1. “On the morrow come I into the world…”
Lesson 36

2. “God will feel after
you, and He will take
hold of your
heartstrings and he
will wrench them until
you don’t feel you can
bear it anymore. And if
you cannot stand it
you will not be fit for
an inheritance in the
Celestial Kingdom of
God.” (Journal of Discourses, 24:197)

3. Lesson 36 Objectives
1. Study the righteous
Nephites and Lamanites
as their faith is stretched to
the breaking point.
2. Watch how Lachoneus
and his people withstood
the evil of their day
3. Learn 6 strategies to
withstand temptation

4. Samuel the Lamanite

5. Helaman 16:7-8
7 And as they went forth to lay their hands
on him, behold, he did cast himself down
from the wall, and did flee out of their
lands, yea, even unto his own country, and
began to preach and to prophesy among
his own people.
8 And behold, he was never heard of more
among the Nephites; and thus were the
affairs of the people.

6. 3 Nephi 1:2-3
And Nephi the son of Helaman, had departed out
of the land of Zarahemla, giving charge unto his
son Nephi, who was his eldest son, concerning the
plates of brass, and all the records which had been
kept, and all those things which had been kept
sacred from the departure of Lehi out of
Jerusalem.
Then he departed out of the land, and whither he
went, no man knoweth; and his son Nephi did
keep the records in his stead, yea, the record of
this people.

7. 3 Nephi 1:5-7
But there were some who began to say that the
time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which
were spoken by Samuel the Lamanite. And they
began to rejoice over their brethren saying, “Behold
the time is past and the words of Samuel are not
fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith
concerning this thing has been in vain. And it came
to pass that they did make a great uproar
throughout the land and the people who believed
began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means
those things which had been spoken might not
come to pass.

8. 3 Nephi 1:8
But behold, they did watch
steadfastly for that day
and that night and that day
which should be as one
day as if there were no
night that they might know
that their faith had not
been in vain.

9. 3 Nephi 1:9
Now it came to pass that there was
a day set apart by the unbelievers,
that all those who believed in those
traditions should be put to death
except the sign should come to
pass, which had been given by
Samuel the prophet.

10. Grace. Oversight. Direction.
G-O-D

11. Grace: 2 Corinthians 12:9
Oversight: 1 Corinthians 10:13
Direction: Doctrine and Covenants 122:7

12. 3 Nephi 1:15-17
And it came to pass that the words
which came unto Nephi were fulfilled,
according as they had been spoken;
for behold, at the going down of the
sun there was no darkness; and the
people began to be astonished
because there was no darkness when
the night came. And they began to
know that the Son of God must shortly
appear; yea, in fine, all the people
upon the face of the whole earth from
the west to the east both in the land
land north and in the land south, were
so exceedingly astonished that they
fell to the earth.

13. 3 Nephi 1: 26
“And thus the ninety and second
year did pass away, bringing glad
tidings unto the people because
of the signs which did come to
pass, according to the words of
the prophecy of all the holy
prophets.”

14. 3 Nephi 2:1
And it came to pass that thus passed away
the ninety and fifth year also, and the people
began to forget those signs and wonders
which they had heard, and began to be less
and less astonished at a sign or a wonder
from heaven, insomuch that they began to
be hard in their hearts, and blind in their
minds, and began to disbelieve all which
they had heard and seen—

15. 3 Nephi 2:11
And it came to pass in the
thirteenth year there began to
be wars and contentions
throughout all the land; for the
Gadianton robbers had
become so numerous and did
slay so many of the people,
and did spread so much death
and carnage throughout the
land that it became expedient
that all the people, both the
Nephites and the Lamanites
should take up arms against
them.

16. 3 Nephi 3:6-8
Therefore I write unto you, desiring that ye would yield up unto
this my people, your cities, your lands, and your possessions,
rather than that they should visit you with the sword and that
destruction should come upon you.
Or in other words, yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with
us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become
our brethren that ye may be like unto us—not our slaves, but
our brethren and partners of all our substance.
And behold, I swear unto you, if ye will do this, with an oath, ye
shall not be destroyed; but if ye will not do this, I swear unto
you with an oath, that on the morrow month I will command
that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall
not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and
shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become
extinct.

17. 6 ways to defend
against temptation
Scripture Defense
3 Nephi 3:12 Do not fear man

18. Do not fear man
“The fear of man lays
a snare but whoever
trusts in the Lord is
safe.” Proverbs 29:25
How might fear cause
someone to give in to
temptation?

19. Idolatry. When we care about what man thinks more than what God
thinks, we turn people into idols that we worship—seeking to please them in
order to earn their approval or respect.
Apathy. Fear man and you’ll quit taking risks because of the potential for
embarrassment or failure. If an endeavor is unlikely to succeed, you’ll never
take the chance. In other words, you’ll never do much of anything.
Dishonesty. It’s tough to speak truth into someone’s life because the
truth can be painful. If we fear somebody’s response, however, necessary
words will remain unsaid because we care more about ourselves being liked
than we do about keeping the commandments or speaking the words of God.
Decision Paralysis. When we live out of fear rather than out of
the convictions God has given us, we spin in circles unable to move forward .

20. 6 ways to defend
against temptation
Scripture Defense
3 Nephi 3:12 Do not fear
3 Nephi 3:12 Pray

21. Phillip Brooks
O, do not pray for easy
lives. Pray to be stronger
men! Do not pray for
tasks equal to your
powers. Pray for powers
equal to your tasks! Then
the doing of your work
shall be no miracle. But
you shall be the miracle.
"Going up to Jerusalem", Twenty Sermons
(1886), p. 330.

22. 6 ways to defend
against temptation
Scripture Defense
3 Nephi 3:12 Do not fear
3 Nephi 3:12 Pray
3 Nephi 3:13,22 Gather together

23. Because of our
imperfections, we need
the Lord’s Church. It is
there that His
redemptive doctrines
are taught and His
saving ordinances are
administered. The
Church encourages
and motivates us to be
a better and happier
people.

24. 6 ways to defend
against temptation
Scripture Defense
3 Nephi 3:12 Do not fear
3 Nephi 3:12 Pray
3 Nephi 13,22 Gather together oft
3 Nephi 3:14 Fortify ourselves

25. 6 ways to defend
against temptation
Scripture Defense
3 Nephi 3:12 Do not fear
3 Nephi 3:12 Pray
3 Nephi 13,22 Gather together oft
3 Nephi 3:14 Fortify ourselves
3 Nephi 3:16 Follow our inspired
leaders

26. 6 ways to defend
against temptation
Scripture Defense
3 Nephi 3:12 Do not fear
3 Nephi 3:12 Pray
3 Nephi 13,22 Gather together oft
3 Nephi 3:14 Fortify ourselves
3 Nephi 3:16 Follow our inspired leaders
3 Nephi 3:25 Repent of all our sins

27. “Wherefore,be faithful,
praying always, having
your lamps trimmed
and burning, and oil
with you, that you may
be ready at the coming
of the Bridegroom—For
behold, verily, verily, I
say unto you, that I
come quickly”
(D&C 33:17–18).

28. Nephi the prophet
1. God gave total power of the people
2. Brought people to repentance through famine
3. Predicted the murder and fingered the
murderer of the chief judge
4. Converted the entire Lamanite nation and
ended 5 centuries of Nephite/Lamanite
fighting

29. The reality is that since
this is a gospel of
growth and life is a
school of experience,
God, as a loving Father
will stretch our souls at
times. The soul is much
like a violin string; it
makes music only when
it is stretched.