are the steps on the covenant path and what is the gate that begins it?

• Baptism

• Confirmation

• Priesthood Ordination

• Temple Endowment

• Temple Sealing

Since He was sinless, why was Jesus baptized?

• Fulfill the covenant

Why is there a feeling of spiritual power associated with saving ordinances and covenants?

• We take the yoke upon us and work in coordination with Him in unity

What brings a remission of sin?

• When we receive the Holy Ghost

How do you endure to the end?

• Repeatedly embrace the doctrine of God

What did the Lord tell Alma must happen to all mankind?

• Born again

What does it mean to have a mighty change of heart?

• Change from wanting things of the world to wanting things of Christ

How does the mighty change of heart happen?

• We need to be humbled and repent and convert fully to God and let the Lord work within us

What do the Anti-Nephi-Lehies demonstrate as the result of a true change of heart?

• Commitment to God and His gospel until the end

How do you allow a change of heart to persist in you?

• Do not be casual in your worship and commitment to God

What are two important elements of the gathering of Israel?

• The House of Israel will be gathered together

• The remnants of the House of Israel will be brought to the knowledge of God

To what two physical locations will Israel be gathered?

• Jerusalem

• New Jerusalem (on the American Continent)

What is the Abrahamic Covenant?

• A series of promises made to the prophet Abraham that he would have an innumerable posterity, promised land, priesthood authority, and that the families of the earth would be blessed through Him

What does the Abrahamic Covenant have to do with us?

• It applies to his posterity, and the generations following him, which includes us!

What is the meaning of the declaration of lineage in our patriarchal blessings?

• It is our literal blood lineage of where we are in the House of Israel

• It is symbolic and spiritual, giving us certain blessings from our lineage

How can we particpate in the gathering of Israel?

• Missionary, temple, and family history work

Why would King Lamoni’s servants have carried the servered arms of his enemies right to the throne?

• Sign of dominance in ancient times

What does Ammon testify was “the great” blessing which God bestowed upon them?

• We are instruments in the hands of God

What are two primary ways that we can seek the blessing of becoming instruments in the hands of God?

• Fast and prayer

What does it mean to have the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation?

• A testimony of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost

In missionary work, what can we accomplish with faith?

• Great miracles and conversion among people

What signs preceding the Savior’s visit to the Nephites will also precede the Second Coming?

• Strong, righteous minority

• Spiritual outpourings and miracles

• Great wickedness

• Rejection of the Lord’s prophets and their call to repentence

• Signs and wonders in heavens

• Conversion of many

• Prophecy of a night with no darkness

Why is it important to recognize the parallels to our day we see in how people reacted to the signs of the Savior’s coming?

• So we can prepare for Christ’s coming

Why do people that believe sometimes fall away from their faith?

• Harden their hearts and reason their way out of it

• They slowly fall away thinking that they are fine where they are at

What can we learn from the Nephites and from Mormon to protect ourselves spiritually from falling away from our faith?

• We need to be diligent in our worship and study of the Gospel

• Reason cannot replace revelation

• Do not forget!!

According to what principle does Jesus Christ minster unto His people?

• One by one

When Jesus appeared to the Nephites, why did He still have His wounds if He was resurrected?

• So they could know that He is Christ, the Redeemer and Son of God

When suffering for our sins, how was Christ intimately connected to us?

• He died for us, saw us personally, and felt each and every single thing we will feel and experience

What is the Savior specifically asking that we remember about His body and His blood?

• His body that was sacrificed

• His blood that was shed

• His resurrected body

• The New Covenant made through His blood

• That He was with us

What is the New Covenant made through Christ’s blood?

• We promise:

  • To take upon Christ’s name

  • To always remember Him

  • To keep His commandments

• He promises:

  • We will always have His Spirit to be with us

How are we blessed when we always have His Spirit to be with us?

• We will always have the Holy Ghost, which is the agent of the Atonement, and so we will always have the influence and guidance of the atonement in our life

When do we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and what does that mean to do so?

• When we are in the temple, we receive the authority of Christ and become one with Him and become like Him

What is the Church’s attitude towards racism?

• Do not support racism

What is the Church’s policy regarding LGBTQ+ members and individuals?

• Christ loves them! And so we must love them as our divine brothers and sisters and siblings

What is the meaning of the Lord’s commandment, “I would that ye should be perfect”?

• Complete, finished, mature

• Be perfected in/through Christ

• By the grace (or enabling power) of God

How do I overcome “toxic perfectionism”?

• Focus on and express gratitude for the Atonement of Jesus Christ

What is the “doctrine of Christ”?

• Faith

• Repentence

• Baptism

• Gift of the Holy Ghost

• Enduring to the End (Becoming as a Little Child)

What sacrifice does the Lord ask of us today?

• A broken heart and contrite spirit

The Lord tells us that the Law of Moses is fulfilled, what did he say was not fulfilled?

• The Abrahamic Covenant was/is not yet fulfilled

What Book of Mormon time period provides an important parallel to our day?

• Nephite history just before the Savior’s visit

• Mosiah - 3 Nephi (~200 years)

How do we survive spiritually in a society dominated by sin and pride?

• We build on the rock of our Redeemer who is Christ

• We remember Christ and build our foundation on Him

How do we “build on the rock of our Redeemer who is Christ”?

• As we come unto our Savior and make and keep covenants with Him

• It yokes us to Him and gives us power to overcome the world as He has

Why is it important to protect religious freedom?

• It protects agency

Why did the church support the “Respect for Marriage” act that was passed the end of last year?

• The act preserved principles and practices of religious freedom

• The act preserved the rights of LGBTQ individuals

What is the symbolism of Moroni tearing his coat?

• Symbolized the Abrahamic Covenant because it refers to Joseph’s technicolor coat that his brothers tore, which represented Joseph’s birthright as the covenant son

In laying down his life for liberty, who is Moroni a type or shadow of?

• Jesus Christ

Why is liberty worth dying for?

• It gives us freedom and agency, which is what Jesus died for

How is one of the major messages of the Book of Mormon connected with the sin of pride?

• Pride causes the destruction of nations

What were the identifying characteristics of pride among the Nephites?

• They think they’re better than others

• Hearts set on riches

• Denying the spirit - think they don’t need God/there is no God

• Oppression of the poor and meek

  • Believe they are richer or smarter

• Costly apparel

• Labeling

• Comparison

Why is pride spiritually destructive?

• Pride is a sin of comparison and self-glorification

• We no longer worship God and love our neighbor, but instead worship and love ourselves

What is the connection between pride and other sins?

• Every other sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride - it all starts with pride

• Pride is a gateway sin

What is the “antidote” for pride?

• Yield our hearts to God

• We need to be humble - choose to be humble

What is one definition of an “Anti-Christ”?

• Someone who fights against Christ and/or someone who presents a false way/alternative to eternal happiness

What are two philospohies of Anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon that parallel worldly philosophies of our day?

• Moral Relativism

• There is no Christ

What is “moral relativism”?

• That there is no objective or absolute truth. Truth is what you believe it to be.

What two things does Alma do to stand against the false teachings of Korihor?

• Tells the truth

• Testifies

Of what Christlike attributes do we learn from His introduction of Himself to the Nephites?

• Obedience

• Submission

• Meekness

What does the Savior’s life and atoning sacrifice teach us about obedience?

• Obedience isn’t easy, but it brings us blessings and salvation