It is amazing how lucky we are to be able to be members of the true church on the Earth today. The lord truly is the founder and the Head of this great church. He is the same God and founder that walked the Earth and setup the original church in the days of His ministry. Our church is setup in the exact same manner as it was then. He would not have it any other way.

Choice 1: Luke 10:1–24. “The Lord Appointed Other Seventy Also”

1. Review Luke 10:1–24. Based on these verses, write a summary of the Lord’s counsel and instructions He gave the seventy.

The Lord gave the seventy simple yet wonderful guidelines for how they should act as his seventy. He instructed them to pray to him and to bring peace wherever it is they go. Also to bless those they come in contact with. He also told them that they will deal with adversity and whosoever despiseth them also despisth the Lord, yet whoever loveth them loveth the Lord. Through Him, they will have power, even over the Devil.

2. Articles of Faith 1:6 states, “We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church.” Using the principles taught from Luke 10:1–2, 8–9, 17–20, write a paragraph that supports this Article of Faith.

In the primitive Church, as described in Luke, the Lord set up the seventy in a manner that they were coupled together and given instruction of how they should accomplish all that they would need to do. We too in our day and age are set up the exact same way. The Lord gave the Prophets the same guidelines and counsel today as he did in the days of the church’s past.

3. Go to the Church’s scripture website and read the topic of “Seventy” in the Guide to the Scriptures. Describe in one or two sentences how the scriptures show the existence of this office in the priesthood.

The seventy are men who are set apart to be those who minister fulltime to the church, but are not apostles. The Lord himself originally organized the seventy and gave them the priesthood power and authority to administer unto his people.

The Lord has blessed us with many great miracles in our day and age and there have been many miracles throughout the ages. The amazing thing of it all is that He does not require much of us for those miracles to be performed. In the reading below, we can learn that the main aspect of being worthy to receive miracles of the Lord is to have Faith in Him and in His Son. The wonderful thing about that is when we have that faith, we recognize miracles more in our lives, such as being able to repent and become cleansed or being able to pray for to Him for help and guidance. If we will do our part, the Lord has promised the miracles will come.

Matthew 17:14–21. The Savior Healed a Young Man 

1. Review Matthew 17:14–21, and list three things the Savior said were needed for the disciples to heal the man.

The Savior said that they needed to have sufficient faith combined with prayer and fasting.

2. Read each of the following references. Next to the reference, write what it teaches about what is needed for miracles to happen.
• 3 Nephi 18:20 We must have faith and ask the Father in the name of the Savior.
• Doctrine and Covenants 50:29 We must repent of our sins and become cleansed, then ask in the name of the Savior.
• Doctrine and Covenants 42:48 We must have faith!

The In Matthew 14 and 15, the description of what happen those days was truly magnificent. In both occasions the lord came unto a multitude who were in desperate need or nourishment. Not only of the body but of the spirit. Unfortunately there was only a minimal amount of food and thousands of people on both occasions. The Savior instructed his disciples to break the bread and prepare the fish and distribute it to the multitudes. Through His grace and power, that minimal amount of food was not only sufficient for everyone to be fed, but there was a surplus left over. This account of these miriacles relates to our own insuffficent amounts of “food” for ourselves. We cannot truly be nourished on our own or through our own means. That is why the Lord must come take all that we can give, if we are willing, and help us to turn it into all that we would ever need and more. As in Ether 12:27 He speaks of how if men will come unto Him, he can make their weaknesses strengths if we will humble ourselves to him.

1.    The Savior provided two similar miracles. As a summary of what took place, complete the following chart:

	Matthew 14:14-21	Matthew 15:32-38
How many people were present?	About 5000, beside women and children	400 Men, beside women and children
What did they need?	Nourishment	Nourishment
What were they able to offer in an effort to meet that need?	Five loaves and 2 fishes	Seven loaves and a few fishes.
What words or phrases describe the Savior's feeling toward the multitudes in their time of need?	They need not depart; give ye them to eat. Bring them hither to eat.	I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
What words or phrases describe what the Savior was able to provide for the multitudes?	Miracle	Miracle

2.    In each story, the available food was insufficient to feed the multitude, yet with the help of the Lord the insufficiency was overcome. Read Romans 3:23 and ​explain in writing another way human effort is insufficient in receiving the glory of God. According to Ether 12:27, how does the Lord help us overcome this insufficiency? See above.

1.      Matthew 11:1–19 and Luke 7:18–35. 

What did the two disciples of John the Baptist ask Jesus Christ? They ask Him if He is the one that has been prophesied will come, or if they should go their way looking for another.

The Savior told them to go back to John and tell what they saw and heard. After reading these accounts, explain three things you would have told John if you had been with those two men.

I would have told him how the savior healed the blind, blessed the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised. How to the poor the gospel is preached. And how the majesty of Him was testifying of his divinity.

2.      Read the institute student manual commentary for Matthew 11:2–3, “Did John Doubt That Jesus Was the Messiah?” (p. 66). Explain why John wanted his disciples to go to Jesus Christ.

John wanted his disciples to go and question Jesus because he knew that if they did, they would know for themselves that he was truly the Savior and then they would become his disciples. That was John’s purpose all along, teach people to become the disciples of Christ.

3.    Read the institute student manual commentary for Matthew 11:11, “No Greater Prophet than John the Baptist” (p. 66).

What did the Savior say about John the Baptist in Matthew 11:11 and Luke 7:28? He stated that “He that is considered the least among you is greater than John”

Provide three reasons given by Joseph Smith why John the Baptist is considered among the greatest prophets.

“First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.

“Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form of the dove, but in sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence.

“Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which He had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman.”

3.      What does John 3:30 suggest about John the Baptist and his attitude toward the Savior?

He suggest that John the Baptist knew that he needed to ensure that his followers became the Savior’s followers. That he would now become a follower himself.

Briefly describe how we could apply a similar attitude in our own lives.

I think the best way to apply this in our own lives it to recognize that while we do play an important in the plan of the Lord, the main goal is to ensure that the Savior is the center of our lives and that we are not allowing ourselves to be overcome with pride or the vain things of the world.

Reference	Miracles of the Lord	Who Demonstrated Faith
Matthew 8:1-4	Healed the leper by simply touching him.	The leper had such great faith that he knew even a simple tough from the savior could heal him.
Matthew 8:5-13	Jesus healed the servant of the Centurion.	The centurion had such great faith in the Savior that he asked Him to simply speak the words that he would be healed and he knew it would heal his servant.
Matthew 8:14-15	He touched Peter’s mother in law’s hand and healed her.	Peter’s mother in law was healed by simply being touched on the hand and then arose and began to minister unto them.
Matthew 8:16	Cast out devils	Those who were stricken with devils in their bodies.
Matthew 8:23-27	He commanded the winds and the sea to be calm.	His disciples had faith in Him to wake Him so he could do something. When He did what He did, their faith grew even more.
Matthew 8:28-34	Cast devils from two people.	The two people had to have faith and there were also a group that gather and ran off to tell all of what had happened.
Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34	Healed a woman who was stricken with a blood desease.	The woman had great faith and knew that if she could just touch his garments, she would be healed.
Matthew 9:27-31	Healed two blind men.	The blind men came unto Him and simply asked for Him to heal them, knowing He had the power to do so.
Mark 2:1-12	He healed a man of his ailments and his sins.	The gentlemen caring for the man with palsy knew that if they could get him unto the Savior he would heal him. They then proceeded to drop him through the roof so he could meet the Savior. He too had faith that the Savior would heal him.

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As I have read through those magnificent accounts, it amazes me how strong the faith was of those who were healed by the Savior. We have been blessed in our time with so many witnesses and so many ways to learn of the Savior, in their day they did not have that luxury. The faith the built was essentially built upon very small amounts of information. It helps me to have a greater faith myself. I have been so blessed to know of the Savior and all that he has done and I owe it to those before me to continue to build that faith. Knowing the power the Lord has helps me to do so.

Three Separate Beings

Matthew 3:13–17. The Baptism of Jesus Christ

·         Why was John hesitant to baptize Jesus?

I believe that John was hesitant to baptize the Savior because he knew exactly who he was. And by knowing who he was he knew that he was a perfect being who did not, in his eyes, need the saving ordinance of baptism because through the Savior that ordinance is able to work.

·         What is taught here about the Holy Ghost? 

It is taught that the Holy Ghost is indeed the third person in the Godhead and that he is not in the form of a dove, but has the ability to manifest the dove a sign that he is present at that time. Satan does not have that ability so he cannot deceive with the same sign.

·         Jesus Christ said He must be baptized to “fulfill all righteousness.” List three reasons why Jesus Christ was baptized (see 2 Nephi 31:6–11).

The number one reason was because He loves his Father and wanted to be completely obedient to the laws and commands he has given to the children of men. Second, He was able to have the gift of the Holy Ghost, and third, He wanted to show us all the way and the path to return to our Father in heaven.

·         What evidence is found in Matthew 3:16–17 that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate personages in the Godhead?

The evidence that shows that they are three separate being is the fact that one, the Savior was here on Earth being baptized, two, the Holy Ghost offered the sign of the Dove to show that he was now with the Savior, and Third, Heavenly Father spake from heaven of his pleasure he had with His Son for being obedient to Him.

How can we gain a Knowledge of the Savior, and what to do next.

Luke 1:39–45; 2:8–38; Matthew 2:1–18. Others Who Learned of the Birth of Jesus Christ

Who	How they learned about the Savior	What they knew about the Savior	What they did with their knowledge
Elisabeth (Luke 1:39-45)	She learned about the Savior when Mary had come to her. She then had her baby in her womb leap and she was filled with the Holy Ghost	That he would be born of Mary	She spoke with a loud voice and declared Mary would be blessed as well as the fruit from her womb.
Shepherds (Luke 2:8-18)	An Angel of the Lord came to them in a field and told them of the great miracle that was to come forth.	That he would be born of humble means in Bethlehem	They left right away to travel to Bethlehem to meet the baby Jesus.
Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)	The Holy Ghost told him that He would see the Savior before he died.	He knew that the child was set for the fall and rising of many in Israel.	He gave a blessing to the baby Jesus and also prophesied to Joseph and Mary
Anna (Luke 2:36-38)	She found out in the temple, while Simeon was speaking.	She knew that it was important to serve the Lord, especially in the temple.	She gave thanks unto the Lord, and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
​Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12)	They had learned of his coming by the new star that had arisen when he was born.	They knew that he would be a governor and ruler over the people of Israel.	They rejoiced exceedingly and when they came unto the baby Jesus they gave him gifts.
Herod (Matthew 2:1-18)	Herod learned from the wise men and his chief priests that the baby Jesus had been born.	He knew that Jesus would grow to be a mighty and righteous man who would rule over the people of Israel.	Out of fear, he sent a decree to kill all baby boys under the age of 2 in an effort to stop the prophecies from coming true.
​Chief Priests (Matthew 2:1-6)	From the wise men	They searched out for where he was to have been born.	They gave the information to Herod in an effort to prepare for what he had planned.
Nephites (3 Nephi 1:12-22)	The Lord told the prophet of a sign that would be coming that would signify his birth on the Earth.	They knew that the Lord would be born on this Earth and that a sign would be given to show it had come to pass.	When the sign came, they were astonished and those who were disbelievers fell to the ground in astonishment.

What do I know about the Savior, how have I learned it, and what am I doing with what I know?

I know that the Savior lives and that He died for me so that I too, will be able to live again. And that though Him, all sin can be forgiven! I have been taught these principles since I was just a small boy. I have tried to live my life so that I can be an example of the love the Savior has for me and to be willing to stand as a witness of Him in all places and at all times.