Last Student Choice Assignment

 

 

 Topic Choices (Choose One)

Choice 1: Matthew 19:16–30; 20:1–16. Earthly and Heavenly Rewards

1. Review Matthew 19:16–30 and write responses to the following questions and tasks:
• What indications can you find that suggest why the young man decided not to follow the Savior? How does Matthew 6:19–24 help explain his choice?

It says that he went away sorrowful.  If he had chosen to follow the Lord before he went away, there would not have been sorrow.  He obviously still retained all of his possessions, aside from his greatest one.  The Lord says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle.  I think that it could have been anything.  For someone giving up his or her financial riches might not mean much, but the Lord asked the man to give up whatever was the most important to him.  He felt like he had already done so much and followed the commandments, and maybe skipping that one was not a big deal.  He chose that over the Lord. 

• What blessings did the Savior promise to those who make sacrifices to follow Him?

To attain perfection. 

To attain treasure in heaven. 

 Anything is possible through God. 

Celestial Kingdom/ Inherit Everlasting Life

He promises if we give things for his names sake, we will receive 100 fold. 

The Last shall be first and the First shall be last. 

• Based on the Savior’s response to Peter, write a paragraph that could help you put the Lord first in your life (see also the additional details in Mark 10:17–31).

In the version of this story in Mark, one difference I noticed is that he says How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God.  I really liked that because being rich isn’t the problem, it is where your loyalty and trust lie.  For instance, my grandparents on my mother’s side happen to be very wealthy.  However, my grandma has been a worthy tithe payer her entire life, and they live in a modest home, and they help me and all of their grandchildren in any way they can.  They constantly offer to pay for camps for church for us to go to, give to poor and help others in any way possible.  I know they would give up their money in a heartbeat for the Lord, and it is evident by how they use it.  That is why it I like that how scripture was worded well in Mark. 

       I think one of the things I could do to put the Lord first in my life is to make a list of what is actually important to me, or what I spend the most time thinking about.  I want to think of my top ten things that I value, and then I am going to ponder and see if I am balancing out those things with the time I give the Lord, and if I should have them be priorities or not still. Off of the top of my head I think these are kind of what they would be, but I will work more on figuring that out this week.  

1. My Family and the Man I love and my relationships with people who I love. 

2. Animals and Nature

3. Acne and my Weight (being a perfectionist about my appearance)

4. Having a good job

5. Special needs kids

6. How to focus more because I suck so bad at it.

7. My relationship with Heavenly Father

8. Scriptures

9. Sacrament/Participation in my Ward/Tithing

10.      Temple

2. Review the parable in Matthew 20:1–16 and consider what rewards come to those who serve in the Lord’s kingdom. Complete the chart below, filling in the blanks with information you find in Matthew 20:

The hour the laborers were hired	How much the man agreed to pay	Hours worked	How much they were actually paid
12	A penny a day	12	A penny
3	A penny a day	9	A penny
6	A penny a day	6	A penny
9	A penny a day	3	A penny
11	A penny a day	1	A penny

3. Respond in writing to each of the following questions:

• What do we learn from this parable about serving in the Lord’s kingdom?

We learn that it doesn’t matter how much we serve or how man hours or the exact merit of what we do.  What matters is that we do our part.  Some of us are not asked to do the things that others are asked to do, and that is okay.  We are sometimes asked to give up more than other people though, and when we do that it is what we are asked.  We may not get a greater reward than them, but we will receive what we are promised.  We can’t compare ourselves to the people around us, because we are not all in the same situations. 

• What message of comfort can this parable have for converts to the Church?

This can teach that even though they are joining late, and may have made mistakes in their life due to their ignorance of what they hadn’t been taught, that does not make their reward any less.  For instance, a man who joins the church when he is 28 may not still be offered the chance to serve a single, full-time mission for the church due to his age.  That does not mean that he will receive less of a reward because he was an “able bodied young man” that didn’t serve for two years.  He joined late, and he will be paid based on the time he was hired just like the men in this parable from the Lord. 

• What would you tell someone who feels it is unfair for each of the laborers to be paid equally?

I would tell them that they should not worry about other people, because we are all judged separately and the relationship (time they were hired) may be different from other people.  We each have our own jobs, purposes, relationships and trials from God and we cannot compare ourselves to those around us.  It will just leave us feeling angry and not get us anywhere. 

 

Choice 2: Luke 16:1–12, 19–31; 17:11–19; 18:1–14. Parables and Accounts That Teach Eternal Truths

1. Study the following parables and accounts along with the accompanying commentary from the institute student manual. Describe in writing what you feel is the major principle the Lord wants us to understand from each of the parables:
• Luke 16:1–12, the parable of the unjust steward. “The Children of This World Are in Their Generation Wiser Than the Children of Light” (pg. 124).
1. If we are unjust with small things, they will multiply and it will come back to haunt us.  Why would the Lord give us a break if we are not even doing the small things? The steward was willing to give up his honesty to attain something temporal.  That is a temptation that is very prominent, but we need to avoid that.  We can do that by having our minds set on preparing for our eternity, rather than the things on earth. 

• Luke 16:19–31, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. “What Do We Learn About the Spirit World from the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus?” (pgs. 124–25).
1. This shows me that our circumstances do not dictate our future.  Our behavior and choices do.  The rich man who made bad choices, will be tormented later, while the poor Lazarus was given terrible circumstances, but endured them righteously and will be rewarded in heaven.  If we endure the things we are given, we will receive our reward on the Lord’s time. 

• Luke 17:11–19, the ten lepers. “Why Were the Ten Lepers to Show Themselves to the Priests?” and “Were There Not Ten Cleansed?” (pg. 130). See also the Bible Dictionary, “Leprosy” (pg. 724).
1. The lepers all had enough faith to ask and go to Jesus to be healed, however only one of them had the gratitude to come back and thank him.  I think that this shows the importance of turning to God in all times, and not only in bad times where we need healing.  He wants us to be close to him always, which is sometimes hard for people to remember when everything is going right.  Just like us, he probably feels a lot better when we show appreciation for his blessings. 

• Luke 18:1–8, the parable of the unjust judge. “Why Did the Lord Give the Parable of the Unjust Judge?” (pg. 131).
1. The lord hears our prayers and answers them in many different ways.  The woman is so persistent in her asking the judge that he eventually agrees and grants her her wish.  We can learn from her, because when we do not immediately receive our answer, we can keep trying and persist, and he will answer us on his time and in his own way if we are receptive to the spirit. 

• Luke 18:9–14, the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. “Why Did the Lord Give the Parable of the Pharisee and Publican?” (pg. 131).
1. We need to be humble.  We shouldn’t be worshipping just so others can see.  We need to be putting our faith in him and humility needs to be a quality we possess for him, not for us to boast about.  That is the only way we will be exalted.  This is a good one because it kind of goes along with the power of prayer too, but we need to not just persistently pray, but also pray humbly.  HE didn’t choose one man over the other, he just rewards humility. 

Finding Principles

1.    Not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matt 26:39

a.    If we follow the savior’s example, and submit to the will of our father, we will be showing him our faith and in turn he will help us get through any trial that is placed in our path.  This scripture is amazing to me especially because of the immense amount of humility this shows from someone who knew that he could have anything he desired.  In the manual, it says “The faith to believe in the Lord and endure brings great strength. Some may say if we have enough faith, we can sometimes change the circumstances that are causing our trials and tribulations. Is our faith to change circumstances, or is it to endure them? Faithful prayers may be offered to change or moderate events in our life, but we must always remember that when concluding each prayer, there is an understanding: ‘Thy will be done’ which I really like and it really makes me want to be better with waiting for things on the Lord’s time since I can get impatient sometimes. 

2.     ‘If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ (Matt. 27:40

a.    This principle is that even in times of our greatest temptation, we do not need to prove ourselves to the tempters; we just need to trust in the Lord and even if it isn’t what we want, the outcome will end up the best in the longrun.  Sometimes we have to endure things that are not easy, and they will suck, but just because we pray and God loves us does not mean that he is going to take those things away from us.  I tried to really imagine Jesus on the cross hanging there in pain and completely alone, with people telling him to come down. He knew that he could end the suffering and pain with one word, and he didn’t.  There is absolutely nothing in the world more profound than that. . That is absolutely incredible that someone would be capable of that big of a sacrifice and endurance, and sets such an example for all of us. 

3.    Mark 15:34 “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani? … My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?”

a.    This scripture kind of confused me when I read it, and it always has, so I looked into it a little more this time, and found out why God forsook Jesus like the scripture says.  He obviously did not leave him there, but I think it means that he may have strengthened the veil for a little.   In the manual, it says that he knew that in order for the atonement to be complete, the Savior needed to suffer spiritual death (separation from the father) and physical death, so that he could truly understand what each of us go through when we are on earth, because he had never before been separated like that from his father. I am so grateful to have a savior that knows everything I go through so well and so completely.  That is so comforting to me when I mess up and such a good motivation to keep repenting even when I feel really dumb. 

“It is important to remember that Jesus was capable of sinning, that he could have succumbed, that the plan of life and salvation could have been foiled, but that he remained true. … He was perfect and sinless, not because he had to be, but rather because he clearly and determinedly wanted to be” (“The Temptations of Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1976, 18–19).

“Imagine the Being whose power, whose light, whose glory holds the universe in order, the Being who speaks and solar systems, galaxies, and stars come into existence—standing before wicked men and being judged by them as being of no worth or value!

“When we think of what he could have done to these men who took him to judgment, we have a new and different sense of his condescension. When Judas led the soldiers and the high priests to the Garden of Gethsemane and betrayed him with a kiss, Jesus could have spoken a single word and leveled the entire city of Jerusalem. When the servant of the high priest stepped forward and slapped his face, Jesus could have lifted a finger and sent that man back to his original elements. When another man stepped forward and spit in his face, Jesus had only to blink and our entire solar system could have been annihilated. But he stood there, he endured, he suffered, he condescended” (“Knowest Thou the Condescension of God?” in Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top, eds., Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium [1992], 86).

Bible scholar Frederic W. Farrar described the particularly cruel nature of death by crucifixion:

“The feet were but a little raised above the earth. The victim was in full reach of every hand that might choose to strike, in close proximity to every gesture of insult and hatred. He might hang for hours to be abused, outraged, even tortured by the ever-moving multitude. …

“For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly—dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds—all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries—especially of the head and stomach—became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst; and all these physical complications caused an internal excitement and anxiety, which made the prospect of death itself—of death, the awful unknown enemy, at whose approach man usually shudders most—bear the aspect of a delicious and exquisite release. Such was the death to which Christ was doomed” (The Life of Christ [1874], 640–41).

“Imagine, Jehovah, the Creator of this and other worlds, ‘astonished’! Jesus knew cognitively what He must do, but not experientially. He had never personally known the exquisite and exacting process of an atonement before. Thus, when the agony came in its fulness, it was so much, much worse than even He with his unique intellect had ever imagined! …

“The cumulative weight of all mortal sins—past, present, and future—pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful arithmetic of the Atonement. (See Alma 7:11–12; Isa. 53:3–5; Matt. 8:17.) The anguished Jesus not only pled with the Father that the hour and cup might pass from Him, but with this relevant citation. ‘And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me.’ (Mark 14:35–36.) …

“In this extremity, did He, perchance, hope for a rescuing ram in the thicket? I do not know. His suffering—as it were, enormity multiplied by infinity—evoked His later soul-cry on the cross, and it was a cry of forsakenness. (See Matt. 27:46.)

“Even so, Jesus maintained this sublime submissiveness, as He had in Gethsemane: ‘Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:39.)” (“Willing to Submit,” Ensign, May 1985, 72–73).

“With all the conviction of my soul I testify that He did please His Father perfectly and that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.

“But Jesus held on. He pressed on. The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete anguish. … Because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so” (“None Were with Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 87–88).

From A Talk

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated that in carrying out the Atonement, the Savior faced great challenges:

“First, an enormous sense of responsibility, for He realized that except it be done perfectly, not one of His Father’s children could return to Him. They would be forever banished from His presence since there would be no way to repent for broken laws and no unclean thing can exist in the presence of God. His Father’s plan would have failed, and each spirit child would have been under the eternal control and torment of Satan.

“Second, in His absolutely pure mind and heart, He had to personally feel the consequences of all that mankind would ever encounter, even the most depraved, despicable sins.

“Third, He had to endure the vicious attack of Satan’s hordes while physically and emotionally pressed to the limit. Then, for reasons we do not fully know, while at the extremity of His capacity, at the time the Savior most needed succor, His Father allowed Him to shoulder the onerous responsibility with only His own strength and capacity” (“He Lives! All Glory to His Name!” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 76–77).


https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/the-savior-suffers-in-gethsemane?lang=eng

Intro From This Week that I liked

I thought I would share some thoughts with you that goes along with the parable of the 10 virgins. I am currently doing some doctrinal research for a portfolio that will be analyzed by the church for books, commentary, and lesson guides and manuals.( This is being done by most full-time seminary and institute teachers around the world).

Anywho... this will not be extensive, but rather I will give you some brief general tidbits. It is interesting to notice our progressive relationship with the Savior since our early beginnings.

We first are children of God our Heaavenly Father and therefore brothers----Then as we are faithful in this life, and desire to enter into a covenant relationship with Him, we can be baptized and as we learn from Elder Bednar in a recent conference address (April 2010?) he indicates that we are promising through that ordinance ( by being "willing to take upon ourselves the name of Christ"), to attend the temple and do that very thing. We call this a spiritual rebirth, as the Savior indicates to Nicodemus in John 3. And we are able to become the children of Christ as mentioned in Mosiah 5:6-8 and just as you receive the name of your father at birth, we will be able to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, as he is our Father spiritually speaking. It is important to note that we then have the opportunity to enter into another covenant while here upon the earth, and again this happens in the temple. We can enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. Interestingly enough, this also helps us progress in our relationship with the Savior and helps us better understand that relationship with Him. And this is where the parable of the 10 virgins comes in. Christ refers to Himself as the Bridegroom. And we are invited to be there, not just as guests, but as members of the Church and the Kingdom of God, representing the bride. Our relationship is like unto that of a marriage. (Interesting to note that this is another instance where we take upon ourselves a name.) I will just provide 2 scriptures that lend some validation to this idea. First, in Hosea 2:16 the Lord says (concerning covenant Israel) that we will no more call Him Baali, but we shall call Him Ishi. The meaning of these names are very insightful.......we will no more call Him Master, (as a servant in the state of fear or apprehension), but we will call Him husband, with love and affection. (Think of how often in Isaiah, Jeremiah and other books of the O.T. where the Lord asks the children of Israel why they have not been faithful to Him and instead have played the harlot...............commited adultery by worshipping other Gods)

And finally to tie it all together a bit let's go to Romans 8:14-17, and while it outlines each of the 3 relationships, the last of the 3 is my favorite. Because Paul indicates that we can become joint-heirs, if we are willing to suffer with Him. Thinking again of that last covenant relationship and how we have an equal or joint relationship, going through this life with the hope and promise of being glorified together.

Here is the URL for a video on the 10 virgins :)

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/doctrine-and-covenants-visual-resources?lang=eng&query=virgin#2010-07-14-they-that-are-wise

John 17:

In these last hours of his mortal life Jesus spoke to his apostles of love and prayed to the Father for them, that they might be one. Throngs had hailed his appearance at Jerusalem as that of a king, and shouted hosannas in the expectation that Jesus would deliver them from their oppressors. But even now, as he sat at supper and instructed those whom he had called and chosen out of the world, the Sanhedrin plotted for his death and tried to undermine his popularity among the masses. And in the end he would be alone—multitudes would disclaim him. None (even those who loved him most slept!) would hail his suffering in Gethsemane, where alone, forsaken, and without the pomp of crowds, he would win an infinite victory far greater than any defeat of Rome.

But for now, he turned his attention to those whom he loved. “I go my way to him that sent me,” he said. “. . . Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” ( John 16:5, 20) But how was sorrow to be turned into joy?

It is significant to remember that Jesus did not leave his apostles comfortless—he admonished them to look forward to the time when they would see him again. He taught them about the Father and about the Holy Ghost, the great Comforter who would testify of him and would lead all who would follow into a fulness of the truth.

This comforter would also bring them the great peace of which he spoke—a peace that would withstand all the tribulation of a lone and dreary world. The gift of the Holy Ghost has always been available to the faithful disciple.

May we look more often to the Comforter/Holy Ghost that we have as our constant companion, to provide us peace, comfort, and confidence as we look to that day when He comes again.

More from Matt. 26:

One doctrine that I love that has been touched on by several of you within your journals and discussion board posts is that the Savior was not killed by the Jews and neither the Romans. Christ had life within himself and had the ability to continue to live and endure the pains and sufferings of the Atonement until as He said in His own words, “it is finished” (John 19:30)…”Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit:”(Luke 23:46) and he gave up the ghost. He allowed His life to end and His spirit to leave His body. Something that we do not have the power to do. (The part in red I did not include in the Week 11 Intro to reading but I plan to use it for Week 12)—Along with a glue in and some additional quotes.

He could have saved Himself at any moment. Whether at the moment the soldiers enter the Garden with the Jewish Sanhedrin and others or when Peter tries to protect Him with his sword by cutting off the ear of one of the men; in each instance we are able to see that Jesus Christ goes to fulfill His mission and work of His own free will and choice just as Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 53:7: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.

Look first at the moment when they all come to the Garden, it is interesting that the videos that have been produced depicting the events of that night have placed no more than 50 or so men at the arresting of Jesus at Gethsemane. But if we are to read what Talmage and McConkie have written in Jesus the Christ (JTC) and in the Doctrinal New Testament Commentary (DNTC) respectively, we are able to see that there were between 500 and 1000 men (Roman soldiers and Jews) that were there. (JTC p. 615-617 and DNTC p. 780-782). This is important to note, because in John 18:3-8 as we read the account of the arrest, Judas betrays Him and though he had given the sign for Him to be arrested, the men do not advance because the mere presence of the Lord brought great power over them, and Christ says “Whom seek ye?” They respond with, ”Jesus of Nazareth” with a simple and short reply He humbly declares “I am He” and the entire multitude is knocked backward to the earth by the power of those words, acknowledging that he is the Son of God and Savior of world. And then He asks them once again, now… “Whom seek ye?” As they gather themselves and then fearfully advance the disciples look to offer the little protection they can with their swords and without waiting for the Lord to give a response, Peter, smites off the ear of one of the servants to the high priests.

This brings us to the 2^nd moment that illustrates the point that Christ is not taken but He willingly goes to “finish His preparations unto the children of men.”(D&C 19:19) At the moment that Peter cuts off the man’s ear. Jesus tells him to put away his sword and says “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? (that’s 6000 by the way) But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matt. 26:53-54)

I am truly grateful for that willingness; for His will to be swallowed up in the will of the Father, just as he declared in the Garden of Gethsemane, that we might be able to partake of His atoning sacrifice and return!

Here are some video links that the church has put out that cover the events in the readings: (in order)

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/the-lords-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/the-last-supper?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/jesus-warns-peter-and-offers-the-intercessory-prayer?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/the-savior-suffers-in-gethsemane?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/jesus-is-tried-by-caiaphas-peter-denies-knowing-him?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/jesus-is-condemned-before-pilate?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/jesus-is-scourged-and-crucified?lang=eng

WEEK 7

I hope you forgive me if I have not given most comprehensive summary of the readings the last 2 weeks, but I just wanted to try and point out a few things that we might overlook within this account. There is quite a bit here again, probably more than 2 min. worth, but as usual, that is what the timer is set for. I hope it is beneficial to you :)

I wanted to point out a couple of things regarding his encounters with Pilate and with King Herod. When he is first comes to Pilate, according to the account in Matthew, Pilate immediately makes the exchange of Barabbas and Jesus. This skips a very important piece of the story that Luke includes for us in Chapter 23. Luke indicates that Pilate finds "no fault in this man." He seeks to pass the blame onto someone else. And his perfect scapegoat is King Herod.

Now this is where our story connects with a story that we had several weeks ago with John the Baptist. King Herod is the same Herod that loved to hear the stories of Jesus from the mouth of John as it indicates in Luke 23:7-8. As the Savior is sent to the King, Herod gets very excited at finally having the opportunity to hear some great thing of Him or to some miracle performed. However, the Lord has not forgotten how his cousin was martyred and at who's hands. And just as Isaiah prophesies in Isaiah 53:7, he not only is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, but "as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not His mouth." Luke 23:9: "Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. ( If you would like more commentary on this portion...Jesus the Christ pp 635-637)

So Herod has Him mocked and places the purple robe upon Him as He is sent back to Pilate. Now this is the part of the story we are all familar with, Pilate finds not fault, goes to the Jews in multitude within the courtyard, releases Barabbas etc. But there is one verse that adds a little insight. Perhaps one of the most important reasons for why Pilate wants to "wash his hands" of the matter, is because his wife has a disturbing dream the night before in Matthew 27:19. She pleads with him not to do anything to Christ, but he has been charged with keeping peace in Jerusalem and fearing an uprising of the Jews, allows the Son of God to be beaten and tortured prior to the crucifixion, hoping that it would bring about some mercy in the eyes of His own people. But it is of no avail. In fact, the Jews that are led astray by the Scribes and Pharisees are so filled with hate, they declare.......Matt. 27:25-- If he be innocent "let His blood be upon us, and on our children." And thus they become a "hiss and a by-word amongst the nations" just as Isaiah prophesied. 1 Ne. 19:14.

I love when Jesus asks his apostles to feed His sheep if they truly love Him. If we truly love the Lord and appreciate what the gospel has done to bless our own lives, we will want to share the "good news" of the gospel with al those that we have opportunity to. And I don't know if it gets better than Elder Holland summarizing the teaching of Peter here in that instance. See the following video and html:

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/the-first-great-commandment?lang=eng&media=video#watch=video

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2012/10/the-first-great-commandment?lang=eng

Robert D. Hales said:

“Feeding the lambs could well be missionary labors working with newly baptized members, who must be nurtured and given caring warmth and fellowship in the family of Saints. Feeding the sheep could well refer to the mature members of the Church, some active and some less active, who need to be cared for and brought back to the flock” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1997, 114; or Ensign, May 1997, 83 ).

President Gordon B. Hinckley further stated:

“With the ever increasing number of converts, we must make an increasingly substantial effort to assist them as they find their way. Every one of them needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with ‘the good word of God’ ( Moroni 6:4 ). It is our duty and opportunity to provide these things” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1997, 66; or Ensign, May 1997, 47 ).

I just wanted to say that I would hope that we would each remember to always be willing to share the gospel and make, as we learned this last conference in the Sunday afternoon session ( I have forgotten the speaker), whatever sacrifices necessary to spread and build the kingdom of God. We have promised the Lord in the premortal life and through covenant on this earth to help his gospel roll forth. "No unhallowed hand can stop this work from progressing........" We get to decide today, whether we will fulfill that commision and responsibility and be a part of that work, or if we will stand idly by, as a part of the world.

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and all that it offers to us. Both within this life, and in eternal life with Him. I know that that is true in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.