This weeks assignment  I chose to study the seventy in Luke 10:1-24. I am amazed by what I learn each week. I had no idea Jesus had set up the Seventy when he was on earth. 

The Lord counseled his Seventy in how to do missionary work there. He instructed them to go by two's and he warned them that it would not be easy, that they would be like "lambs among wolves" (Luke 10:3).  He told them to bless the houses they enter and to eat and drink with them and to "eat such things as are set before you" (Luke 10:8). He asked them to heal whoever was sick, and testify of God and Jesus. He also told them to warn of those cities who will reject them.

Interestingly enough, the 6th Article of Faith says, "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth." This is a great testimony to me because of how Jesus set up His church in Jerusalem is just how it is set up now. I always knew of the apostles and prophets and their set up in Christ's day, but learning that He even had a seventy blew me out of the water! That just affirmed my testimony even more of this Article of Faith and how it stands as a testament of the truthfulness of this gospel. Similarly, we had Seventy now who are all over the earth who help church efforts and spread to gospel, just like Jesus instructed them back then. Also, the Seventy in Jesus' time we taught to know their people and to eat and spend time with them that will allow it and to teach them in their home, much like our Seventy do now all around the globe. Later in chapter 10, The seventy report back to Jesus that they had the power of the Lord with them and that they were successful in taming demons and glorifying their God, much like they do today with the Priesthood. 

The Church Website had a great link to further explain the Seventy's duties. that shows how the primary mission of one called to a position in the Seventy, is to travel the world and proclaim the gospel. There should be 7 presidents chosen out of the Seventy. They are also called to expand their own Seventy as much as needed.

1.) In the book of Matthew, Jesus performs two miracle that were similar, The following chart will explain their similarities and differences:
                                                                               Matthew 14:14-21                Matthew 15:32-38
How many people were present?                           5,000 besides                    4,000 besides women                                                                                    women and children                          and children
                                                                                                                     

What did they need?                                                        food                                            food

What were they able to offer in                            to leave Jesus and go         The offered themselves   an effort to meet that need?                                  back to town to buy food         by fasting for 3 days                                                                                                               


What words or phrases describe the                  "They need not depart;       "I have compassion on    Savior's feeling towards the multitudes             give ye them to eat"         the multitude... [they]have       in their time of need?                                                                          nothing to eat:and I will not                                                                                                                           send them away fasting,                                                                                                                            lest they faint in the way"

                                                                                                                                                               What words or phrases describe      "And they did all eat, and were filled"   "And they did all eat,
what the Savior was able to provide                                                                        and were filled"
for the multitudes?
                                                                                                                                        
2.) The stories above give an account where human effort is insufficient. We learn in Romans 3:23 and Ether 12:27 that some things can only be done with the power of God. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" says Romans 3:23 and Ether 12:27 says; And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." These scriptures illustrate the need for the Savior and the atonement. Without it, none of us can return to live with HEavenly Father again, because we are not perfect. But through the atonement and ONLY through the atonement can we become clean and pure enough to be in his presence. To accept the healing powers of the atonement we must have a 'broken heart and a contrite spirit"( 3 Nephi 9:20) and experience godly sorrow

Lesson 3; The Lord Often Taught With Parables

This weeks lesson for my New Testament class, I chose to focus on the parables told by Christ. The main scriptures focused on were in Matthew 13.

My definition of a parable is a story taught to help us learn the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven. They can be interpreted differently according to who is listening and their proportion of faith and intelligence.

1. What describes the future growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? The parable of the mustard seed because it starts out small, but becomes the greatest church on the earth and a beacon to the world.

2. Why does the church send out so many missionaries? The church sends out lots of missionaries to find anyone and hopefully everyone who has 'ears to hear' the word of God, and bring them into His fold.

3. How do you explain the remarkable growth of the church, considering it is fairly new compared to most world religions and started small in the American frontier? The growth in the church can be explained by the teaching and truthfulness to our gospel and that Christ is the leader of the church. People find this out through the Holy Ghost. Moroni's promise at the end of the Book of Mormon puts the responsibility in them to act and pray in faith to know for themselves. Once they do this, of course the right answer will come, and they will know the truth, and will not be able to deny it.

4.Why are some members of the Church so willing to sacrifice so much worldy wealth and recognition in order to maintain membership in the church? Members sacrifice so much because they know this church is true and it id Christ's church. If they are endowed, they will know the level of commitment they have covenanted with the Lord about the Law of Sacrifice.

5. Why do some Church members choose to leave the church? Some members choose to leave the church because the faith has been shaken, or possibly was never deeply established.

and

Considering the parable of the treasure and the pearl of great price, what sacrifices would you be willing to make to obtain the treasure of the gospel? What sacrifices have you or those you know already made for the gospel? I would hopefully be willing to sacrifice everything I have for the Church and for the gospel. I am responsible to stand up for it. I believe it and have a strong testimony of it. Sacrifices made by a family friend are amazing. She and her sister left Jamaica after being baptized, served missions, and now have little to no contact with their family because of their religious beliefs. I can't imagine how hard that must be to be rejected by those who raised you.

What does the net represent in the parable of the net cast into the sea? What does it mean to be gathered into the net? What is represented by the action of gathering the good into vessels and casting the bad away?  The net represents missionaries. To be gathered into the net means to be taught the gospel and grow a testimony. Judgement day is represented when the scripture says, "gathering the good into vessels and casting the bad away". The good will be saved, and the evil will be 'cast into the furnace of fire' (Matthew 13:50).

 For my New Testament class, we do a Share and Report assignment every week. This week I decided to do it as a blog entry, and on the miracles Jesus preformed, and to share who demonstrated faith in the story.

Reference                    Miracle of the Lord                                        Who Demonstrated Faith

Matthew 8:1-4             Healed the leper                                                The leper

Matthew 8:5-13           Healed the centurion's servant                          The centurion

Matthew 8:14-15         Healed Peter's mother-in-law of a fever            Peter's mother-in-law

Matthew 8:16              Cast out devils and healed the sick                    Jesus

Matthew 8:23-27         Calmed the storm at sea                                    Jesus

Matthew 8:28-34         Cast devils out of 2 men into a herd of swine   Jesus

Matthew 9:20-22;
Mark 5:25-34              Woman healed of her blood disease by             Sick woman
                                     touching Jesus's cloak

Matthew 9:27              Two blind men healed                                       Blind men

Mark 2:1-12                Man healed of his palsy while other                  Sick man
                                     men questioned Jesus' power

This is quite incredible; and it isn't even all the miracles Jesus preformed. I have never studied His miracles so closely as this, and it is amazing to know what He did while he lived on this earth. It also makes me think of how wrong it was that people accused Him and wanted Him to die for breaking the law. He is the true Lamb of God, pure, clean, and holy. Being as pure as He was, he had to be the sacrifice for all of mankind.  It is very humbling to know what he did for me, and for us as a people. I love Him, and hope that I can be more like Him.