Lesson 143

Ezekiel 33–36

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. The Holy Ghost can teach and edify you as you approach your study prayerfully and with a desire to learn.

Begin your study with prayer.

Some people question why we need to follow Jesus Christ when the laws and principles He taught seem to them so restrictive and difficult to obey.

Listen to President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency as he shares a parable to illustrate why the Lord invites us to obey His commandments and follow Him.

Sins and Righteous Acts

Suppose that a friend of yours says that he or she believes that the Lord counts every commandment you obey and every sin you commit. If, at the end of your life, the list of commandments you obey is longer than the list of sins you commit, you will return to live with Heavenly Father forever.

Think about whether you believe this is true and why or why not.

As you study Ezekiel 33, look for truths that teach how Jesus Christ will judge us and what we must do to qualify to live with Heavenly Father forever.

The Israelites’ Question

Remember that we learned earlier that a prophet is like a watchman on a tower, who is responsible for warning the people of unforeseen danger (see Ezekiel 3:17–21). In Ezekiel 33:1–9 we read that the Lord again compared the role of a prophet to the role of a watchman. Remember that Ezekiel was called to preach to Israelites who had previously ignored the warnings of prophets. They were suffering the consequences of their disobedience while living as captives in Babylon.

Read Ezekiel 33:10–11, looking for a question that the Lord said the Israelites had asked. The phrase “we pine away in [our sins]” (verse 10) means the people felt they were becoming weak because of their sins. The word live in these verses can mean to enjoy peace and happiness in this life and eventually live in Heavenly Father’s presence.

Quiz 1

1. Which of the following statements best summarizes the concern of the people that was recorded in verse 10?

   1. Is there any hope for us after all of the sins that we have committed?

   2. How can we be prosperous in this life while still keeping the commandments?

   3. How can we know that what the prophet Ezekiel is teaching is true?

2. Which of the following statements best summarizes what the Lord told the Israelites as recorded in verse 11?

   1. The Lord rejoices in the righteous who choose to serve Him and His children.

   2. The Lord is eager to bless His people with revelation.

   3. The Lord receives no pleasure from punishing the wicked but rather only from seeing the wicked turn away from their sins.

3. According to verse 11, the Lord instructed the Israelites to

   1. turn from their evil ways.

   2. seek Him while He is still near.

   3. generously help the poor and needy.

The First Example

As recorded in Ezekiel 33:12–16, the Lord gave two examples to help the Israelites understand the importance of repenting and living righteously.

Read Ezekiel 33:12–13. What did the Lord teach about our righteousness in this example?

The Second Example

You may want to mark the phrase “all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered” in Ezekiel 33:13. This phrase means that if we stop living righteously, become wicked, and do not repent, we will not be able to live with Heavenly Father regardless of our past righteousness.

Now look at the second example the Lord gave. Read Ezekiel 33:14–16, looking for what will happen to the wicked who repent.

The Lord’s Judgment

The phrase “none of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him” in Ezekiel 33:16 means that if a wicked person repents, the Lord will not hold those sins against him or her at the Final Judgment (see D&C 58:42). You may want to mark this phrase in your scriptures.

Read Ezekiel 33:17–20, looking for what the people said about “the way of the Lord” (verse 17), or the way He will judge us. The word equal in these verses means just or fair (see verse 17, footnote b).

How did the Lord respond to the people’s complaint that His method of judgment was not fair?

Think about what you have learned from Ezekiel 33. How would you summarize the Lord’s way of judging us?

The Final Judgment

From Ezekiel 33 we can identify the truth that Jesus Christ will judge us by the person we have become as the result of our repentance. If someone performs many righteous acts but then sins and turns away from righteousness, that person has not truly become righteous. On the other hand, if someone who has committed many sins chooses to turn to the Lord and repent, that person is no longer wicked.

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency explained how we will be judged in the Final Judgment. You can read the text for this video here: “The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32.

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency explained how we will be judged in the Final Judgment.

“The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32).

1. Answer one of the following questions in three or more sentences:

• How would you explain why Jesus Christ’s way of judging us is fair?

• Why do you think it is important to understand that Jesus Christ will judge us by what we have become as the result of our repentance?

• What does the way that Jesus Christ judges teach you about His character and how He feels about you?

The Leaders of Israel

What do you think are the characteristics of a good shepherd?

As recorded in Ezekiel 34:1–10, the Lord compared the leaders of Israel to shepherds and the people to sheep.

Read Ezekiel 34:1–8, looking for what the Lord said about the leaders of Israel and their treatment of the people.

“The Good Shepherd”

Why do you think the Savior has sometimes referred to Himself as “the good shepherd” (John 10:11)?

As recorded in Ezekiel 34:11–16, Jesus Christ described Himself as a shepherd. Read these verses, looking for what Jesus Christ will do as a shepherd for His people. You may want to mark what you find.

2. List at least three ways that the Savior is described in verses 11–16 as being like a shepherd for His people.

Our Shepherd

One principle we can identify from Ezekiel 34:11–16 is that if we follow Jesus Christ as our shepherd, He will lead and nourish us.

3. Answer one of the following questions:

• What are some ways that the Savior provides for the needs of His sheep in our day?

• When has the Savior been like a good shepherd to you?

Prophecies of the Last Days

Do you realize that you are part of the fulfillment of ancient prophecies?

Ezekiel 34:17–36:38 records that after Jerusalem was destroyed, many of the Jews were taken captive to Babylon (see Bible Maps, no. 6, “The New Babylonian Empire and the Kingdom of Egypt”). Ezekiel prophesied that the Lord would deliver His people from their enemies. These prophecies refer to Ezekiel’s day as well as to the last days, when the Lord will send His servants to gather the lost sheep of Israel through covenants.

Read Ezekiel 36:24–28, looking for what the Lord promised to do for those who choose to follow Him in the last days. Someone who has a “stony heart” (verse 26) is hard-hearted and prideful, while a person who has a “heart of flesh” (verse 26) is humble and obedient.

According to verse 26, what did the Lord promise to do for those who follow Him?

A Change of Heart

From Ezekiel 36:26 we can identify the principle that if we follow Jesus Christ, He can change our hearts.

To have “a new heart” (verse 26), or a change of heart, means that as we receive the Lord’s Spirit in our lives, we lose our desires to do evil and we gain the desire “to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).

Listen to the experience of a young man named Ever. How did he experience a change of heart?

The Only Way

Each of us can receive a change of heart as we seek it. Seeking to have a change of heart is an ongoing process. This happens as we follow Jesus Christ. He is the only way to lasting change.

In your Notes on LDS.org or in a personal journal, take five minutes and answer the following questions:

• In what ways do I need a change of heart?

• What will I do in the coming week to invite the Holy Ghost to help me to receive a change of heart?

Doctrinal Mastery Review: Malachi 3:8–10

Do you remember what Malachi 3:8–10 talks about?

Review this scripture, looking for the promises it contains.

Quiz 2

1. Which of the following promises does the Lord extend to us in verses 8–10?

   1. We will run and not be weary and walk and not faint.

   2. Our tongues will be loosed and we will have power to convince others of the truth.

   3. The Lord will rebuke the devourer for our sakes.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) a; (2) c; (3) a

Quiz 2: (1) c