Christ Teaches His Gospel

Jesus continued speaking to the multitude; “Give to the poor because you want to, for if you give just to appear good to others, then your Heavenly Father will not reward you. When you give to the poor, do not call attention to yourself as the hypocrites do in order to be praised, for they have their reward. When you give to others, do it secretly. If you give secretly, then your Heavenly Father, who sees you in secret, will reward you openly. When you pray, do not pray like the hypocrites, who love to pray in front of others, for they have their reward. Go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Heavenly Father in secret and He will reward you openly. When you pray, do not repeat insincere phrases, for this is how the heathens pray, thinking that God will hear them better if they use many words. You do not need to use many words, for your Heavenly Father already knows what you need before you ask Him. Here is an example of a sincere prayer: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us from temptation and deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

“If you forgive others who have hurt you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you of your sins. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Heavenly Father will refuse to forgive you.

“When you fast, do not fast like the hypocrites, who make long, sad faces in order to look humble to others. They have their reward. When you fast, hold your head up and be cheerful. Do not let others know you are fasting by acting weak and tired. Instead, present your fast only to your Heavenly Father, and He, who sees you in secret, will reward you openly.

“Do not collect earthly treasures. They can easily be lost or stolen, and all things rust and decay. Instead, save up treasures in heaven, where things do not decay and are not lost or stolen, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

“The light of the body is the eye. If your eye is upon God, and you are dedicated to serving Him, then your whole soul will be full of light. If your eye is focused on evil, and you are not dedicated to serving God, then your whole soul will be full of great darkness! You cannot serve two opposing masters, for you will hate one and love the other. For example, if you love God, you will hate worldliness, and if you love worldliness, you will hate God, for no one can serve God and the world at the same time.”

When Jesus finished speaking to the Nephites, He turned to His twelve disciples and said, “Remember my words, for you will be teaching them again to the people. Do not worry about your life—your food, drink, and clothing—for your life is more than just your food, and your body is more than just your clothing. Look at the birds. They do not worry about having enough food, and your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable to God than they? And by worrying about your food, can you extend your life one day? And why worry about having adequate clothing? Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They do not concern themselves with their appearance, yet even King Solomon in his glorious attire was never as beautiful as they. If God clothes the short-lived flowers, He will also clothe you, if you have faith in Him. Knowing this, do not worry about your needs. Your Heavenly Father knows you have need of food, clothing, and many other things. If you show your faith by seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness above all else, then He will provide you with all these things. Do not worry about what will happen tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Be more concerned about the temptations you must overcome today.”