Christ is the Reason

JESUS CHRIST, Son of God, born in 1 BC (see John 3:16, Math.3: 17)

Peter, James and John
Chosen and Ordained to Melchizedek Priesthood by Jesus Christ around 30AD. (see John 15:16 and Math. 16:19)

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery
Ordained to the office of Elder in the Melchizedek priesthood by Peter, James, and John in late Spring of 1829.
(see D&C 20:2-3 and D&C 27:8,9,12)

David Whitmer, and Martin Harris ordained to the office of Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Along with Oliver, David and Martin become the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and are specifically set apart to choose and ordain the Twelve on February 14th 1835. (see D&C 18.37 History of the Church, Vol. 2, pp. 187-188; Times and Seasons, Vol. 6 p. 868. BH Roberts Complete History of the Church Century I, volume I, Chapter XXX, especially footnotes 13 and 14, pp. 375-375)

Brigham Young
Ordained to the office of Elder February 14th 1835 by the Three Witnesses

Joseph F. Smith
Ordained to the office of Elder by Brigham Young July 1st 1866

George Albert Smith
Ordained to the office of Elder by Joseph F. Smith October 8th 1903

Winslow Farr Smith
Ordained to the office of Elder by George Albert Smith December 26th 1923

Douglas R. Clawson
Ordained to the office of Elder by Winslow Farr Smith December 6th 1932

Francis Marion Partridge
Ordained to the office of Elder by Douglas Clawson March 1st 1936

Paul Grant Partridge
Ordained to the office of Elder by Francis Marion Partridge January 3rd 1965

Adam Grant Partridge
Ordained to the office of Elder by Paul Grant Partridge November 11th 1997

I. Mosiah 11:20 Abi = father, nadi = present with you
II. Consequences of Not Repenting: Mosiah 11:20-21
a. Visit them with my anger
b. Deliver them unto the hands of their enemies
c. Be brought into bondage
d. Afflicted by the hand of their enemies
e. They shall know that I am the Lord their God
f. None shall deliver them except the Lord the Almighty God
g. Slow to hear their cries
h. I will not hear their prayers
i. Will not deliver them out of their afflictions
III. Who is the Lord? (not a great question to ask) Mosiah 11:27
a. Exodus 5:2- Pharoh
b. Moses 5:16 - Cain
IV. Dendoing in disguise? Mosiah 12:1
V. How those who reject the Lord know who he is: Mosiah 12 : 4-8
a. Famine, pestilence, burdens lashed upon their backs, hail, smitten with the east wind, insects pester your land, utterly destroy them off the face of the earth.
VI. Legal Trial:
a. Reviling against the King (12:14). See Exodus 22:28 “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.”
b. False Prophecy (12:15). See Duet 18:20-22 “but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” And Jeremiah 26:11 “This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.”
c. Blasphemy (17:8) Duet 13:6-10 “but thou shalt surely kill him…and thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die”
VII. Throwing Out the Barb: “hold a council with them what he should do with him” (12:17)
a. “one of them” (Alma?) asks what Isaiah 52:7-10 means. What do you think it means?
b. Abinadi gets basic 12:25-33.
VIII. Abinadi like Moses/ Joseph Smith
a. Mosiah 13:5 “his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses on mount Sinai”.
b. See Exodus 34:5 “when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone”
c. Willford Woodruff “Josepn Smith’s face was as clear as amber and he was covered with a power I havenever seen in an instant in the flesh before.”
d. Brigham Young “When the spirit of revelation was upon him, his countenance wore an expression peculiar to himself while under that influence…for at such times there was a peculiar clearness and transparency on his face.”
IX. Ten Commandments:
a. Mosiah 12:35,36 (1,2)
b. Mosiah 13:15-24 (3-10)
c. Abinadi’s condemnation, there wickedness leads to their lack of understanding: Mosiah 13:25-35
X. What Isaiah 52: 7-10 Means:
a. Isaiah 53/Mosiah 14
b. Remember: everything in Abinadi’s response answer’s the original question.
XI. Mosiah 15: How Christ fulfills the Prophecy of Isaiah 53 and answers the original question.
a. Christ’s relationship with his Father: 1-9 Christ is “God himself”
i. Son because “he dwelleth in the flesh”
ii. Father because “conceived by the power of God”
iii. V. 4 “THEY are one God”
iv. As God, he subjects himself to temptation and death (15:5-9) Only God himself can bridge that gap that was caused by HIS plan.
v. NOTE: We too become like God and apart of God as we submit ourselves to HIS will. “To the extent that we are not willing to be led by the Lord, we will be driven by our appetites.” – Neal A Maxwell.
b. Who Shall Be His Seed? (answers Mosiah 12:20) 15:11
i. Heard words of the prophets
ii. HEARKEN unto their words
iii. Believed that the Lord would redeem his people
iv. Looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins
v. 15:14-18: These are they that publish peace (those that follow Christ)
c. What Does He Do For his Seed 5:12
i. Sins borne, died for them, redeemed them from their transgression
d. Chaism/ Qualifications for Resurrection Mosiah 15:20-23 (they are His seed)
a. Bands of Death (20/23)
b. Broken
c. Son/Christ
d. Power over dead/eternal life
e. Resurrection of the dead/raised to dwell with God
f. Resurrection/First Resurrection
g. First resurrection
h. Those that have been and who are/all those that have believed in their words
i. Who shall be, even until the resurrection
j. of Christ/so shall he be called.
e. Who Are Not His Seed? (15:26) Not in first resurrection.
i. Rebel against him
ii. Die in their Sins
iii. Willfully rebel against God
iv. Known the commandments of God and would not keep them.
XII. Conclusion: Mosiah 16:8-15

In our recent branch conference, we were instructed about the importance of temple service and the blessings we can receive as a branch and in our families through regularly attending the House of the Lord. We share in the District’s goal in doing “a better job of shepherding the Saints to the house of the Lord.” (see Elder Bednar’s April 2009 Conference address). Alma taught that “the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted” (Alma 26:5). Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught the “great garner into which the sheaves should be gathered is the holy temple.” It is at the temple of the Lord that we are made safe, where we can serve our kindred dead and partake of the Spirit in rich abundance. There is no reason why we should deny ourselves and our families these incredible blessings. The Prophet Joseph Smith prayed for us that, “no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself; That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house.” (D&C 109:25-26). The carpool for the temple leaves the hospital parking lot at 1630 every first Friday of the month unless otherwise noted. We realize with busy work and family schedules and even worthiness issues, that getting in those vans can be difficult. Home and Visiting teachers, look for ways to help your families get to the temple. Please schedule an appointment with the branch president if necessary (e-mail Brother Scott Pierce at exesecr@yahoo.com for an appointment). With the district presidency, we plead with you to be worthy, to be steadfast, and to look forward with great anticipation to receiving the blessings of regular temple attendance.

From the LDS website:

Isa. 7: 14	(2 Ne. 17: 14) virgin shall conceive, and bear a son.
Isa. 9: 6	(2 Ne. 19: 6) unto us a child is born.
Micah 5: 2	Bethlehem . . . out of thee shall he come forth.
Matt. 1: 23	virgin shall . . . bring forth a son . . . Emmanuel.
Matt. 2: 1	Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Luke 1: 31	bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
Luke 2: 11	unto you is born this day . . . a Saviour, which is Christ.
John 1: 14	(John 1: 3) Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
Rom. 1: 3	Jesus . . . made of the seed of David.
Gal. 4: 4	God sent . . . Son, made of a woman.
1 Ne. 10: 4	(1 Ne. 19: 8; 2 Ne. 25: 19) six hundred years . . . God raise up among the Jews even a Messiah.
1 Ne. 11: 18	mother of the Son of God.
2 Ne. 26: 3	signs given . . . of his birth.
Alma 7: 10	he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem.
Hel. 14: 4	sign . . . before he is born.
3 Ne. 1: 19	day that the Lord should be born.
D&C 20: 1	since the coming of our Lord . . . in the flesh.
D&C 76: 41	he came into the world, even Jesus.
D&C 93: 4	I . . . made flesh my tabernacle.
Moses 5: 57	(Moses 6: 57-62) Son . . . should come in the meridian of time.

These are very in depth and detail:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon_geography
http://poulsenll.org/bom/index.html

I haven't read Welch's book in it's entirety yet, but from this Mormon Times article, it appears worthy of study:

John W. Welch changed the face of Book of Mormon studies 41 years ago when he discovered the complicated literary form called chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. Twenty years ago Welch made another startling discovery in the Book of Mormon.

Welch, a professor at J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, spoke at BYU on Friday at "A Conference on Third Nephi: New Perspectives on an Incomparable Scripture." He told how at one time many saw the presence of the Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Mormon as an easy target for critics.

But that has all changed.

In Jan. 1988 Welch was examining the text of 3 Nephi 12-14. "I was struck like a bolt out of the blue by the importance of the temple setting in the (Book of Mormon's version of the) Sermon on the Mount in Third Nephi," Welch said. "Jesus chose to speak in Bountiful at the temple. That clue is a plain and precious detail restored by the Book of Mormon. It offers a captivating insight the otherwise perplexing nature of the Sermon on the Mount you find in Matthew chapters 5 through 7."

Welch called the Nephite version of the Sermon on the Mount the "Sermon at the Temple" to emphasize that "the mount" described in Matthew 5 was like a temple.

"Mountains, of course, were prototypes of the temple in Israelite religion as well as in ancient near-eastern thought generally," Welch said.

Temple themes in the scriptures are not as obvious to modern readers because they are not familiar with the rituals of the ancient temple. Welch said by analogy that Mormons would easily recognize modern temple allusions if someone used the terms "recommend," "garments" and "Holiness to the Lord."

Ancient people, according to Welch, would find temple allusions in words like light, salt, rain, rock, washing, anointing, the name of God, throne, sonship, garments, bread, forgiveness, commandments, covenants, oaths, treasure, wisdom, judgment, seeing God, eternity and peacemaking.

All of these are words in the Sermon on the Mount.

"My work identifies over 120 such elements and temple themes in the Sermon on the Mount," Welch said.

Welch said the Sermon at the Temple in the Book of Mormon also highlights covenant making. Baptism, commandments and covenantal promises are throughout Third Nephi. This insight from the Book of Mormon also illuminates the temple covenant making aspects of Matthew's account.

Much of the language in the Sermon on the Mount comes from the Psalms. According to Welch, the Psalms were integral parts of ancient temple worship.

"Each allusion to the Psalms in the Sermon on the Mount adds corroboration to its temple genre," Welch said, "and thus supports its temple setting in Third Nephi."

Welch said he now sees the overall structure of the Sermon on the Mount as a "marvelous ritual ascent text." The sermon begins by placing its hearers in a lowly state and then guides them upward to its end, being welcomed into the presence of God.

The path begins with a concern about others (Matthew 5), continues toward a concern about personal and secret virtues (Matthew 6) and culminates with qualities of God and holiness (Matthew 7).

"Notice this pattern: Others, self then God," Welch said.

The subject of prayer in the sermon follows this pattern according to Welch. First, in Matthew 5 is the admonition to pray for others including enemies, in Matthew 6 we pray for ourselves and in Matthew 7 we ask for gifts from our Father in heaven.

Other subjects, such as "generosity" and "love," also follow this pattern.

"Through these three degrees there comes fulfillment of the law of Israel, perfection of the individual and ultimately hearing the Lord say, 'Enter my presence,'" Welch said.

This emphasis on the influences of the temple in early Christian thought is not limited to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Welch referred to other scholars who are "waking up to the importance of the temple Jesus' world."

"When I first noticed the temple pattern in the overall structure of the Sermon at the Temple in January of 1988 it was an overwhelming, all consuming experience. Time stood still all that day as its pieces fell in place," Welch said.

Welch was president of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) back then. Elder Neal A. Maxwell had asked him to let him know if anything important ever came up. After showing his wife what he had found, they decided to call Elder Maxwell. "Isn't it interesting," Elder Maxwell said according to Welch, "how the Lord can turn what people have seen as the Book of Mormon's greatest weakness into one of its greatest strengths."

John Welch's book on this subject, "The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount" can be read online at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute Web site. A new work targeted at general New Testament scholars called, "The Sermon on the Mount in the Light of the Temple," will be published next spring by Ashgate publishers in London.

The quick answer is I haven't the foggiest. A quick search of the LDS data base yielded a story that seems designed for small children (Will Robins Go to Heaven?) and thus is not overly burdened with specific scriptural references.
This question flashed through my mind while I was listening to Stake Conference talk last week, though the talk had absolutely nothing to do with the resurrection or ultimate salvation of nonhuman life.
But the speaker briefly referenced John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..."
Although I've obviously heard that verse about a million times, it was the first time that I found unique significance in the word 'world.' God didn't send his son just for homo-sapiens? He sent Christ for the world, to redeem it, but how invllusive is 'world'? Is it merely synonymous with mankind or does it actually include pets, plants, rocks or everything in between?
The last part of John 3:16 seems to qualify the salvation of the world to those on it who "believeth in" Christ. Can animals believe? My initial reaction has to be no.
But consider this verse; D&C 77:12: "...in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge ALL THINGS, and shall redeem ALL THINGS, except that which he hath not put into his power..." (emphasis added.)
The redemption of the world does seem pretty all inclusive in that verse to the point that, if forced to choose, Id' have to say that a reasonable reading of the scriptures could lead someone to conclude that pets do indeed go to heaven, the troubling requirement of belief notwithstanding. Perhaps these 'lesser' creations can eventually be made to believe?
And no, I will not entertain the argument that pets or plants are somehow "not put into [Christ's] power" as mentioned at the end of D&C 77:12. It's clear that both inanimate objects and creatures with less intelligence than humans are well within the Creator's control. See Jacob 4:6 ("...the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."), Abraham 4:21 "And the Gods prepared the waters that they might bring forth great whales, and every living creature taht moveth, which the waters were to bring forth abundantly after their kind; and every winged fowl after their kind. And the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and their plan was good.") Does not obedience require belief (a discussion for another day perhaps)?
BNote: this last verse in Abe 4:21 has implications regarding evolution that I had not considered in this verse before; i.e. God did not create whales, etc., directly, but set it up so that "the waters were to bring forth" these creatures. Another question for another day.)