Bountiful Thoughts

Trivia questions for OT lessons 21 to 300

2010-06-06T08:44:00.001-06:00

OT Lesson 21:
Q: What cities in Utah are named after Old Testament people or places?
A: Enoch, Ephraim, Goshen, Heber, Hirum, Moab, Ophir, Salem, Eden, Joseph (there may be more; these were the ones my class came up with)

OT Lesson 22:
Q: Why do we have 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings and 1&2 Chronicles rather than only one book each?
A: When these records were translated to Greek, they became too long for a single scroll. Therefore, they were broken into two “books” – and the tradition of two books remained until today.

One last bit of trivia – there are only 12 of 39 books in the Old Testament not quoted in the New Testament are Ruth, first and second Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Obediah, Nahum and Zephaniah.

OT Lesson 23:
Q: Who are Jesse, the stem of Jesse and the rod of Jesse in Isaiah 11?
A: Jesse is the father of David; the stem of Jesse is Jesus Christ; and the rod of Jesse is Joseph Smith
Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

This was one of the scripture passages that Moroni quoted to Joseph Smith on Sept. 21, 1823. JS-H 1:40 In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled.

D&C 113:1-6 Who is the Stem of Jesse spoken of in the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th verses of the 11th chapter of Isaiah? Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ. What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse? Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. What is the root of Jesse spoken of in the 10th verse of the 11th chapter? Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days.

The Rod of the Stem of Jesse. The Messiah. Literally, the "stem" means the "stump" of the tree left in the ground, after the branches had been cut down and the luxuriant foliage removed. The meaning is that the Messiah would come when the family of Jesse had been reduced to the social status it occupied at the time of its ancestor, before the golden age of David and Solomon. The Messiah would come as a shoot from the stump of the family tree, but the tender twig would grow and become a flourishing, fruitful Tree. (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Vol 1. p. 357).

Root of Jesse. Commentators generally take it for granted that the "root of Jesse" in this verse is the same as the "rod out of the Stem of Jesse" in verse 1. They apply both the "rod out of the stem" and the "root" to the Messiah. But in verses 4-9 the Millennium is clearly introduced, and in this verse we read that the root of Jesse stands for an "ensign"; that is, a banner around which even the Gentiles will gather. We read that the "rest" of the Messiah, that is, his resting place, the temple (1 Chron. 28:2), will be "glorious," and in the next verse we are told that the gathering of the remnant of Israel and Judah has begun for a second time. All of which seems to me to point to the time in which we are now living, and the preparations now being made for the Millennium, through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

OT Lesson 24:
Q: What is the Jewish mourning tradition “keri’ah”?
A” When hearing of the death of an immediate relative, or at the funeral home prior to the funeral service, it is customary to tear one’s clothing as a sign of mourning. This is based upon instances of biblical characters rending their garments in anguish upon the death of a loved one.

Reuben, upon hearing that his brother Joseph was not in the pit where he had been left, presumed that his brother had been killed, and tore his garments: Genesis 37:29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
Jacob, upon hearing of the presumed death of his son Joseph, tore his garments: Genesis 37:34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Job did so upon hearing of the deaths of his children in Job 1:20: Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
David also tore his clothing upon hearing of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.

Today it is customary to pin a black ribbon to one's garments and to tear the ribbon instead of one's clothing. For a mother or father, the left side of the shirt is ripped because it is considered a deeper loss for the parent who brought the deceased into the world and are considered closest to you in feelings. For other family members, the right side of the shirt is torn.

OT Lesson 25:
Q: Which is the longest book in the O.T.? Which is the shortest?
A: longest is Psalms—97 pages; shortest is Obadiah—2 pages

Q: Which book is most often in the N.T.?
Psalms. Of the 283 O.T. references in the New Testament, 116 are excerpts from Psalms.

OT Lesson 26:
Q: Who is credited with writing the book of Ecclesiastes?
A: Solomon

OT Lesson 27:
Q: Why were the Samaritans hated by the Jews?
A: It all started eight centuries before Christ when Israel divided into two kingdoms – the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The kingdom of Israel in the north included including the city of Samaria.

In 722 BC, the northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria. Assyria killed and enslaved the leaders and then inhabited the land with people from other nations that they had conquered. These foreigners intermarried with the Israelites from the 10 tribes who had not been deported themselves. The Israelites had always opposed intermarriage with foreign nations, but now that seemed the best way to stay alive. Because they lived in the region called Samaria, they became known as Samaritans.

About 150 years later, Judah was conquered by Babylon. When the Babylonian exile ended and the Jews returned, they began to rebuild the temple. Some Samaritans came and offered to help. But the Jews were incensed that these apostates, would even suggest such a thing, and they refused their help. The Samaritans withdrew and proceeded to build their own Temple at Mt. Gerazim. To the Jews, this was the last straw. God had determined his Temple would be in Jerusalem, and any other Temple was simply idolatry. So from that time on, Jews hated Samaritans with a great passion.

OT Lesson 28:
Q: What was significant about April 3, 1836, the Easter Sunday that Elijah restored the sealing keys of the priesthood?
A: It was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6, the last two verses of the Old Testament: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.]

To begin, let’s review the Jewish traditions surrounding Elijah and Passover. Jews believed (correctly, by the way) that Elijah would come at Passover and herald the coming of the Messiah. To commemorate this promise of Elijah, at the Passover Seder meal, a cup of wine is set for Elijah. Either the door is left open for Elijah to enter, or a child is sent to the door at a particular time to see if he is at the door. What the Jews don’t realize, however, is that Elijah did come – along with Moses and Elias – to the Kirtland temple in 1836 only a week after it was dedicated. And he came the first full day of Passover – the morning after Jews had their Seder meal.

There are some other interesting things to note about that very significant date, April 3, 1836 which demonstrates that this date was probably foreordained by God for this essential part of the restoration. But to understand this, we need to learn something about calendars.

Passover always begins at sundown on Hebrew calendar date 15 Nisan. This year Passover began on March 30th on the Gregorian calendar we use today. Because the Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, 15 Nisan falls on a different date according to our calendar. A specific pair Hebrew dates and Gregorian calendar dates typically coincide only a few times each century.

Well, as it turns out, the Savior’s resurrection, the first Easter Sunday, took place on 16 Nisan, the Sunday morning after Passover. According to our Gregorian calendar, that date was 3 April AD 33. 1803 years later, on 3 April, 1836 when Elijah and others appeared to Joseph Smith, it was also 16 Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. Even more interesting is that during the entire 19th century these two calendar dates coincided only once – the date that Elijah, Moses and Elias appeared in the Kirtland temple. (These dates coincided twice during the 20th century in 1904 and 1988, and it won't happen again until the year 2026.)

Another way to look at this is that April 3, 1836 was the only date in the 19th century when the exact anniversary of the Savior’s resurrection fell on the same date that we actually celebrate his resurrection. How perfect was it that the Kirtland temple was completed and dedicated the previous Sunday!!!

OT Lesson 29:
Q: Why is Elijah referred to as “Elias” in the New Testament?
A: “Elias” has multiple meanings in the scriptures.

(1) “Elias” is the Greek form of “Elijah”. For example, in the Matthew account of the Mount of Transfiguration, Elijah is referred to as Elias.

(2) We also have scripture references to “Elias” as a title, rather than a name, which means “forerunner”. The Bible Dictionary tells us that an Elias is both a preparer and a restorer. Elijah is a forerunner in that he needed to come to restore priesthood keys at the beginning of this dispensation. John the Baptist is a good example – he was the forerunner who prepared the way for Christ’s own mission. He was also a forerunner in this dispensation when he gave the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph and Oliver – preparing the way for the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Joseph Smith taught that “when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work, holding the keys of the power of Elias, it was called the doctrine of Elias, even from the early ages of the world” (TPJS, 335–36).

Elder McConkie spoke of the various messengers who brought their keys of authority to the Prophet Joseph Smith, then added that those messengers, “all taken together, are the Elias of the Restoration. It took all of them to bring to pass the restoration of all the keys and powers and authorities needed to save and exalt man” (The Millennial Messiah [1982], 120).

(3) There was also a prophet named Elias, who appeared with Elijah and Moses to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple. The Bible Dictionary clarifies that we have no information about who this person was in mortality – but Joseph Fielding Smith said that this Elias was Noah..

(4) Elias also refers specifically to Jesus Christ. When the priests and Levites asked John the Baptist whether he was the Elias who was prophesied to come and restore all things, he replied:
John 1:19-21 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.

The priests and Levites obviously knew about a prophecy concerning the coming of an Elias who would restore all things. John the Baptist clarified that this Elias was Jesus Christ, who would come in the meridian of time and restore the gospel and the Melchizedek Priesthood (see Bible Dictionary, “Elias,” 663; JST, John 1:28, Bible appendix).

John 1:25-27 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

Without latter-day knowledge of the doctrine of Elias, we would be in darkness regarding the meaning of the word Elias and the missions of individuals referred to as Elias.

Q #2: Which scripture is found in each of the standard works?
A #2: Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Found also: 3rd Nephi 25:5-6, D&C 128:17, JS History 1:38 (as quoted by Moroni)
Elijah has an important role as an Elias to the second coming of the Lord – which role he fulfilled when he appeared in the Kirtland temple and restored priesthood keys.

OT Lesson 30:
Q: What important engineering feat prepared Jerusalem for an Assyrian invasion?
A: Hezekiah’s tunnel

Who was Hezekiah? What were the circumstances that prompted the tunnel?

Hezekiah became the king of Judah in about 726 B.C. He refused to pay tribute to the king of Assyria, Sennacherib – who invaded the Kingdom of Judah anyway (2 Kings 18:13-16).

Hezekiah then gave in to the demands of the Assyrian king, and agreed to pay him 300 talents of silver (about 11 tons) and 30 talents (over 1 ton) of gold (2 Kings 18:14). The extortion didn't end then however - Sennacherib threatened to invade Judah again (2 Kings 18:17, 2 Chronicles 32:9).

Remember, Jerusalem was a bustling city. King Hezekiah needed a reliable water supply for Jerusalem, but at the same time he wanted to prevent the Assyrian forces from using the Gihon Spring, which was located outside the city. So Hezekiah diverted the water by means of a tunnel. Workmen dug from both ends simultaneously, in a zig-zag course, until they met somewhere near the middle.

The 1750-foot tunnel that brought water from one side of the city to the other is considered one of the greatest works of engineering for that time. Had it followed a straight line, the length would have been 1070 ft or 40% shorter. You can see a map with the tunnel in your Bible – map 17.

Extra question:
Q: How did 5:00 p.m. on June 27, 2002 fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 8:18-22?
A: 5:00 p.m. on June 27, 2002 was 17 Tammuz on the Hebrew, lunar calendar. It began a period of mourning called “the Three Weeks” that begins and ends with a fast. During this time of Jewish mourning, weddings and other festive occasions are not performed and some people do not cut their hair. 17 Tammuz is the “fast of the fourth month” mentioned in Zechariah.

But what’s significant about the Three Weeks? The time between the fasts commemorates the destruction of the first and second temples in Jerusalem. The first destruction came when the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem (on 17 Tammuz 586 BCE); the last fast day (on the 9th of Av, or fast of the ninth) commemorates the actual destruction by fire of the temple. The temple was rebuilt but was once again destroyed when Titus and the Romans destroyed it on 17 Tammuz in the year 70 CE.

A Jewish website explains further why this is a time of mourning: “The Holy Temple, the holiest place in the entire world, was destroyed. The Jews were dispersed throughout the world, and suffered often throughout the ages. God hid Himself from them. They were no longer privy to open displays of His holiness. They no longer saw God out in the open.”

These are certainly reasons to mourn. Now, Zechariah’s prophecy:

Zechariah 8:18-22 And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, 19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month [17 Tammuz], and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. [Does this seem like an odd statement knowing that the fast of the fourth month commemorated such horrible events?] 20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: 21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. 22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.

This prophecy by Zechariah says that some day the four mourning fasts will become occasions for celebration. It sounds like the change might be associated with future temples in Jerusalem because so many will go there to worship. Since the mourning is mostly related to their loss of temples, it is reasonable to believe that their rejoicing might come from the restoration of a temple in Jerusalem.

For us as Latter-day Saints, June 27th is a date that caused great mourning and even today would otherwise be more subdued as we remember the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. Certainly the dedication of the Nauvoo Temple was a joyous occasion in Church history. Perhaps the restoration of a temple in Nauvoo, is a partial fulfillment of this prophecy, or at the very least, a foreshadowing of events to come at some time in the future in Jerusalem.

It’s interesting that Jewish tradition also says that it was 17 Tammuz when Moses descended from Sinai and found the children of Israel worshiping the golden calf, and as a result, they lost the right to the Melchizedek priesthood and higher laws.

Trivia questions also available on Sugardoodle.Net

2010-02-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

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Trivia questions for OT lessons 11 to 20

2010-02-05T19:49:00.003-07:00

OT lesson 11:
Q: How many daughters did Jacob have?
A: Only one, Dinah, the daughter of Leah.

OT lesson 12 (or whichever lesson is on Easter Sunday):
Q: How is the date of Easter determined?
A: Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after MAR-20, the traditional date of the Spring, or Vernal, Equinox which usually falls on March 20, 21 or 22 according to our present calendar). Easter Sunday can fall on any date from March 23 to April 26th. The year-to-year sequence is so complicated that it takes 5.7 million years to repeat.

Q: Why is “Easter” called “Easter”?
A: The name Easter comes from the Norse (or perhaps Saxon) goddess Eastre whose festival was observed at the vernal equinox. In 325 A.D. the Council of Nicea determined that Easter among Christians should be celebrated the first Sunday after the full moon on or following the vernal equinox.

OT lesson 13:
Q: Why do portraits/statues of Moses often show him with horns on his head?
A: When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, the book of Exodus tells us that the “skin of his face shone” (Exodus 34:29-30). Early Latin editions of the Old Testament mistranslated the word “ray of light” for the word “horn”. Thus many early painters and sculptors showed Moses with horns, or later, rays of light which resembled horns. Horns are also the OT symbol of power – priesthood. Hence the horn containing oil for anointing kings; oxen being the symbol of Joseph’s tribe (they have two horns) – although Moses was a Levite.

OT lesson 14:
Q: Which of the following happened at about the same time as the Exodus from Egypt?

(a) Trojan War (b) Construction of the Great Pyramids (c) Construction of Hanging Gardens of Babylon (d) Great Wall of China [Ensign timeline has Exodus at about 1375BC; the Bible Dictionary from my 1979 LDS Bible has the Exodus in 1491 (note that my 1989 edition doesn’t have dates for Moses and the Exodus); most scholars today date the Exodus to about 1250BC)

Answer is (a) – Trojan War

The Great Pyramids are believed to be the oldest man-made structures on earth, dating to before the flood. Estimated to have been built about 2550 BC
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon date to about 600 BC. Some have estimated them to be at the same time as the Tower of Babel.
Great Wall of China – 200 BC

OT lesson 15:
Q: What is the Israelite Feast of the Trumpets (instituted in Leviticus 23:24-28), and what does it have to do with the restoration of the Gospel?

A: The Feast of the Trumpets is what we know today as Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah begins the Jewish high holy days – days of introspection and repentance – which culminate ten days later on Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement.

Moroni first appeared to Joseph Smith on Sept. 22, 1823, and again each Sept. 22 for the next 4 years. Sept. 22 is a significant date because it is the autumnal equinox, the date when days and nights are of equal length. In 1827, the year Joseph Smith received the plates, the Feast of the Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, fell on Sept. 22. That evening Jews all over the world would have been in synagogues praying that God would remember His covenant people and that He would restore lost truths. Surely Moroni’s turning over the gold plates to Joseph Smith was a fulfillment of these Jewish prayers and traditions.

One of the most important observances of The Feast of the Trumpets is the sounding of the trump in the synagogue. In this case, the trump is a shofar, a ram's horn, which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. In fact, it would have been sounded 100 times. Remember that one of the most prominent modern-day symbols of the restoration of the gospel. It is atop nearly every temple: Moroni with a trump in his hands sounding the “everlasting gospel”.

OT lesson 16:
Q: What is the Jewish mourning tradition “keri’ah”?

A: When hearing of the death of an immediate relative, or at the funeral home prior to the funeral service, it is customary to tear one’s clothing as a sign of mourning. This is based upon instances of biblical characters rending their garments in anguish upon the death of a loved one.

Reuben, upon hearing that his brother Joseph was not in the pit where he had been left, presumed that his brother had been killed, and tore his garments: Genesis 37:29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
Jacob, upon hearing of the presumed death of his son Joseph, tore his garments: Genesis 37:34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Job did so upon hearing of the deaths of his children in Job 1:20: Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
David also tore his clothing upon hearing of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. We’ll read this reference later in the lesson.

Today it is customary to pin a black ribbon to one's garments and to tear the ribbon instead of one's clothing. For a mother or father, the left side of the shirt is ripped because it is considered a deeper loss for the parent who brought the deceased into the world and are considered closest to you in feelings. For other family members, the right side of the shirt is torn.

OT lesson 17:
Q: What is a “Mezuzah”? What is a “Tefillin”?

A: God and Moses wanted the Israelites to never forget certain things, so He had them write these ideas out on pieces of parchment, encase them in a mezuzah or in a tefillin, also called phylacteries. The Mezuzah, which means “doorpost” is a small case which contains the rolled-up piece of parchment on which are written two scripture passages which both come from our reading today. They also placed the parchments in little leather tubes, and bound them across their foreheads (called frontlets), between their eyes, around their necks, on their arms, and on their fingers, so that no matter where they went and no matter what they were doing, they were always reminded to do the things which God wanted them to do. Orthodox Jews today wear phylacteries. The purpose was to help them remember.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Deuteronomy 11:13-21 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. 16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; 17 And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. 18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.

19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: 21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.

These scriptures are written on the parchment with special ink, by a highly trained and certified scribe. The text is written in a single column on 22 scored lines. Every letter must be properly written, for even one letter written incorrectly invalidates the Mezuzah.

There should a mezuzah at the entrance to every Jewish home and on the doorpost of the main rooms within the home. Every time a Jew passes through a door with a mezuzah on it, he or she touches it and then kisses the fingers that touched it, expressing love and respect for God and his commandments, and as a reminder of the specific commandments contained in it.

It is also customary to place mezuzah at the entrances to synagogues and public buildings, including all government offices in Israel. In Israel a mezuzah must be put up immediately when a house is occupied by a Jew --- outside Israel after the householder has lived in the house for 30 days. If the house is later sold to Jews, the mezuzah must be left on the doorposts. Today the mezuzah represents one of Judaism's most widely observed ceremonial commandments – and its origin is part of today’s lesson.

God instituted another means of “remembering” among the Israelites through the custom of wearing a “teffilin”, or phylacteries. There were certain ideas that God wanted the Israelites never to forget, and so He had them write these ideas out on pieces of parchment, encase them in little leather tubes, and then bind them across their foreheads, between their eyes, around their necks, on their arms, and on their fingers, so that no matter where they went and no matter what they were doing, they were always reminded to do the things which God wanted them to do.

OT lesson 18:
Q: What do the 12 oxen on which temple baptismal fonts rest represent? Why oxen? Why not something more aesthetically appealing? Why the number twelve?

A: Moses pronounced a blessing on all twelve tribes of Israel (see Deut. 33). One of the most significant of these blessings was given to the family of Joseph. With prophetic foresight, Moses was inspired to bless the descendants of Joseph with the responsibility to gather Israel in the latter days.

Deut. 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns [wild ox; see footnote 17b]: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

This prophecy of Moses describes the covenant responsibility and latter-day destiny of Joseph's descendants. The house of Israel was to be gathered in the last days before the second coming of Christ (see Article of Faith 10). Ephraim is described as the “watchmen upon the mount,” the tribe designated to lift a warning voice to gather Israel where they would declare the word of the Lord.

When the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, each tribe carried before it a banner with a unique and identifiable symbol on it. The symbol for the tribe of Joseph was the wild ox. With its two great horns, the wild ox came to symbolize power and strength. That power is the priesthood which has been restored in these latter days through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The twelve oxen which uphold the temple baptismal font represent the twelve tribes of scattered Israel. They are placed facing outward in every direction of the compass: north, south, east, and west. The symbolism here as it relates to the mission of the tribe of Joseph is profound. The priesthood keys necessary for the gathering of Israel were delivered to them by Moses himself in the Kirtland Temple (see D&C 110:11). With that authority and power, modern Israel is to build temples and carry the blessings of the restored Gospel (the Lord's covenant renewed in these latter days) to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

It is also worth noting that the name Joseph in the Hebrew is Asaph, which means "he who gathers," "he who causes to return," or most appropriately, "God gathereth." By divine design, the ancient patriarch who saved Israel from death by famine in the worldly Egypt (Joseph in Egypt; see 1 Nephi 5:14; Genesis 41:56-57), the tribe in Israel who would save Israel from spiritual death in the latter days (the descendants of Joseph; see Deut. 33:17), and the great prophet of the Restoration (Joseph Smith; see D&C 135:3) were all given the name that most appropriately describes their role and divine calling in God's plan for the salvation of all mankind.

The temple font resting on the shoulders of twelve oxen is an ancient, and perfect representation of what is now occurring. Covenant Israel (the oxen) is shouldering the responsibility to build temples and carry the blessings of the restored Gospel to scattered Israel, wherever they may be found – four corners of the earth.

OT lesson 19:
Q: Who is known as the “Mormon Samson”?

A: Orrin Porter Rockwell, sometime bodyguard to Joseph Smith and one of Church history’s most colorful characters; Joseph Smith told Rockwell that as long as he remained loyal and true to his faith, he need fear no enemy: "Cut not thy hair and no bullet or blade can harm thee!"; he was also a distant relative to the Smiths and one of the Church’s earliest members, baptized on the same day that Joseph’s parents were in 1830; he also played an important role in the exodus to Salt Lake City; also described as an “Indian fighter, herdsman, guerrilla, mail rider, innkeeper, lawman, army scout, temple worker, barroom brawler, and missionary, most feared gunman of the frontier”. When he died in 1878, the Salt Lake Tribune editorialized that he "participated in at least a hundred murders . . . ." He has remained in the eyes of the public one of the best known of the early Mormon settlers of Utah.

OT lesson 20:
Q: What is a Leverite marriage?

A: A Hebrew man dying without a son to continue both his name and his life was considered a particularly terrible tragedy. A brother or cousin could inherit the deceased's property by marrying his widow and offering her a chance to produce a son with genes as close as possible to those of her husband. Monogamy was the ideal but polygamy was acceptable; thus a prior marriage was not a hindrance, but the kinsman would need both the resources and the desire to support a new wife.

It was the widow who initiated the proceeding, not the kinsman. The marriage not only gave the widow the opportunity to have children but it also meant food and shelter. The widow first had to claim her right to what was called a Levirate Marriage. There was an order of precedence with the oldest brother of the deceased first in line. If he refused, then the second brother could accept. Then came the opportunity of other male relatives in their turn. The widow made the decision to marry under this law, but then had to accept the first man on the list who said yes. We will see the Levirite marriage custom play out in lesson 20 which includes the story of Ruth.

New Series on BYU-TV: Messiah

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The first episode was fabulous. It's a don't miss show for all Old Testament students, as well as those teaching Old Testament in Gospel Doctrine this year.

Here's how BYU-TV describes the series: "In a day when many scholars have reduced Christ to a historical or purely figurative being, this seven-part documentary series stands to affirm His divinity by reconciling the historical Christ with the Christ of religious tradition. Filmed in part on location in the Holy Land and in conjunction with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God is the first documentary that covers all phases of the Savior's life - spanning His premortal existence to the resurrection and restoration of the gospel - all told from a Latter-day Saint perspective."

Click here to find out when the next broadcast will be.

OT Lesson 3: Worlds Without Number

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Moses 1:33, 35, 38 And worlds without number have I created…But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them. ...And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.

Moses 7:30 And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations;

So just how big is the universe?

With the help of the Internet and study that my father has done, let me give you some details about just how big the universe is believed to be. But first, a science lesson…

The distances, even to the stars within our own galaxy, are so enormous we must use two special techniques to express the distances. The first is scientific notation, or expressing numbers in powers of ten. The second, invented for astronomy, is the “light year”. This is the distance that light will travel in a year. If we could travel at the speed of light, it would take 1.28 seconds to travel from the earth to the moon.

Light travels at 168,000 miles per second which equates to 5,870,000,000,000 miles per year, or about 6 trillion miles per year. Expressed using scientific notation this is 6 X 10 to the twelfth power, or 6 with 12 zeroes after it.

186 000 miles/sec x 60 sec/min x 60 min/hr x 24 hr/day x 365 days/yr = 5,870,000,000,000 miles or a light year

The size estimates of the universe have evolved as telescopes have improved to probe deeper into space.

In the 1950s, the universe was thought to be one billion light years in diameter (6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles, or 6 with 21 zeroes after it).

In 1978, the estimated size of the universe was increased to 16 billion light years (with us at the center because we look outward in all directions, and we seem to be at the center according to astronomers).

In 1987, astronomers discovered galaxy 3C-326.1 at a distance of more than 12 billion light years and only ¾ the distance to the “edge” of the known universe – estimated then to be as wide as 32 billion light years. (Note that a quick check of Wikipedia indicates that the edge of the known universe is now believed to be 46.5 billion light years away, but I didn’t want to re-do the math in the following paragraph.)

If the estimated 32 billion light years is correct, the universe we can “see” with radio telescopes is about 200 billion trillion miles across, or 2X10 to the 23rd power number of miles (or 2 with 23 zeroes after it). This means that a light that flashes tonight on the outer edge of the universe will take 16 billion years to travel to where we are, and another 16 billion years to reach the opposite edge of the universe.

Old Testament Lesson 1

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I love the Old Testament. Many of the first scripture stories we learned as children came from the Old Testament. Noah’s Ark. Joseph and his coat of many colors. Adam and Eve. Moses parting the Red Sea. Daniel and the Lion’s Den. Jonah and the whale. {Although, except for Daniel and Jonah, all of these stories are recorded in the first 100 pages of the Old Testament.}

Why is a study of the Old Testament important for us today, several thousand years from when many of the events took place?

It is a commandment of God. In the New Testament, Christ said “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39)”. The scriptures he was referring to books – many of which are now in the Old Testament – most likely the prophetic books, such as Isaiah, which indeed testified of the Messiah.
It is the “original testament of Jesus Christ”. As with all scripture, it persuades people to believe in Christ. Testament = testify = covenant
It contains principles of salvation and provides examples of righteousness. Those examples will help us solve many of the problems of today. What are some of the stories of the Old Testament that you find especially inspiring and meaningful? For me, the story of Joseph being sold into Egypt, and then his reunion with his brothers always brings me to tears. Joseph’s ability to withstand the tribulations of the betrayal, the imprisonment, and then becoming the second-most powerful person in Egypt is amazing – and his strength of character to avoid the seducing of Potiphar’s wife.
It is the foundation for all scripture. It set the path and direction for other books of scripture that would follow it.
It tells of God’s dealings with his covenant people. We learn of agency, laws, blessings, punishments, covenants – or in other words, the plan of happiness.
It foretells of the last days in which we live. It prophesies of both the first and second comings of the Savior.
Many prophets of the Old Testament are connected to our own day and were key players in the restoration (Moses, Elias and Elijah restored priesthood keys to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland temple; many were seen in the Vision of the Redemption of the Dead by Joseph F. Smith)

Joseph Smith, in the Lectures on Faith, stated that there are at least 19 noted men between the time of Adam and Abraham (a span of 2000 years) who had direct communication with the Lord, either seeing Him, hearing his voice, or both.

Elder Harold G. Hillam, First Quorum of the Seventy: Many struggle with the concept that the Old Testament is an exciting or interesting book. But, when we realize that the Savior quoted from the Old Testament both to teach and to defend Himself, we can understand its great significance. By studying the book and following Christ’s example it will bless us also.

Trivia questions for the first 10 Old Testament lessons

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OT lesson 1: I’m using this trivia question to introduce how the Old Testament is organized, as well as to define the terms apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, Pentateuch, Torah, Talmud, and Midrash.

Q: What Israelite book of scripture, mentioned twice in the O.T., was quoted by Joseph Smith, but is not in the King James Bible?
A: The Book of Jasher. The Book of Jasher is mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. It is a history of the world from the creation until the period of the Judges in Israel. It has more information than is found in Genesis for that same period, which makes very interesting reading and clears up many confusing issues in the Bible. The Church does not have an official stand on its authenticity, but most likely it was a 12th-century compilation of old Jewish writings that may have been preserved on Noah’s ark, and handed down to other ancient patriarchs.

OT lesson 2: This question reinforces the name of Jehovah and that Jehovah is the God of the Old Testament.

Q: What is a Tetragrammaton? a. a tropical fish b. a four-letter word c. a translation aid d. Greek form of “holy war”
A: The word literally means “4 letters”. The particular four consonant letters used in ancient Hebrew to signify the sacred name of God which they did not utter. The four consonants are variously written IHVH, JHVH, JHWH, YHVH and YHWH and the words reconstructed by adding vowel points are variously supposed to be Jahaveh, Jahvah, Jahve, Jahveh, Yahve, Yahveh, Yahwe, and Yahweh. The name Jehovah is thought by scholars to be a false reconstruction of the incommunicable name. From latter-day revelation, however, we learn that Jehovah is the English form of the actual name by which the Lord Jesus was known anciently.

OT lesson 3:

Q: What is Adam-ondi-Ahman interpreted to mean?
A: Orson Pratt suggested that “Ahman” is the name of God in the pure Adamic language. Ahman is twice mentioned as one of the names of God in the Doctrine and Covenants. In each instance, Jesus Christ is called Son Ahman, suggesting Son God and son of Ahman (D&C 78:20; 95:17). Elder Alvin R. Dyer expanded on that information as he defined Adam-ondi-Ahman: “Adam” refers directly to Adam; “ondi” means nearby or connected with; “Ahman” means the Lord himself. Therefore a literal translation of the words “Adam-ondi-Ahman” could signify “The Lord Jesus Christ, through Adam unto mankind”. It has also been interpreted to mean several things: the Valley of God where Adam dwelt, Adam's consecrated Land, and Adam's grave.

OT lesson 4: This trivia question doesn't have anything to do with the OT, but it iss interesting nonetheless:

Q: Two of our Church Presidents have had warships named after them. Can you name these two Church Presidents?
A: The "SS Joseph Smith" (hull number 1119) and the "SS Brigham Young" (hull number 633) were both Liberty cargo ships, the largest class of civilian-made warships ever built. These Liberty-class ships were the workhorses of World War II, as they could carry almost 5,000 tons of cargo. The "SS Joseph Smith" was launched in June of 1943 and it eventually sank due to cracks that developed in the hull. The "SS Brigham Young" was launched in September of 1942 and served in the Pacific theater. It was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor in 1946 and then towed to San Francisco. In 1973 it was sold to California buyers for scrap metal.

OT lesson 5:

Q: What do the names “Cain” and “Abel” mean?
A: Meaning of the name Cain: Its Hebrew root means to "possess" or "acquire." The name Cain is confusing to us as it does to Bible scholars because so little is said about Cain in Genesis. Latter-day scriptures give us more insight into Cain and why his parents gave him the name Cain. Such was the hope of Eve in her new heaven-sent "possession," and hence the name Cain.

Abel's name is associated with a root meaning “vanity,” “breath,” or “vapor.” Figuratively it seems to carry the connotation of “temporary” or “transitory”, which is appropriate since he would be murdered by Cain.

OT lesson 6:

Q: How big was Noah’s Ark?
A: 300 cubits = 450 feet long, by 50 cubits = 75 feet wide, by 30 cubits = 45 feet high – so the ark was 50% longer than a football field and 3 stories tall. [from Genesis 6:14-16 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.]
Gopher wood: Scholars have speculated that it was a species of cypress or cedar.
Pitch: asphalt or bitumen in its soft state, called slime
Window: see footnote in the LDS edition of the Bible and we learn that some rabbis believe that the “window”, translated from the Hebrew word “tsohar”, was actually a precious stone that shone in the ark.

OT lesson 7: Although this question was about a Book of Mormon individual, I used it to introduce the purpose of patriarchal blessings and a definition of lineage.

Q: What was Lehi’s lineage?
A: Tribe of Joseph, through Manasseh. [See Alma 10: 2-3 I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi... And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.] However, Ishmael was of the lineage of Ephraim, bringing Ephraimite lineage to the promised land.

OT lesson 8: I used this question to introduce the concept of a “new name” when we make covenants, which happened when Abram and Sarai were renamed Abraham and Sarah.

Q: Who was the Zionist visionary that promoted the modern-day gathering of Jews to Israel and became the first prime minister of Israel in 1948?
A: David Ben-Gurion

Hebrew names typically include mention of the parents’ Hebrew name. Therefore, the name David Ben-Gurion actually means “David, son of Gurion”. Other examples include Simon Peter (referred to usually just as Peter) when the Savior called him Simon Bar-Jonah which means “Simon, son of Jonah”. Many have probably seen the movie Ben-Hur; the lead character, Judah Ben-Hur means “Judah, son of Hur”. When someone coverts to Judaism, the convert chooses a new Hebrew first name. For men it is usually Abraham or Avraham and for women it is often Sarah or Ruth. Since the convert has no Jewish parents, it is common to add “ben Avraham”, or son of Abraham. For women the addition is “bat Sarah”, daughter of Sarah.

Both in the O.T. and today, a new name is often involved when we make covenants with God.

When we are baptized, we take upon ourselves the name of Christ.
Temple follow the same pattern.
Upon entering mortality, infants are given a new (earthly) name and blessing (although not a saving ordinance like baptism, because we know that little children have no need of baptism until they are eight years old).
The Doctrine & Covenants tells us that “Those who come into the celestial kingdom” shall be given a white stone whereon is written a new name.

There are examples of the body of the Church having a new name. Isaiah prophesied of the restored Church: “Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” (Isa. 62:2) It may well be that the new name, a name necessarily limited to latter-day usage, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (D&C 115:4) In the Book of Mormon, a group of converted Lamanites were renamed the Anti-Nephi-Lehis.

Genesis 17:1, 5, 15 AND when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

When their names were changed, they then had the Hebrew letter “heh”, one of the abbreviations for the Hebrew name of God which Jews were never to write in its entirety. Hebrew letters each have a lot of symbolism associated with them. This letter connotes to “take seed” and to “behold or receive revelation”.

OT lesson 9:

Q: Which OT event came as the result in part from the discovery of new building technology (“oven-baked bricks”)?
A: The tower of Babel; before the bricks were all adobe, or sun-dried, and they crumbled under stress.

OT lesson 10:

Q: How long can camels go without water? If a camel is thirsty, how much water does it need to rehydrate itself?
A: During the hottest part of the year, a camel can go for a week or more without taking a drink. And during the cooler months, they sometimes go for six months without drinking. Even when water is available at wells and water holes, camels drink only if necessary. If they have used up a lot, they can gulp down as much as 30 gallons of water in just 10 minutes.

What other ways is a camel perfect for desert life?

To protect their eyes, camels have long eyelashes. If sand gets into an eye, a camel has a third eyelid that moves from side to side to wipe the sand away. The eyelid is very thin, so a camel can close its third eyelid during sandstorms and still see.
To keep sand from blowing into their noses, camels can shut their nostrils.
Their short coats help to block out the heat of the sun.
A camel's head has built-in sun-visors to help keep the bright sunlight out of its eyes. There are broad ridges of bone above each eye. These stick out far enough to shield the eyes when the sun is overhead. The ears of camels are small to make it harder for sand to get in them.
The huge feet of camels help them to walk on sand without sinking into it. A camel's foot can be as big as a large plate.
Camels humps help them to survive in the desert. The humps are masses of fat that nourishes them when food is scarce. They store about 80 pounds of fat in their humps. As the camels use this fat, their humps shrink.

Historical background of the Word of Wisdom

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The Prophet Joseph Smith received the Word of Wisdom in the Newel K. Whitney store.
Brigham Young: I think I am as well acquainted with the circumstances which led to the giving of the Word of Wisdom as any man in the Church, although I was not present at the time to witness them. The first school of the prophets was held in a small room situated over the Prophet Joseph's kitchen, in a house, which belonged to Bishop [Newel K.] Whitney, and which was attached to his store, which store probably might be about fifteen feet square. In the rear of this building was a kitchen, probably ten by fourteen feet, containing rooms and pantries. Over this kitchen was situated the room in which the Prophet received revelations and in which he instructed his brethren.

The brethren came to that place for hundreds of miles to attend school in a little room probably no larger than eleven by fourteen. When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first [thing] they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiry.

The Word of Wisdom wasn’t issued as a commandment when it was first given. From time to time, between 1834 and 1880, Church leaders exhorted the Saints to obey the Word of Wisdom, but they did not see fit to require obedience. However, in 1880 under John Taylor's presidency, President George Q. Cannon presented to the Church membership a new edition of the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants and declared: "It has been deemed wise to submit these books with their contents to the conference, to see whether the conference will vote to accept the books and their contents as from God, and binding upon us as a people and as a Church." President Joseph F. Smith seconded the motion, and the conference sustained the proposition by unanimous vote.

Here the Saints acknowledged to the Lord their desire to have his "order and will" become commandment. In 1913 President Joseph F. Smith, reviewing the Church's gradual compliance with the Word of Wisdom, wrote: “The reason undoubtedly why the Word of Wisdom was given—as not by 'commandment or [constraint] was that at that time, at least, if it had been given as a commandment, it would have brought every man addicted to the use of these noxious things under condemnation; so the Lord was merciful and gave them a chance to overcome, before he brought them under the law.” When the Lord's timetable was fulfilled, it was Heber J. Grant who made this law once and for all binding on the Saints.

So is the Word of Wisdom a commandment now?

President Brigham Young: I know that some say it [the Word of Wisdom] is not given by way of commandment. Very well, but we are commanded to observe every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

At the October, 1937, General Conference, President Heber J. Grant spoke as follows:
We expect all the General Officers of the Church, each and every one of them, from this very day, to be absolute, full-tithepayers, to really and truly observe the Word of Wisdom; and we ask all of the officers of the Church and all members of the General Boards, and all Stake and Ward officers, if they are not living the Gospel and honestly and conscientiously paying their tithing, to kindly step aside, unless from this day they live up to these provisions. No Latter-day Saint is entitled to anything that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord, and the Word of Wisdom is the mind and the will of the Lord.

John A. Widtsoe: [The Word of Wisdom] was given "by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and the will of God." It came by "revelation" and not because of the likes or dislikes of the Prophet. Whatever is "the will of God", men are required to do, if they wish full salvation. The Word of Wisdom is the will of God, hence binding upon all who desire to show full obedience to the principles of the plan of the Lord for human welfare. God's human children may accept or reject the truths of the Word of Wisdom—it is their privilege—but they lose by disobedience the blessings promised the obedient.

Trivia: Which parable is taught in three of the standard works?

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Answer: The Parable of the Fig Tree. (Found in Matt. 24:32-33; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:29-31; JS-Matthew 1:38-43). The parable of the fig tree is also spoken of twice in the Doctrine and Covenants (35:16; 45:34-39). I don’t know about you, but when a scripture is mentioned multiple times and in multiple books of scripture, I try to pay attention.

In the parable, the Savior indicated that when the fig tree began to shoot forth its leaves, we would know that his coming was nigh.

D&C 45:36–39 And when the light shall begin to break forth [The restoration of the gospel, with the light that thereby breaks forth in darkness, is the beginning of the shooting forth of the leaves of the fig tree – showing that this parable applies to the latter days.], it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you— 37 Ye look and behold the fig trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand; 38 Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh. 39 And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

The fig tree has broad green leaves that are a good source of shade in the summer. In the spring – often during the first week of April, the new leaves begin to come forth. When we see the signs of the times taking place, we will know that the Second Coming is near.

Elder Melvin J. Ballard said: "One characteristic of a fig tree is that it does not put forth its leaves until relatively late in the year, long after most of the trees are in full leaf. The Savior used this feature in a parable concerning his second coming. Although the world will not know the day nor the hour of his coming, we should observe the signs of the times, for when the fig tree puts forth its leaves, we know that summer is nigh. In other words, when the signs of the second coming begin to be made manifest, we know that the second coming is nigh or near at hand." (CR, Oct. 1923, p. 32.)

The parable is perfect for the Lord's purposes. It announces that he will most assuredly return in the "season" when the promised signs are shown. But it refrains from specifying the day or the hour when the figs will be harvested, thus leaving men in a state of expectant hope, ever keeping themselves ready for the coming harvest.

D&C 35:15-16 And the poor and the meek shall have the gospel preached unto them, and they shall be looking forth for the time of my coming, for it is nigh at hand— 16 And they shall learn the parable of the fig-tree, for even now already summer is nigh.

In this other reference (above) to the parable of the fig tree, it is the poor in spirit and the meek that possess the gospel who will “learn the parable” and “shall be looking forth” for Jesus’ second coming.

In a 1973 conference address, after reviewing the signs of the times, President Harold B. Lee said: Brothers and sisters, this is the day the Lord is speaking of. You see the signs are here. Be ye therefore ready.

And in 1976, Elder Bernard P. Brockbank quoted President Spencer W. Kimball as saying: The leaves are commencing to show on the fig tree.

So, are there other parables about the last days and second coming? Yes, at least 10 more of Jesus’ parables were about the second coming and events of the last days:

Parables of the second coming
(1) Wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24-43; D&C 86:1-11), (2) 10 virgins (Matt. 25:1-13, D&C 45:56-57), (3) fig tree

Parables of the Lord’s judgment and vengeance
(4) Parable of the gospel net (Matt. 13:47-53), (5) Parable of the wicked husbandmen (Matt. 21:33-46), (6) Parable of the great supper (Luke 14:12-24), (7) Parable of the marriage of the king’s son (Matt. 22:1-14), (8) Parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8)

Parables of our earthly stewardship in preparing for the Kingdom of God
(9) Parable of the laborer in the vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16), (10) Parable of the pounds (Luke 19:11-28), (11) Parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30)

Background to "The Vision" -- D&C 76

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D&C 76 is perhaps the most important latter-day revelation except for the First Vision.

Joseph Smith spoke of its importance: Nothing could be more pleasing to the Saints upon the order of the Kingdom of the Lord, than the light which burst upon the world through the foregoing vision. Every law, every commandment, every promise, every truth, and every point touching the destiny of man, from Genesis to Revelation, where the purity of the Scriptures remain unsullied by the folly of men, go to show the perfection of the theory (of different degrees of glory in the future life) and witness the fact that the document is a transcript from the records of the eternal world. The sublimity of the ideas; the purity of the language; the scope for action; the continued duration for completion, in order that the heirs of salvation may confess the Lord and bow the knee; the rewards for faithfulness, and the punishments for sins, are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that every man is constrained to exclaim: “It came from God.”

The heading to D&C 76 provides its historical context, and shows how the Lord schooled Joseph Smith in response to his own questions and circumstances.

Heading to D&C 76 A vision given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, at Hiram, Ohio, February 16, 1832. HC 1: 245–252. Prefacing his record of this vision the Prophet wrote: “Upon my return from Amherst conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body, the term ‘Heaven,’ as intended for the Saints’ eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, while translating St. John’s Gospel, myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision.” It was after the Prophet had translated John 5: 29 that this vision was given.

John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

D&C 76:18-19 Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit. 19 And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.

What's amazing to me is that there were others in the room when Joseph and Sidney were seeing the vision.

Philo Dibble had called at the John Johnson home, knowing that the Prophet Joseph Smith was living there with his family. He was directed to an upper room where Joseph, Sidney Rigdon, and several other men were seated. Joseph and Sidney seemed surrounded in magnificent glory, and a sense of power filled the room. Joseph appeared to be dressed in white, though in fact he wore a black suit. Dibble watched for more than an hour. Joseph would say, “What do I see?” and describe what he was seeing. Sidney would reply, “I see the same.” Then Sidney would make a similar statement, and Joseph would reply “I see the same.”

When the vision closed, Joseph sat up straight and was calm, “but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which Joseph remarked, smilingly, ‘Sidney is not used to it as I am.’” Joseph and Sidney stayed up late into the night transcribing a portion of the vision, and their impressions, which became Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants -- one of the grandest revelations recorded in all scripture.

What we now have as Section 76 was known simply as “the vision”, and copies circulated among the members of the Church and was used as a missionary tract.

Wilford Woodruff recognized its beauty and depth: When I read these solemn, these eternal declarations made through the mouth of Joseph Smith, my heart swells with gratitude and praise to God, my heavenly Father. I consider that the Doctrine and Covenants, our Testament, contains a code of the most solemn, the most Godlike proclamations ever made to the human family. I will refer to the ‘Vision’ alone, as a revelation which gives more light, more truth, and more principle than any revelation contained in any other book we ever read. It makes plain to our understanding our present condition, where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going to. Any man may know through that revelation what his part and condition will be. For all men know what laws they keep, and the laws which men keep here will determine their position hereafter; they will be preserved by those laws and receive the blessings which belong to them. (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham [1946], 47–48)

However, the revelation was not initially received well by all members of the church.

Brigham Young: When God revealed to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon that there was a place prepared for all, according to the light they had received and their rejection of evil and practice of good, it was a great trial to many, and some apostatized because God was not going to send to everlasting punishment heathens and infants, but had a place of salvation, in due time, for all and would bless the honest and virtuous and truthful, whether they ever belonged to any church or not.

Even Brigham Young himself could not understand it at first, but tells us how he finally came to understand and believe it.

Brigham Young: After all, my traditions were such, that when the Vision came first to me, it was directly contrary and opposed to my former education. I said, Wait a little. I did not reject it; but I could not understand it. I then could feel what incorrect tradition had done for me. Suppose all that I have ever heard from my priest and parents–the way they taught me to read the Bible–had been true, my understanding would be diametrically opposed to the doctrine revealed in the Vision. I used to think and pray, to read and think, until I knew and fully understood it for myself, by the visions of the Holy Spirit.

D&C Lesson 5: Our need for personal revelation

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One of our greatest blessings is that the heavens are open and the Lord communicates with His children through continuing revelation. We do not have to be prophets to receive revelation from the Lord. Although we do not receive revelation to guide the Church, we can receive revelation to help us learn gospel truths and to guide us in our personal lives and in our responsibilities in the home and in the Church.

What is “revelation?”
Webster’s Dictionary: An act of revealing or communicating divine truth. Something that is revealed by God to humans.

What is “personal revelation?”
Prophets receive revelation to help them in their own lives and in directing the earthly affairs of the Church. Our responsibility is to seek personal revelations for ourselves and for the responsibilities the Lord has given us.

Prophet Joseph Smith: God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 149)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: Accordingly, those who are saints indeed, those who have been born again, those who are so living as to be in tune with the Spirit—they are they who receive revelation, personal revelation, revelation which is the mind and will of God to them as individuals. They … as individuals receive personal revelation in their own affairs. And there are no restrictions placed upon them; there are no limitations as to what they may see and know and comprehend. No eternal truths will be withheld, if they obey the laws entitling them to receive such truths. (Improvement Era, Dec 1969, p85)

Why is personal revelation such an important principle?

(1) Personal revelation is how we receive our testimonies of Jesus Christ, His gospel, and the divine calling of Joseph Smith.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Personal revelation is the way Heavenly Father helps us know Him and His Son, learn and live the gospel, endure to the end in righteousness, and qualify for eternal life—to return back into Their presence.

(2) Personal revelation is the way we learn divine truths. Elder Hales defined it in a conference talk as “the way we know for ourselves the most important truths of our existence”.

D&C 5:12 Yea, they shall know of a surety that these things are true, for from heaven will I declare it unto them.
Bible Dictionary: Divine revelation is one of the grandest concepts and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for without it, man could not know of the things of God. … Continuous revelation from God to his saints … makes possible daily guidance along true paths and leads the faithful soul to complete and eternal salvation in the celestial kingdom. … Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion. (Bible Dictionary, “Revelation,” 762)

(3) Personal revelation is how we receive guidance beyond our own limited understanding in answering life’s questions, meeting challenges, and making decisions.

Never before has personal revelation been as essential as it is today for our protection from the influences of the world, and preparation for what is to come. This has been confirmed by modern-day prophets and apostles:

Elder Boyd K. Packer: No one of us can survive in the world of today, much less
in what it soon will become, without personal inspiration (in Conference Report,
Oct. 1991, 29; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, 23).
Note how closely President Benson and Elder Cannon associate personal revelation and knowing what the prophets have counseled, and listening and following that counsel.

President Ezra Taft Benson said that personal revelation is essential for us to prepare for the great day of the Lord: This preparation [that is preparing for the Second Coming of the Lord] must consist of more than just casual membership in the Church. We must be guided by personal revelation and the counsel of the living prophet so we will not be deceived. (Come Unto Christ, p115)

George Q. Cannon, speaking of the last days: The greatest events that have been spoken of by all the Holy Prophets will come along so naturally as the consequences of certain causes, that unless our eyes are enlightened by the Spirit of God, and the spirit of revelation rests upon us, we will fail to see that these are the events predicted by the Holy Prophets. (Journal of Discourse, vol. 21)

My favorite quote about the Holy Ghost

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I'm posting here so that I don't have to look it up again in the future:

Parley P. Pratt: The gift of the Holy Spirit adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being. (Key to the Science of Theology, chapter 10.)

Trivia for D&C Lesson #6

2009-01-13T21:16:00.001-07:00

What Indonesian event in 1815 put in place the events that resulted in the Smith family moving from Vermont to Palmyra?

In April 1815 the Mt. Tambora volcano in Indonesia erupted with a rating of seven on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (which has a maximum rating of 8), making it the largest eruption in the world since the AD 181. For comparison purposes, Mount Saint Helens had a rating of 5. And since each rating point represents a 10X increase in power, the eruption of Mt. Tambora was 100 times more explosive than Mt. Saint Helens. Mount Vesuvias/Pompeii was also a category 5. There hasn’t been a category 8 volcanic eruption during recorded history.

The explosion of Mt. Tambora was heard on Sumatra island (more than 1,200 miles away). The volcano sent dust and ash miles into the earth’s atmosphere, obscuring the sun. Seasons were affected around the world. The volcano resulted in at least 71,000 deaths (perhaps the most deadly eruption in history), of whom 11,000–12,000 were killed directly by the eruption.

The next year, 1816, was known as “The year without summer” because of the effect on North American and European weather. Agricultural crops failed and livestock died in much of the northern hemisphere, resulting in the worst famine of the 19th century. In Vermont, where the Smiths lived, and in many other places in the northern hemisphere, snow fell in June; killing frosts came in July and then again in August.

The Smith family worked hard, but nothing they did could overcome the near-famine caused by the unusual weather. Father Smith decided to move the family to New York where land was cheap. He left for Palmyra in the fall of 1816, and later sent a wagon for his family to follow and make the difficult 300-mile journey through the snow and cold of November.

D&C Lesson 4: Translated by the gift and power of God

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Even though Joseph had had the plates since fall 1827, he was unable to do much work on the translation until Oliver Cowdery came on the scene, April 5, 1829. He came to Palmyra to teach school and lived with the Smith family. It was there that he learned about Joseph and his responsibility to translate the plates. Oliver soon got to know David Whitmer and travelled to Harmony to be with the prophet.

In fact, shortly after Oliver’s arrival in Harmony, Joseph asked David Whitmer to transport them back to Palmyra because they were threatened with mob violence in Harmony. You’ll remember that David lived in Fayette, which is about halfway between Palmyra and Harmony. David was in the midst of his spring farming. He had some twenty acres of land to plow and decided that he’d first do the plowing and then go.

David Whitmer recorded: “I got up one morning to go to work as usual, and on going to the field, found that between five and seven acres of my land had been plowed under during the night. I don't know who did it; but it was done just as I would have done it myself, and the plow was left standing in the furrow. This enabled me to start sooner.” (Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol 1, Chapter X by B. H. Roberts)

Then while harrowing in a field of wheat before starting on his journey, David found to his surprise that he had accomplished more in a few hours than he usually did in two or three days. The next day he went out to spread plaster over a field, according to the custom of the farmers in that locality, when he found the work had already been done, and done well. David's sister, who lived near the field, told him that three strangers had appeared in the field the day before and spread the plaster with remarkable skill. She had presumed that they were men David had hired to do the work

The process of translation
Even more miraculous than the printing of the Book of Mormon is its translation. It took about 65 working days (“I Have a Question,” Ensign, Jan. 1988, 46–47), or about 3 months elapsed time to translate.

The Prophet himself said very little about the process of translation: Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God” is pretty much all he said about it.

Oliver didn’t say much more: I wrote with my own pen the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages), as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as he translated by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as they are called by that book, 'Holy Interpreters'.

David Whitmer was a bit more specific on this subject. After describing how the Prophet would cover his head and shoulders with a blanket or a hat to obscure the light, and look through the Seer Stone, he said:

"In the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God and not by any power of man." (Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol 1, Chapter X, by B. H. Roberts)

Martin added that if the translation was correctly written, the sentence would disappear and another appear in its place; but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used.

The Seer Stone and Urim and Thumim were different instruments to aid in translating. Apparently sometimes the prophet used the Urim and Thumim, and sometimes the Seer Stone. Martin said that the Seer Stone differed in appearance entirely from the Urim and Thummim, which were two clear stones set in two rims, very much resembling spectacles, only they were larger.

B. H. Roberts reminds us: The translation of the Book of Mormon by means of the Interpreters and Seer Stone, was not merely a mechanical process. It required the utmost concentration of mental and spiritual force possessed by the Prophet, in order to exercise the gift of translation through the means of the sacred instruments provided for that work. (Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol 1, Chapter X, by B. H. Roberts)

Although when Joseph Smith died in 1844 he was well educated, having learned many things – including ancient languages such as Hebrew, when he was doing the translation he was truly the “unlearned man” referred to by Isaiah in Isaiah 29.

The speed of translation
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: One able LDS translator in Japan, surrounded by reference books, language dictionaries, and translator colleagues ready to help if needed, indicated that he considered an output of one careful, final page a day to be productive. And he is retranslating from earlier Japanese to modern Japanese! More than 50 able English scholars labored for seven years, using previous translations, to produce the King James Version of the Bible, averaging about one precious page per day. The Prophet Joseph Smith would sometimes produce 10 pages per day! (see the bulletin Insights: An Ancient Window [Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (F.A.R.M.S.), Feb. 1986], 1).

A second marvel of the Book of Mormon translation process is that from what we know, rarely would Joseph go back, review, or revise what had already been done. There was a steady flow in the translation. … Emma Smith said of the inspired process: ‘After meals, or after interruptions, [Joseph] would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him’ (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, 290). One who has dictated and been interrupted must usually would resume by inquiring ‘Now, where were we?’ Not so with the Prophet Joseph Smith!

If one were manufacturing a text, he would constantly need to cross-check himself, to edit, and to revise for consistency. Had the Prophet dictated and revised extensively, there would be more evidence of it. But there was no need to revise divinely supplied text. Whatever the details of the translation process, we are discussing a process that was truly astonishing!” (“By the Gift and Power of God,” Ensign, Jan. 1997, 39–40).

D&C Lesson 4: Another miraculous preservation of the Book of Mormon

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One example of the miraculous preservation of the Book of Mormon occurred when Martin Harris lost 116 pages of the translated manuscript. Martin worked as scribe for a couple months – April through June 1828. Joseph had completed 116 pages that Martin had written on foolscap paper. You know the rest of the story. Martin asked Joseph to let him take the transcription and show it to a number of his friends; Joseph said ‘no’. Martin begged Joseph to inquire of the Lord through the Urim and Thumim – which he did, but was also denied. Martin asked Joseph to ask again, which he did, with the same answer. Then once more Martin pleaded with Joseph:

Joseph Smith: “After much solicitation, I again inquired of the Lord, and permission was granted him to have the writings on certain conditions, which were that he should show them only to his brother, his wife, his father and mother, and Mrs. Cobb, a sister of his wife… I required of him that he should bind himself in a covenant to me in the most solemn manner, that he would not do otherwise than he had been directed. He did so. He bound himself as I required of him, took the writings and went his way.” (Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol 1, Chapter IX by B. H. Roberts)

After Martin departed, Emma gave birth to their first son – but he lived only a few hours. Emma’s life hung in the balance for a couple weeks. Joseph agonized over the reluctant consent he’d received from the Lord after multiple refusals – and now there was no word from Martin. When it was clear that Emma would fully recover, Joseph headed back to Palmyra – and upon arriving sent at once for Martin Harris, who reluctantly came to the Smith home.

B. H Roberts: He had broken his solemn covenant with the Prophet. In fact he recklessly disregarded that covenant and exhibited the manuscript not only to those named in the agreement, but to others, and that quite freely. As a result the manuscript was stolen from him and he was never able to recover it, nor has it ever been found to this day. (Ibid.)

After the 116 pages of manuscript were lost, the Lord chastened Joseph for fearing man more than God.

D&C 3:1-3, 7 The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. 2 For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. 3 Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men; … 7 For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—

What’s particularly interesting to me is that even before Joseph learned that the plates had been lost, Moroni was instructed to take back the plates and the Urim and Thumim. Moroni then returned the Urim and Thumim long enough for Joseph Smith to receive the revelation in Section 3, and possibly Section 10 as well as it was also given in the summer of 1828. (Although the D&C is generally in chronological order, that is the revelations are in the order they were given, for some reason Section 10 follows several revelations given in 1829.)

The Lord, however, showed tremendous love towards Joseph following the chastisement.

D&C 3:9–10 Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall. 10 But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work;

If Joseph had retranslated the lost material, whoever stole the manuscript would have altered the words. They would have compared the altered original to the retranslation, trying to show that the two versions contradicted each other.

D&C 10:10–14 And, behold, Satan hath put it into their hearts to alter the words which you have caused to be written, or which you have translated, which have gone out of your hands. 11 And behold, I say unto you, that because they have altered the words, they read contrary from that which you translated and caused to be written; 12 And, on this wise, the devil has sought to lay a cunning plan, that he may destroy this work; 13 For he hath put into their hearts to do this, that by lying they may say they have caught you in the words which you have pretended to translate. 14 Verily, I say unto you, that I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing.

However, about 2,400 years earlier, the Lord inspired Nephi, who was writing a secular history of the Nephites, to prepare a second set of records. The second set contained an account of the Nephites’ ministry during the same period of time and had greater doctrinal value than the first. Later, Mormon was inspired to add to his abridgement the Small Plates he discovered, which had included the abridgement of the Book of Lehi. The interesting thing is that as a result of this, many scholars believe that we actually have the record that the Lord intended us to have.

D&C Lesson 4: Remember the New Covenant

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The miracle of the Book of Mormon’s preservation

Satan tried to stop the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. He tempted men to try to steal the gold plates, and people continued to persecute Joseph Smith and his family.

Joseph Smith—History 1:60 I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.

Joseph was frequently warned when mobs were coming to try to find the plates.

Joseph Smith: "The house was frequently beset by mobs and evil designing persons, … and every device was made use of to get the plates away from me."

He hid the plates in many different places:

Under the hearthstones in the Smith kitchen
In a quantity of flax that had been stored away in the loft of a cooper's shop that at the time stood across the road from the Smith home, and then hidden under the floor of the coopers shop; later that night, the mob ransacked the cooper’s shop, but did not enter the Smith home. In the morning the family found the cooper's shop door broken down, the floor torn up and the chest shivered to splinters, but the record was secure where it had been hidden
En route to Harmony by wagon, the plates were hidden in a barrel of beans; twice Joseph was stopped on the road with a search warrant, but the plates were not discovered.
Moroni himself even transported the plates between Harmony and Palmyra on behalf of Joseph.

David Whitmer recorded: When I was returning to Fayette, with Joseph and Oliver all of us riding in the wagon, Oliver and I on an old fashioned, wooden spring seat, and Joseph behind us – when traveling along in a clear, open place, a very pleasant, nice looking old man suddenly appeared by the side of our wagon and saluted us with, 'Good morning; it is very warm;' at the same time wiping his face or forehead with his hand. We returned the salutation, and by a sign from Joseph, I invited him to ride if he was going our way. But he said very pleasantly, 'No, I am going to Cumorah.' This name was somewhat new to me, and I did not know what 'Cumorah' meant. We all gazed at him and at each other, and as I looked round inquiringly of Joseph, the old man instantly disappeared, so that I did not see him again… It was the messenger who had the plates, who had taken them from Joseph just prior to our starting from Harmony. (Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 1, Chapter X, by B. H. Roberts)

Plates given to Joseph on Rosh Hashanah

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Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith three times during the night of Sept. 21, 1823 repeating the same message, which included the reciting of many scriptural passages relating to the last days. If we have time, we’ll take a look at the scriptures, because certainly they were important enough for Moroni to quote 3 different times during the night of Sept. 21 – each time adding a little bit more information.

The next day Moroni again appeared and told Joseph to tell his father about everything.

JS-History 1: 50 I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field, and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there.
So Joseph went to the hill where the Book of Mormon plates were buried. He met Moroni and saw the plates, but was told that he would not receive them for four years. He was to begin an important period of preparation that would make him equal to the sacred task of translating the Book of Mormon. Joseph returned to the hill each September 22 for the next four years to receive further instructions from Moroni.

Sept. 22 is also the autumnal equinox, the date when days and nights are of equal length. In 1827, the year Joseph Smith finally received the plates, Sept. 22 was also the date of the Feast of the Trumpets, Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. Is there anything significant about that?
That evening Jews all over the world would have been in synagogues praying that God would remember His covenant people and that He would restore lost truths. Surely Moroni’s turning over the gold plates to Joseph Smith was a fulfillment of these Jewish prayers and traditions.

And what else would have happened during those synagogue services? A trump – the shofar – would have been sounded 100 times. Now, think of one of the most prominent modern-day symbols of the restoration of the gospel. It is atop nearly every temple: Moroni himself with a trump in his hands sounding the “everlasting gospel”. Is it possible that the Lord picked that date for the very reason that it is so significant to the House of Israel?
(For more information see John Pratt's calendar research.)

Another trivia question for D&C lesson 4

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What is an “amanuensis”? What is “foolscap”?

Amanuensis: Someone who writes down what someone else dictates, or acts as scribe. Oliver Cowdery was an "amanuensis" for Joseph Smith.

Foolscap: refers to the size of paper on which the translation was written – 8-1/2 by 13-1/2 inches; so it was the same width as our standard paper, but 2.5 inches longer. Foolscap has been a standard paper size since the 15th century, when it was first produced in Germany. It gets its name, typically pronounced full-scap or full-scape, from the watermark once used to identify it, in the shape of a jester's hat, or “fool's cap.”

Trivia for D&C Lesson #4

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How long did it take to print the Book of Mormon?
Seven months. The contract with E. B. Grandin’s print shop was signed on Aug 25, 1829 and the first copies of the Book of Mormon were available for sale by March 26, 1830.
Seven months seems like plenty of time to print a book, so it’s not surprising that the official histories of the Church don’t include a lot of detail about the printing itself. Joseph Smith himself simply recorded: “Whilst the Book of Mormon was in the hands of the printer, we still continued to bear testimony…” (DHC 1:74-75).

B. H. Roberts Comprehensive History of the Church doesn’t say much about the printing other than mention that the typesetter did most of the punctuation, that there was a second manuscript produced just for the printer, and he includes the account of Esquire Cole printing his own newspaper at night and on Sunday at the same print shop. Cole was illegally including excerpts from the Book of Mormon in his newspaper, peppering it with vulgarity, so that his readers could read it without paying the Smiths for it.

None of the accounts addressed anything special or miraculous about the printing of the book. They do include some useful details, such as: the printing was not done at night or on Sundays; it was completed at the rate of at least “one form [e.g. signature] per week”.

What else do we know about the original printing of the Book of Mormon? The type was set by hand, letter by letter. The typesetter needs to be able to read letters set upside-down and backwards, and manually insert spaces so that the lines are justified. It all has to fit perfectly in the “composing stick” so nothing falls out when it’s put into place. But not only did the letters have to be composed, they also had to be broken down and redistributed one letter at a time into two type cases – one for upper case and one for lower case. (Note that the terms upper and lower case came from the fact that the “capital” letters were in the upper case.)

Miracle #1, Typesetting: Gordon Weight, a former Deseret News typesetter in the 50s, estimated that it would have taken all seven months of the allotted production time just to set and break down the type. But the typesetter, John H. Gilbert, could not have worked full time on the typesetting because he was also one of the two pressmen. Perhaps he had help – but even his own record of the printing process didn’t mention another typesetter, only help with the actual printing.

Miracle #2, Printing: They used a manual press that of course needed to be inked manually using a leather ball filled with sand. (Note that rubber had not yet been vulcanized – that wouldn’t happen until 1843.) It printed 16 pages on one side of an 18X30 inch sheet of paper; then those same 16 pages were printed on the other side in such a way that opposite pages were in the correct places. When the paper was cut in half, each sheet made two 16-page signatures which were then folded into shape. To print 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon, that meant making 5000 impressions, front and back on 2500 sheets of paper for each of the 37 signatures needed. Weight estimates that the paper would have been a stack about 40 feet high.

Weight also estimated that it would have taken an hour to make 100 impressions, which means it would require 25 hours to do 2500 impressions on one side of a piece of paper. (That matches Gilbert’s own statement that it took “nearly 3 days to print each form”. That means it took 50 hours for each of 37 signatures, meaning it would have taken 8.5 months for the printing alone. Assuming the typesetting and printing couldn’t be done simultaneously (limited amount of type, not to mention the typesetter was busy helping with the printing), this would mean 15.5 months for the two jobs together. But wait, that doesn’t yet include the binding time.

Miracle #3, Binding: Binding 5000 books by hand required that all of the signatures be completed before the binding of even the first book. As each signature was completed, the sheets were cut in half, folded 3 times and clamped in a device which Grandin invented, called the Grandin Clamp. Then all of the signatures were sewn together by hand through the back of each signature, removed from the clam and trimmed to size with a hand paper cutter. Then the leather-wrapped cardboard covers were attached. Weight estimated that the binding would have taken two months after all the press work was completed. We are now up to 17.5 months. But it was completed in 7 months. Some sort of miraculous intervention must have happened – but what it was we don’t know.

Miracle #4: Mobs did NOT destroy this press as they did with other publications of sacred works of the restoration.

Other unusual events:

Grandin originally refused to print the book, but then changed his mind.
Invention of the Grandin Clamp
Where did the type come from as there were no local foundries that provided sufficient type to set 6 pages at a time
Where did the paper come from? Joseph Smith specified thin white paper, opaque enough not to see the print on the other side. The process for making that type of paper didn’t yet exist and most books were either printed on very heavy paper, or on only one side of the page. The paper was apparently all delivered mysteriously one night.
Who paid for all this new type and special paper, as Martin Harris hadn’t yet sold his farm to make any payment for the materials or printing?

Clearly there was some sort of divine intervention to get the Book of Mormon printed in only seven months. Even if Bro. Weight grossly overestimated how long these things took, it still seems a miracle to have finished in 7 months.

From John Pratt's calendar research: Did it matter that the Book of Mormon was finished by March 25th? Definitely, so that the Church could be organized on April 6, 1830 – in commemoration of the actual birth of Jesus Christ. If any of you follow John Pratt’s calendar research you’ll also find it interesting to note that the binding of the Book of Mormon finished on March 25, 1830 – the date of Christ’s resurrection according to both the Venus and Mercury calendars. He suggests that this is the “resurrection date of the Book of Mormon”. The following morning, the Book of Mormon officially went on sale.

Trivia for D&C Lesson #2

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How many different names and titles for jesus christ are found in the doctrine & covenants?
a) 28 b) 54 c) 66 d) 37
The Doctrine and Covenants contains 66 unique names and titles for Jesus Christ, each of which invokes special respect for Him. For example, the Lord refers to Himself as “Redeemer,” “Savior,” and “the light and the life of the world.”

The list prepared by Robert Millett:
1. Advocate (29:5)
2. Almighty (84:96)
3. Alpha and Omega (19:1)
4. Alphus and Omegus (95:17)
5. Beginning and the End (38:1)
6. Beloved Son (93:15)
7. Bridegroom (33:17-18)
8. Christ (38:4)
9. Christ the Lamb (76:85)
10. Christ the Lord (19:1)
11. Creator of the first day (95:7)
12. Creator of worlds (38:3; 76:24; 93:9-10)
13. Deliverer from death (138:23)
14. Endless (19:10)
15. Eternal King (128:23)
16. First and the Last (110:4)
17. Firstborn (93:21)
18. God (19:16-18)
19. God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (136:21)
20. God of Enoch (45:11)
21. Good Shepherd (50:44)
22. Great I Am (38:1)
23. Holy One (78:16)
24. Holy One of Zion (78:15)
25. Jehovah (110:3)
26. Jesus (45:52)
27. Jesus Christ (35:2)
28. Judge (76:68)
29. King (38:21)
30. King Immanuel (128:22)
31. Lamb (76:85)
32. Lamb of God (88:106)
33. Life of Man (93:9)
34. Life of the World (10:70)
35. Light and Redeemer (93:9)
36. Light of Men (93:9)
37. Light of the World (10:70)
38. Light which cannot be hid (14:9)
39. Light which shineth in darkness (6:21)
40. Living God (50:1)
41. Lord (5:2)
42. Lord God (20:16)
43. Lord Jesus Christ (21:1)
44. Lord of Hosts (1:33)
45. Lord of Sabaoth (95:7)
46. Lord of the whole earth (55:1)
47. Mediator (76:69)
48. Messenger of Salvation (93:3)
49. Messiah (13:1)
50. Mighty One of Israel (36:1)
51. Only Begotten Son (20:21)
52. Redeemer (8:1)
53. Redeemer of the World (93:9)
54. Savior (19:41; 76:1)
55. Savior of the World (43:34)
56. Son (76:73)
57. Son Ahman (78:20)
58. Son of God (10:57)
59. Son of Man (58:65)
60. Son of the Living God (55:1)
61. Son of Thy Bosom (109:4)
62. Spirit of Truth (93:9, 26)
63. Stem of Jesse (113:1-2)
64. Stone of Israel (50:44)
65. True Light (88:50)
66. Word (93:2, 8)
Many of the above names are used repeatedly. The word Christ occurs 122 times; God, 517 times; Lord, 706 times; and Mediator, 2 times.

Lyrics from Michael McLean's "The Man with Many Names" from "The Garden":

There is one, who to this garden comes,
Like a most unusual rain.
Drink it in and never thirst again.
Living water is his name.

There is one, who comes to find each one,
Who has lost his way again.
He will lead the way back to the fold.
The good shepherd is his name.

There is one, who when your crying’s done,
Gives the gift you’ve never known.
He’ll give fruit because he is the vine,
And life for He’s the living stone.

He is known by oh so many names,
And will be forever more.
Hope comes from the one with many names.
And he’s not forgotten yours.
No, he’s not forgotten yours.

Doctrine & Covenants Lesson #2

2009-01-13T15:42:00.005-07:00

The Doctrine and Covenants helps us understand the Savior’s roles and attributes.
In the Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith said that to be able to exercise faith in God, we must have “a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes”.

Joseph Smith: Let us here observe, that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. First, the idea that he actually exists. Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes. Thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will. For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive; but with this understanding it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness, unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Lectures On Faith, Lecture Third)

The Doctrine and Covenants helps us gain this understanding, especially a “correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes”.

Match the scripture reference to the correct summary statement below:

(a) D&C 6:20–21
b) D&C 6:32–37
c) D&C 19:1–3
d) D&C 29:1–2
(e) D&C 38:1–3
(f) D&C 43:34
g) D&C 50:44
h) D&C 76:5
i) D&C 93:5–19
j) D&C 136:22

He is merciful and gracious to those who fear Him.
He is the Good Shepherd and the Stone of Israel.
He is the Savior of the World.
He offers us protection and comfort.
He was in the beginning before the creation of the world. Light of the world and the Spirit of truth. Redeemer of the world. The worlds, men, and all things were made by him. The only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.
He was present in the beginning before the creation of the world. He is the creator of the world. He knows all things.
His arm is stretched out to save His people. He will save his people in the last days.
His arm of mercy has atoned for our sins.
The obedient are encircled in his arms of love. The light which shineth in darkness.
The Redeemer of the world. Accomplished and finished the will of the Father. He will destroy Satan and his works at the end of the world. He will judge all according to their works and deeds.

The Doctrine and Covenants testifies of Jesus Christ.
The main purpose of all scripture is to testify of Jesus Christ and to persuade people to come to Him and partake of salvation. The Book of Mormon carries the subtitle: Another testament of Jesus Christ. We recognize it as ancient scripture and it goes hand-in-hand with the Bible. The D&C is no less a testament of Jesus Christ – but it is unique in that it was given in this dispensation.

It is the word of the Lord to the Church and people in our day. It was not given to saints of earlier days – but specifically revealed for us in the latter days. Almost every section contains the words of Jesus Christ. What a marvelous companion to the ancient Old and New World testaments!

The D&C is of “more worth than the riches of the whole earth”
We know that Joseph Smith called the Book of Mormon “the most correct of any book” on earth. Do you know how the D&C is described? Turn to the second page of the Explanatory Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants. Read the last sentence in the eighth paragraph:
“Finally, the testimony that is given of Jesus Christ—his divinity, his majesty, his perfection, his love, and his redeeming power—makes this book of great value to the human family and of more worth than the riches of the whole earth.”

What an interesting statement! Within the pages of this great book we find that which has great value to all mankind – in fact a message that is invaluable. Its message is universal.
In our world great value is placed on wealth. People invest lifetimes and fortunes in an effort to obtain the riches of the earth. Yet we find within the pages of the Doctrine and Covenants something which is of infinitely greater value.

The Savior testifies of himself in the D&C
The Explanatory Introduction in the D&C explains: In the revelations one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times.
We are “hearing” (reading) His words exactly as they were revealed – and with very little “latency”. Many times they were recorded in real time – as they were given. In other cases, they were recorded very soon after. Compare this to the words of the Lord in the Old and New Testaments, which were typically recorded years after they were spoken.

Richard Bushman, the historian who wrote Rough Stone Rolling, the recent biography of Joseph Smith, noted that “the striking feature of Joseph Smith’s revelations is the purity of God’s voice coming out of the heavens and demanding our attention.”

Neal A. Maxwell: If asked which book of scripture provides the most frequent chance to “listen” to the Lord talking, most individuals would at first think of the New Testament. The New Testament is a marvelous collection of the deeds and many of the doctrines of the Messiah. But in the Doctrine and Covenants we receive the voice as well as the word of the Lord. We can almost ‘hear’ him talking.”

Some versions of the New Testament print the first-person voice of the Savior in red ink so readers can more easily discern when they are listening to the Lord itself. If all of the Latter-day Saint standard works were printed that way, the D&C would be overwhelmingly the "reddest".

The Doctrine and Covenants contains powerful testimonies of the Savior and His work. Many are from the Savior Himself. In fact, the D&C contains more direct quotes from the Savior than any other book of scripture. An example of the Savior testifying of himself:

D&C 50:41–44 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; 42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. 43 And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you. 44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall.

The Lord has promised us that if we receive him, he will be with us. We are not left alone as seek to follow the gospel. He will be there to guide us. What a great promise! He also gives us the key to success in this effort of discipleship, "He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall" (v44). If we center our lives around the Lord and his gospel, we cannot fail!

Trivia for NT Lesson 34`

2007-09-17T09:28:00.000-06:00

As I was working on my lesson, I discovered that there is a word that we as Latter-day Saints use regularly as we discuss the Plan of Salvation -- but it is a word that does not exist in the English language. It simply isn't in the dictionary. Do you know what this word is?

When I posed the question to my Gospel Doctrine class yesterday, one person did come up with the word. Some wrong answers were "pre-existence" and "Kolob". (I guess Kolob could be a right answer, but the word I was thinking of is even more common to Latter-day Saints.)

It is a word that nearly any active member of the Church (over the age of 12?) would know.

So here's the word. It's "telestial". It does not exist in the dictionary or appear on dictionary.com. It doesn't appear in the KJV of the New Testament. Interestingly, however, in 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul discusses the degrees of glory, he mentions Celestial and Terrestrial, but not Telestial. He follows that with comparison of the glories to the sun, moon and stars. I can't help but think that the missing reference to Telestial is a lost plain-and-precious truth. Joseph Smith DID correct this ommission in the JST.

OK, so if you google "telestial" you will find lots of LDS-related sites that mention Telestial. You'll also find a UK phonecard company with the name Telestial -- so I guess the word technically exists outside of the LDS community. My guess, however, is that they invented the word -- by combining "tele" (as in telephone, telecommunications, etc. and meaning "distant") with "celestial". I also wonder whether the person who named it might have been LDS -- or if it's just happenstance.

My impressions of Paul

2007-08-30T18:20:00.001-06:00

I am SO enjoying our study of Paul's missions and epistles this year in gospel doctrine class. It is fun to gain little insights into Paul's personality and how unabashed he is to share his anger and disappointment (as in Galatians), his weaknesses and "temptations" (better translated as "trials"), and his unending zeal and energy as it appears to me that he is doing all he can to make up for the persecution and damage he did to the early days of Christianity.

Oh, and I'm equally impressed with how Paul was able to support both himself and his companions on their lengthy missions, probably through his tentmaking efforts, while still bringing the gospel to the Greeks and Jews throughout Asia Minor:

Acts 20:33-35 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

(Sounds a little bit like King Benjamin doesn't it.)

He was so successful as a missionary that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord:

Acts 19:10 And this [Paul’s teaching] continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

As Paul is warning the church leaders from Ephesus, we see how concerned he is for the flock that he has nurtured and taught, even to the point of tears:

Acts 20:29-31 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things [i.e. they’ll distort the truth and mislead the people], to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch [i.e. be on your guard], and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Add to this the personal witness of Paul's physical appearance and demeanor from Joseph Smith:
"He is about 5 foot high; very dark hair; dark complexion; dark skin; large Roman nose; sharp face; small black eyes, penetrating as eternity; round shoulders; a whining voice, except when elevated and then it almost resembles the roaring of a Lion." (from Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.180)

Consquences of falling asleep in church

2007-08-30T11:54:00.000-06:00

Even Paul put his congregation to sleep at times -- although he was preaching late until midnight.

Eutychus must have been sitting by the window for fresh air and to keep himself awake. Unfortunately it didn't work and he fell three stories to his death.

Acts 20:6-9 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 7 And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

It certainly caused Paul some alarm -- but he was able to bless and raise him from the dead.

Acts 20:10-12 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing [him] said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. 11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

In other words, Paul was very MUCH comforted that Eutychus lived.

Trivia for NT Lesson 32

2007-08-30T11:49:00.000-06:00

Trivia: What are the seven wonders of the ancient world?

Bonus question: What is “herostratic fame”?

In November, I'm going on a 2-week cruise through the Mediterranean. As it turns out, we will go to four of the sites of the ancient wonders of the world -- the pyramids of Egypt (the only remaining wonder), site of the temple of Artemis/Diana in Ephesus (and referenced in NT Lesson 32 as part of Paul's third missionary journey), site of the Colossus at Rhodes, and Alexandria Egypt, near the site of the ancient lighthouse.

The full list of seven ancient wonders:
1. Pyramids of Egypt (at Giza, outside of Cairo)
2. Hanging gardens of Babylon (in modern-day Iraq)
3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia (about 100 miles west of Athens)
4. Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus (Turkey)
5. Mausoleum at Helicarnassus (Bodrum, Turkey)
6. Colossus of Rhodes (Island of Rhodes, Greece)
7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (Egypt)

More about the Temple of Artemis/Diana:
The Temple of Artemis was gigantic. In fact, it was one of the largest temples the Greeks ever built . It was made for the goddess Artemis. Artemis, also known as Diana, was the goddess of wild nature and hunting . The temple was famous for its use of marble and for its size. Everything was made of marble except the tiled covered roof. It was very decorative. All 106 columns were twelve meters high (40 feet ). Note this temple was four times bigger than the Parthenon in Athens.

When he saw the temple, Philon, an Athenian architect, wrote: “He who had laid eyes on it will be convinced that the world of the immortal gods has moved from the heaven to earth.”

So, now the bonus question: Bonus: What is “herostratic fame”?

In 356 B.C. a young man, Herostratus, set fire to the temple of Diana in his quest for fame. After the fire, Herostratus proudly claimed credit in order to secure his place in history. In order to dissuade similar-minded fame-seekers, the Ephesean authorities not only executed Herostratus, but condemned him to a legacy of obscurity by forbidding mention of his name under the penalty of death. Obviously, this harsh stipulation did not preclude Herostratus from achieving his goal. The term “herostratic fame” has come to mean “fame at any cost” and sometimes destruction, crime or terrorism for the purpose of self-glorification.

Taking the gospel to the Gentiles

2007-04-18T08:25:00.000-06:00

The ministry of the Lord was confined to Israel, except in the special cases where those of other nations by exceeding faith sought him for blessings. Why did the gospel go to the house of Israel (and descendants of Abraham) ahead of the Gentiles?

Elder McConkie has an interesting statement regarding this: "...the house of Israel is composed of the spirits from preexistence who there developed a talent for spirituality, and who are therefore entitled to the blessings of heaven in this life on a preferential basis. All men, in due course, either in his life or in the spirit world, will be offered the blessings of salvation. But there is an eternal system of priorities; there is a law of election, a doctrine of foreordination; and Israel is entitled to the blessing of the holy word ahead of their Gentile fellows. During his lifetime Jesus took the gospel and its blessings, with isolated exceptions, to his kinsmen in Israel; after his resurrection he [sent] his apostolic witnesses to all men, irrespective of creed or race or ancestry. The Lord Jehovah—Jesus in the flesh—is simply conforming to the eternal law of gospel priorities that he and his Father ordained from before the foundations of the world." (Mortal Messiah, 3:11-12)

The aspect of this "preference", however, that Elder McConkie doesn't make clear is that it becomes the responsibility of those of the House of Israel who have received the blessing of the gospel to share it with the Gentiles.

Trivia for NT lesson 13

2007-04-18T08:20:00.000-06:00

How many times do we know of when the Father has testified of the Son?

I was only aware of four instances recorded in the scriptures when the Father introduced and testified of his Son:

Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:13–17)
The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–9)
Jesus’ appearance to the Nephites (3 Nephi 11:1–7)
Joseph Smith’s First Vision (Joseph Smith—History 1:13–17)

A couple people in my class on Sunday, however, mentioned Stephen's stoning as another time. I don't think that Stephen's vision of the Savior on the right hand of the Father is quite the same thing as a voice from heaven bearing testimony -- but it is certainly a testimony in its own right.

Two-part trivia question for NT lesson 15:
Which Jewish feast was the possible precursor to Thanksgiving? What is a “lulav”?

Trivia question: What is "shewbread"?

2007-03-18T07:08:00.000-06:00

Trivia question for New Testament Lesson 10: What is the “shewbread” (pronounced “showbread”) mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:3-4?

Jesus defended his and his disciples' actions when they picked some grain on the Sabbath as they traveled through the fields by comparing it to an event in the Old Testament in which David in a time of emergency ate shewbread from the temple, which was ordinarily reserved only for the priests (recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-6). By using this comparison, Jesus demonstrated that the law of charity overrides every ritual law – the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law. "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice" he says in verse 4.

So just what is shewbread? It is the twelve cakes or loaves of bread which were continually present in the temple on the Table of Shewbread as an offering to God. In the shewbread the 12 tribes were perpetually presented before God. Each Sabbath fresh loaves replaced the old, which then belonged to the priests, who were required to eat them in a holy place (i.e. in the temple), since the bread was holy.

The name means “bread of the presence,” signifying that it was placed in the presence of Jehovah. The bread was made without leaven (so it would have been more like crackers than bread as we know it.) Leviticus 24:5-9 describes the requirements for making, stacking and eventually eating the shewbread.

The Shewbread was offered on behalf of the children of Israel as a “berit 'olam”, an “eternal, or everlasting, covenant”.

My Peace I Give Unto You

2007-03-17T03:36:00.000-06:00

Having woken up in the middle of the night, I flipped on BYU TV and heard two wonderful talks by Elder David and Sister Susan Bednar, given at BYU Idaho in 2004. While the theme was based on John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”, the talks reinforce the theme of NT Lesson #10 to take upon us the yoke of Christ and we will be blessed with rest.

Here are the links:

Text of Elder Bednar's talk

MP3 of Elder Bednar's talk

Text of Sister Bednar's talk

MP3 of Sister Bednar's talk

Enjoy!

Ye Shall Find Rest Unto Your Souls

2007-03-16T06:12:00.000-06:00

Isn’t the promise of “rest” wonderful? And isn’t it a wonderful feeling “to rest” when you are tired and worn out from something difficult? Just think about how good it feels to finally lie down in bed after a particularly tiring day – when all of the stress escapes from your body when your head hits the pillow.

I was amazed at how many different ways the word “rest” is used in English.

to lean on for support, such as “rest, or relax, your arm on something”
to be supported by, such as “the column rested on its pedestal”
to lean or trust in something, such as “to rest on someone’s promise, be ‘rest assured’”
to abide or remain with, such as “the spirit rested on him”
to be calm or relaxed—not moving, such as “he was at rest”; or think of Newton’s first law: an object at rest tends to stay at rest

With all of these meanings for the word “rest”, what then is the “rest” spoken of by the Lord? Or thinking about it another way, when we speak of the “rest of the Lord” (which appears in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants) or “rest in the Lord” (which appears in Psalms), what kind of rest are we referring to? Certainly there is the “eternal” rest that we are all hoping for after this life.

“Eternal” rest: In the eternal sense, this rest is to gain the fulness of the Father. It is eternal life, living in the Celestial Kingdom.

President Harold B. Lee said: “Those of you who have lived a righteous life and die without having become the servants of sin, or who have truly repented of your sins, will enter into the "rest of the Lord," which rest "is the fulness of the glory of the Lord (D&C 84:24).”

But I think the Lord’s promise of rest is not just reserved for life after death – there is also a mortal rest that can come to us.

“Mortal” rest: We are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine – because we have firm testimonies.

President Joseph F. Smith taught how to achieve this rest: “The rest here referred to is not physical rest, for there is no such thing as physical rest in the Church of Jesus Christ. Reference is made to the spiritual rest and peace which are born from a settled conviction of the truth in the minds of men. We may thus enter into the rest of the Lord today, by coming to an understanding of the truths of the gospel.” (GD, 126.)

President Joseph Fielding Smith, reiterating what his father taught, added: [Entering into the rest of the Lord] means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else; we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. It is rest "from the cry that is going forth, here and there—lo, here is Christ; lo, there is Christ." (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 58, 125-126.)

Where mortals are concerned, the rest of the Lord comes from:

understanding the gospel truths
having faith in his purpose and his plan
entering into the knowledge and love of God (having a testimony)

Only faithful members of the Church find perfect peace and rest to their souls. Achieving this status requires faith and hope. It includes gaining a perfect knowledge of the divinity of the Lord's work and the hope of eternal life in the world to come.

The Sabbath Was Made for Man

2007-03-15T20:18:00.001-06:00

Commenting on how the Jews had lost the true spirit of the Sabbath, Elder McConkie wrote: "We have seen how they turned a day of freedom and worship and rejoicing into one of Rabbinical rules and restrictions. No longer were the Jews free to worship the Lord their God with a clear conscience on this holy day. Rather, the restrictions were so rigid, the controls so complete, the prohibitions so profuse, that it was as though man had been made for the Sabbath. Their failures on that day—for no man could keep all of the restrictions involved—created a great guilt complex over the whole nation." (Mortal Messiah, 2:398)

I had heard of many of the oral Rabbinical laws that had evolved as to what NOT to do on the Sabbath, but didn’t know whether they were true or not (such as how many steps someone could walk on the Sabbath). But after a simple web search, I found some details from the Midrash that clearly show how the Jews at the time of Christ, including the scribes and Pharisees, were no longer glorifying God through their Sabbath activities. They had laws regarding what kind of candles and wicks were to be used so that the light didn’t go out on the Sabbath, what kind of animals could be used on the Sabbath, and whether or not they may be bridled, and how shoes and other clothing were permitted to be worn.

But I was especially fascinated by the following restrictions:

(1) Traveling after sundown on the eve of the Sabbath: “One who (on the eve of Sabbath) is overtaken by the dusk on the road must give his purse to a Gentile (while it is yet day). If there is no Gentile with him, he must put it on the ass. As soon as he arrives at the outmost court (dwelling of the first town or village he reaches), he must take off all such things as may be handled on the Sabbath; and as for the things which must not be handled he must loosen the cords, so that they fall off themselves.”

(2) Food for animals: “It is forbidden to carry about chopped straw in quantities of a cow's mouthful, stalks in quantities of a camel's mouthful, stubble in quantities of a lamb's mouthful, herbs in quantities of a kid's mouthful, leek and onion leaves, if fresh, equal in size to a dried fig, and if dry in quantities of a kid's mouthful. The different kinds of fodder are, however, not to be counted together, as the prescribed quantities are not equal for all.”

(3) Forgetting it is the Sabbath when traveling in the desert: “One who has been traveling in a desert and does not know what day is Sabbath, must count six days from the day (on which he realizes) that he has missed the Sabbath, and observe the seventh. He must observe that very day and then continue his counting from that day.”

(4) And lastly, how items may be transferred from one person to another: “There are two acts constituting transfer of movable things (over the dividing line of adjoining premises, based on biblical statutes). … (1) A mendicant stands outside and the master of a house inside. The mendicant passes his hand into the house (through a window or door) and puts something into the hand of the master, or he takes something out of the master's hand and draws it back (toward him). In such a case the mendicant is guilty (of transfer) and the master of the house is free. If the master of the house passes his hand outside and puts a thing into the hand of the mendicant, or takes something out of the mendicant's hand and brings it into the house, the master of the house is culpable and the mendicant is free. (2) If the mendicant extends his hand into the house and the master takes something out of it, or puts something into it which is drawn to the outside by the mendicant, they are both free. If the master of the house extends his hand outside and the mendicant takes something out of it, or puts something into it which is drawn to the inside by the master, they are both free.”

How would the normal person be able to keep track of these – and the many other restrictions – for which the penalty of transgression was stoning?

Take My Yoke Upon You

2007-03-15T07:03:00.000-06:00

One of the themes of NT lesson 10 comes from Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Most often this scripture is interpreted by referring to the yoke that joins two animals together so that they may share the load of whatever they are pulling. In fact, President Hunter used this metaphor in his General Conference talk, Come Unto Me, from October 1990. "In biblical times the yoke was a device of great assistance to those who tilled the field. It allowed the strength of a second animal to be linked and coupled with the effort of a single animal, sharing and reducing the heavy labor of the plow or wagon. A burden that was overwhelming or perhaps impossible for one to bear could be equitably and comfortably borne by two bound together with a common yoke. His [Christ's] yoke requires a great and earnest effort, but for those who truly are converted, the yoke is easy and the burden becomes light. ("Come Unto Me," Ensign, Nov. 1990, 17.)"

However, I would like to consider an additional interpretation of this scripture based on another type of yoke -- the type of yoke that the ancient Romans used to subjugate their conquered enemies in order to force them to march in subjection. Much like a mobile stockade, this type of yoke was intended to bind hands and arms, and sometimes head and neck. I can't help but imagine that since Jerusalem was subject to Rome at the time of Christ, that this type of yoke was just as common as a yoke that balances oxen. Even today, we refer to any type of bondage as a "yoke" – the yoke of drug addiction, for example. A yoke in this case doesn't refer to something that eases the load – but rather something that creates a burden, something we become subject to.

Is it possible that this is the type of yoke that Jesus is referring to when he tells us that his "yoke is easy"? After all, other scriptures refer to the yoke of Satan -- which is not easy. Nephi refers to how we can become yoked and brought down into captivity by the founder of the great and abominable Church, even the devil, in 1 Nephi 13:5-6. The Lord reinforced this in D&C 123:8 when he taught that "it is an iron yoke, it is a strong band; they are the very handcuffs, and chains, and shackles, and fetters of hell."

So, with this new perspective on the yoke of Christ, what is he asking us to do when he bids us to take his yoke upon us? He is calling us to repent, to forsake the world, to come unto him, to believe his gospel, to conform to his teachings—with the sure promise that in such a course will be found spiritual rest and peace. And in fact, he has done more than just share the burden with us -- through his atonement he completely removes the burden. The image of being yoked to Christ is one of those gospel paradoxes – (like the greatest should be the least among you). By taking on his yoke, we aren’t burdened; it doesn’t restrict us but rather it frees us.

A More Excellent Way

2007-03-14T21:34:00.000-06:00

I always begin my Gospel Doctrine lessons with a trivia question that ties in with the lesson. It is a good way to introduce the topic of study, to give background information that provides the context for the lesson, or simply to share something interesting that I learned while prepring the lesson.

My trivia question for the New Testament lesson #8 was: What is a jot and what is a tittle (as mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 5:18)?