Unit 6: Day 4

2 Nephi 9–10

Introduction

In the previous lesson you studied Jacob’s testimony of what Jesus Christ would do for us through His Atonement. In this lesson you will complete your study of 2 Nephi 9 and the first day of Jacob’s sermon and learn what we must do to receive the blessings of the Atonement. Jacob warned against making decisions that lead to a separation from God, and he invited all to come to Christ and be saved. You will also read 2 Nephi 10 and study what Jacob told the people the next day. Jacob again taught that although Israel would be scattered because of sin, the Lord would remember His covenants with them, and He would gather them when they repented and returned to Him. Jacob said that there was “none other nation on earth that would crucify their God” (2 Nephi 10:3). He foretold that America would be a land of liberty, fortified against all nations, and have no kings upon it. Jacob testified that one must submit to God’s will and remember that only through God’s grace would they be saved.

2 Nephi 9:28–54

Jacob warns of actions and attitudes that separate us from God and invites all to come unto Christ

Because of the Fall and because of our personal sins, each of us needs the Savior. Jacob testified that through the Atonement we are freed from the effects of the Fall and can overcome our sins and receive eternal life. Jacob used the image of a gate and path to illustrate this. Read 2 Nephi 9:41, and look for how Jacob described the path we must walk to attain eternal life. Ponder the following questions: What do you think it means to “come unto the Lord”? (Consider if you are on the path that will bring you closer to the Savior.) What does it mean to you that “the way [to the Savior] is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course”?

Jacob also described the Savior as “the keeper of the gate.” This is symbolic of the Savior’s role as our judge. It is He who extends the blessings of His Atonement to us based on our attitudes and actions. Jacob also taught us more specifically how our attitudes and actions affect our ability to come to the Savior.

1. To help you identify attitudes, thoughts, and actions that can lead us to the Savior, do the following in your scripture study journal:

   1. Draw a line down the center of a full page in your scripture study journal, and write Distancing Ourselves from Christ on one side and Coming unto Christ on the other side.

   2. Read 2 Nephi 9:27–39, and identify any actions or attitudes that Jacob warned can distance us from the Savior. Make a list of what you find that belongs in the “Distancing Ourselves from Christ” column in your scripture study journal. You may also want to mark what you find in your scriptures. (Note that 2 Nephi 9:28–29 is a scripture mastery passage. You may want to mark it in a distinctive way so you can locate it in the future.)

   3. Choose one of the actions or attitudes that you identified, and answer the following question on a separate page in your scripture study journal: How can this action or attitude keep us from coming to Christ and receiving the full blessings of His Atonement?

   4. In addition to warning about actions and attitudes that distance us from the Lord, Jacob taught about actions and attitudes that will help us come to Jesus Christ. Read 2 Nephi 9:23, 42, 45–46, 49–52, and find what Jacob taught would bring us to the Lord. List what you find in the “Coming unto Christ” column of your chart.

Studying 2 Nephi 9:28–54, you learned the principle: By choosing to come to the Lord and live according to His will, we can receive the full blessings of the Atonement.

2. To help you apply what you have learned, write your answers to the questions in two or more of the assignments below in your scripture study journal:

   1. In 2 Nephi 9:23 you read that the Lord commanded us to repent and be baptized. Though you may already be baptized, how does renewing baptismal covenants through the sacrament help you come to the Lord and receive the blessings of His Atonement?

   2. What do you think it means to have “perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 9:23)? What are some ways you currently show faith in the Lord?

   3. What does it mean to “turn away from your sins” (2 Nephi 9:45)? What can help you turn away from your sins?

   4. What are some examples of spending money “for that which is of no worth” or working “for that which cannot satisfy” (2 Nephi 9:51)? How does avoiding evil or trivial pursuits help you come to the Lord? How can you better balance how you spend your time in various school, study, Church, recreational, and social activities?

   5. What are some ways you can “feast upon that which perisheth not” (2 Nephi 9:51)?

   6. Jacob urged the people to “give thanks” and to “let your hearts rejoice” (2 Nephi 9:52). Why do you think it is important to follow this counsel as you strive to come to the Savior?

3. Write in your scripture study journal how one or more of the actions and attitudes you have studied have brought you closer to the Savior.

Scripture Mastery—2 Nephi 9:28–29

What are you doing to make the most of your current educational opportunities? What are your future plans for your education?

Read the following statement from President Gordon B. Hinckley, and underline the blessings that can come from learning: “You face great challenges that lie ahead. You are moving into a world of fierce competition. You must get all of the education you can. The Lord has instructed us concerning the importance of education. It will qualify you for greater opportunities. It will equip you to do something worthwhile in the great world of opportunity that lies ahead. If you can go to college and that is your wish, then do it. If you have no desire to attend college, then go to a vocational or business school to sharpen your skills and increase your capacity” (“Converts and Young Men,” Ensign, May 1997, 49–50).

Read 2 Nephi 9:28, and mark what Jacob said were pitfalls of learning with the wrong attitude.

4. Answer the following question in your scripture study journal:

   1. What do you think the statement “when they are learned they think they are wise” means?

   2. What are the dangers of thinking we are wiser than a parent, our bishop or branch president, the prophet, or our Heavenly Father?

Read 2 Nephi 9:29, and identify what you need to remember as you seek education.

5. In your scripture study journal, answer the following question: How does diligent scripture study help you live according to the principle in 2 Nephi 9:29?

2 Nephi 10

Jacob encourages the people to rejoice and come to the Lord

During the second day of his teaching, Jacob again testified of the Lord’s power of deliverance from the consequences of sin. Jacob also taught his people how they should respond to the merciful gift of the Atonement. Read 2 Nephi 10:20, 23–25, and mark phrases that indicate what Jacob taught we should do in response to the Savior’s sacrifice for us.

6. Answer one or more of the following questions in your scripture study journal:

   1. Considering what you have studied about the Savior, why do you want to always “remember him” (2 Nephi 10:20)?

   2. Why do you feel that laying aside or repenting of something you are doing wrong would show your gratitude and love for the Savior?

   3. What have you learned about the Savior that helps you feel hope rather than “hang down” your head in discouragement?

An important phrase in this chapter is “reconcile yourselves to the will of God” (2 Nephi 10:24). It means that we should reestablish a close relationship with the Lord in which we are obedient and in harmony with His will. Review any scriptures you have marked in 2 Nephi 9–10. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you determine something you can do to reconcile yourself to the will of God.

7. Write the following at the bottom of today’s assignments in your scripture study journal:

   I have studied 2 Nephi 9–10 and completed this lesson on (date).

   Additional questions, thoughts, and insights I would like to share with my teacher: