Ether 12
Reading for Wed & Thur: Ether 12
Learning Activities:
1)IntroductionAfter recounting many years of Jaredite history, Moroni introduced the ministry of the prophet Ether. Moroni then paused in his historical account and recorded some of the blessings that come to those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ. He also confessed a concern. He was worried that those who would read the Book of Mormon in the latter days would not accept it because of his and the other writers’ weakness in writing. The Lord promised Moroni that He strengthens the weaknesses of all those who humble themselves before Him and have faith.
2) Ponder the following after reading Ether 12:1-6: Why is it important for boat to have an anchor? How can faith in Christ be like an anchor in your life? What experiences have you had that have anchored you safely to Christ?
3) What will you do to "try your faith" and strengthen your faith?
Some people mistakenly interpret “trial of your faith” to always refer to hardship. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave this insight into what “trial of your faith” means: “You can learn to use faith more effectively by applying this principle taught by Moroni: ‘… ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith’ [Ether 12:6; italics added]. Thus, every time you try your faith, that is, act in worthiness on an impression, you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. Those feelings will fortify your faith. As you repeat that pattern, your faith will become stronger” (“The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2003, 76).
4) Memorize Ether 12:6 and Ether 12:27 (both are Doctrinal Mastery verses)
5) The scriptures sometimes indicate a gospel principle by using the words if and then. The word if describes what we must do, and then explains what will happen as a result of our actions. Read Ether 12:27, identify an if–then principle, and write it. Then ponder how you can apply this principle in your life.
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Ether 12:6
Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women General President.
“Sometimes we try to do it backward. For example, we may take this approach: I will be happy to live the law of tithing, but first I need to know that it’s true. Maybe we even pray to gain a testimony of the law of tithing and hope the Lord will bless us with that testimony before we have ever filled out a tithing slip. It just doesn’t work that way. The Lord expects us to exercise faith. We have to consistently pay a full and honest tithe in order to gain a testimony of tithing. This same pattern applies to all the principles of the gospel, whether it is the law of chastity, the principle of modesty, the Word of Wisdom, or the law of the fast” (Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Be Ye Converted,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 77).Ether 12:4–6. What is hope?
In Ether 12, Moroni’s teachings about the principles of hope and faith reveal that the two are closely linked. He defined faith as “things which are hoped for and not seen” (Ether 12:6) and taught that our hope for salvation “cometh of faith” in Jesus Christ (Ether 12:4). The booklet True to the Faith teaches the following about hope:“When we have hope, we trust God’s promises. We have a quiet assurance that if we do ‘the works of righteousness,’ we ‘shall receive [our] reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come’ (D&C 59:23). …
“The principle of hope extends into the eternities, but it also can sustain you through the everyday challenges of life” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 85, 86).
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency defined hope as follows:
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“Hope is a gift of the Spirit [see Moroni 8:26]. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior [see Moroni 7:41]. This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment [see Colossians 1:21–23], and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace [see Romans 15:13], mercy [see Psalm 33:22], rejoicing [see Romans 12:12], and gladness [see Proverbs 10:28]. The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet [see 1 Thessalonians 5:8]; it is the foundation of our faith [see Hebrews 11:1; Moroni 7:40] and an anchor to our souls [see Hebrews 6:19; Ether 12:4]” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 21–22).
Ether 12:6. “The trial of your faith”
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) related a story that illustrates the principle of receiving a witness after the trial of our faith:
President Gordon B. Hinckley“Let me give you a story of a woman in São Paulo, Brazil. She worked while going to school to provide for her family. I use her own words in telling this story. She says:
“‘The university in which I studied had a regulation that prohibited the students that were in debt from taking tests. For this reason, when I received my salary I would first separate the money for tithing and offerings, and the remainder was allotted for the payment of the school and other expenses.
“‘I remember a time when I … faced serious financial difficulties. It was a Thursday when I received my salary. When I figured the monthly budget, I noticed that there wouldn’t be enough to pay [both] my tithing and my university. I would have to choose between them. The bimonthly tests would start the following week, and if I didn’t take them I could lose the school year. I felt great agony. … My heart ached. I had a painful decision before me, and I didn’t know what to decide. I pondered between the two choices: to pay tithing or to risk the possibility of not obtaining the necessary credits to be approved in school.
“‘This feeling consumed my soul and remained with me up to Saturday. It was then that I remembered that when I was baptized I had agreed to live the law of tithing. I had taken upon myself an obligation, not with the missionaries, but with my Heavenly Father. At that moment, the anguish started to disappear, giving place to a pleasant sensation of tranquility and determination. …
“‘That night when I prayed, I asked the Lord to forgive me for my indecision. On Sunday, before the beginning of sacrament meeting, I contacted the bishop, and with great pleasure I paid my tithing and offerings. That was a special day. I felt happy and peaceful within myself and with Heavenly Father.
“‘The next day I was in my office; I tried to find a way to be able to take the tests that would begin on Wednesday. The more I thought, the further I felt from a solution. …
“‘The working period was ending when my employer approached and gave the last orders of the day. When he had done so, with his briefcase in his hand he bid farewell. … Suddenly, he halted, and looking at me he asked, “How is your college?” I was surprised, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The only thing I could answer with a trembling voice was, “Everything is all right!” He looked thoughtfully at me and bid farewell again. …
“‘Suddenly the secretary entered the room, saying that I was a very fortunate person! When I asked her why, she simply answered: “The employer has just said that from today on the company is going to pay fully for your college and your books. Before you leave, stop at my desk and inform me of the costs so that tomorrow I can give you the check.”
“‘After she left, crying and feeling very humble, I knelt exactly where I was and thanked the Lord for His generosity. I … said to Heavenly Father that He didn’t have to bless me so much. I only needed the cost of one month’s installment, and the tithing I had paid on Sunday was very small compared to the amount I was receiving! During that prayer the words recorded in Malachi came to my mind: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10). Up to that moment I had never felt the magnitude of the promise contained in that scripture and that this commandment was truly a witness of the love that God, our Heavenly Father, gives to His children here on earth’” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “We Walk by Faith,” Ensign, May 2002, 73–74).
Ether 12:27
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency:
“Often we try to avoid looking deeply into our souls and confronting our weaknesses, limitations, and fears. Consequently, when we do examine our lives, we look through the filter of biases, excuses, and stories we tell ourselves in order to justify unworthy thoughts and actions.“But being able to see ourselves clearly is essential to our spiritual growth and well-being. If our weaknesses and shortcomings remain obscured in the shadows, then the redeeming power of the Savior cannot heal them and make them strengths [see Ether 12:27]. Ironically, our blindness toward our human weaknesses will also make us blind to the divine potential that our Father yearns to nurture within each of us” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Lord, Is It I?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 58).
Ether 12:27. “I will show unto them their weakness”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that we experience two kinds of weakness in mortality:
Elder Neal A. Maxwell“When we read in the scriptures of man’s ‘weakness,’ this term includes the … weakness inherent in the general human condition in which the flesh has such an incessant [or constant] impact upon the spirit (see Ether 12:28–29). Weakness likewise includes, however, our specific, individual weaknesses, which we are expected to overcome (see D&C 66:3; Jacob 4:7). Life has a way of exposing these weaknesses” (Neal A. Maxwell, Lord, Increase Our Faith [1994], 84).
Elder Bruce C. Hafen, who served as a member of the Seventy, indicated that our struggle to overcome weakness is central to our purpose here on earth:
“Our Father’s plan subjects us to temptation and misery in this fallen world. …“So if you have problems in your life, don’t assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life’s purpose. As we draw close to God, He will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger [see Ether 12:27]. If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you’re moving nearer to God, not farther away” (Bruce C. Hafen, “The Atonement: All for All,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 97).