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FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 3–5
Week 7: February 12-18, 2024
“We Lived after the Manner of Happiness”
“We Lived after the Manner of Happiness”
FAIR Faithful Resources for Come, Follow Me 2024 February 12-18. 2 Nephi 3-5: “We Lived after the Manner of Happiness”. These trusted sources can help you find answers to difficult questions and help you in your learning and teaching.
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Main Points to Ponder
The lesson invites us to challenge our assumptions about the “curse that came upon the Lamanites”(see 2 Nephi 5:20–21). As you ponder this question, the following questions and sources may be helpful:
- What does it mean to be cut off from the Lord’s presence? 2 Nephi 5:20–21
- What does the word “curse” mean in this context? See Curse, Curses in Guide to the Scriptures.
- The lesson states of the “mark” or “skin of blackness” that came upon the Lamanites: “The nature and appearance of this mark are not fully understood…Prophets affirm in our day that dark skin is not a sign of divine disfavor or cursing.”
- President Russell M. Nelson declared: “I assure you that your standing before God is not determined by the color of your skin. Favor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments and not the color of your skin” (“Let God Prevail,”).
- 2 Nephi 26:33
This Gospel Topic essay may also prove useful: Race and the Priesthood
Faithful Answers to Difficult Questions
Chapter Summaries
2 Nephi 3
2 Nephi 4
2 Nephi 5
2 Nephi 3
1-4: Lehi blesses his youngest son, Joseph, with blessings similar to those which his brothers received.
5-25: However, Lehi then goes on to discuss how the prophecies of Joseph of Egypt will be fulfilled. Joseph of Egypt spoke of another seer who shares his name (Joseph Smith) who will accomplish many important works, including bringing forth a record of Joseph’s (son of Lehi) posterity and restoring their broken off branch to the house of Israel.
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2 Nephi 4
1-10: Lehi blesses his grandchildren and the grandchildren of Ishmael. They will be blessed as they follow the Lord, else they will be cut off from His presence.
11-14: Lehi blesses Sam. Lehi dies and is buried. Contention between the brothers almost immediately ensues.
15-35: Nephi records the yearnings of his heart, often called the Psalm of Nephi. Though he has been uniquely blessed in many ways, Nephi sorrows over his sins, weaknesses and trials. But he finishes with a prayer of faith, joy and gratitude, pleading for redemption, deliverance, strength and continued direction.
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2 Nephi 5
1-8: After the death of Lehi, contention increases between Nephi and his elder brothers. They separate and form two separate communities.
9-18: Life in the Nephite community (the name they have taken upon themselves) is described. They build a temple, prepare defenses, strive to live the gospel and generally prosper.
19-25: The Lamanites suffer the consequences of their choices (a cursing). According to the previous warning, “they are cut off from the presence of the Lord.”
26-34: Nephi and his brothers serve his community in righteousness. They continue to keep both a spiritual and historical record on plates.
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Digging Deeper
Lesson Devotional
After the Manner of Happiness
By Lyndie Jackson, Contributor
After the Nephites separated from the Lamanites, they built a temple and lived the commandments of the Lord. They preached and learned the gospel of Jesus Christ together, and 2 Nephi 5:27 states it simply: “We lived after the manner of happiness.”
The happiest times in my life have been when I was working the hardest to keep the commandments of God. When I take the time to pray fervently, attend the temple regularly, focus on my covenants, and strive to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ, I feel so happy.
In Mosiah 2:41, King Benjamin counseled his people, “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”
Wilford Woodruff echoed this principle in his journal: “We should trust all our affairs in the hands of God, we should do right & follow the counsel of those that are set over us & the blessing of God will attend us & we shall be happy.”1
May we all live after the manner of happiness and enjoy God’s promised blessings to those who keep His commandments and live in His way.
The happiest times in my life have been when I was working the hardest to keep the commandments of God. When I take the time to pray fervently, attend the temple regularly, focus on my covenants, and strive to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ, I feel so happy.
In Mosiah 2:41, King Benjamin counseled his people, “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”
Wilford Woodruff echoed this principle in his journal: “We should trust all our affairs in the hands of God, we should do right & follow the counsel of those that are set over us & the blessing of God will attend us & we shall be happy.”1
May we all live after the manner of happiness and enjoy God’s promised blessings to those who keep His commandments and live in His way.
Endnotes
1 Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, February 13, 1853, p. 425, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/journal/1853-02-13.
Lyndie Jackson
Lyndie is working toward a degree in Public Relations at Brigham Young University. Originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho, she enjoys running, spending time with her husband and family, and reading. Lyndie served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hermosillo, Mexico, where she developed a love for the Spanish language and the people there. She was drawn to the Wilford Woodruff Papers out of a desire to learn more about Church history and enjoys being part of the organization’s efforts to touch lives with Wilford Woodruff’s words.
Lesson devotionals are provided by the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation. Its mission is to digitally preserve and publish Wilford Woodruff’s eyewitness account of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ from 1833 to 1898. It seeks to make Wilford Woodruff’s records universally accessible to inspire all people, especially the rising generation, to study and to increase their faith in Jesus Christ. See wilfordwoodruffpapers.org.
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