FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 6–10

Week 8: February 19-25, 2024

“O How Great the Plan of Our God”

“O How Great the Plan of Our God”

FAIR Faithful Resources for Come, Follow Me 2024 February 19-252 Nephi 6-10: “O How Great the Plan of Our God”. 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

Digging Deeper

Bite-Sized

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation, Saints Unscripted, & Scripture Central

General Conference & BYU Speeches

FAIR Conference Talks

Lesson Devotional

O How Great the Plan of Our God

By Michelle Pack, Contributor
In 2 Nephi 9, the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob explained the plan of salvation, central to which is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In verse 7 he called it the “infinite atonement.” The word “infinite” brings up the idea of something that has no limits, that is too great to count, like the sands of the sea—something that can never end.

The opportunity to gain experience from our mistakes, grow closer to God through repentance, and move forward on the covenant path is given to us through the sacrifice, or Atonement, of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter to Christ the number of times we make mistakes or if we make the same mistake repeatedly. What matters is that we continue to repent, to learn, and to walk the covenant path back to our Father in Heaven.

Elder David A. Bednar said, “Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better.”1

I came to understand the truth of Elder Bednar’s words during a challenging time in my life. The trial was not a consequence of my actions but, as I turned to Heavenly Father, I realized that Christ understood how I was feeling because of His infinite Atonement. Christ didn’t live an easy life. He knew disappointment, hardship, rejection, betrayal, and pain. He learned those lessons the way we do—by living life.

Because He lived in the fallen world, as we do, He knows exactly how we feel in our times of trial. He performed the Atonement so that “he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:12).

I have felt His love frequently as I have not only repented of my sins but passed through challenging times. I feel the love of my Savior when I think of His infinite Atonement and the plan of the Father to help us return to Him again. President Wilford Woodruff once said, “I believe that the Almighty knew what He was going to do with this world before He made it.”2 As we come to know more about Christ’s Atonement and apply it in our lives, we can echo the words of Jacob: “O how great the plan of our God!” (2 Nephi 9:13).

Endnotes
1 David A. Bednar, “The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality,” Ensign, April 2012, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
2 Discourse by Wilford Woodruff, July 29, 1889, p. 1, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/discourse/1889-07-29.

Michelle Pack

Michelle graduated from Utah State University–Eastern in 1995 with an associate degree in Graphic Design. After serving in the Guatemala, Guatemala North Mission from 1996 to 1998, she continued her education at Utah Valley University, graduating in 1999 with an associate degree in Paralegal Studies and in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Technology Management and an emphasis in Graphic Design. She worked as a paralegal for two years before having her children and becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her two children are now in college. Not wanting to let her children suffer through college alone, Michelle went back to school and is now attending Utah Tech University, working on her master’s in Technical Writing and Digital Rhetoric. Michelle loves the gospel, family history, and the temple. She and her husband enjoy camping, hiking, and spending time together. She is excited to be a volunteer with the Wilford Woodruff Papers.

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.