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.