The following was taken from the Teaching with Power YouTube - https://teachingwithpower.wixsite.com/teachingwithpower/post/acts-10-15
for Acts 10-15
THE ANGEL OR THE SWORD
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker to Acts chapter 12, give your students some “Would you rather” questions. The way this works is that you pair them up with a partner and have them share their answer to a question asking them to choose between two options and two options only. Which option would they rather experience? I’ve found this kind of activity to be a great attention getter and helps to prepare a class to discuss and share more once you get into the scriptures. So here are some of my favorite “would you rather” questions.
Would you rather be 3 feet tall, or 8 feet tall?
Would you rather have hiccups for the rest of your life or constantly feel like you have to sneeze?
Would you rather be born with an elephant trunk or be born with a giraffe neck?
Would you rather travel 500 years into the past or 500 years into the future?
Would you rather have the ability to teleport anywhere or be able to time travel?
TRANSITION
Well one of the fun things about “would you rather” questions is that they compel you to compare and contrast. And that’s what I want you to do with these next two stories that we find in Acts chapter 12.
SEARCH
There’s a remarkable juxtaposition in this chapter that is just too perfect to be a coincidence. I want you to read the following two stories quietly to yourself and compare them. What do they have in common, and where do they differ?
So we’ve got the story of James and Herod in Acts 12:1-2. And then the story of Peter and Herod in Acts 12:3-11.
And if you did that, what did you notice?
First, what did they have in common? They’re both stories about apostles who are being persecuted by Herod. Where do they differ though? In their outcomes. James dies. He gets killed by the sword, while an angel goes to great lengths to rescue Peter. And it’s a really fun account of how that happens. First of all, Peter’s there in prison, and Herod puts 16 soldiers in charge of him—for one man. But even that’s not enough, he has Peter chained with two chains, and then he’s placed right in between two soldiers, right next to him. I’m sure that’s because Herod had heard what had happened the last time Peter was put into prison. But once again, no matter how many precautions are taken. Peter is rescued. The chains fall off his hands, the soldiers next to him remain in a deep sleep, he passes by two more sets of guards until he comes to the big iron gate at the entrance of the prison, and it just opens all by itself, and he just walks out. Amazing. Herod must have been absolutely livid that next morning. How could you guys have lost him?
DISCUSSION
But, as fun as that story is, it begs the question: Why? That doesn’t seem fair. Why does Peter get an angel to rescue him, but James gets the sword? And for that matter, why do Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walk through the fiery furnace unscathed, but Abinadi burns? Why do Joseph and Hyrum get killed in Carthage Jail, but John Taylor and Willard Richards walk away? We see these kinds of situations all throughout the scriptures. It seems that sometimes God rescues his prophets and other times he allows others to hurt or kill them? WHY? Is it because God loved Peter more than James? Peter was more worthy than James? Peter was more important than James? Or some other reason?
Before we answer that I want you to stop and consider how this principle might apply in our lives. Though we probably won’t find ourselves in a martyr or miracle kind of situation, I believe we all have “sword stories” in our lives and we all have “angel stories” in our lives. Do you know what I mean by that? Angel stories are the times when our prayers are answered, miracles happen, a person is healed, there is a car accident, but nobody is hurt. And we love angel stories. We often tend to focus more on these events in the church. They’re the ones that end up in the Liahona and shared in testimony meetings. And we attribute those experiences to God’s love and protection. Which we can and should. However, what about the stories where the prayer isn’t answered, the person doesn’t get healed, and the car accident takes a life. I’ve had times when I’ve lost something and prayed to find it, and I did! On the other hand, I can think of times when I prayed, and the object was never found. When my Mom got brain cancer, we all prayed that she would be healed, but she died. When my cousin was in a car accident, she didn’t survive. Do we assume that those individuals were not as loved by God, that they weren’t as worthy, or that they weren’t as important? I say no. I don’t think God loved Peter more than James, I don’t think he was more worthy or more important either. So why did it happen this way? That can be a very fruitful and thought-provoking discussion to have with your class.
And here are a few thoughts of my own on this question that I’ve gleaned from my scripture study over the years that have helped me to understand this dynamic.
One, God will intervene and will protect his people if there is some work or purpose in mortality that it is absolutely necessary for them to fulfill. Abinadi is a good example of this, he is protected by God, but only until his message to King Noah and the wicked priests was done. Then, the power of God’s protection fades, and he is eventually burned. Joseph Smith is another example of this, there were many instances in his life where he could have been killed, that it was very likely that he would be killed, but he miraculously escaped time and time again. But when Carthage came, Joseph felt that his work was done. At one point just months before the martyrdom he was quoted saying:
“Some have supposed that Brother Joseph could not die; but this is a mistake. Having now accomplished [my work], I have not at present any lease of my life. I am as liable to die as other men."
Joseph Smith Jr.
(Truman G. Madsen, Joseph Smith the Prophet [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989], 110.)
This truth applies to more than just prophets apparently. Joseph Fielding Smith said the following:
"May I say for the consolation of those who mourn, and for the comfort and guidance of all of us, that no righteous man is ever taken before his time"
Joseph Fielding Smith
(address at the funeral of Elder Richard L. Evans, 4 Nov. 1971, 1)
Another possible reason. God honors the agency of others, even when it hurts good people. You see this in the story of Alma and Amulek when the righteous women and children are burned before their eyes.
Alma 14:10-11
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
So God will not always rescue the righteous from the agency of his other children. If God always stepped in to stop people from hurting others, that would be more of Satan’s plan than his. And so, he does allow people to do terrible things to others, so that his judgment may be just against them.
And then finally, one of the very purposes of our lives is to experience opposition, and even pain and suffering. God is not there to remove all suffering from our lives. This life is not for “living happily ever after”. That doesn’t come until the next life. As it says in 2 Nephi 2:11 “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.” And in D&C 136:31 31 “My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.”
Those are just a few possible explanations for the sword or angel principle.
TRUTH
In our lives, sometimes we will have angel experiences, times when the divine will intervene and we will experience miracles. And there will be other times when we have sword experiences. Times when God does not intervene, and we’ll experience pain and suffering. But whether we get the sword or the angel, hopefully we can still maintain our faith in a loving Father in Heaven and His divine plan of happiness.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures. You could ask:
Ponder your own personal sword or angel stories. When have you experienced miracles and answered prayers? And, by the same token, when have you experienced unanswered prayers, personal tragedies, and challenges in your life.
What have your “sword” experiences taught you?
What have your “angel” experiences taught you?
Both can teach us.
For an icebreaker to Acts chapter 12, give your students some “Would you rather” questions. The way this works is that you pair them up with a partner and have them share their answer to a question asking them to choose between two options and two options only. Which option would they rather experience? I’ve found this kind of activity to be a great attention getter and helps to prepare a class to discuss and share more once you get into the scriptures. So here are some of my favorite “would you rather” questions.
Would you rather be 3 feet tall, or 8 feet tall?
Would you rather have hiccups for the rest of your life or constantly feel like you have to sneeze?
Would you rather be born with an elephant trunk or be born with a giraffe neck?
Would you rather travel 500 years into the past or 500 years into the future?
Would you rather have the ability to teleport anywhere or be able to time travel?
TRANSITION
Well one of the fun things about “would you rather” questions is that they compel you to compare and contrast. And that’s what I want you to do with these next two stories that we find in Acts chapter 12.
SEARCH
There’s a remarkable juxtaposition in this chapter that is just too perfect to be a coincidence. I want you to read the following two stories quietly to yourself and compare them. What do they have in common, and where do they differ?
So we’ve got the story of James and Herod in Acts 12:1-2. And then the story of Peter and Herod in Acts 12:3-11.
And if you did that, what did you notice?
First, what did they have in common? They’re both stories about apostles who are being persecuted by Herod. Where do they differ though? In their outcomes. James dies. He gets killed by the sword, while an angel goes to great lengths to rescue Peter. And it’s a really fun account of how that happens. First of all, Peter’s there in prison, and Herod puts 16 soldiers in charge of him—for one man. But even that’s not enough, he has Peter chained with two chains, and then he’s placed right in between two soldiers, right next to him. I’m sure that’s because Herod had heard what had happened the last time Peter was put into prison. But once again, no matter how many precautions are taken. Peter is rescued. The chains fall off his hands, the soldiers next to him remain in a deep sleep, he passes by two more sets of guards until he comes to the big iron gate at the entrance of the prison, and it just opens all by itself, and he just walks out. Amazing. Herod must have been absolutely livid that next morning. How could you guys have lost him?
DISCUSSION
But, as fun as that story is, it begs the question: Why? That doesn’t seem fair. Why does Peter get an angel to rescue him, but James gets the sword? And for that matter, why do Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walk through the fiery furnace unscathed, but Abinadi burns? Why do Joseph and Hyrum get killed in Carthage Jail, but John Taylor and Willard Richards walk away? We see these kinds of situations all throughout the scriptures. It seems that sometimes God rescues his prophets and other times he allows others to hurt or kill them? WHY? Is it because God loved Peter more than James? Peter was more worthy than James? Peter was more important than James? Or some other reason?
Before we answer that I want you to stop and consider how this principle might apply in our lives. Though we probably won’t find ourselves in a martyr or miracle kind of situation, I believe we all have “sword stories” in our lives and we all have “angel stories” in our lives. Do you know what I mean by that? Angel stories are the times when our prayers are answered, miracles happen, a person is healed, there is a car accident, but nobody is hurt. And we love angel stories. We often tend to focus more on these events in the church. They’re the ones that end up in the Liahona and shared in testimony meetings. And we attribute those experiences to God’s love and protection. Which we can and should. However, what about the stories where the prayer isn’t answered, the person doesn’t get healed, and the car accident takes a life. I’ve had times when I’ve lost something and prayed to find it, and I did! On the other hand, I can think of times when I prayed, and the object was never found. When my Mom got brain cancer, we all prayed that she would be healed, but she died. When my cousin was in a car accident, she didn’t survive. Do we assume that those individuals were not as loved by God, that they weren’t as worthy, or that they weren’t as important? I say no. I don’t think God loved Peter more than James, I don’t think he was more worthy or more important either. So why did it happen this way? That can be a very fruitful and thought-provoking discussion to have with your class.
And here are a few thoughts of my own on this question that I’ve gleaned from my scripture study over the years that have helped me to understand this dynamic.
One, God will intervene and will protect his people if there is some work or purpose in mortality that it is absolutely necessary for them to fulfill. Abinadi is a good example of this, he is protected by God, but only until his message to King Noah and the wicked priests was done. Then, the power of God’s protection fades, and he is eventually burned. Joseph Smith is another example of this, there were many instances in his life where he could have been killed, that it was very likely that he would be killed, but he miraculously escaped time and time again. But when Carthage came, Joseph felt that his work was done. At one point just months before the martyrdom he was quoted saying:
“Some have supposed that Brother Joseph could not die; but this is a mistake. Having now accomplished [my work], I have not at present any lease of my life. I am as liable to die as other men."
Joseph Smith Jr.
(Truman G. Madsen, Joseph Smith the Prophet [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989], 110.)
This truth applies to more than just prophets apparently. Joseph Fielding Smith said the following:
"May I say for the consolation of those who mourn, and for the comfort and guidance of all of us, that no righteous man is ever taken before his time"
Joseph Fielding Smith
(address at the funeral of Elder Richard L. Evans, 4 Nov. 1971, 1)
Another possible reason. God honors the agency of others, even when it hurts good people. You see this in the story of Alma and Amulek when the righteous women and children are burned before their eyes.
Alma 14:10-11
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
So God will not always rescue the righteous from the agency of his other children. If God always stepped in to stop people from hurting others, that would be more of Satan’s plan than his. And so, he does allow people to do terrible things to others, so that his judgment may be just against them.
And then finally, one of the very purposes of our lives is to experience opposition, and even pain and suffering. God is not there to remove all suffering from our lives. This life is not for “living happily ever after”. That doesn’t come until the next life. As it says in 2 Nephi 2:11 “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.” And in D&C 136:31 31 “My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.”
Those are just a few possible explanations for the sword or angel principle.
TRUTH
In our lives, sometimes we will have angel experiences, times when the divine will intervene and we will experience miracles. And there will be other times when we have sword experiences. Times when God does not intervene, and we’ll experience pain and suffering. But whether we get the sword or the angel, hopefully we can still maintain our faith in a loving Father in Heaven and His divine plan of happiness.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures. You could ask:
Ponder your own personal sword or angel stories. When have you experienced miracles and answered prayers? And, by the same token, when have you experienced unanswered prayers, personal tragedies, and challenges in your life.
What have your “sword” experiences taught you?
What have your “angel” experiences taught you?
Both can teach us.
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