The Sermon on the Mount, pt. 1

I know we had a Sunday School lesson on this not too long ago, but we couldn't cover everything and there are still things I don't understand, and so I have been doing some extra reading and learning and I think we could all do with a more in-depth study of these scriptures! In fact, in my research for this swap, I found that the Sermon on the Mount actually goes from Matthew 5 to Matthew 7! I had no idea that it was more than the Beatutudes! So we will be breaking this bible study into 4 parts: Matthew 5:1-16, Matthew 5:17-48, Matthew 6, and Matthew 7.

Many centuries after the premortal Christ gave the law of Moses on Mount Sinai, the mortal Messiah ascended another mount to proclaim a higher law in a discourse known as the Sermon on the Mount.

The first teachings in this sermon are known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1–12). The word beatitude comes from the Latin beatus, which means fortunate, happy, or blessed (Matthew 5:3, footnote 3a).

Matthew 5:3. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?
Matthew 5:4. What are some ways the Lord provides for us to be comforted?
Matthew 5:5. What does it mean to be meek?
Matthew 5:6. What did Jesus promise those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness”? What can we do to lift our appetites from the things of the world to things of righteousness?
Matthew 5:7. How can we show mercy to others? Why do we need mercy from the Lord?
Matthew 5:8. What do you think it means to have a pure heart? How can we purify our hearts? (See Helaman 3:35.) Why must we have pure hearts if we are to see God and dwell with him? (See Moses 6:57.)
Matthew 5:9. How can we be peacemakers in our homes and communities?
Matthew 5:10–12. Why are righteous people sometimes persecuted? How should we respond to persecution? (See Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:35.)
Matthew 5:13. Jesus said that his disciples are “the salt of the earth”. What are some uses for salt? How can Latter-day Saints be “the salt of the earth”? Read Doctrine and Covenants 103:9–10. What insights do these verses add about what it means to be “the salt of the earth”? How can we be “the saviors of men”?
Matthew 5:14-16. How can Latter-day Saints be “the light of the world”. What happens when a candle is placed “under a bushel”? How do we as Church members sometimes put our light under a bushel? How can we let our light shine in a way that will lead others to “glorify [our] Father … in heaven”? (See 3 Nephi 18:24.)

Lastly, which of these verses is most pertinent in your life? Maybe more than one? How can you use these scriptures to better our lives and become more Christ-like?