Revelations 2-3 "To Him That Overcometh" Lesson 6, Second Choice Assignment

City	How they pleased the Lord	How they needed to repent	Promised blessings
Ephasus (2:1-7)	They: Don't tolerate evil, Don't follow apostates. Labor diligently, and are patient In trials, they have not given up, Don't tolerate secret combinations	Have forgotten the importance of preaching and missionary work	Eternal life
Smyrna (2:8-11)	Hard Work, patience in Tribulation and poverty	Don't fear the sufferings--prison, death Be faithful unto death	Crown of Eternal life
Pergamos (2:12-17	Holding fast to the name of Christ, been true to the faith, one was martyred,	Stop deceiving the faithful, revere sacred things, no idol worship, stop fornicating, no blasphemy	The bread of life,understanding eternal concepts, a new name (temple ordinances)
Thyatira (2:18-29)	Charity, service, faith, patience, works	Stop Fornication and adultery, No idol worship Hold fast to the Gospel	Power unto the nations, rule with an iron rod
Sardis (3:1-6)	Good works, alive in Christ	Remember! Hold fast! Watch!	Clothed in white, name in the Book of Life, acknowledged before the Father
Philadelphia (3:7-13	Good works, strength, have kept His word, have not denied the Savior,	Hold fast	Other nations will worship at their feet. They will be loved of Christ. Will be kept from temptation, Will be a leader in the house of God, a new name--temple blessings,
Laodicea (3:14-22)	It didn't seem like He was pleased at all with this bunch!	Be ZEALOUS! Be more humble, Come to Christ to be "tried in the fire", to keep their covenants -- become "clothed in white raiment", to have their eyes "anointed" that they may see, to endure chastening.	Christ will come to them, they will be invited to sit with the Savior at His throne, with the Father

Counsel given to these Seven Churches that applies to me--

I don't keep missionary work at the top of my list of priorities. I try to be a good example, but I don't always seek opportunities to share the Gospel. I hope that I would be able to faithful in the face of prison or death. I've never been tried to that extreme. I could probably revere sacred things more carefully. I need to Remember! Hold fast! And Watch! I seem to go in spurts with my zealousness. These past few weeks, I have been very zealous about my study of the New Testament! When I'm choir director, I'm very zealous about choir participation. I could use a bit more balance! I can always work to be more humble, to be mindful of my covenants, and to endure chastening.

I love the image that Christ will invite us to sit with him at His throne, with the Father, near the Father. I like to envision my parents there, waiting for me to join them. And I would love to gather my own children to join me, with their little families.

D&C 14:7 -- Those who endure to the end will receive Eternal life, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God

D&C 63:20 -- He who endures in faith and keeps the commandments, shall overcome and shall receive an "inheritance upon the earth"-- the Celestial Kingdom.

I chose to do this assignment because I've always shied away from Revelations. I wanted to work my way through this assignment and makes discoveries and find principles!

To improve, I maybe could have put those last comments in essay form, instead of just answering the questions. But I really enjoyed cross-referencing with the D&C and making sense of those two chapters in Revelations.