Lesson 138

Jeremiah 7–29

Prepare to Learn

Take some time to prepare your mind and heart to learn. What can you do to make sure that your mind is alert and that your attention is focused on the learning experience? Remove distractions and focus on the lesson to show your willingness to be taught by the Spirit.

Begin your study with prayer.

Why is it important for you to sincerely strive to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and not just give the appearance of being righteous?

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles invited us to evaluate how sincerely we follow the Lord’s commandments. You can read the text for this video here: “True to the Truth,” Ensign, May 1997, 15–16.

Important Events in the Latter Days

If you asked your friends or classmates what they think the greatest cause on planet earth was today, what might they say?

Jeremiah not only warned the people of his day but also prophesied about some of the most important events that would take place on earth in the latter days. As you study the teachings found in Jeremiah 7–29, look for principles the prophet Jeremiah taught that can help you to live a righteous life amid great wickedness and to participate in the great events the Lord will bring about through His faithful servants in the last days.

Jeremiah’s Warnings

Remember that God called Jeremiah as a prophet to warn the people of Judah that unless they repented, they would be conquered by another nation. We read in Jeremiah 7:1–2 that Jeremiah was commanded to stand at the gate of the temple and preach to the people.

Read Jeremiah 7:3–11, looking for what the Lord told the people through Jeremiah. Consider marking what you find.

True Worship

Through Jeremiah, the Lord promised the Jews who were coming to the temple that they would remain in the promised land if they would repent, or “amend [their] ways” (Jeremiah 7:3).

Even though they were coming to the temple to offer sacrifices, the Jews at that time were committing sins such as murdering, stealing, committing adultery and other sexual sins, and worshipping false gods (see Jeremiah 7:9). Many of the Jews in Jeremiah’s day behaved as though worshipping at the temple made them righteous, regardless of whatever else they did.

As recorded in Jeremiah 7:12–20, the Lord reminded the people that the tabernacle in Shiloh had been destroyed and that the people of the Northern Kingdom had been taken away captive. The Lord then warned that the temple in Jerusalem would not protect the people of Judah from destruction if they did not repent.

Read Jeremiah 7:21–23, looking for what is more important to the Lord than sacrifices. Also look for the Lord’s promise to those who are obedient.

What principles can you identify from these verses?

Inward Conversion

From Jeremiah 7:21–23 you may have identified one or more of the following principles: Religious worship and practices alone cannot save us if we do not keep God’s commandments. If we repent and obey God’s voice, then He will be our God and we will be His people. If we strive to walk in all of God’s ways, then it will be well with us.

Salvation comes through inward conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ, faith in His Atonement, and sincerely striving to obey all of His commandments.

Latter-Day Miracle

Jeremiah prophesied of the great calamities that would come to that generation of Jews because of their wickedness (see Jeremiah 8:1–16:15). Their choices would cause them to cry: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20). The Lord warned that that same cry would be heard in the last days from those who would not hearken to His voice (see D&C 56:16; see also D&C 45:2).

In addition to warning the wicked of the Lord’s judgments, Jeremiah also prophesied of events that would bring great hope to the righteous.

Take a moment and study this picture of Moses parting the Red Sea. Imagine what thoughts you might have had if you had witnessed this miraculous event.

Read Jeremiah 16:14–15, looking for the event people would witness in the latter days that would be even more miraculous than Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

The Gathering of Israel

As recorded in Jeremiah 16:14–15, Jeremiah prophesied that the latter-day gathering of Israel would be even more miraculous than ancient Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. When Jeremiah said that the Lord will “[bring] up the children of Israel from the land of the north” and from other lands (verse 15), he meant that the Lord will gather the descendants of Israel, including the lost ten tribes, and bring them to the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to membership in His Church. Jeremiah also prophesied that in the last days the Gentiles would seek to know the Lord and would be gathered along with Israel’s descendants (see verses 19–21).

President Russell M. Nelson described the gathering of Israel this way:

“My dear young brothers and sisters, these surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it” (Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel” [worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018], 4, LDS.org).

Read Jeremiah 16:16, looking for who the Lord said He would use to help gather the house of Israel.

Hunters and Fishers

The “hunters” and “fishers” mentioned in Jeremiah 16:16 are those who help gather Israel through missionary work.

Think about how the skills and characteristics needed to hunt and fish can be similar to the skills and characteristics we need to be successful in missionary work.

Read Jeremiah 16:21, looking for the outcome of this great missionary effort.

The Power of the Lord

From Jeremiah 16:21 we can identify the principle that as we labor diligently to share the gospel with others, we can help them come to know the power of the Lord.

1. Answer two of the following questions:

• When have you seen others come to know the power of the Lord as they learned about the gospel?

• What are some ways we can diligently seek to share the gospel with others?

• What skills and attributes could you develop to help you share the gospel more effectively with others?

“The Plagues of Our Day”

How would you complete the following statement by President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency?

“In this day of increasing access to and preoccupation with materialism, there is a sure protection for ourselves and our children against the plagues of our day. The key to that sure protection surprisingly can be found in ” (James E. Faust, “The Lord’s Day,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 35).

The Key to Protection

According to President Faust, “the key to that sure protection surprisingly can be found in Sabbath observance” (“The Lord’s Day,” 35).

As recorded in Jeremiah 17:1–18, Jeremiah prophesied that the people of Judah would be driven out of the promised land and would be forced to “serve [their] enemies” in other lands (verse 4). The Jews would suffer these consequences because they had sinned and had “trust[ed] in man” more than in the Lord (verse 5). One of the sins the Jews were committing was failing to keep the Sabbath day holy. We read in Jeremiah 17:19–22 that, as commanded by the Lord, Jeremiah reminded the Jews of the importance of honoring the Sabbath day.

Read Jeremiah 17:24–26, looking for the blessings the Lord promised the Jews for keeping the Sabbath day holy. It might be helpful to know that the phrase “kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David” (verse 25) refers to Jerusalem’s former glory and majesty.

Blessings of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

From Jeremiah 17:24–26 we can identify the principle that if we keep the Sabbath day holy, then the Lord will preserve us and help us prosper.

2. Answer two of the following questions:

• What are some ways the Lord might preserve us or help us prosper if we keep the Sabbath day holy?

• How has the Lord blessed you or someone you know for keeping the Sabbath day holy?

• What are some ways you can keep the Sabbath day holy?

The Importance of the Sabbath

Think about how the blessings we receive from honoring the Sabbath day help show its importance.

Ponder ways you can keep the Sabbath day holy, and act on any promptings you may have received during this lesson. How can keeping the Sabbath day holy help you become more like the Savior?

The Potter’s Hand

Jeremiah 18–29 records that Jeremiah continued to warn the people of destruction if they would not repent. He compared the house of Israel to clay in a potter’s hand to teach that if they would repent, the Lord could mold and reshape their lives. The people became angry with Jeremiah and “smote,” or hit, him (Jeremiah 20:1–2). Nevertheless, Jeremiah continued to preach against the people’s wickedness and warn them of the consequences of their sins.

Think about the principles you learned in this lesson. Next Sunday, consider sharing with your quorum, class, or family a principle that was meaningful to you and what action you will take because of what you learned.