Trivia questions for OT lessons 21 to 300

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

If you haven't checked out Sugardoodle.Net, please do so.  My trivia questions are posted there, but you  will also find great helps for all Church auxiliaries.

Sugardoodle.Net home page
Trivia Questions on Sugardoodle.Net

Trivia questions for OT lessons 11 to 20

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

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

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

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

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.