Know Your Stuff Book of Mormon Crash Course

By James Gaffney

The Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel. In this book I have focused more on principles of the gospel that each of us should be applying in our lives, and improving upon. My hope is that each member of the church reading this will gain a deeper understanding of the gospel and hold themselves to a higher standard of living. I also wish people to see that the laws and commandments are not restrictions but a way of life in the celestial kingdom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Borderline Publishing
• Release date: Oct 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781936408436

Book preview

Know Your Stuff Book of Mormon Crash Course

James Michael Gaffney

Published by Borderline Publishing at Smashwords

Copyright James Michael Gaffney

Introduction

Hi. My name is James Michael Gaffney, and this is my second book in the Crash Course series. The first book is called Know Your Stuff Bible Crash Course and is a companion to this book. The previous book focused more on doctrine that people of other faiths sometimes have problems with and how to explain it to them. This book focuses more on principles of the gospel we should be applying in our lives.

I have a passion for understanding the gospel and teaching it to others. My main focus in this book is to help people understand that the church is not a list of restrictions, but rather a way of life in the celestial kingdom. We must all prepare ourselves to be worthy of that kingdom. We go to church to renew our covenants, to fellowship each other, and to learn the way of life in the celestial kingdom.

In a normal society there are laws we abide by that create order. If we steal, there is a punishment. Although there is a law against stealing, it is not considered a law by most people, but a way of life in their society. The society that exists in the celestial kingdom is different than the one we live in today. The society we live in today is governed by man’s laws. The society that exists in the celestial kingdom is governed by God’s laws. The spirit taught me this about obedience: Being obedient is nothing more than aligning our lives with the society that exists in the celestial kingdom.

Let us all look at the commandments and laws we live by as a way of life, not as restrictions or rules. We must choose to live a celestial life now if we wish to live in the celestial kingdom after this life. D&C 88:22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.

Contents

Chapter 1 – Trials and Afflictions

Chapter 2 – Faith

Chapter 3 – Fasting and Prayer

Chapter 4 – Listening to the Spirit

Chapter 5 – Testimony

Chapter 6 – Blind to the Truth

Chapter 7 – Charity

Chapter 8 – Murmuring (Complaining)

Chapter 9 – Pride and Forgiveness

Chapter 10 – Fall of Man

Chapter 11 – Purpose of this Life

Chapter 12 –Why is the Book of Mormon not in the Bible?

Chapter 13 – Wealthy People

Chapter 14 – Understanding Doctrine and Living it

Chapter 15 – Purpose of this Record Being Written

Chapter 16 – People who Think God has Stopped Speaking and Doing Miracles

Chapter 17 – A God of Order

Chapter 18 – Be Ye Clean

Chapter 1

Trials and Afflictions

In this chapter I would like to discuss how the Book of Mormon helps explain three different reasons why we must go through trials and afflictions.

The first reason has to do with all of us having weaknesses. Everyone one of us has weaknesses and they are there for a reason. God wants us to learn humility and to rely on him for help. There is not one weakness that cannot be made strong with the Savior’s help. God shared this with Moroni in Ether 12:27 …I give unto men weakness that them may be humble…if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

It is not wise for us to go through this life avoiding dealing with our weaknesses. They were never meant to be avoided. We are being prepared to receive exaltation; and we cannot receive exaltation without going through our trials and afflictions righteously. It doesn’t matter what the weakness is. It could be a physical weakness, a mental weakness, or even a spiritual weakness. Every weakness was given to us to overcome and make us better people; not to bring us down into the depth of despair and make us miserable.

Comparing ourselves with others allows us to be brought down into captivity by the devil. Jealousy, envy, self pity, anger, depression and many more things can take control of us when we compare ourselves to others. When we try to justify our sinful actions by blaming God for not being fair to us, we choose to go down a path where no happiness or joy can be found. These weaknesses will make us strong if we go through them with the help of God. Not only will we learn humility, but we will be made stronger and more firm in the faith then ever before.

The second point I want to go over is that no matter how righteous we are we will be tested and tried by God. The perfect example of this is found in Mosiah 23:21 which states, Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; he trieth their patience and their faith. In this verse we read, his people. When God says his people he is referring