Choice 3: James 3–4. Living Our Religion

1.    Read James 1:19; 3:1–13; 4:11; and the institute student manual commentary for James 3:8, “The Importance of Taming the Tongue” (p. 410). Using these resources, make two lists:

Things We Say That Are Offensive to God	Things We Say That Are Pleasing to God
"The tongue boasteth, and is like fire" - words can hurt more than sticks and stones sometimes. The mouth can spit out lies and curses.  "He that speaketh evil of his brother, judgeth his brother." - It is only God's place to judge us individually.	When we are slow to speak, slow to rate, and swift at hearing.  Though the mouth can curse, it can also bless, and praise God.  "let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." - (v.13)

2. Referring to the following chart, read James 4:1–4 and identify four symptoms of people who are friends of the world. Read James 4:7–12 and write a prescription that would help people overcome the “world.” Write your responses in the appropriate column:

Symptoms of Being in the World (James 4:1-4)

Prescription for Being out of the World (James 4:7-12

"Ye kill, and desire to have" -You kill each other, and still wish to be satisfied with your lusts.  "Ye ask, and receive not because ye ask amiss" - You ask of God, but with the wrong attitude and for the wrong reasons.  "Ye fight and war, yet ye have not because ye ask not" - You fight each other, but do not ask of God for help or peace.  "[Ye] desire to have, yet do not obtain" - You desire of things, but do not obtain because you do not work for them.

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - We will not be tempted if we consistently resist Satan.  "Draw night to God, and He will draw nigh to you." - Come closer to God, and he will run to you.  "Speak not evil of one another, brethren" - Love one another.  "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." - Do not become selfish and prideful; be aware of your insignificance to God.

Hebrews 13. Works of Righteousness

Paul concluded his epistle to the Hebrews with some brief teachings and statements of counsel. Read Hebrews 13 and find statements about the following questions:

• How should we treat strangers and those “in bonds”? We should "treat our neighbors as ourselves." If were to also be in bonds, how would we treat ourselves? We should ask ourselves these questions. 

• How is marriage looked upon? Marriage is to be honored and respected, and judged only by God when it comes to adultery and disloyalty.

• What warnings are given about covetousness? It is never good to be "obsessed" or "addicted" to something that can affect our moral choices. Coveting gets in the way of us wanting to be more like Christ. 

• What is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”? Jesus is considered the "same yesterday, and today, and forever."

• How are we sanctified? We are sanctified through the empowering Atonement of Jesus Christ who died for our sins. 

• How do we respond to those who rule over us? We should always respond respectfully to those who rule over us, even if we disagree or dislike something they say. They have are entitled to receive respect, and it is our duty to give it. 

• Who did Paul ask the people to pray for? Paul asked the people to pray for the church leaders and for Him. This is something we should include in our daily prayers. 

Hebrews 3-4. Entering into the Lord's Rest

Read Hebrews 3:8–4:16 and the institute student manual commentary for Hebrews 3:11, “What Does It Mean to Enter into the ‘Rest’ of the Lord?” (p. 383). Write answers to the following questions:

• What group of people was refused entrance into the Lord’s rest? Hebrews 3 refers to the people Moses led out of Egypt. 

• What sins caused them to forfeit this privilege? They had evil and hatred in their hearts and did not believe. 

• How does Doctrine and Covenants 84:23–24 help define what is the Lord’s rest? D&C says how it is "the fullness of His glory" that those who are obedient will receive the final, eternal gift.

• What sins did Paul repeatedly warn against so as not to incur the same punishment? Paul encouraged us to not harden our hearts so we would not make the same mistakes and experience the same grief and consequences every time. 

• How do you think the warnings in Hebrews 3:12–15 apply to us? Each day we need to constantly teach one another to not harden our hearts so that we do not fall into the deception of sin. 

• List the counsel found in Hebrews 4 that will help a person enter into the rest of the Lord. This chapter teaches how "rest" means to return to the presence of God and receive his "fulness" which He has for us; exaltation. It also means to have peace  of conscience and strength in this life. 

• How do Matthew 7:21–23; John 7:17; James 1:22 help in understanding how the word needs to be “mixed with faith”? (Hebrews 4:2–3). We need to truly have faith in the things that are taught to us, and act upon them. It would be hypocritical to preach a certain principle, but not live by the principle ourselves. 

Philippians 1–4. Find Solutions in the Scriptures to Life’s Challenges

For each of the following common challenges, write the counsel from Philippians that you would use to resolve it:

• People sometimes argue and complain over petty matters in church meetings or throughout the week (see Philippians 2:1–8, 14–15). Be united in thought. Be concerned for others and not selfish. 

• Many youth feel that their parents’ testimony is sufficient for them. Since they have good parents, they rely on them for all their spiritual strength (see Philippians 2:12–15 and institute student manual commentary for Philippians 2:12, “Work out Your Own Salvation with Fear and Trembling” [pp. 361–62]). It is important to have this great influence from our parents, but it is also important to gain our own testimony and strength to do the right thing with humble and faithful hearts. 

• An investigator is considering joining the Church, but his family will no longer associate with him if he does (see Philippians 3:7–16; 4:13). We may lose some very important things in this life because of our loyalty to Christ, but we will receive the greatest eternal prize if we remain loyal to Him. 

• How is this writing assignment an example of the principle taught in 2 Nephi 32:3? 2 Nephi 32:3 says to feast upon the words of Christ because He will tell us what we need to do. If we do this, we will not argue with each other over petty matters, and we will gain a personal testimony through Him, and will have the strong and loving desire to always follow Him.