The Lord’s Thoughts and Ways

We learn in Jacob 4:8 “great and marvelous are the works of the Lord.” The Lord is limitless. He can do anything and everything. The Lord is perfect. The Lord can heal the sick, he can raise the dead, and he can make the blind see. Most importantly he suffered immense pain, which you and I can never image, so we can be forgiven and live with God again.

This verse goes on to say that there are unsearchable depths of the mysteries of him and we will never fully find out all of his ways, unless it is revealed to us. There is so much that we do not know, about God, about the creation, about everything. There are so many unknowns in the world. Some things we are simply not going to know until they are revealed to us. It can be revealed through personal revelation and also through our modern day prophets.

We learn in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural man (which we are) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Because we are natural men, we will not fully understand the things of our Lord until we become resurrected beings.

Isaiah 55:8-9 and learn that “his thoughts are not our thoughts” and that “his ways are higher than our ways.” These are some of my favorite scriptures and I would like to share these verses specifically.

8) “For my thoughts are not your thought, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”

9) “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

We are often tempted to forget God and trust in our own wisdom or reject God’s way of doing things because they are not done as we think they should be done. We would usually never say out loud or admit to ourselves that we think our ideas are ‘better’ than God’s, but we ‘say’ this in our actions and choices. But it is important to remember that God’s ways, words and thoughts are not like ours, they are higher than ours.

“Elder John Taylor commented on the passage in Isaiah: “We know in part, and see in part, and comprehend in part; and many of the things of God are hid from our view, both things that are past, things that are present, and things that are to come. Hence the world in general sit in judgment upon the actions of God that are passing among them, they make use

of the weak judgment that God has given them to scan the designs of God, to unravel the mysteries that are past, and things that are still hid, forgetting that no man knows the things of God but by the Spirit of God; forgetting that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; forgetting that no man in and of himself is competent to unravel the designs and know the purposes of Jehovah, whether in relation to the past, present, or future; and hence, forgetting this, they fall into all kinds of blunders; they blunder over things that are contained in the Scriptures, some of which are a representation of the follies and weaknesses of men, and some of them perhaps may be the wisdom and intelligence of God, that are as far above their wisdom and intelligence as the heavens are above the earth.””

These verses are definitely a source of comfort for me. God is our creator, He is our Father and he knows everything. He has a perfect knowledge; he knows things that we cannot even begin to understand. This is why he is the best person to have on our side, on our team. He can see things in our future, things that we will do and accomplish that we do not know or see at this time. He uses this knowledge to guide our lives and counsel us. Who better to trust then someone who see’s the bigger picture clearly? His ways are better and higher than our ways, and his thoughts are better and higher than our thoughts. I cannot think of anyone better or anyone I want more than him to be on my side and to trust my life with. This is what brings me comfort. This can bring us all comfort in different ways, I urge you to think of how this brings you comfort personally.

How can we come to better understand God’s thoughts and ways?  The easy answer to this question would be to submit our will to God’s will. This is easy to answer but not very easy to actually put into action. Like mentioned above it can be hard sometimes because we often trust in our own wisdom and/or reject God’s way of doing things because they are not done as we think they should be done. We need to consciously be aware of this and do everything in our power to turn our lives and our will over to the Lord. When we do this, our lives will be filled with more joy and love and peace. We will be blessed beyond measure and we will become more like our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ everyday. Submitting our will to God’s will is something we have to decide to do everyday. Every time we ask God for something we need to honestly mean and want that to happen if it is only his will, his time and his way.

There are many examples of ways that God’s ways are higher than man’s ways. There is the commandment we have to love our enemies. This goes against the natural man. We don’t want to love our enemies, we don’t want to do good to those who hurt us and persecute us but we are commanded to because God’s ways are higher than our ways. Another example that I can think of is the story of Abraham and Isaac. It wasn’t Abraham’s way to almost sacrifice his son to try his faith it was God’s. What about a couple not being able to get pregnant? What about the death of a child? These are not man’s ways but God’s ways and sometimes that hurts and sometimes we will never understand them. But knowing that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts gives me comfort to know that even when I don’t understand and when it hurts, there is a purpose and a plan, there is something to learn and to grow from. It is never in vain, it is never for nothing, and it is always for a higher purpose and for a higher plan. God see’s the whole picture and we just see through the tiny lens of right now.

Be Still, My Soul (124)

Lyrics

1. Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;


With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.


Leave to thy God to order and provide;


In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.


Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend


Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake


To guide the future as he has the past.


Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;


All now mysterious shall be bright at last.


Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know


His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul: The hour is hast'ning on


When we shall be forever with the Lord,


When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,


Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.


Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,


All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Isaiah: An Ensign to the Nation

Isaiah is the only book of scripture that the Lord commanded by name that we should read and search diligently.

An ensign is defined as a flag or a standard in which a group stands together in a unity of purpose or identity. It is a sign and an emblem. We learn in Isaiah about an ensign to the nations. Isaiah 5:26 says, “And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.” This ensign is a sign or a signal for people to prepare. This ensign is a sign for people to gather, to assemble themselves together, and to gather Israel. Isaiah 11:12, “And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”

An ensign that we have today would be Moroni on top of our LDS temples. We are told that when the Savior returns again that those trumpets will sound. Isaiah 18:1-7 is a great block of scripture that talks about this; I want to look specifically at verse 3. “All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.”

This is a hymn called “High on the Mountain Top” and it was inspired from Isaiah 2:2-3 and Isaiah 5:26. I love this song and would like for you to read the lyrics and really think of them and ponder these words. It is talking about an ensign to the nation.

1^st Verse

High on the mountain top

A banner is unfurled.

Ye nations, now look up;

It waves to all the world.

In Deseret's sweet, peaceful land,

On Zion's mount behold it stand!

2^nd Verse

For God remembers still

His promise made of old

That he on Zion's hill

Truth's standard would unfold!

Her light should there attract the gaze

Of all the world in latter days.

3^rd Verse

His house shall there be reared,

His glory to display,

And people shall be heard

In distant lands to say:

We'll now go up and serve the Lord,

Obey his truth, and learn his word.

4^th Verse

For there we shall be taught

The law that will go forth,

With truth and wisdom fraught,

To govern all the earth.

Forever there his ways we'll tread,

And save ourselves with all our dead.

I love this song and it means so much more to me now that I understand it and know the words. This song brings me great peace, comfort, joy, and love.

I would like to go back to Isaiah 5:26-30. We are told that we are to gather the Saviors sheep, we are to gather Israel; it is more important now than it ever has been to do temple work and missionary work. We need to bring His sheep back into the fold and we really have no excuse; we have technology and the means to get around faster than ever.

When I first read Isaiah 5:27-30 I was not all that sure what it meant. I went to our institute student manual for clarification. I really like how they explained these verses and am taking this directly from the manual.

“The gathering of Israel in haste and with means not known in Isaiah’s day is portrayed in the conclusion of this chapter. Elder LeGrand Richards provided this modern-day application of the prophet’s words: “Since there were neither trains nor airplanes in that day, Isaiah could hardly have mentioned them by name. However, he seems to have described them in unmistakable words. How better could ‘their horses’ hoofs be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind’ than in the modern train? How better could ‘their roaring . . . be like a lion’ than in the roar of the airplane? Trains and airplanes do not stop for night. Therefore, was not Isaiah justified in saying: ‘none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken’? With this manner of transportation the Lord can really ‘hiss unto them from the end of the earth,’ that ‘they shall come with speed swiftly.’”

We need to be gathering together, we need to be doing our temple work, we need to be active in missionary work because we do not know when the Savior will come again. We need to be prepared when the Savior decides to come. That ensign that I see everyday on the temple will soon blow its trumpet and let us know that our Savior is here and I hope that we are all ready.

I would like to bring up a couple other ensigns that are symbolic ensigns to all nations of the earth.

-The Book of Mormon

-The Church of Jesus Christ

Ecclesiastes: Seeing Life Clearly

Read the Bible Dictionary for “Ecclesiastes,” (pg. 659), and complete the following statements:

1.     The book of Ecclesiastes consists of reflections on some of the deepest problems of life, as they present themselves to the thoughtful observer.

2.     The author describes himself as “son of David, king in Jerusalem.”

3.     Ecclesiastes is written from the point of view of the Preacher.

4.     Ecclesiastes should not be construed as “theological pronouncements on the condition of the soul after death; rather, they are observations by the Preacher about how things appear to men on earth ‘under the sun’”.

Read Ecclesiastes 1–2 and list five ways the author sought happiness but couldn’t find it. After each item on your list, write the reference of the verse where you found it.

1. Seek out wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven (1:13)

2. Built houses (2:4)

3. Planted vineyards, gardens and orchards (2:4-5)

4. Got servants and maidens (2:7)

5. Gathered silver, gold, and peculiar treasure of kings (2:8)

 Read Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 and compare it with the principles that are taught in Mosiah 4:27; Doctrine and Covenants 10:4; 111:11; Luke 10:38–42. Write a paragraph describing why the timing and order of our activities are so important. Note some examples of how major events of life when done at the wrong time or out of order could seriously hurt an individual’s eternal progress. What do you think the Lord wants you to accomplish during this “time and season” of your life?

We learn in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 that there is a time and place for everything. Mosiah 4:27 teach us that everything is done in wisdom and order. We cannot do things we are not ready for, or in other words, “a man should not run faster than he has strength.” This concept is also mentioned in D&C 10:4, “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means…” D&C 111:11 teaches us that we will be given answers and we will gain knowledge when it is time, when we are ready.  Luke 10:38-42 tells us about the story of Jesus with Martha and Mary. This story teaches us that we need to see what is important, what is best (good, better, best), of all good choices. This is so important because if we understand these principles, if we understand that everything has a time and a place we are more likely to have faith in the Lord and trust the Lord.

            If major events of life are done at the wrong time or out of order it could seriously hurt an individual’s eternal progress. For example, having sex too early or even out of wedlock can have consequences if done at the wrong time in your life. In children who are too young and choose to have sex, their brains are not ready for the bodily changes, chemical and hormonal, as well as the psychological repercussions. It will change their brain when their brain is not developed fully yet.

During this season of my life I am to focus on school, making plans and preparing for my future. I am to make some very important decisions that will affect the rest of my life. I am also supposed to have fun, find who I am, find what is important to me and what I value and believe. I am to prepare myself for marriage and to have a family in the future. Right now, the season I am in, is a season of preparation and change, it is a season of growing up and developing who I am and characteristics that will help me throughout my life (school, work, and family).

 Read Ecclesiastes 12:7, 13–14 and answer the following questions:

What happens to us when we die? Our spirit will return unto God, who gave it 

What is “the whole duty of man”? To fear God, and keep his commandments

•       Why is this a good description of man’s purpose? This is a good description of man’s purpose because it is through keeping his commandments that we can become like him. It is through us keeping his commandments that his “work and glory” will be brought to pass. It is only through keeping his commandments and fearing God more than man that we can stay humble and put ourselves on the right track towards exaltation.

“A Wise and and Understanding Heart”

Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. We learn a lot about Solomon in 1 Kings and the kind of man that he was. Solomon was king over all of Israel. Solomon loved the Lord and he was a righteous man who follows and keeps the commandments.

The Lord, in a dream, visited Solomon one night. The Lord asked Solomon what he should give him. Solomon asked the Lord for an understanding heart to judge his people and to discern between good and bad, wisdom. The Lord was very pleased with Solomon’s answer and told Solomon that this was a righteous desire and the Lord gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart.  The Lord also said that there would not be any other man like him. The Lord also gave Solomon riches and honor, which Solomon did not ask for but the Lord blessed him with anyways.

The Lord goes on to tell Solomon and counsel with him saying, “And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statues and m commandments, as they father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days,” (1 Kings 3:14). Then Solomon awoke from this dream and went to the temple and offered up burnt offerings and offered peace offerings.

I think that Solomon asked for an understanding heart because he knew what was really important. I think that Solomon could see the bigger picture instead of the here and now blessings. He could have asked for riches or anything else but he asked for an understanding heart. I think that this says a lot about his character, his faith, and his love for the Lord. He was the king and he had a righteous desire to make righteous decisions in regards to his people.

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding

much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the

east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men;

than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of

Mahol; and his fame was in all nations round about.”

1 Kings 4:29-31

Solomon’s choice was definitely pleasing unto the Lord. More worldly people would have asked for riches or for status but because Solomon had this righteous desire and he understood what was important the Lord was very happy and pleased with Solomon. Solomon put aside worldly wishes for spiritual wishes, which is ultimately all that matters.

Solomon demonstrated that he had received this spiritual gift from God at the beginning of his reign by a story about two mothers. To women came to see the king, Solomon. Both women had just given birth to babies and lived together. One night, one baby died and the mother of that child switched the babies so she could have the child that was still living. In the morning the other mother woke up and the baby was dead, she soon realized it was not her baby and the other mother switched them. The two women came to the king with their problem; both claiming the child was theirs. The king asked for his sword and said that he would divide the living child into two and give each woman half of the baby. Then the woman, whose child this really was, spoke up and told the king to just give the baby to other woman so the baby would live. The other woman said, “Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.” Then the king said to give the baby to the woman who was willing to give up her child to save its life, saying she was the mother. All of Israel heard of this judgment and feared the king because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

When we are seeking gifts we should seek spiritual gifts, whatever they may be. These will help us align our will with the Lords and live our lives in a righteous way that will lead us back to God. We should seek earnestly the best gifts. We are taught in D&C 46:28 and 30, “… he that asketh in Spirit shall receive in Spirit… he that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.” Some of these gifts can include:

the gift of asking

the gift of listening

the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice

the gift of being able to weep

the gift of avoiding contention

the gift of being agreeable

the gift of avoiding vain repetition

the gift of seeking that which is righteous

the gift of no passing judgment

the gift of looking to God for guidance

the gift of being a disciple

the gift of caring for others

the gift of being able to ponder

the gift of offering prayer

the gift of bearing a mighty testimony

the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.

“We must remember that to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. It is our right and responsibility to accept our gifts and to share them. God’s gifts and powers are available to all of us.”

(Elder Marvin J. Ashton, “There Are Many Gifts”, Ensign (CR), November 1987, p.20)

Here are some more spiritual gifts listed in Doctrine & Covenants 46:13-26:

The Holy Ghost

To know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God

To believe on their words

Obedience

The word of wisdom

Knowledge

Faith

Faith to heal

Working of miracles

Prophesy

Discerning of spirits

Speaking with tongues

“And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.”(D&C 46:26)

Spiritual gifts are very important and when we are striving for gifts we should seek the best gifts with a sincere heart. When we are seeking the things that we want in this world, we should be like Solomon who could have asked for anything and he asked for wisdom and an understanding heart. We should look into our intentions and sincerely seek God’s will. We learn a lot from Solomon and his example. I hope that if I got asked by the Lord, what to give me, I would answer righteously as Solomon did.

Overview: Genesis to 2 Samuel

This post today is a paper that i wrote for my final in my Old Testament class. I just wanted to share this and bear testimony of everything I said in this. I hope you read this and are strengthened or it makes you think about your own testimony. I love my Savior and my God. Merry Christmas and think of the Savior at this time of year! It is because of him, he is the reason to the season. :) I hope you enjoy this post.

 ___________________________

             This semester I have learned a lot. I studied Genesis to 2 Samuel. This was a great opportunity for me because I had wanted to learn the stories of the Bible better. Every week I was enlightened by the principles that I had learned. I grew from reading the viewpoints of others in my class and most importantly through sharing what I was learning through my blog. I found that this strengthened my testimony immensely. There were three principles that really stuck out to me and influenced me throughout all the readings. These three principles I would like to share are; Repentance, God looketh on the heart, and God is our rock and salvation.

            Repentance and forgiveness are very important parts of our lives. We learn that we have the potential to become like our Father in Heaven. The biggest trial that we must overcome to become like him is the fact that he is perfect and we are not. One pathway that He has given us to help us overcome this is through our Saviors atonement and the repentance process. Moses 6:57 says, “…all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence…” This scripture emphasizes that everyone, every man, must repent. Sometimes when we are doing good, and possibly on our way to being a little prideful, it is harder to see our faults and the things to repent for. This reminded me that, even during those times (maybe especially during those times) we need to repent, and we need to repent frequently.

            Repentance is something that we learn constantly, it is something that is stressed in the scriptures and in our church meetings. I have noticed that a day doesn’t go by in my personal scripture study that repentance is not preached.

We learn in Moses 5:10 that when we see our transgressions and when we repent of those transgressions we are not only blessed but we will find joy. We learn in Moses 5:15 that those who choose not to repent should be damned, and Moses 6:29 says, “…they have brought upon themselves death; and a hell I have prepared for them, if they repent not;”

We know that we need to repent and that it is a very important part of our lives. Repentance is a huge part of us becoming clean so that we can live with our Heavenly Father again and become like him. I want more than anything to become like my Heavenly Father, I want to see him again and to embrace him and simply be in his presence. The only way that I can do that is if I am clean, the repentance process is how I can be forgiven for sinning and not being perfect.

There is another side to repentance and that is forgiveness. Exodus 32:32-33 teaches us to forgive others. If we are expecting God to forgive us then we must forgive others.  When we repent our sin is blotted out in his book. We need to also have this state of mind when we are forgiving others, especially when it is hard to forgive them.

            Something that brings me great peace is the second principle I would like to share; God looketh on the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7, “… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” This brings me peace and comfort on many different levels.

 First, it gives me comfort to know that God knows my heart and that when I sin he knows the intent of my heart and actions. This does not excuse my behavior but it makes me happy to know that God knows my heart and my intentions. People make mistakes and sometimes people to things to be malicious, God knows this and will judge them accordingly; He knows where their heart is and has the full perspective. God knows where my heart is and knows that I try my best to do what is right, to avoid sin as much as I can, and he knows that I want to be obedient. He knows that as much as I try to do what is right I will sin sometimes. I am glad that the person who will be judging me knows my heart and see’s the whole perspective.

When I get overwhelmed with life and feel that I am failing at this I think to myself that God knows where my heart is, he knows that I am trying to be my best and when I sit across from him on judgment day he will know that I tried. This is what helps me push through and not get discouraged.

“ The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation” (2 Samuel 22:47). God is my rock and my salvation and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I need him and I want him with me every step of my journey here on earth. 

In 2 Samuel, chapter 22, verse 2, David talks about how God is his rock, his fortress, and his deliverer. I also have a testimony in this. It is just like the primary song says, if we build our foundation on a rock, our savior and God, then we will stand strong in times of tempests. It can be hard sometimes to do this and to live our lives this way, but we will be blessed and our families will be blessed. This can sometimes be hard for us because Satan knows how important having God as our rock is and wants us to falter and fail at this. We need to stand strong and have our eyes single to the Lord and we will be blessed beyond comprehension and we will stand strong in our times of trial and be humble in those times we are blessed.

Satan is trying to tear us down, he is trying to get us to fall, and he doesn’t want us to get back to our Heavenly Father. In Genesis 18:14 we learn that with God all things are possible, nothing is too hard for the Lord. Because I know this I want someone like him to be on my side always, and to be the steadiness in the storm. I want someone who I trust and have faith in to be the foundation that keeps me steady and is rooting for me. Who better to be my rock and my salvation than the person that I am striving to become? If the Lord is my rock and my salvation I can be strong and I can be courageous to stand up for what is right and what I know to be true.

I will keep myself sanctified, pure, and clean so that I can always have my Lord as my rock and my salvation. I will keep myself sanctified, pure, and clean so that he will always be by my side to help me, guide me, and forgive me.

 It is because I love my God that I will “ … keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway,” (Deuteronomy 11:1). It is because I love him that I will, “… rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee…” (Deuteronomy 26:11).

I have learned so much this semester and could have written so much more. I love my Heavenly Father and I need him. I have a testimony of repentance and forgiveness. I have a testimony that ‘God looketh on the heart.’ And I have a testimony that my Lord is my rock and my salvation and though him I can be with God again.

David Anointed King

2 Samuel 1-10

Search 2 Samuel 1-10 and make a list of King David’s accomplishment

 He slayed the Amalekite who claimed to killed Saul. David is anointed King of the house of Judah. His followers defeat Abner and those of Israel. David waxes stronger and stronger in the war between the house of Saul and the house of David. David is anointed king over all of Israel. David did as the Lord commanded him. David brought the ark of God from Obed-edom to the city of David with gladness. David defeats and subjects many nations, while the Lord stays with him. David executes judgment and justice to all of his people. He sought to honor the house of Saul. He found Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, and restored all the Land of Saul. Israel defeats the Ammonites and the Syrians after his (David’s) messengers are abused by the Ammonites.

Read 1 Chronicles 22:7-8 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for 2 Samuel 7:1-17, “Why Was David Not Allowed to Build the Temple?” Write your explanation of why the Lord did not want David to build a temple.

According to 1 Chronicles, David was told not to build a temple because he had shed much blood and had made great wars. According to the student manual, David had good intentions for building the temple, that was not the reason why he could not build the temple, but through the prophet Nathan, David is told that the Lord doesn’t want him to build a temple because of the great bloodshed that war that had happened.

Read 2 Samuel 7:12-17 and describe how you would feel if you were in a situation similar to David’s. Then describe how 2 Samuel 7:16 is a Messianic prophecy. Finally summarize David’s response to the Lord’s message to him found in 2 Samuel 7:18-29?

If I were in the same situation as David I would kind of feel disappointed in myself. I would probably ask why not. I had just asked to build a temple for my Heavenly Father and was told not to. I would most likely be a little hurt. These verses are talking about Jesus Christ coming and say that he will build a house for God and that He will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. It would be disappointing to be told no, but to learn that Jesus will do it instead is pretty cool and makes it better in a sense.

         2 Samuel 7:16 is a Messianic prophecy because it is through the lineage of David that Christ will be born into. The one that can sit upon the throne of David forever is only Christ. It is through this line, David’s line, that Christ is heir to the throne both physically and spiritually. This scripture is prophesying of Christ and how important this lineage is. This scripture is a Messianic prophecy.

         David’s responded to the Lord saying, “Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?” David goes on to say that God knows his servants. In 2 Samuel 7:22 it says, “… for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” David says that God redeemed Israel and that these people will be a people unto him forever and is their God. David ultimately says that God is in charge and that He knows best, He knows it all, and His way is the best and ultimately only way to go. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Here is a video about Kind David. 

I love the story of Kind David and thought that it would be a good idea to share his story, even though it wasn't necessarily what I focused on in my post above, but it is relevant.  These videos are great for younger kids, especially for scripture study or Family Home Evening.

Ruth

“Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go”

Ruth 1-2

This post is all about Ruth. Ruth is one of the great women in the Bible. She lived in a wicked environment and yet remained faithful and devoted to God. As the world we live in gets more wicked we can learn how to stay strong by the example of Ruth.

Some background before we get started, Elimelech and his family move to Moab from Judah because of famine. Elimelech and his wife Naomi had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. The father, Elimelech ended up dying and the sons then married. Chilion  married Ruth and Mahlon married Orpah.

They lived in Moab for ten years where Naomi’s husband and two sons died. At this time she decided that she would return to Judah. Naomi took her daughters in law, Ruth and Orpah, and told them of her plan. Naomi told Ruth and Orpah to return to their mother’s houses. In Ruth 1:14 it says, “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.” Clave means to hold fast to or to stay with her. Ruth then said that she will go with her and follow her wherever she goes. Ruth tells Naomi that she will always be with her, even until death. So Naomi and Ruth left for Judah.

The trials that Ruth faced in Ruth chapter 1 included loosing her husband and then leaving the land where she lived. She also left her own family behind to go to Judah with Naomi, her mother in law. It would have been hard to leave her family but she chose to go with he mother in law. I asked myself why Ruth chose to go with Naomi instead of staying with her family like Orpah did? I thought that maybe she felt some kind of duty because Naomi didn’t have a husband or her sons to take care of her. More than a sense of duty though, I think that Ruth loved her mother in law and saw this chance to start over somewhere else and be with her mother in law who needed her.

            When Ruth and Naomi got to Judah Ruth went to glean (gleaning was to gather leftover grain after a harvest) the ears of corn and that is when she met Boaz. Boaz was a mighty man of wealth and a kinsman of Naomi’s husband’s, Elimelech. Boaz learned that of what Ruth was doing and he said to her, “Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap.” Ruth was very grateful and bowed down to Boaz and thanked him. She was confused as to why he found grace in her and why he was impressed with her, since they had just barely met. When Ruth asked him why he was impressed with her Boaz said in chapter 2 verse 11 of Ruth, “It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which though knewest not heretofore.”

            When Ruth would glean she gleaned with Boaz’ maidens. This was a blessing and a privilege. Naomi told Ruth how blessed she is and how blessed Boaz was to be so kind to her. Ruth stayed with the maidens of Boaz to glean until the end of barley and wheat harvest and she stayed with her mother in law.

            I think that Boaz was so kind to Ruth because he was impressed with her and her actions. He saw the love that she had for Naomi and the sacrifice that Ruth had to make to be with her mother in law. Her actions could have influenced his admiration for her and maybe thought that Ruth deserved more. I think that Boaz saw that Ruth was special and sensed that something was different about her.

Moving on with our story, Naomi then instructed Ruth to lie down with Boaz. Ruth then told Naomi that whatever she tells her to do, she would do. Naomi wanted to help Ruth secure a husband and a family and she had Boaz in mind for a Levirate marriage. A levirate marriage is when the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow, and the widow is obliged to marry her deceased husband's brother. Now Boaz was not a brother in law but he was considered a kinsman, which is defined as having blood relations.

In this day it was custom, to have the woman propose to the man this way. Ruth lay at his feet while he slept and when Boaz awakened she directly asked him to be her protector. Boaz regarded this as proof that Ruth had feminine virtue and modesty and he was honored that Ruth did not go after a younger man. Boaz agreed but for this to happen the next kinsman had to renounce his rights to Ruth and this next of kinsman did so.

            Boaz and Ruth were married and they had a son who would be famous in Israel. This son gave Naomi a kinsman and she loved him dearly. His name was Obed and Obed is the father of Jesse who is the father of King David. Years later, Jesus would be born into this family.

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We can learn a lot from Ruth and from her story and example. One thing that I learned was facing our challenges. We need to be headstrong and trust in the Lord with the trials and challenges that come our way. We need to trust the Lord and follow the promptings that we get. I bet that Ruth had the prompting to go with Naomi to Judah and she followed that. We need to face our challenges with faith and with the Lord on our side. We need to face our challenges with strength and determination. We have to be actively involved, we cannot expect the Lord to just do it for us because he loves us, we need to do what we can. We never know what the Lord is going to have us do to get us to where we need to be and where he needs us to be. We need to face our challenges with the Lord in mind and with his will leading our way like Ruth did.

Please watch this short, three minute video about Ruth.

“Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve”

Joshua 7-24 

 

 This was one of my favorite post’s so far. It has really touched my heart and strengthened my testimony. This post is very special and I hope that something I said touches your heart and helps you. Thank you for reading! :)

Joshua 10:12-14. Did the sun really stand still in the heavens?

 It may seem contradictory that the sun would stand still in the heavens, but the sun was actually moving like normal, it was the Earth that had stopped. The reason the Lord stopped the rotation of the earth was to lengthen the day for his work, bringing victory to Israel.

 The Lord can do anything; He is all-powerful and mighty. God could move the mountains if he wanted to. The Lord flooded the earth to cleanse it of the wicked during the time of Noah. The Lord parted the Red Sea for Moses and those he was leading to freedom. Before that, He had those 12 plagues that aided and made it possible for Moses and the Israelites to escape from captivity. When Jesus Christ was crucified, the Lord had there be no light for a couple days. When Christ comes again there will be many great signs in the heavens and on the Earth below; we will see the moon turn to blood, we will see the sun be darkened, the stars will fall from the sky, and much more. The Lord can do anything. He made us; his children and He made this Earth with Jesus. Those who don’t believe that God can do anything should look around them and see all the magnificent things he has created and then read our history of what he has done for the righteous and what he has done to the wicked.

I know that God can do anything. We need to have faith in him and his teachings. I know that God knows everything; he knows the why and the how. I know that the only way that I can truly become like him and live with him again someday is by trusting in him and loving him with everything I have. I know that the Lord can stop the rotation of the Earth if he needed to.

Read the chapter summaries of Joshua 7-22. Make two lists—one that identifies Israel’s successes and another that identifies Israel’s failures.

             Successes-

Joshua ambushes, and takes Ai, then slays its inhabitants. Then he builds an alter in Mount Ebal. Joshua makes the Gibeonites servents to Israel. Israel defeats the Amorites and their allies. The Lord fought for Israel. Joshua and Israel conquer the whole land and destroy many cities and nations. They (the children of Israel) are given their inheritances. A tabernacle is set up at Shiloh.

            Failures-

Defeated by the people of Ai. The Lord casts stones from heaven upon them.

Read Joshua 23-24 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for Joshua 24:1-28, “Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve” (pg. 242). What do you think was the major theme of Joshua’s final address to his people? Based on the lists you created from Joshua 7-22, write a paragraph that explains why Joshua chose to deliver his final address on this particular topic.

           

Joshua starts off telling this people that all they have is because of the Lord, their God. He then tells them that these lots they have inherited are to be an inheritance for their tribes and the Lord will expel their enemies so they can posses the land the Lord had promised them. Joshua then goes on to tell them to be courageous and to keep the commandments. He tells them to turn not away from the Lord. He tells them to not worship false Gods and to cleave unto the Lord as they have done until this day. Joshua tells them to take heed unto themselves and to love the Lord. He teaches them to trust in the Lord to help them and to bless them. He teaches them that if they turn from God then God will destroy them or punish them. Joshua teaches them to make and keep their covenants with the Lord. He teaches them that the Lord has blessed Israel.

The major these and the most important thing that Joshua teaches them is to choose the Lord and to serve him only. In Joshua 24:15 he says, “serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; …but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” If you do not chose to serve the Lord and choose to serve another god “… then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you…” (Joshua 24:20)

 I believe that Joshua chose to deliver his final address on choosing to follow the Lord and only him because these people had so much to be grateful for and they seen the tremendous blessings that come from choosing the Lord and only him. When you look at the journey the Israelites went through you see that when you choose to serve the Lord and only him, that you will always ‘win’ and that you will be blessed. You see through this story how much the Lord loves his people and wants to be there with us, to help us, and to bless us.

We need to make the conscious choice to serve the Lord only. There are examples all around us, in the scriptures and those around us that testify that when we choose to serve the Lord and him only, He will bless us and he will look after us. When we make that choice to serve Him and him only we are on our way to true joy and happiness. The following is a quote from the Institute manual regarding this principle of, “ Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve.”

“I think what we need to learn are the true principles that shall lead us to peace, to wealth and happiness in this world, and glory and exaltation in the world to come. And that if we can learn these principles, and receive them in good and honest hearts, and teach them as our faith, and practice them in our lives, we shall show our manhood, our independence and our agency as creditably before the angels and the Gods, as any wicked man can, in refusing the good and cleaving to the evil, exhibit his before the devil and his angels.”

I just want to bear my testimony and to testify that I know this principle is true. I see it all around me. This scripture is so powerful and is more powerful when you study the journal of the Israelites. I know that when we choose the Lord to follow and seek his guidance, love, and forgiveness that we will be eternally happy. We will be blessed beyond any degree we imagined. I know that God will always be on our side, to fight with us if needed, to comfort us, to counsel with when making hard and life-changing decisions. I know that God is alive and is constantly with us. I know that he loves each and everyone of us. I know that He listens to our prayers, both spoken and thought. Put your trust in Him, let him help you, and let him take away your worries, your pains, and your sins. He is there for us and if we choose to follow and serve Him only, I know that he will bless us tremendously. I love my Heavenly Father and I love my brother Jesus Christ, and I love his gospel and his church.

Obedience Brings Blessings; Disobedience Brings Curses

Deuteronomy 10-11; 13-14; 22-24; 26; 28-29

This post will be in the format of a Q&A. I tried it differently but I feel that it is most influential this way. I hope you learn something new and that you are encouraged to read these chapters on your own with this new insight and possibly answer these questions on your own. 

Deuteronomy is a great book of scripture and you can learn so much from it! Something my teacher, Brother Cluff, shared with us this week was that Deuteronomy is a greek word that means 'second law'. I thought this was interesting and it helped me have a different point of view while reading this book. I hope you all enjoy! If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you and your interpretation or knowledge. 

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Deuteronomy 10:1-5

•       Where did the Lord direct Moses to keep the tablets containing the Ten Commandments?

He directed him to keep the tablets in an ark of wood, a cabinet or chest, according to the footnote for 1b, that the Lord will make.

•       What do you think this instruction teaches us about the value the Lord places on the commandments?

This instruction teaches us that the commandments are very important to the Lord. He wants them to be protected and also wants them to last forever.

•       Notice the Joseph Smith Translation correction in the footnotes for verse 2.

The footnote teaches us about the importance of the commandments. It tells us what had been lost or broken, he has included in these plates again, the everlasting covenant of the holy priesthood.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:14-27. What blessings did the children of Israel deny themselves through their disobedience in the wilderness?

             The children of Israel denied themselves, because of their disobedience, the power of the higher priesthood.  Because they didn’t have the priesthood they denied themselves the power to receive ordinances. Since they were disobedient and were not able to receive the priesthood and ordinances they could not endure the presence of the Lord.

Compare Deuteronomy 11:1, 13-14, 22; 30:6, 16, 19-20 with Matthew 22:36-40. Why do  you think Love is the most important commandment? Love is an emotion; can emotions be commanded? How can a person love someone they don’t even see? How can we learn to love God?

The most important commandment is to love the Lord. When we love the Lord we will obey his commandments, we will treat others right, and we will keep our bodies and souls clean. Love is an emotion that I believe everyone is capable of. To love someone you don’t know can be challenging but it is possible. Our spirits already want to love and obey the Lord, it is our immortal body and the natural man, it is Satan who puts bad feelings into our minds and thoughts. We can love someone that we don’t see by getting to know them, by getting to know their personality and their beliefs. We learn to love God by understanding who he is, by obeying his commandments and learning about his life.

Read Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 11:1, 8-9; 13:4; and 26:17-19. What do these verses have in common? Why you think the Lord places such a strong emphasis on obedience to the commandments.

These verses all teach us to love the Lord with all of our heart and soul. They teach us to obey the commandments, to obey his statutes and ordinances. The Lord places an emphasis on obedience to the commandments because they are very important. We need to follow his commandments to become better sons and daughters and become like him. By keeping the commandments we show our Father in Heaven that we love him. When we consider Mosiah 2:41 we learn that keeping the commandments helps us be happy. Living in the way of the Lord will make us happy. Keeping the commandments will bring temporal and spiritual blessings as well. D&C 130:21 teaches us that when we obtain or receive blessing from God “it is by the obedience to the law upon which it is predicated.”

Read Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and make a list of the results of obeying the commandments.

The results from obeying the commandments are blessings; some of those blessings are listed next. The Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth, blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee, you shall be blessed in the city and in the field. You shall be blessed in the fruit of they body, the fruit of they ground and the fruit of thy cattle and flocks of sheep. You shall be blessed when you come in and when you leave. The Lord will cause thine enemies to be smitten. He will bless thee in the land and establish thee a holy people unto himself. The people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord and they shall be afraid of thee. The Lord will make thee plenteous in goods. The Lord will give you his good treasure; the heaven will give rain to your land in his season. The Lord will make thee the head, not the tail; you shall only be above not beneath.

Skim through Deuteronomy 28:15-65 and make another list of the consequences of disobeying the commandments. Read Helaman 12:3 and write the purposes the Lord has for sometimes chastening his children with “many afflictions.”

If you do not obey the commandments you will be cursed and these curses will overtake you. Your city and field will be cursed. Your store will be cursed. The fruit of your body and land and cattle/flocks will be cursed. You will be cursed coming in and going out. You will have pestilence cleave unto you. No rain will come. Your enemies will smite you. You will be smote with the botch of Egypt and with madness, blindness and astonishment of heart. Your vineyard will not do well, your cattle and meat will not do well, and your family will suffer. People will be angry with you. You will not be happy and not have an abundance of thins. You will be hungry and thirsty and naked. Your daughters will be given away to another people. You will be in bondage.

We learn the purpose of the Lord chastening his children in Helaman 12:3. The Lord chastens his people so they will remember him, repent and come unto him.

The Lord clearly stated consequences of disobedience, but He does not desire to curse His children. Read Deuteronomy 4:29-31; 26:7-11; Isaiah 55:6-7; Ezekiel 18:21-23; and Mosiah 26:30. Write a paragraph describing the Lord’s mercies and what His greatest desires are. Include in your statement how it makes you feel to know that God is kind, loving, and merciful.

            The Lord wants us to come back to him. He wants us to repent. He doesn’t want us to suffer; he wants us to come unto him, to seek him. He will have mercy on us; he will abundantly pardon our wrongdoings. When we are forgiven the Lord will forget about it. He will ‘erase’ is from our ‘record’, so to speak. It gives the Lord great pleasure when we come unto him, repent, and use the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

 What gives me great comfort is knowing that “…as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me” (Mosiah 26:30). We are all human and will make mistakes and keep making mistakes. We will have to suffer the consequences of those mistakes/sins but the Lord will always forgive us. There is not a certain amount of times that we can repent and he will accept it. He will always accept our apology and our repentance. Just because he will do this doesn’t mean we can slack off, we need to try our very best to live our lives the best that we can. To love the Lord, to love our neighbors and keep all of his commandments the best that we can is how we should live our lives. By living our lives in the ways that the Lord has instructed and by keeping the commandments shows our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that we love them and it shows that we appreciate the sacrifice that our brother, Jesus Christ, made for all of us. It is because of Christ that we can be forgiven, and that we can be forgiven as often as we need it.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my post! I hope you learned something new and that the Spirit of the Lord has touched your heart. Remember that the Lord loves you more than anything and wants you to succeed. He knows what you want and what you need, don't forget to ask him for help. When you do something wrong don't feel helpless, just go to the Lord. I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I hope that whomever reads this knows that and knows how important all of this is for me. 

Remember, God lives and He loves us!!