Continue in the Faith and Endure to the End.

Today's scripture mastery is Mosiah 4:30

 30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

This is a common theme in the scriptures.  After we begin to follow Christ, and start to keep his commandments, we must continue to keep the commandments.  We must not stop believing in, and trying to emulate Christ--even until we are done here on earth.

Here are a few other scriptures that teach us that we must endure to the end:

Matthew 24:13
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mark 13:13
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Doctrine and Covenants 20:25
25 That as many as would believe and be baptized in his holy name, and endure in faith to the end, should be saved—

That requirement to endure to the end can be a difficult task--but it is not one that is impossible.  It is doable by everyone, if they do what I mentioned in yesterday's post, and lay our burden on the Lord.  If we take up His yoke, He will help us to make it.  He does not want any of us to perish.  So let us watch our words and our deeds.  Let us continue in faith in Christ, and keep His commandments!

The Natural Man

After a few days off to spend time with family and enjoy the Christmas Holliday, I am back with the next scripture mastery.  Today's verse is from Mosiah 3:19

 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

This verse explains the challenge that we all face in life--we all battle the "natural man"  It is not easy to put off the desires and appetites of the natural man.  The things of the world are things that naturally pull us away from God.  If we are not careful, they can take over our whole thought process.  We can spend every waking hour pursuing those things that "moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal" (Matthew 6:19)

It takes faith and work to overcome the natural man.  As Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 2:14,

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

It is not easy to overcome the natural man.  In fact, it can sometimes be very very difficult.  However, with the Lord's help, it is definitely possible.  Sister Elaine S. Dalton, in her General Conference address in October 2008 started her talk with this statement:

Last general conference, I was called by President Monson to be the new Young Women general president. As I stood in the presence of a prophet of God and was given this sacred trust, I pledged that I would serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. Prior to this calling, I had a small plate inscribed with a motto that read, “I can do hard things.” That little plate bearing that simple motto gave me courage. But now if I could change that motto, it would read: “In the strength of the Lord, I can do all things.” ¹ It is on that strength that I rely today as I stand at this sacred pulpit.

I really like that statement.  And it applies to all of us.  "In the strength of the Lord, I can do all things!"  YOU can do all things as well!  Even those hard things, such as putting off the natural man.  Hard things, such as becoming humble, meek, and submissive to the will of the Lord.  Hard things, such as overcoming temptations, and selfishness, and even addictions.  All these and more are possible to overcome with the help of Christ.  Christ taught how we can overcome the natural man in Matthew 11:28-30:

28 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.

Let us lay our burdens on Christ.  Let us overcome our tendencies to be the natural man, and instead enjoy the fruits of the spirit, and enjoy the rest that Christ offers.

Service to others

Mosiah 2:17 is today's scripture mastery.  It is a short one, but I like it.

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

And this parable of Christ found in Matthew 25:31-40, teaches the same principle.

 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

There are a lot of blessings promised to those who serve and help others--but for those who do not, the outlook isn't nearly as rosy. . .Here Christ continues the parable for those who are not serving and helping others (Matthew 25:41-46)

 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

That parable by Christ inspired a man named James Montgomery to write the lyrics to one of my favorite hymns, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. Please click on that link, and listen to the music.  Here are the words to the hymn:

1. A poor, wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow’r to ask his name,
Whereto he went, or whence he came;
Yet there was something in his eye
That won my love; I knew not why.

2. Once, when my scanty meal was spread,
He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread.
I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part again.
Mine was an angel’s portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste,
The crust was manna to my taste.

3. I spied him where a fountain burst
Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.
The heedless water mocked his thirst;
He heard it, saw it hurrying on.
I ran and raised the suff’rer up;
Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,
Dipped and returned it running o’er;
I drank and never thirsted more.

4. ’Twas night; the floods were out; it blew
A winter hurricane aloof.
I heard his voice abroad and flew
To bid him welcome to my roof.
I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest
And laid him on my couch to rest,
Then made the earth my bed and seemed
In Eden’s garden while I dreamed.

5. Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death,
I found him by the highway side.
I roused his pulse, brought back his breath,
Revived his spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment—he was healed.
I had myself a wound concealed,
But from that hour forgot the smart,
And peace bound up my broken heart.

6. In pris’n I saw him next, condemned
To meet a traitor’s doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
And honored him ’mid shame and scorn.
My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,
He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,
But my free spirit cried, “I will!”

7. Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named,
“Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto me.”

During the Christmas season, it is easier to think about others, and to serve them, as there are many good service opportunities available.  There are many opportunities for service available during this time of year from many different charitable organizations. Take advantage of those oportunites to serve and help lift and help those less fortunate! 

However, please don't let this be the only time of the year that we do service for others.  Let us lift and comfort others all year long--just as Christ did.  He spent his whole earthly ministry healing the sick and serving others.  We should do our best to follow His example in all we do.

Seeking for riches

Jacob 2:18-19 is today's scripture mastery:

 18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

 19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

This goes hand in hand with the oft quoted "money is the root of all evil" scripture (1 Timothy 6:10).  Though that verse is most often misquoted above (as I purposely just did above)  here is the full verse:

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Note that Paul is teaching Timothy here that it is the love of money that is the root of all evil (not the money itself).  Jacob clarifies this for us with his teachings from today's scripture mastery.

Basically, if we have our hearts in the right place, i.e. in seeking after the kingdom of God, in serving the poor and the needy, and in helping our fellow man--money and riches can be a good thing.  After all, it is much simpler to help many suffering people if you have the financial means to do so. . .

To go along with these teachings is the church's teaching about fast offerings.  Fast offerings are one of the ways that the Lord has set up to help the poor and the needy within (and even outside of) the church.  Every month, on a designated fast day, the members of the church are encouraged to fast (i.e. skip meals for 24 hours while praying for a specific need.)  Along with that, they are encouraged to give to the church at least the cost of those skipped meals, but what is given can be much more than that.  Those funds that are gathered are used to help the poor and the needy in the local area.  The funds are dispersed by the local bishop.  If the funds that have been gathered are more than is needed in that local area, they are then given to the church headquarters, where they can be redirected to those areas with a greater need.

The importance of prayer

2 Nephi 32:8-9 is today's scripture mastery.  It comes from the same sermon that Nephi gave to his people in yesterday's scripture mastery:

 8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

Prayer is one of the most important ways that we have to communicate with God.  Through prayer, we come closer to God, and come to rely on Him.  If we take Nephi's council here, and pray to God before we take any action, we will find that we are helped and led by His hand.

On the other hand, if we do not pray daily, we are doing exactly what the enemy to all righteousness wants us to do. . .Satan is real, and he wants us to be miserable.

Now--it is important that we don't pray to be seen of others.  Christ taught us that in Matthew 6:5:

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Christ continued to teach us additional truths about prayer in verses 6-13:

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

We are taught that prayer does not have to be spoken, or while on our knees.  In the book of Mosiah, there is a story of some people who were being persecuted for their belief in Christ.  Those that were persecuting them had threatened to kill any who prayed to God.  But they knew that God could hear their thoughts (Mosiah 24:12-13)

 12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

 13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

The prophet Zenos also taught about the importance of prayer (Alma 33:4-11).  He said:

4 For he said: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me.

 5 Yea, O God, and thou wast merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field; when I did cry unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me.

 6 And again, O God, when I did turn to my house thou didst hear me in my prayer.

 7 And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.

 8 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them.

 9 Yea, O God, thou hast been merciful unto me, and heard my cries in the midst of thy congregations.

 10 Yea, and thou hast also heard me when I have been cast out and have been despised by mine enemies; yea, thou didst hear my cries, and wast angry with mine enemies, and thou didst visit them in thine anger with speedy destruction.

 11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.

 Prayer is a powerful tool that we have to get the help we need from God.  Let us not neglect it!

How to know what to do.

Have you ever had a time where you didn't know what choice to make?  Today's scripture mastery (2 Nephi 32:3) tells us what we should do:

3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

There are 2 key parts to this verse.  First is the Holy Ghost.  All members of the church have received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  If they are living righteously, and trying to follow Christ, they will be able to hear the promptings and teachings from the Holy Ghost.  That is perhaps one of the greatest blessings we have been given here on earth.  We do not have to fend for ourselves in everything.  The Holy Ghost, as a member of the Godhead, is there to help us navigate through life.  We only have to listen to His promptings, and act on them.  The Holy Ghost has different titles.  He can warn us of danger.  He can teach us what we need to know (as He knows all things).  He comforts us when we need comforting. And finally, He teaches us about Christ.

The second key part is that we should feast upon the words of Christ--that means that we should take time each day to read and ponder in the scriptures.  There have been many times in my life where I have been trying to figure out what I should do with a particular problem that I have been facing.  I have often found the answers I have been looking for in the scriptures.

God is aware of each of us.  He has the answers we are looking for.  He often only waits for us to ask Him before he gives the answer (though sometimes we must wait a bit before the answer comes).  I like this description of receiving answers found in the Bible Dictionary in the entry on Prayer:

As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.

 So, in summary, if we listen to the Holy Ghost, and if we study and ponder the things we read in the scriptures--and if we ask the Lord in prayer.  We will be able to know the answers to all things that we need to know.  Try it!

Eat, Drink, and be Merry

2 Nephi 28:7-9 is today's scripture mastery:

 7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.

 8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

 9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

I know that I have heard many who teach these false doctrines.  They either say that God doesn't exist, so it doesn't matter what we do in this life.  Others say that we can participate in the wickedness of the world--we can cheat and lie and do other things like that, but that we will still be saved.

Please do not be fooled by those who teach such things!  They may sound good, and the things that they are teaching may seem fun at the time, but remember that it will only bring misery in the end. . .

It is true that Christ has atoned for our sins, but we must remember that he has given it freely only to those who repent. See Helaman 5:10-11

 10 And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.

 11 And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.

Let us always follow Christ.  It is only through Him that we may be saved.  He only asks that we keep His commandments and repent when we fall(and since we are all imperfect, we all fall sometimes. . .)  

True Wisdom

Today's scripture mastery is 2 Nephi 9:28-29:

 28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

 29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

This scripture has always been one of my favorites.  It helps me to put my pride in check.  When I remember the teachings of these verses, I am able to put my trust where it belongs--with God.

All truth comes from God.  Let me repeat that.  All truth comes from God.  That includes all the many wonderful advances that have been discovered in all the sciences.  Those great truths that have, and continue to come forth have all come from the inspiration of God--even if the people who "discovered" those truths don't know it.

There are many in the world who act as the people described in verse 28 above.  Some even go so far as to mock and deride those who even profess a belief in God.  Others go the other way.  They refuse to accept or use the scientific method.  I believe that the way God wants us to go is someplace in the middle of these two extremes.  We must remember that God has not yet revealed all truth, and so some things that we don't yet know may be confusing.  That goes for both science and for things that are not scientific--We don't yet know all there is to know about either.  Sometimes the things that we may think we know seem to contradict each other from the two.  But I believe that pure truth found in both science and religion do not conflict with each other.  In fact, there are many famous scientists who are members of our church.  For a brief list of some of them see these two links from the http://famousmormons.net website: Famous Scientists, and Famous Physicians and Surgeons.  If you look through those lists you will see that two of the current 12 Apostles are on that list: Richard G Scott was a Nuclear Engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Russel M. Nelson was one of the developers of the Heart Lung machine that made heart surgery possible.

God has much more to teach us, and wants us to continue to learn and to find new truth.  However, we must not forget to continue to put our trust in Him.  We must continue to follow the commandments, and repent when we sin.  If we do that, all our learning that we are able to get in this life will be a benefit to us (and to others).  Remember this verse from Doctrine and Covenants 93:28:

 28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.

We are free to choose for ourselves according to today's scripture mastery (2 Nephi 2:27)

 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

This scripture goes hand in hand with yesterday's scripture mastery.  We are free to have joy--if we choose to follow Christ.  Now that doesn't mean that life will be a life of luxury or ease.  We will continue to have difficult times and difficult choices to make throughout our life even if we do choose to follow the Savior.  

However, if we don't choose to follow Christ, and keep his commandments, we can often bring unnecessary pain and suffering on ourselves or those that we love.

There are many who think that keeping the commandments of God is something that is restrictive and limiting in our lives.  They see those who are not keeping the commandments of God, and are seemingly having a good time, and wonder why they can't join in the fun.  The key is, I think, that the "fun things" that Satan tries to get us to participate in are usually things that bring only temporary pleasure.  They are most often addicting in one way or another.  They are things that Satan uses to captivate and trap those that do them.

For example, if everybody followed the 10 commandments, think how much less suffering there would be in the world.  And think of the "word of wisdom" which is unique to our faith--that states that we should not drink alcohol.  Alcohol is addicting.  Not everybody who drinks it becomes an alcoholic--but the danger is there to become addicted.   If we avoid it, we don't have to worry about Satan capturing us in that way and making us miserable because of that.  We can see the pain and suffering caused by the misuse of alcohol--the consequences of it can go even to the loss of life of innocent people (drunk driving accidents for example.)  The same council goes for avoiding pornography.  It is addictive.  It is demoralizing and demeaning to those who are involved.  It causes unnecessary pain and suffering.  That suffering is not only for the person who views the pornography, but also to many innocent people. 

Now, Satan would have us believe that if we have become trapped in one of his traps, that we are done--that we cannot ever be happy again.  He would have us believe that we can never regain the trust of those around us.   He would have us believe that we can never be forgiven.  That is a lie!  If we stop doing those things that bring us down, we can be forgiven!  Christ has the power to cleanse us of the sins that we have.  He has the power to help us to forsake the sins that we have, and to repent.  The heavy burden that we carry because of sin can be taken from us (Matthew 11:28-30):

 28 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.

It is up to us if we choose to take advantage of that great gift that Christ offers to us all.  Let us not carry the heavy burden of sin and guilt any longer than we must!  Let us repent, and come unto Christ.  Let us partake of the happiness and joy that Christ offers to all that repent and follow Him.

True Joy

God wants us to be happy.  Today's scripture mastery is 2 Nephi 2:25

 25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

The joy that God wants us to have is the lasting joy--not the fleeting kind that is brought by temporary diversions and "instant gratification."   The materialism of the world is not the way that we can gain true joy.  "Things" don't bring true happiness.  So what does?  Christ is the way to happiness.  If we keep His commandments, and follow His example, we can have true joy.

If we serve others, we can help to bring that joy to others.  We should do as Christ taught in Matthew 5:16:

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I was reading some other scriptures about joy, and I really liked this one, found in Doctrine and Covenants 128:22-23, it is referring to temple work (The work that we do in temples is a work that we can do to help those who can't help themselves.):

22 Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.

 23 Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!

The purpose of the scriptures

Todays scripture mastery is 1 Nephi 19:23:

23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

Nephi here is telling us what two of the reasons for studying the scriptures. 

First, they teach us about Christ, and the redemption He has given to us through the Atonement.  All the prophets in the scriptures teach us about Christ.  It is through them that we learn much of what we know about Him and His work.

Second, they are for us to "liken unto" ourselves.  That means that we should take the stories and lessons we read abut, and ask ourselves how that can apply to our own lives. One way to do that is to substitute our own name in the scriptures when we read them--When we read different commandments or council, if we mentally put our name in the verse as we read it, it helps us to internalize the teachings.  When we do that, we can more easily make the changes in our lives that we need to to bring our life in to harmony with what is being taught in the scriptures.

Try it!

God makes it possible

1 Nephi 3:7 is today's scripture mastery:

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

It is always possible to do those things that the Lord has commanded us.  It may not always be easy--we may not see any possible way for us to be able to accomplish it--but there is always a way. 

Sometimes accomplishing what the Lord has asked takes a huge amount of faith (which may be why he asks us to do some hard things--He wants us to grow)

As an example of that, here is a story from Marion G Romney, when his father struggled with the commandment to pay his tithing (New Era):

The question came up in the family council—should father pay tithing on that $80? If he didn’t he would have $40 a month to care for the family; if he did, it would be cut down by $4, and he would have $36 a month. I remember that council, and I remember that they decided they would pay their tithing; and I remember they sent me with the tithing to the bishop. It was cold, and I didn’t have warm clothes; I really wondered what had gone wrong with Father. But I learned from that—the training of my parents—I learned there is truth in the Lord’s promises.

Stories like this are very common.  People find it difficult to keep the commandments, but when they do it anyway, they find that they are not only able to accomplish what has been asked, but they are blessed by the Lord for that obedience--and the blessings are most often much more than they had expected or even thought possible.

Let's go back to the story of Nephi above.  He was asked to do something very difficult.  He had that faith that the Lord would allow he and his brothers to accomplish what had been asked.  They had been asked to travel a long distance through the dessert, return to Jerusalem (which they had left because people were attempting to kill his father for teaching that the people needed to repent), and acquire from a very powerful man named Laban the brass plates (containing the scriptures).

They tried 3 separate times to get them.  They asked Laban for the plates--He threw them out.  They offered to buy the plates from him--He stole their money and sent his servants to kill them.  Then Nephi went in alone and miraculously got the plates from Laban (with the help of the Lord).

The same type of thing happens daily for each of us who strive and work hard to keep the commandments of the Lord--even when we see no possible way for us to accomplish what has been asked.  The way is made to accomplish the task.  Sometimes it is my simple ways that we hadn't seen or thought of before, but other times it is through miracles.

Remember, the Lord always makes a way!

Moving on to the Book of Mormon

I have now completed the 25 scripture mastery from the New Testament, as well as the 25 scripture mastery from the Old Testament.  I will now begin the 25 scripture mastery from the Book of Mormon.

Genealogy

Malachi 4:5-6 is today's scripture mastery:

 5 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.

Elijah was a great prophet in the Old Testament who had the keys of the priesthood to seal in heaven and on earth.  That is a very important thing.  The Jews have a tradition during their worship of the Passover to have a place set for him at the table.  They do this because it is prophesied that he will return.  Well, he has returned!  He restored the sealing keys to Joseph Smith (Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16)

 13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

 14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

 15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

 16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

It is with this sealing power that was restored, that we are able to do the temple work.  It is with this priesthood power that  we are able to be sealed to our spouse for eternity(not just until "death do you part").  It is with this sealing power that families can be sealed together for eternity. 

It is because Elijah returned and restored these keys that many in the world are taking such an interest in their genealogy.  He has turned the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers.  The importance of sealing the families together is very important--so important in fact that that work is not done, the whole earth will be "utterly wasted" at Christ's second coming. . . (Doctrine and Covenants 138:47-48)

47 The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers,

 48 Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.

This is perhaps the part of the Gospel that I like the most.  The reason is that it shows that God truly loves each of His children.  He has provided a way for all of his children to receive the same blessings.  Whether they receive them while here on earth, or afterwards, all of them are eligible for the love and the full blessings of God.   Even those who have never heard of Christ while they were living can receive the blessings because of the sealing power of the priesthood.  The temple work that we do for our ancestors is necessary for their salvation (and for ours)

Tithing

Malachi 3:8-10 is the scripture mastery verse for today:

 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

There are a lot of blessings promised by the Lord if we pay our tithing.  This is one of those commandments that doesn't make sense to the "natural man".  It is only after you have tried it, and received the blessings that the Lord has promised that you begin to know for yourself that it really is a commandment from God.  I know that tithing is a true commandment from God, because there are many times in my life where I have been the beneficiary of those blessings, where there has "not been room enough to receive it" 

Prophets of God

Amos 3:7 is today's scripture mastery.  It teaches us a little about how God interacts with us here on earth:

7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

As God is the same yesterday, as stated in Hebrews 13:8, He will continue to teach us through his prophets.  There are a lot of scriptures that reference what prophets do, and why they do it.  You can read each of these scriptures by reading the Topical Guide, under the heading "Prophets, Mission of"

Just as God called prophets anciently, such as Moses, or Noah, He has called prophets in our day.  The first of them in modern times was Joseph Smith.  It was through him that the gospel was restored.  It was through him that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized.  Since that time, there have been prophets and apostles on the earth.  They have been taught by Christ, and they teach us what Christ wants us to do in our day.  They call us to repentance when necessary, and they teach us of the Love of our Savior. 

The prophets and apostles teach us those things that the Lord wants us to know.  In fact, every 6 months, there is a "General Conference" of the church, where they teach us those things that they are prompted to teach by the Holy Ghost.  You can watch or read what they taught us this past conference by going here

The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain

Daniel 2:44-45 is today's scripture mastery:

 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

These verses are Daniel's interpretation of the dream that king Nebuchadnezzar had.  This is an amazing story to me.  To summarize the story, king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that he wanted to know the interpretation of.  The problem was that he could not remember the dream. . . He wanted to know so badly that he threatened to kill all his wise men and astrologers and magicians if they could not tell him both his dream, and the interpretation of it.  Daniel was one of the wise men in the kingdom.  He knew that only God could provide what the king was asking for, so he fasted and prayed to God, asking for the dream and the interpretation.  God revealed to Daniel both, saving his life, but also the life of many others in the process.

Now, this dream that the king had was the foretelling of the restoration of the gospel to the earth in the last days.  The gospel, also known as the Kingdom of God, was figuratively cut out of the mountain without hands.  It is not something made my man.  It has come forth by the power of God.  It continues to grow, and it is now in most every kingdom in the world.  It will continue to grow, despite the opposition of the world, and it will fill the whole world.

This is great, as it will bring the blessings of the Atonement of Christ to all mankind.  These blessings are for all, bond and free, rich and poor, and men and women of all nations.  It is even for all those who have already lived, and now rest in the grave.  It is for all who are now on the earth.  It is also for all who are yet to be born!  God's love is not limited or arbitrary.  He has put his great plan of salvation in place for all.  I am very grateful for that.

The Bible and the Book of Mormon

Did you know that there is a prophesy in the Bible about the Book of Mormon?  It can be found in today's scripture mastery: Ezekiel 37:15-17

 15 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

 16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

Huh?  What are these sticks that Ezekiel talks about?  Well, the Hebrew word that was translated to stick means "wood."  The footnotes for verse 16 tell us that "Wooden writing tablets were in common use in Babylon in Ezekiel’s day."  So in other words, the Lord would cause His words to be written for both Judah (those words became what we know as the Bible), and for Joseph (those words became the Book of Mormon)


Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain writings of prophets who teach their people about Christ.  They come from two different continents anciently, but they both witness of the divinity of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  They complement each other, and we can learn a lot about how we should live by studying each of them.  Again, these words from 2 Nephi 29:11-14 explain the need for both much better than I could:

 11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

 12 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

 13 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.

 14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever.

Missionary work

Today's scripture mastery is about missionary work.  It is found in Jeremiah 16:16

 16 Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

These fishers and hunters that the Lord is talking about are fishing and hunting for the children of Israel, or in other words, God's covenant people.  The 12 tribes of Israel were scattered all over the world by different countries that had taken them in to slavery.  They got so scattered that it is very difficult to know where they are.

God knows where they are however.   He sends the missionaries all over the world to find them.  When they are found, they are taught the promises of the gospel, and they can partake of the blessings of the covenants and promises of the gospel that are theirs by birthright. 

There is a talk about the children of the covenant by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the quorum of the 12 apostles.  It talks about the wonderful blessings promised to Abraham and his posterity.  You can read it here.

These blessings of the gospel are not just for literal descendants of Abraham.  No, they are also for anybody who is adopted in to his family by baptism.  When anyone is baptised by the proper authority, they become heirs to all the same blessings--just as if they were born in the covenant.

These wonderful blessings that the gospel has are for everybody!  That is why we have such a strong emphasis on missionary work in our church.  It is because we have so much to offer!  We do it out of love for our fellow man.  We want everybody to be able to have the same blessings that we enjoy.

We don't always understand

Today's scripture mastery is Isaiah 55:8-9

 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

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

We don't always understand why God allows things to happen.  Often when things that are difficult happen to us or to those that we love, we wonder why a God who is all knowing, and all powerful, and all loving would allow such things to happen.  It is because God has a much better perspective than we do.  He can see the end from the beginning.  He knows that while things may be difficult for us now, they can actually work to our benefit-even if we don't see why.  We must remember that this life is not the beginning or the end.  Sometimes we won't understand why certain things happened in this life until much later...sometimes not even until after we die.  But we can rest assured that God does love us, and that all these things are for our good.

A talk was given by Hugh B Brown that gives an analogy of pruning a currant bush to our understanding of God (The Currant Bush - New Era)

I was living up in Canada. I had purchased a farm. It was run-down. I went out one morning and saw a currant bush. It had grown up over six feet high. It was going all to wood. There were no blossoms and no currants. I was raised on a fruit farm in Salt Lake before we went to Canada, and I knew what ought to happen to that currant bush. So I got some pruning shears and went after it, and I cut it down, and pruned it, and clipped it back until there was nothing left but a little clump of stumps. It was just coming daylight, and I thought I saw on top of each of these little stumps what appeared to be a tear, and I thought the currant bush was crying. I was kind of simpleminded (and I haven’t entirely gotten over it), and I looked at it, and smiled, and said, “What are you crying about?” You know, I thought I heard that currant bush talk. And I thought I heard it say this: “How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. I was almost as big as the shade tree and the fruit tree that are inside the fence, and now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me, because I didn’t make what I should have made. How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.” That’s what I thought I heard the currant bush say, and I thought it so much that I answered. I said, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and some day, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down, for caring enough about me to hurt me. Thank you, Mr. Gardener.’”

 We are often just like that current bush--we think that we know what is best, but God knows what he has in store for us.  He knows what our true potential is.  Let us put our trust in God, no matter what happens to us or those we love here in life.

Christ Suffered for our sins

Today's scripture mastery is Isaiah 53:3-5

 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah saw in vision many years before Christ was born that Christ would suffer for our sins.  He wrote a lot about Christ.  In fact, this being the Christmas season, I wanted to point out that Handel's Messiah, the classic Christmas choir song (one of my favorites) comes from the words of Isaiah.  For example, read this verse from Isaiah 9:6

 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Here is a link to the Halleluja Chorus from Handel's Messiah, if you would like to listen to it:  (linked from Wikipedia)  I know that the verse above is not in this particular recording I have linked here, but many others from Isaiah are.  Enjoy!

Isaiah, though he is difficult for me to to understand in many places, prophesies a lot about Christ and the wonderful gift of the Atonement.  Isaiah knew that Christ would come, and that in and through Him, we could be forgiven of our sins.  I am very grateful for Christ.  I hope to be able to keep the spirit of Christmas with me the whole year.

The restoration of the Gospel

Today's scripture mastery comes from Isaiah 29:13-14

 13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Isaiah foretold the "marvelous work and a wonder" (The restoration of the gospel) in these verses.  He knew that it would be needed.  The marvelous work has come, as is stated in Doctrine and Covenants 4:1-2:

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

 2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

The gospel has been restored.  It has been restored in a way that makes the "wise and prudent" of the world to stare in disbelief.

I want to focus on the first verse from Isaiah quoted above.  It is important that we "draw near" to God with more than just our mouth.  We need to do more than give "lip service"  We need to let the gospel really enter our hearts, and because of that live the gospel with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.  In order for the gospel to take real effect in our lives, we need to live it--even when others are not around us to see.  The gospel is not just something to live on Sundays while we are in church.  No, the living the gospel needs to be a full lifestyle.  We need to develop a true Christlike love for our fellow man.  We need to live as Alma taught in Mosiah 18:8-9

 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

 I am very grateful for the marvelous work and wonder that Christ has brought to us in these days.  I am grateful for the restoration of the gospel.  I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to try and become more Christlike in my life.  I know that I have a VERY long ways to go, but each day, I can do a little better, and do more what I know that I should.

Repent and be clean!

Today's scripture mastery is Isaiah 1:18

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

The gospel is all about giving us second chances.  We are all not perfect.  We all sin.  And sometimes we do more than the little sins--sometimes are sins are "as scarlet"  God still invites us to come to Him and repent.  Through the power of the atonement, all our sins can be cleaned, and be as "white as snow"

I was reading this morning in the Book of Mormon about the sons of King Mosiah, who went to go preach the gospel to the Lamanites.  This is how it describes their mission to teach them (Alma 17:14-15)

 14 And assuredly it was great, for they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

 15 Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the curse of God had fallen upon them because of the traditions of their fathers; notwithstanding the promises of the Lord were extended unto them on the conditions of repentance.

I highlighted the last part of verse 15 because it illustrates my point.  God wants to bless all of us here on earth.  He wants to be able to help us all be clean of our sins.  To receive that relief and happiness that comes from repentance, we only need to "reason together" with God.  We need to come to Him in prayer.  We need to stop doing the things that are against His commandments (and he has promised to help us with that step if we come to Him.)  And we need to repent.

Let us all humbly come to God, and repent of our sins.  He can heal us.  He wants us all to be clean and happy.

Trust in the Lord

Today's scripture mastery is Proverbs 3:5-6

 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Often when we are faced with a problem in life that we don't know how to solve, the solution only comes after putting our trust in the Lord.  He knows how to help and succor us in our times of need.  He knows the solution to the most difficult of problems.  Even when things seem the darkest, if we put our trust in God, He will help us through it.