Study Guide for "In Awe of Christ and His Gospel"

In this talk, Elder Ulisses Soares shares his insights on the importance of maintaining a sense of awe and wonder towards Jesus Christ and His gospel. He discusses how this awe can inspire us to live the doctrine of Christ more joyfully and diligently, and how it can protect us from spiritual apathy. He also shares the story of a man who regained his awe of the Savior and His gospel, illustrating the transformative power of Christ's love.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

What does Elder Soares mean when he talks about being "in awe" of Jesus Christ and His gospel?
How can a sense of awe towards Christ and His gospel influence our discipleship?
What are the dangers of spiritual apathy, and how can we guard ourselves against it?
How can we incorporate the teachings of Christ into our lives and become more like Him?
What role does gratitude play in our spiritual journey, according to Elder Soares?

Topics

Experiencing Awe Towards Christ and His Gospel

Elder Soares emphasizes the importance of maintaining a sense of awe towards Jesus Christ and His gospel. This feeling of wonder, inspired by the Holy Ghost, can stimulate enthusiasm to live the doctrine of Christ joyfully. It also enhances our discipleship, makes our study of God's words more meaningful, and strengthens our testimony.

The wonder I refer to is the sensation of emotion, awe, or amazement common to all who wholeheartedly center their lives on the Savior and His teachings and humbly recognize His presence in their lives.

When we truly are in awe of Jesus Christ and His gospel, we are happier, we have more enthusiasm for God’s work, and we recognize the Lord’s hand in all things.

What does it mean to be in awe of Jesus Christ and His gospel?
How can this sense of awe influence our discipleship and our study of the scriptures?
What are some ways we can cultivate this sense of awe in our lives?
How have you experienced a sense of awe towards Jesus Christ and His gospel in your life?
What steps can you take to cultivate this sense of awe and wonder?
How has this awe influenced your discipleship and your study of the scriptures?

Guarding Against Spiritual Apathy

Elder Soares warns against the dangers of spiritual apathy, which is characterized by a gradual loss of excitement towards the gospel. This apathy can cause us to take the gospel for granted and neglect our covenants, leading us away from the Lord and making us vulnerable to doubt and temptation.

Such apathy is characterized by the gradual loss of our excitement to engage fully in the Lord’s gospel.

This complacency, so to speak, causes us to take the gospel gifts for granted, and from then on, we run the risk of neglecting both our regular immersion in the essentials of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the covenants we have made.

What is spiritual apathy, according to Elder Soares?
How can spiritual apathy lead us away from the Lord and make us vulnerable to doubt and temptation?
What are some signs of spiritual apathy that we should be aware of?
Have you experienced spiritual apathy in your life? If so, how did it affect your relationship with the Lord?
What steps can you take to guard against spiritual apathy?
How can maintaining a sense of awe towards Christ and His gospel help protect against spiritual apathy?

Accepting the Savior's Invitation to Learn and Serve

Elder Soares discusses the Savior's invitation to learn of Him, listen to His words, walk in the meekness of His Spirit, and serve Him and His children. Accepting this invitation demonstrates our humility and desire to become more like Christ. It also helps us to grow in understanding, wisdom, divine character, and grace.

The Savior’s invitation gives us a broader perspective, especially considering the complex world in which we live: “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.”

When we intentionally and truly dedicate ourselves to look unto Him and learn from His perfect example, we come to know Him better.

What does the Savior's invitation to learn of Him and serve Him entail, according to Elder Soares?
How can accepting this invitation help us to grow spiritually and become more like Christ?
How have you responded to the Savior's invitation to learn of Him and serve Him in your life?
What steps can you take to accept this invitation more fully?
How has accepting this invitation helped you to grow spiritually and become more like Christ?

Experiencing the Transformative Power of Christ's Love

Elder Soares shares the story of a man named Wes who regained his awe of the Savior and His gospel after 27 years of distancing himself from the covenant path. This story illustrates the transformative power of Christ's love, which can heal us of our spiritual and emotional wounds and help us draw closer to Him.

Wes felt the peace that comes from the Comforter and gained the strength he needed to return to the fold.

This experience brought him spiritually and emotionally back to life and helped him to eliminate the feelings of bitterness accumulated over the years because of the difficult experiences he had been through.

What does the story of Wes teach us about the transformative power of Christ's love?
How can Christ's love help us to heal from our spiritual and emotional wounds and draw closer to Him?
How have you experienced the transformative power of Christ's love in your life?
What steps can you take to draw closer to Christ and experience His love more fully?
How has Christ's love helped you to heal from your spiritual and emotional wounds?

Marveling at the Promises of God

Elder Soares encourages us to marvel at the great promises that God has prepared for those who are faithful. These promises are extended to all those who seek to learn of Christ and incorporate His words into their lives. They include becoming the children of Christ and having His divine attributes written in our minds and hearts.

The Lord has made wonderful promises that are extended to all those, including us, who seek to learn of Him and incorporate His words into their lives.

As we genuinely and continually strive to learn of the Savior and follow His example, I promise you, in His name, that His divine attributes will be written in our minds and hearts, that we will become more like Him, and that we will walk with Him.

What are some of the great promises that God has prepared for those who are faithful, according to Elder Soares?
How can we become the children of Christ and have His divine attributes written in our minds and hearts?
How have you experienced the promises of God in your life?
What steps can you take to become more like Christ and have His divine attributes written in your mind and heart?
How has striving to learn of the Savior and follow His example impacted your life?