"Because of My Transgression My Eyes Are Opened"

Old Testament Lesson 4: '
'Because of My Transgression My Eyes Are Opened''
by Ted L. Gibbons

The fall, precipitated by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, was one of what Elder McConkie called the "three pillars of eternity."

Introduction
At least three commandments were given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We mentioned them last week.

They were to:
1) multiply and replenish the earth;
2) not eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil;
3) stay together.

Only one of those commandments has been reported to us in a conditional context.

Of the forbidden fruit the Lord said,
"And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Moses 3:16,17)
"Nevertheless, thou mayest choose . . .

" When it became clear that one commandment must be broken to keep the other two, this was the one the first family elected to break.

A correct response to the challenges of incompatible commandments was necessary for Adam and Eve to prepare for their exaltation. The fall, precipitated by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, was one of what Elder McConkie called the "three pillars of eternity." (see A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 81)

Those pillars are, the creation, the fall, and the atonement. The central significance of these pillars is illustrated clearly by the teaching of Ammon to Lamoni and of Aaron to Lamoni's father ( Alma 18:26-39; Alma 22:12-14).

I. THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE AND ITS EFFECTS ON THEM AND US

The Lord clearly intended that Adam and Eve should partake of the tree of knowledge, but he also intended that they should be responsible for the consequences. Thus, to paraphrase Moses 3:17, If you want to live forever, don't eat the fruit of this tree. However, it is your tree and you can choose, but if you eat the fruit, you will bring death into the world. If that happens you must remember that I forbade it. Responsibility for the consequences will be yours and your alone.
The following from Dan Ludlow has been helpful to me:
"Sometimes it helps to understand a religious question if we ask ourselves, how else could our Heavenly Father have done this? For example, how else could our Heavenly Father have brought about the necessary conditions that resulted from the fall of Adam and Eve?

Following are four possibilities, and the only acceptable one is the one followed by the Lord:
1. What if the Lord had created the world in such a way that evil and sin would have been here from the beginning? In this case, God would be responsible for all sin and evil.
2. What if God had created the world in such a way that we never could commit any sin? In other words, what if he had never given us any law? It is true that in such a condition we never could have broken a law (committed sin), and thus there would have been no evil, no pain, or no disease. But if there is no possibility for sin and for the punishment and misery that accompany it, then there is no possibility for good and for the blessings and joy that follow obedience to law. None of us would want that type of world.
3. What if God had created a world where he would give us law (the opportunity of choice) but would not give us free agency (the freedom of choice)? How could there be any real growth in this situation? What development is there if we do things only because we have to do them? Also, how could a just God hold us responsible for our acts if we had no choice in the matter?
4. The other major possibility is the one the Lord followed.
He created a world that was without sin or evil, and he placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in a state of innocence. He then gave law (the opportunity of choice) to Adam and Eve, and he also gave them their free agency (the freedom of choice). Then, and this is a very important point, he did not hold Adam and Eve responsible for any transgression they committed in their state of innocence.
God knew before the earth was ever created that it would be necessary for Adam and Eve to fall so they 'would have seed'. Thus, even before the earth was created, Jesus Christ had agreed that he would pay the penalty required by the law of justice for the transgression of the law that resulted in the fall of Adam and Eve.

The scriptures refer to the Savior as 'the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world' (Rev. 13:8), and they indicate that Jesus Christ had agreed to bring about the atonement before the earth was ever created." (1 Pet. 1:19-20; Eph. 1:4; Moses 5:57 ; D&C 121:32; Mosiah 18:13 ; Ether 3:14 ).(Daniel H. Ludlow, "Q&A: Questions and Answers," New Era, Sept. 1973, 14)

Notice what Lucifer said to Eve:
"And he said unto the woman: Yea, hath God said--Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (And he spake by the mouth of the serpent.)" (Moses 4:7)

So far as we know, only one thing in the garden was forbidden to Adam and his wife. Lucifer took Eve's attention to that one thing. There were 876 trees (more or less) in the garden and they could eat of any or all of them, except that one, and the devil focused Eve's attention exactly there. As he always will. One of his ways to get into our hearts and minds is to point out the things we cannot do. Are there any movies you should not go to? Are there words you should not say? Are there things you should not do? Eve responded by indicating the forbidden tree and the consequences of touching or eating therefrom.
". . . the serpent said unto the woman: Ye shall not surely die; For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Moses 4:10,11)
Lucifer then made the accusation that God's intent was to keep Adam and Eve blind (he doesn't want your eyes opened) and captive (he doesn't want you to be as gods) is most interesting given the content of Moses 4:4.
"And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice."

We would do well to focus our attention on the things we can do: "of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat . . ." (Moses 3:16 ) rather than centering our attention on the things that are forbidden.

What changes came as a result of the fall? Both Adam and Eve have left us their testimony of the blessings that came to them because they partook.
"And in that day [the day an angel taught Adam and Eve of the atonement and they received the Holy Ghost] Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." (Moses 5:10,11)

Look at the list of blessings:
My eyes are opened
I can have joy in this life
I can be resurrected and return to the presence of God
We can have children
We know the difference between good and evil
We can know the joy of redemption
We can obtain eternal life

Lehi, who was probably paraphrasing the Moses 5:10,11 passage from the brass plates, explained what would have happened if they had not chosen to eat the forbidden fruit.
"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin." (2 Nephi 2:22,23)

The fall had other results as well.
The earth fell. "When the earth was framed and brought into existence and man was placed upon it, it was near the throne of our Father in heaven. And when man fell--though that was designed in the economy, there was nothing about it mysterious or unknown to the Gods, they understood it all, it was all planned--but when man fell, the earth fell into space, and took up its abode in this planetary system, and the sun became our light." (Journal of Discourses, Vol.17, p.144, Brigham Young, July 19, 1874)

Fear, embarrassment, a desire to hide from God (Moses 4:14 -16)
Enmity of Christ and Satan (Moses4:21; Gen 3:15; Chap. Head, Gen 3)
Sorrow for the man and the woman (Moses 4:23 ,25)
Death of men (Moses 4:15 )
Death of animals (Moses 4:27 )
Men became as God, knowing good and evil (Moses 4:28 )
Expulsion from the Garden (Moses 4:29 )
Cut off from the tree of life (Moses 4:31 )
The ground is cursed

Satan's intent in his temptation of Eve and Adam was to "destroy the world." (Moses 4:6) What connection is there between the forbidden fruit and this objective? What exactly Satan had in mind we do not know, but the response of the Father to the transgression of Adam and Eve is perfectly clear.
He" . . . drove out the man, and . . . placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life." (Moses 4:31)
Why?
"And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die." ( Alma 12:23)
The angel with the flaming sword was not a hood ornament. His assignment must have been to keep Adam and Eve away from the tree even at the cost of their lives. Why?
"And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect." ( Alma 12:7)

II. THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST SAVES US FROM PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL DEATH.

Note the new commandments given to our first parents in Moses 5:5.
"And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord."

For us, the sacrifice commanded by God is beautiful symbolism of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The context of this commandment and its explanation makes it clear that Adam and Eve were to learn obedience even before they learned about the atonement. They offered sacrifice because they had been told to, without understanding the meaning. When an angel, "after many days" asked Adam why he was killing baby animals, he replied, "I know not, save the Lord commanded me." (Moses 5:6)

That lesson is worth a note here. Not everything God asks us to do will make sense to us. His perspective is different from ours.
"Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made . . ." (D&C 38:1)

His ability to see the future, combined with his love for us will occasionally (frequently?) cause him to ask us to do things the purpose of which is invisible to us. Remember the profound insight from Isaiah regarding this?
"For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8,9)

I have a relative who is a superb linguist. His senior year in high school he took national language tests in French, German, and Spanish and finished in the 90th percentile in all three. At the same time he was studying, on his own, Norwegian, Hebrew, and Icelandic. He was the Sterling Scholar in Language Arts for the his home state.

His mission call was to England. In the four years I served at the Missionary Training Center I watched hundreds of missionaries struggle with the Portuguese language. This young man could have learned it during lunch. Why send him to England? It doesn't seem to make any sense. But then, it doesn't need to make sense.

We have all made the covenant of obedience as we partake of the sacrament and at other times. That covenant contains no conditional clauses about things making sense or about our right to understand the reasons behind every requirement. We said we would obey and we should. When the time comes, we pack our bags and go to England.

But to return to the issue of the sacrifice required of Adam. When the Lord was satisfied that Adam would keep the commandments, he taught him the greatest lesson of all:
"This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore." (Moses 5:7,8)

When the Holy Ghost then fell upon Adam, he learned of the power and reach of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten:

And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will. (Moses 5:9)
What an explosion of Joy must have followed that announcement: "as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed . . ." Moses 5:10 ,11 are a reflection of that joy.

III. ADAM AND EVE BEGIN LIFE AS MORTALS, BEAR CHILDREN, TEACH THEM THE GOSPEL, AND WORSHIP AND OBEY GOD.

What four things did Adam and Eve begin to do as they departed from the Garden?

They worked and tilled the earth (Moses 5:1)
They had children and then grandchildren (Moses 5:2,3)
They prayed and began to call upon the name of the Lord (Moses 5:4)
They taught their children (Moses 5:12 )

How important are these four activities in mortal life? Are there other, more important endeavors that Moses overlooked in writing this account? I think we would not be far from the truth in saying that these concerns constitute the basic duties of obedient mortal life.

Conclusion

The Savior makes it possible for us to return to the presence of God, but Adam and Eve made it possible for us to come here to partake of mortality and to be tested and prepared for that return. Does any one doubt that we were watching breathlessly through the veil while Eve and then Adam considered the fruit? What a cheer must have echoed through heaven when they both partook and opened the gate to what Eve called "the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." (Moses 5:11) We ought to give thanks for them and for the gift they have given to their posterity.

"The Creation"

"The Creation" Lesson 3,
Moses 1:27-42; Moses 2-3
Compiled and taught by Maren Hale, January 17, 2010

INTRODUCTION

Brothers and sisters, I highly recommend the marvelous 7-part series being shown on BYU TV Sunday nights at 8:00 P.M. entitle, “Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God.” With the help of 50 LDS scholars, this series chronicles the life and mission of the Savior. Last Sunday’s program, the first in the series, was on the premortal Savior, and was introduced by our own Cecilia Peek who did a marvelous job. This series will be a wonderful companion to our gospel doctrine study.

Today we will discuss the CREATION. There are three major scriptural accounts of the creation:

1. Genesis account (1:1-2:25): Written by the prophet Moses, who saw in a vision the creation of the earth and then recorded his vision (Moses 1:40, 2:1). Latter-day Saints regard it as the remnant of an account originally given to Moses.

2. Moses account (2:1-3:25): Written by the prophet Moses, who saw in vision the creation of the earth and then recorded his vision. This portion of Joseph Smith’s Inspired Translation of the Bible restores much of the fullness of Moses’ account which has been lost from Genesis.

3. Abraham account (4:1-5:21). Was written by the prophet Abraham, who saw in vision the creation of the earth and then recorded his vision. A form of it was discovered in an Egyptian tomb and later sold to the Latter-day Saints. By revelation, the Prophet Joseph Smith produced the text of the Book of Abraham and published it in the Times and seasons. In 1851 it was reprinted in the first edition of the Pearl of Great Price.

4. The Temple Account: This account teaches the various steps involved in the Creation, the sequence of events, and the roles of those involved. (Duane S. Crowther, The Creation; Keith Meservy, “Four Accounts of the Creation,” Ensign, January 1986, 50)

Russell M. Nelson: “The purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement all converge on the sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, pp. 33–36)

QUESTION: Why is there more than one account? [Repetition is a great teacher. There is always more to be learned from another recital of anything of value.]

Brigham Young taught that no revelation is ever received in its fullness. (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe, p. 40)

The Lord himself emphasizes to us the limitations of the present revelations when he promises that when he comes he will “reveal all things” (D&C 101:32-34)

There are other accounts of the creation:

5. The Ebla Tablets: Before the Bible as we know it was written, there were written correspondences between peoples in the Middle East. One of the oldest known writings may be the Ebla Tablets found in today’s Syria. These tablets contain a written account of the creation. (Daniel Rona, “The Creation”)

6. The Dead Sea Scrolls: In the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls which date back twenty or more centuries, reference is made to the creation. The text style is similar to the revelatory testimonies of Moses and Abraham. (Daniel Rona, “The Creation”).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “God himself, the Father of us all, ordained and established a plan of salvation whereby his spirit children might advance and progress and become like him. It is the gospel of God, the plan of Eternal Elohim, the system that saves and exalts, and it consists of three things. These three are the very pillars of eternity itself. They are the most important events that ever have or will occur in all eternity. They are the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement.” (“Christ and the Creation,” Ensign, Jun 1982, p. 9)
BODY

Moses Sees a Vision of God’s Creations

SCRIPTURES: Moses 1:4

“And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease.”

Moses 1:27-28

27. And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the spirit of God.

28. And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore.

QUOTE #1:

Orson Pratt: "Before the Lord revealed to him the history of its creation. Moses beheld every particle of the earth, and the account says there was not a particle that he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God. One of the revelations says, that whatsoever is light is spirit, and there are degrees of this spiritual influence that will affect the natural or mortal eye; then there are other degrees more refined, perhaps, which do not affect the mortal eye, but will affect the immortal eye, yet the Lord would be able to touch the eyes of a man like unto Moses or any other man of God, so as to show him every particle of the earth, inside and outside." (Journal of Discourses, 16:337)

The Lord organized eternal elements

SCRIPTURE: Moses 1:30, 32

30. And it came to pass that Moses called upon God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them?

32. And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.

Latter-day prophets inform us that God did not create the earth out of nothing, as is supposed by much of traditional Christianity today.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter” (D&C 131:7; D&C 93:33).

QUOTE:

Elder Orson Pratt: “The materials out of which the earth was formed, are just as eternal as the materials of the glorious personage of the Lord himself…This being, when he formed the earth, did not form it out of something that had no existence, but he formed it out of materials that had an existence from all eternity: they never had a beginning, neither will one particle of substance now in existence ever have an end. There are just as many particles now as there were at any previous period of duration, and will be while eternity lasts. Substance had no beginning;…the earth was formed out of eternal materials, and it was made to be inhabited and God peopled it with creatures of his own formation.” (Journal of Discourses, 19:286)

QUOTE #2 – Joseph Smith talks about the word create.

Joseph Smith: "The word create came from the [Hebrew] word baurau which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to ORGANIZE; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence, we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp350-351)

President Joseph F. Smith: “The scriptures plainly and repeatedly affirm that God is the Creator of the earth and the heavens and all things that in them are. In the sense so expressed, the Creator is an Organizer. God created the earth as an organized sphere; but He certainly did not create, in the sense of bringing into primal existence, the ultimate elements of the materials of which the earth consists, for ‘the elements are eternal (D&C 93:33).” (“The Father and the Son,” p. 934)

The Lord had help creating the earth

QUESTION: Who do we know who helped the Savior form this earth? [Adam who was Michael]

QUOTE # 3:

President Joseph Fielding Smith: “It is true that Adam helped to form this earth. He labored with our Savior Jesus Christ. I have a strong view or conviction that there were also others who assisted them. Perhaps Noah and Enoch; and why not Joseph Smith, and those who were appointed to be rulers before the earth was formed? We know that Jesus our Savior was a Spirit when this great work was done. He did all of these mighty works before he tabernacled in the flesh.” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 1:74-75)

QUOTE #4

President Joseph Fielding Smith: "Under the direction of the Father, Jesus Christ created this earth. No doubt others helped him, but it was Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who, under the direction of his Father, came down and organized matter and made this planet, so that it might be inhabited by the children of God." (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:74)

QUOTE #5 Elder Bruce R. McConkie summarizes what we have just discussed.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Truly Christ is the Creator of the future abode of the spirit children of the Father. But he does not work alone. The Creation is an organized venture; each of the other noble and great spirits plays his part. And the earth is created from matter that already exists. Truly the elements are eternal, and to create is to organize." (quoted in Studies In Scripture, 2:81)

The Lord created the earth for the eternal life of man
QUESTION: And what was his purpose for creation? [“…to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)]
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in a recent address: “Though we cannot understand ‘the meaning of all things,’ we do ‘know that [God] loveth his children’ (1 Nephi 11:17). because He has said, ‘Behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39).’
“Heavenly Father is able to accomplish these two great goals—the immortality and eternal life of man—because He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate.
“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul…The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. (“Happiness Your Heritage,” Ensign, 2008)
QUOTE: Reason for the creation

Brigham Young: "The whole object of the creation of this world is to exalt the intelligences that are placed upon it, that they may live, endure, and increase for ever and ever. We are not here to quarrel and contend about the things of this world, but we are here to subdue and beautify it. Let every man and woman worship their God with all their heart. Let them pay their devotions and sacrifices to him, the Supreme, and the Author of their existence. Do all the good you can to your fellow-creatures. You are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. God has created of one blood all the nations and kingdoms of men that dwell upon all the face of the earth: black, white, copper-colored, or whatever their color, customs, or religion, they have all sprung from the same origin; the blood of all is from the same element. 7:290
“The Lord created you and me for the purpose of becoming Gods like himself; when we have been proved in our present capacity, and have been faithful with all things he puts into our possession”. 3:93 (Discourses of Brigham Young, pp. 57)

QUOTE #6 Roll of agency

Wilford Woodruff: "The Lord Almighty never created a world like this and peopled it for 6,000 years, as he has done, without having some motive in view. That motive was, that we might come here and exercise our AGENCY. The probation we are called upon to pass through, is intended to elevate us so that we can dwell in the presence of God our Father." (Journal of Discourses, 25:9)

QUOTE #7

Joseph Smith: "Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p346-347)

The Lord has created worlds without number

We know that many worlds have been created.
SCRIPTURE: Moses 1:33,35
33. “And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.”
35. “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.”

QUESTION: How interested should we be in the other worlds? [It would be fascinating to know more, but this is not necessary for us to fulfill our purpose on this earth.]

Our knowledge of the creation is limited

QUOTE #8:

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Our analysis properly begins with the frank recital that our knowledge about the Creation is limited. We do not know the how and why and when of all things. Our finite limitations are such that we could not comprehend them if they were revealed to us in all their glory, fullness, and perfection. What has been revealed to us is that portion of the Lord's eternal word which we must believe and understand if we are to envision the truth about the Fall and Atonement and thus become heirs of salvation. This is all we are obligated to know in our day." (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p179)

SCRIPTURES:

Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

D&C 14:9: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which cannot be hid in darkness.”


Abraham 3:24: “And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell.”

Abraham 4:1: “And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth.”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie talks of the time frame involved in the creation and explains to us the necessity of understanding the creation.

QUOTE:

Elder Bruce R. McConkie “…What is a day? It is a specified time period; it is an age, an eon, a division of eternity; it is the time between two identifiable events. And each day, of whatever length, has the duration needed for its purposes…
“There is no revealed recitation specifying that each of the ‘six days’ involved in the Creation was of the same duration…The Mosaic and Abrahamic accounts [and]…the temple account [contain a] different division of events. It seems clear that the ‘six days’ are one continuing period and that there is no one place where the dividing lines between the successive events must of necessity be placed.” (Studies in Scripture pp. 81-82)

"The revealed accounts of the Creation are designed to accomplish two great purposes. Their general purpose is to enable us to understand the nature of our mortal probation, a probation in which all men are being tried and tested 'to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them' (Abr. 3:25). Their specific purpose is to enable us to understand the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, which infinite and eternal Atonement is the very foundation upon which revealed religion rests." (Studies in Scripture, p. 85)

Here, Elder McConkie is telling us that the revealed accounts of the Creation enable us to understand the nature of our mortal probation and the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Experiences with God’s creations

Think with me for a moment, how you feel about God’s creations.

EXPERIENCE: View of San Francisco Bay- by Maren Hale

I will always remember the evening when my husband and I as students drove up into the Berkeley Hills and saw for the first time a breathtaking view of the San Francisco Bay. I imagined what it must have been like for Native American Indians or the first explorers to come upon that scene for the first time – a bay so beautiful. It was impossible for me to imagine that this place happened by chance. I was so impressed and moved by the scene. It stood as a quiet testimony that there is a God in heaven who has created this planet as a place where we can continue our eternal progress.

ANOTHER EXPERIENCE: Stechelberg, Switzerland - by Maren Hale

We were living in Madrid, Spain. We decided that we wanted the opportunity to see some of Europe as a family. The only way we could afford that was by camping each night. We set out on a 2-week excursion with our then, 7 children and a young Spanish friend – so there were 10 of us in our van with a tent lashed to the top, pulling a small trailer.

We saw some beautiful scenery in Northern Spain, in the Pyrenees Mountains, the French countryside, and the Swiss Alps. One sight I will never forget. We pulled into the small town of Stechelberg, Switzerland, one evening as it was getting dark. There was a thick fog all around us. A friendly English family helped us find electrical hook-ups and a place to pitch our large tent. I made dinner over our Coleman stove and we put the children to bed.

The next morning, the fog had lifted and as we looked outside we couldn’t believe where we were. We were in a river valley between steep mountain cliffs. There were glaciers on each side and waterfalls cascaded thousands of feet from the mountain tops to the floor of the valley. We walked to a river that was a frothy, white-grey. It had a turbulence that was frightening to watch and the sound was tremendous. Our children walked among the wildflowers. As we climbed to the top of a low mountain to reach a village at the top, we stopped and heard cow bells and a yodeler. We sang songs along the way and heard our echoes. When we reached the top, we felt like we were literally on top of the world. There was a soft breeze and the air was velvety.

We met people at the campsite from many countries. We were the object of their curiosity with our large American family. We found fresh blackberries and I made a cobbler that night for dinner. Our day in Stechelberg had been perfect -- it seemed to us like paradise.

Man is created and given dominion over the earth

After the creation of the earth, and after it had been filled with plants and animals we read:

SCRIPTURE: Moses 2:26-27

26. And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. And I, God, said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27. And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them"

QUOTE #9

Elder M. Russell Ballard: "Families on earth are an extension of the family of God. According to the LDS concept of the family, every person is a child of heavenly parents as well as mortal parents. Each individual was created spiritually and physically in the image of God and Christ (Moses 2:27; 3:5). The First Presidency has declared, 'All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity’.” (Messages of the First Presidency, 4:203).
“Everyone, before coming to this earth, lived with Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, and each was loved and taught by them as a member of their eternal family." (Our Search for Happiness, p. 70)

We learned in verse 26 that the Lord said that man would have “dominion over all the earth.”

QUESTION: What responsibility does this DOMINION require of us? [We need to respect the earth and care for God’s creations.]

EXPERIENCES: by Maren Hale

I’m sure we’ve all had an epiphany of when we realized that we needed to be respectful of the earth. Some times it just happens and other times it is forced upon us.

One day as a young girl, I dropped a chewing gum wrapper on the ground on the way to school. My best friend quietly picked it up and put it into her pocket. I have not littered since.

Another experience: We were living in Berkeley, California, during the great 3-year drought that plagued the area. We couldn’t water the lawn and our children took bucket baths for over a year to conserve water. To this day, I have trouble watching water just run down the drain.

QUOTE #10 Hugh Nibley tells us that being given dominion makes us responsible.

Hugh Nibley: "To have dominion is the Latin word to be a dominus. The domus is the 'house.' The dominus is the lord who is the master of the house and is responsible for all the creatures in the house…that's his obligation. We think of it as a license to exterminate. You are made lord of everything. You are given dominion and made responsible." (Ancient Documents and the Pearl of Great Price, Lecture 19)

QUOTE: I love this quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley

President Gordon B. Hinckley: “I have looked at majestic mountains rising high against the blue sky and thought of Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth. I have stood on the sand of an island in the Pacific and watched the dawn rise like thunder – a ball of gold surrounded by clouds of pink and white and purple – and thought of Jesus, the Word by whom all things were made and without whom was not anything made that was made. I have seen a beautiful child – bright-eyed, innocent, loving and trusting – and marveled at the majesty and miracle of creation. What then shall we do with Jesus who is called Christ?
“This earth is his creation. When we make it ugly, we offend him. Our bodies are the work of our Creator. When we abuse them, we abuse him. (“What Shall I Do Then with Jesus Which Is Called Christ?” Ensign 1983, pp. 3-4)

All things are first created spiritually

In Moses 3:7 – We learn that all forms of life were created in heaven “spiritually before they were, naturally, upon the face of the earth.”

SCRIPTURE: Moses 3:7

7. And I, the Lord God, formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were before created; but spiritually were they created and made according to my word.

EXPERIENCE: Birth of Spring- Maren Hale

I recall vividly the birth of our 3rd child. She was born on Good Friday in 1974. As I labored, I thought about the suffering of the Savior in Gethsemane. When she was born I looked on her darling head of curls and marveled at this great creation from our Father in Heaven. I looked at her tiny hands and feet with each finger and toe perfectly in place. Her tiny chest heaved up and down quickly with the beat of her heart. I smelled her flower breath. I felt her sweet spirit and dearly loved her – she was ours. We drove her home Easter morning and named her Spring.

QUESTION: How have you felt at the birth of a child, when you have held a baby, played with or taught a child?

POEM:

I have always loved this poem by a friend, Susan Davis.

I know the motion of a miracle;
A child with endless possibility,
Whose earthly sustenance depends on me,
Is quickened in my body’s spherical
Warm cradle, put by God into my care.
Across millenniums I take Eve’s hand
And with her, though I cannot understand
The sorrow in her curse, am blessed to bear
The mortal family of God. Above
All other gifts of heaven is this of life –
In the embodiment of human love.
How dear the gift. As mother and as wife
The longings of my womanhood are stilled;
My measure of creation is fulfilled.

CONCLUSION

Brigham Young: "The whole object of the creation of this world is to exalt the intelligences that are placed upon it, that they may live, endure, and increase for ever and ever.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, John A Widtsoe, Page 57)

Brothers and sisters, our bodies are a part of God’s greatest creations. He instructed that the earth be created for our benefit, so that we might have an opportunity to return to him through faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endurance. We have dominion over the earth. May we appreciate our opportunities here, I pray.


References:

Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price
Duane S. Crowther, “The Creation,”
Keith Meservy, “Four Accounts of the Creation,” Ensign, January 1986, p. 50
Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe
Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie
Journal of Discourses
Daniel Rona, “The Creation”
Bob Beardall, “The Creation”
Quotes as noted in lesson


"The revealed accounts of the Creation…enable us to understand the nature of our mortal probation [and] understand the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Elder Bruce R. McConkie (Studies in Scripture, p. 85)

“Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born”

Old Testament
Lesson 2
Prepared by Bill Beardall
“Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born”
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Lesson Highlights
• Abraham learns that in the premortal life many spirits were foreordained to their mortal missions.
• Jesus Christ was chosen in the Council in Heaven to be our Savior; we chose to follow him.
• Lucifer (Satan) and the spirits who followed him were cast out of heaven.
A study of this lesson will help us understand the doctrine of foreordination and our responsibility to help build up the kingdom of God and bring souls to Christ.
Scripture references for study: Abraham 3; Moses 4:1–4
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Introduction
1. WHERE DID WE GET THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM?
o Between 1817 and 1821, Antonio Lebolo was doing excavation work in Upper Egypt on the west bank of the Nile River. While digging, he discovered eleven well-preserved mummies in a large tomb.
o Lebolo had these mummies shipped to Trieste, Italy. He authorized Albano Oblasser, a shipping magnate in Italy, to sell them on his behalf. Lebolo died in 1830. The mummies were sent to two shipping companies in New York City. They were to sell the mummies to anyone who would pay the appropriate sum and the proceeds would be sent to Lebolo's heirs. (Ibid.)
o Early in 1833 the mummies were acquired by Michael Chandler, who claimed to be Lebolo's nephew. Over the next two years Chandler exhibited these mummies in places such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, and Cleveland (not far from Kirtland, OH). In July 1835, Chandler visited Kirtland, OH. He had heard of Joseph Smith and his claim of translating ancient Egyptian. Eventually, the Church purchased four mummies and at least two rolls of papyrus for $2,400.
o Said the Prophet, "I commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another, the writings of Joseph of Egypt" The Prophet translated the Book of Abraham from these rolls.
o After the Prophet's death, the artifacts were kept by his mother, Lucy. Emma took possession after Mother Smith's death in 1856. Shortly thereafter, they were sold to Mr. Abel Combs, who then sold two mummies with some papyri, which were sent to the St. Louis Museum. They eventually ended up in the Chicago Museum where it appears they burned in 1871. (BYU Studies, 10:58)
o What happened to the other two mummies and remaining papyri is unclear. In 1918, the daughter of Abel Comb's housekeeper approached the New York Metropolitan Museum with papyri she said were once owned by Joseph Smith. In 1947, the museum finally acquired the papyri from her widower. In 1966, Aziz S. Atiya, of the University of Utah saw eleven of these fragments at the museum. He informed Church leaders and in 1967 the Church acquired the fragments from the museum. One of these fragments is Facsimile No. 1. It appears that, except for the fragment containing Facsimile No. 1, these remaining fragments come from later religious texts. ________________________________________
Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born - Abraham 3
1. Abraham learns that in the pre-mortal life many spirits were foreordained.
o Like Moses, Abraham was also given a vision of the Lord's creations. This vision was given after Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees and prior to his arrival in Egypt.
 "Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord, face to face, as one man talketh with another; and he told me of the works which his hands had made; And he said unto me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof" (v11-12).
 Abraham saw in vision the governing stars and learned that the great one is "Kolob." This star is near the Lord and has been set by the Lord to govern the order of planets like unto this earth (v2-3).
o Abraham is told of degrees of intelligence among spirits and that these spirits "have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal" (v18).
 WHAT HAS ABRAHAM BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE NATURE OF OUR SPIRITS?
 The Prophet taught in the King Follett discourse: "I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it had a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had not beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are co-equal [co-eternal] with our Father in heaven." (TPJS, p353)
 Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "'There is no such thing as immaterial matter,' the Prophet tells us. 'All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.' (D. & C. 131:7-8.) This spirit element has always existed; it is co-eternal with God. (Teachings, pp. 352-354.) It is also called intelligence or the light of truth, which 'was not created or made, neither indeed can be.' (D. & C. 93:29.)
"Speaking of pre-existent spirits, Abraham calls them 'the intelligences that were organized before the world was.' (Abra. 3:22-24.) Thus, portions of the self-existent spirit element are born as spirit children, or in other words the intelligence which cannot be created or made, because it is self-existent, is organized into intelligences." (Mormon Doctrine, p71)
o READ ABRAHAM 3:22-23.
 WHAT IS ABRAHAM SHOWN IN THIS VISION?
 He is shown a glimpse of life in our pre-existent, heavenly state.
 Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "There were many meetings, conferences, councils and schooling sessions held among the Gods and their spirit offspring in pre-existence. Among other things, at these various assemblages, plans were made for the creation and peopling of this earth and for the redemption and salvation of the offspring of Deity." (Mormon Doctrine, p163)
 WHO WAS PRESENT IN THIS PRE-EXISTENCE?
 Heavenly Father and his spirit children.
 WHO ARE "THE NOBLE AND GREAT ONES" DESCRIBED IN THESE VERSES?
 The prophets and church leaders through the ages.
 In his great vision, Joseph F. Smith identified some of those who were among the noble and great ones, "The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work.... I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God." (D&C 138:53, 55)
o Abraham was told that these "noble and great ones" would be made rulers (v23). The Lord informed Abraham that he had also been "chosen" before he was born.
 WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT ABRAHAM WAS "CHOSEN" BEFORE HE WAS BORN?
 He was foreordained to be a prophet and a father to a righteous people.
 WHAT IS FOREORDINATION?
 Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "To carry forward his own purposes among men and nations, the Lord foreordained chosen spirit children in pre-existence and assigned them to come to earth at particular times and places so that they might aid in furthering the divine will. These pre-existence appointments made 'according to the foreknowledge of God the Father' (1 Pet. 1:2), simply designated certain individuals to perform missions which the Lord in his wisdom knew they had the talents and capacities to do. The mightiest and greatest spirits were foreordained to stand as prophets and spiritual leaders..." (Mormon Doctrine, p290)
 Joseph Smith: "Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council." (TPJS, p365.)
 DID FOREORDINATION GUARANTEE THAT ABRAHAM, JOSEPH SMITH, AND OTHERS WOULD BECOME PROPHETS? WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOREORDINATION AND AGENCY?
 Even though a person is foreordained to a calling, that calling is dependent on the person's worthiness and willingness to accept it.
 Consider the teachings of Alma to the wicked people in Ammonihah: "And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.
"And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.
"And this is the manner after which they were ordained--being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
"And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren." (Alma 13:1-4)
 Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "Predestination, once so powerful an influence on the human scene (and not without its residual presence today), is overturned by the doctrines of premortal existence and of foreordination. Instead of an arbitrary, unmerited 'chosen-ness,' the merits of individuals meet the beckoning call of God." (Not My Will, But Thine, p.39)
 As the Prophet stated, "Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was."
 DOES THAT INCLUDE US? WHAT MIGHT WE HAVE BEEN FOREORDAINED TO DO?
 "Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men." (D&C 138:56)
 Might these include:
 A Primary teacher.
 A Scout leader.
 A home teacher or visiting teacher.
 A missionary.
 A parent.
 Service in any of these callings may impact the "salvation" of a soul or many souls.
 It may be that anytime we are in instrument in the Lord's hands in the work of salvation, we are carrying out a foreordained calling.
 President Ezra Taft Benson: "God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord. Some individuals will fall away; but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head - even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. That is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God....
"...Make no mistake about it-you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp104-105)
 HOW CAN WE BE SURE WE ARE FULFILLING OR PREPARED TO FULFILL OUR FOREORDAINED CALLINGS?
 Keep the commandments.
 Strive to live a divinely centered life by staying in tune with the will of God through scripture study, pondering, communication with the Father through prayer, and service.
 Study our patriarchal blessings.
 One of my greatest personal concerns is that I have not lived my life in sufficient righteousness to be worthy to fulfill my foreordained callings. I hope we are not like those who Alma mentioned when he said, "others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren." (Alma 13:4)
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Jesus Christ Was Chosen In Council In Heaven
1. READ ABRAHAM 3:24-28.
o WHAT IS BEING DESCRIBED IN THESE VERSES?
 The great Council in Heaven.
 Elder James E. Talmage explains what was at stake in this great Council: "We have heretofore shown that the entire human race existed as spirit-beings in the primeval world, and that for the purpose of making possible to them the experiences of mortality this earth was created. They were endowed with the powers of agency or choice while yet but spirits; and the divine plan provided that they be free-born in the flesh, heirs to the inalienable birthright of liberty to choose and to act for themselves in mortality. It is undeniably essential to the eternal progression of God's children that they be subjected to the influences of both good and evil, that they be tried and tested and proved withal, 'to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them .' Free agency is an indispensable element of such a test." (Jesus the Christ, p17)
2. READ MOSES 4:1-4.
o HOW DID THE OFFERS OF JESUS CHRIST AND LUCIFER DIFFER?
 Agency.
 Jesus: "...we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them" (Abraham 3:25).
 Lucifer: "...I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it" (Moses 4:1). He "sought to destroy the agency of man" (Moses 4:3).
 WHY IS THIS AGENCY SO IMPORTANT?
 To answer this question, one must first understand our Heavenly Father and our potential eternal destiny. We can only become like him as we work our way through the experiences of our existence.
 How successful are we when force is used. Consider the success we have enjoyed in the free world in contrast to the failures of the Soviet system of big brother and coercion. Satan was offering counterfeit salvation. Like counterfeit money, it might look good on the surface, but it had no lasting value.
 "And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet." (D&C 29:39).
 Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Lucifer, in the Grand Council when the Great God presented the plan of agency and salvation, proposed instead to save all men. 'I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost and surely I will do it,' he said. (Moses 4:1.) That is, none would be damned; damnation would not be a viable alternative to salvation; there would be no agency -- no freedom of choice, no election to serve God or to flee from evil and turn to righteousness. But if there is no freedom of choice between damnation and salvation, how can either exist? They are opposites; without one you cannot have the other. Lucifer's proposal to amend the Father's plan could not be; it was philosophically impossible to accomplish. He could not save all mankind, because unless some were damned, there would be no salvation, for nothing can so much as exist unless it has an opposite. Agency and freedom of worship are just that basic and important in the eternal plan of salvation."
 Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "If the Lord were to show His power as some expect power to be used-which is virtually unthinkable-mortals would experience, among other things, prompt punishment rather than divine long-suffering. God would then stop all human suffering and silence all opposition to His work. In countless ways He would control the adverse effects of agency merely to prove that He was all-powerful. But He would not be all-loving for in effect He would have derailed His plan of happiness! The enforced cooperation would not produce illuminated individuality but an indistinguishable 'compound in one' (2 Nephi 2:11). We would then be back to that proposal of enforced 'salvation' rejected so long ago (Moses 4:1)." (Not My Will, But Thine, p91)
 The will of The Father.
 Jesus: "Father, thy will be done" (Moses 4:2).
 Lucifer: "Satan rebelled against me" (Moses 4:3).
 Who receives the glory?
 Jesus: "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever" (Moses 4:3).
 Lucifer: "...wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:1).
 DO YOU THINK THE FATHER WAS CONCERNED WITH WHO RECEIVED THE GLORY?
 This was not a battle of egos, except in the case of Satan.
 Webster's College Dictionary gives one of the definitions of glory as "a state of absolute happiness." The Father's glory or happiness comes as we follow the plan of happiness. Happiness cannot be forced upon us. We must follow the path. We must make the choice. ________________________________________
We Chose To Follow Jesus Christ
1. WHOM DID WE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW IN THIS COUNCIL IN HEAVEN?
2. HOW DO WE KNOW WE CHOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST?
o The fact of our birth here on earth with physical bodies is evidence that we chose the plan presented by Jesus Christ. The one-third of Heavenly Father's children that followed Lucifer will not receive a physical body.
3. "And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever." (Abraham 3:26)
o WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE TERMS "FIRST ESTATE" AND "SECOND ESTATE"?
 First estate: Our premortal life.
 President George Q. Cannon: "It is true that pre-existence is taught; but the pre-existence in which we believe is confined to our first estate. We are taught that our present life is our second estate, and this is a probation given unto us in which to gain experience and to be tried and purified to prepare us for our next estate." (Gospel Truth, p23)
 HOW DID WE KEEP OUR FIRST ESTATE?
 We chose to follow Jesus Christ.
 WHAT WAS THE REWARD?
 Mortality.
 Second estate: Our mortal life.
 HOW DO WE KEEP OUR SECOND ESTATE?
 By following Jesus Christ. We do that by keeping his commandments and seeking to do his will until the end of our days.
 Elder Elray L. Christiansen: "God has created us and has made possible this earth life. But here and now you and I are in the process of molding the future, and in that sense we are our own creators. My friends, what you are to be you are now becoming. What you do here actually determines what you will be there. You, then, have had a divinely-planned beginning. You may, if you will meet the conditions prescribed by God, obtain a divinely-designed and glorious destiny." (BYU Speeches of the Year - 1964, p7)
 Sister Elaine Cannon: "This grand adventure of choosing well is at every stage worth the battle. We are here to learn what the Savior learned. God is the author of the format, and he is the master teacher. He will not deny us our right to learn for ourselves those lessons that will prove us herewith, that will mark our development. This development includes how we deal with what happens to us, how we feel about life and God, and how much we learn that is of value to us now and in the eternities.
"Life is a very special kind of schooling. It is a training ground for our next estate. When we become converted to - not just convinced of that truth and idea, our trials and tribulations will be more meaningful to us."
 WHAT IS THE REWARD?
 We "shall have glory added upon" our "heads for ever and ever" (Abraham 3:26).
 What is that glory? The glory of the Father. Eternal happiness which comes as we follow in the footsteps of the Father.
 Elder Sterling W. Sill: "From the beginning we have lived under the promise that if we passed the test of faithfulness during our years of mortality, we would graduate into a glorious, everlasting third estate. The third act is where the happy endings are; that is where the rewards are handed out. The third act is where, like the Redeemer himself, we may qualify for a glorious bodily resurrection and have all of the possibilities of eternal progression made available to us."
 Elder John A. Widtsoe: "Death must be viewed as a portal to a new and a greater life, in which man, possessed of new experiences and a material as well as a spirit body may continue eternally the exploration of the inexhaustible universe and gain never-ending education and never-ending advancement. Under the law of progression, the imperishable man may move onward more rapidly and fully than ever before. Every natural power of man on earth will be retained, improved and perfected, with others added. The power to accept or to reject, to gain knowledge and to use it wisely will be keener than before. This is the Third Estate and the last estate of man. It is an eternal life of action, increase and progress."
4. Lucifer/Satan and his followers were cast out of Heaven.
o WHAT HAPPENED TO LUCIFER AND THOSE WHO CHOSE TO FOLLOW HIM?
 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:7-9)
 Lucifer and his followers were eternally damned: they were prohibited from following the Father's plan of eternal happiness.
 Cast from heaven.
 Denied mortality and the physical body necessary for eternal progression and happiness.
 "The rebellious spirits followed Lucifer and with him were cast down to the earth and became devils or evil spirits, never to receive physical bodies on earth (Moses 4:1-4; D&C 76:25-27; cf. Rev. 12:4, 7-9; D&C 29:36). Satan and his followers remain spirit beings made in the image of God but are still rebellious and evil."
 President Lorenzo Snow: "We come into this world because we kept our first estate in the midst of all the trials and difficulties in the other life. It was not all of the family of God that preserved themselves in their first estate. One-third part of the host of the children of God, His offspring, traveled in a different direction, and were not worthy to come into the world. They do come sometimes, but they have to borrow bodies, not having any of their own."
o WHAT ARE SATAN AND HIS FOLLOWERS DOING NOW?
 Lucifer, Son of the Morning, "...became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice." (Moses 4:4)
 Elder Joseph F. Merrill: "Let us not forget that Satan, a spirit brother of ours, is here on earth with a myriad of other spirit brothers. They are among us for a purpose—they are doing all in their power to destroy us and handicap the work of the Lord. Satan knows us our desires, our weaknesses, our secrets. He tempts us in a multitude of ways. He attacks us where we are weak, not where we are strong. He stirs us up to doubt, to question, to criticize, to hate, to be slothful, discouraged, sinful, and wicked. He is at the bottom of dissension among the Saints. He is ever near at hand to make attempts to overcome and lead us away. I have in mind not only us in this meeting but people generally. Undoubtedly Satan's influence and power in the world today is greater than ever before."
 President Ezra Taft Benson: "There is a conspiracy of evil. The source of it all is Satan and his hosts. He has a great power over men to 'lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken' to the voice of the Lord (Moses 4:4). His evil influence may be manifest through governments; through false educational, political, economic, religious, and social philosophies; through secret societies and organizations; and through myriads of other forms. His power and influence are so great that, if possible, he would deceive the very elect (see Matthew 24:24). As the second coming of the Lord approaches, Satan's work will intensify through numerous insidious deceptions
o WHAT ARE SOME SPECIFIC WAYS THAT SATAN TRIES TO LIMIT OR DESTROY OUR AGENCY?
 To name a few:
 Harmful substances.
 Brainwashing by the media: books, movies, television, music, Internet, video games.
 Governmental controls.
o WHAT CAN WE DO TO RECOGNIZE AND RESIST SATAN'S EFFORTS TO DESTROY OUR AGENCY?
 Live by the Spirit - as we do so, we will be able to detect these attempts.
 If we live unrighteously, we lose the Spirit, and surrender our agency to other forces.
o HOW CAN PARENTS TEACH AND TRAIN THEIR CHILDREN WHILE PRESERVING CHILDREN'S AGENCY?
 As the Prophet Joseph Smith stated: "I teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves." (quoted by John Taylor in Millennial Star 13:339)
 This is a process. Little children must have some restriction on their agency, but as they grow and learn we must become like Heavenly Father and allow them to exercise their agency. It is our responsibility to teach correct principles.
 The family life of President and Sister Hinckley sets a wonderful example:
 "Neither Gordon nor Marjorie was inclined to impose on the children a lengthy list of rigid rules and regulations. He insisted that he did enough preaching elsewhere—he had no desire to come home and do more. Discipline was handled much the same way. They both believed that harsh corrective measures only created resentment. 'Mother and Dad taught us that there was a difference between principles and rules,' Ginny explained. 'There are never enough rules to tell you what to do in every situation. But they did put a few principles in place. We felt free to make decisions because we knew the fundamental principles against which everything could be measured'." (Go Forward With Faith, p168)
 "One Sunday morning as the family was getting ready for church, Ginny complained to her mother, 'Do I have to go to church today?' Without hesitating, Marjorie responded calmly, 'No, you don't have to go if you don't want to.' After a pause, she added, as though it were simply a logical arrangement: 'But if you're going to stay home, would you get dinner on for us? It would be wonderful to come home from church and have dinner ready.' Ginny agreed, and Marjorie left worrying that she should have handled the situation differently. The family returned home to find the meal prepared and Ginny waiting for everyone on the front lawn. 'Virginia never stayed home again,' Marjorie said. 'She found it was better to just go with the family than to stay behind alone. In that situation, it helped to not make a federal case out of the issue'." (Go Forward With Faith, p174)
 "One of the best ways to protect your home from evil influences is to gather together as a family and pray a prayer of dedication. These prayers should establish the family dwelling as the following:
" - A place of worship.
" - A safe harbor from the world.
" - A healthy environment in which to grow spiritually.
" - An atmosphere of encouragement and love where family relationships can grow ever closer.
"Once the family has dedicated its home, each member has a responsibility to uphold this dedication. Fathers and mothers must monitor the content and time spent in non-spiritual entertainment. In these days where cable television with no censorship is prevalent in the common household, parents have a sacred duty to protect their offspring from obscenity, pornography and all unwholesome material, be it visual or oral. Likewise, young people must exercise wisdom and discernment in what they see and hear." (LDS Church News, 06/03/95)
 How to Checklist:
 Heed the counsel of prophets on avoiding evil influences.
 Live the gospel; pray, study the scriptures as a family.
 Foster loving, peaceful atmosphere; avoid contention.
 Allow only uplifting music, other media into your home.
(LDS Church News, 06/03/95)
________________________________________

Old Testament, Lesson 1 – “This is My Work and My Glory”
[Compiled by Maren Hardy Hale, January 3, 2009, Pleasant View 1st Ward Gospel Doctrine Class]


INTRODUCTION

Last week in our introduction to the Old Testament. We learned that:

1. It teaches the existence of a personal God,
2. That the earth and all things upon it are provided for man’s benefit, but that man must obey divine law to secure the blessings he desires,
3. and that the OT provides a witness of the Son of God, the great Jehovah.

The study of the Old Testament should strengthen our testimony of the Savior and our commitment to live His gospel.

QUOTE #1:

President Gordon B. Hinckley: “I hope that for you [studying the scriptures] will become something far more enjoyable than a duty; rather, it will become a love affair with the word of God. I promise you that as you read, your minds will be enlightened and your spirits will be lifted.” (Ensign, May 1995, p. 99)

Yesterday, the Church News (Jan. 2, 2010) had an article on the importance of keeping a Journal – saying that it will foster progress. As we read the scriptures we will benefit greatly if we record the goals and spiritual experiences that fill our minds.

Bishop Allen has suggested to us in the past to keep a scripture journal.

QUOTE #2:

President Spencer W. Kimball: “We renew our appeal for the keeping of individual histories and accounts of sacred experience in our lives – answered prayers, inspiration from the Lord, administration in our behalf, a record of the special times and events of our lives… I promise you that if you will keep your journals and records they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to you, each other, your children, your grandchildren, and other throughout the generations.” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 349)


This year’s course also includes the books of Moses and Abraham from the Pearl of Great Price.

We may not all understand the source for the Book of Moses?

Robert J. Matthews: “The most direct definition that I could give in answer to the question ‘What is the Book of Moses?’ is to say that it consists of the first 8 chapters of Genesis of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible, which was for many years called the Inspired Version but is now more properly named the Joseph Smith Translation.

“Since the Book of Moses has been published separately in the Pearl of Great Price, and since the Church is not the publisher of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, the historical connection between the Book of Moses and the translation of the Bible has eluded most Latter-day Saints. However, the original manuscript of Joseph Smith’s translation leaves no doubt on the matter that as far as the Book of Moses goes the two are the same.” (Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 2: The Pearl of Great Price, p 25)

Moses 1 is a vision that Moses received approximately 3,000 years ago. This vision was revealed to Joseph Smith, the Prophet, in June, 1830. The subsequent chapters, the writings of Moses, were revealed at different times during the year 1830.

In Moses Chapter 1, Jehovah, the premortal Jesus Christ and the God of the Old Testament, appeared to Moses in a vision. He is one with His Father in purpose and represents Him in power and authority. His words are those of the Father, and sometimes in Moses He speaks in the first person for the Father.

BODY

We are Children of God

Moses 1 helps us answer 3 important questions:

◦ Who are we?
◦ How can we overcome the influence of the adversary?
◦ What is God’s work and glory?

SCRIPTURE: Moses 1:1-11
1. The words of God, which he spake unto Moses at a time when Moses was caught up in an exceedingly high mountain,

2. And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence.

3. Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?

4. And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease.

5. Wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth.

6. And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all.

7. And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son, for thou are in the world, and now I show it unto thee.

8. And it came to pass that Moses looked and beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered.

9. And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth.

10. And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.

11. But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.

QUESTION: What did Moses learn about God? [He is eternal, He created worlds without ends]

QUESTION: What did Moses learn about himself? [He was created in the similitude of the Savior, he became humbled and knew he was nothing]

QUESTION: What difference can it make in our lives to know that we are created in the similitude of the Savior? [We are children of our Father in Heaven. We are like him and can become more like him]

I am not aware of another religion that shares this simple truth with us! Like Moses, our spirits came from the great Creator. As part of the same mortal family, we are also sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. We are also created in his image.

If we, indeed, are literal spirit children of the great Creator, the Eternal Father, we have implanted within us the seeds of great eternal potential, even to become like Him. Knowing this great potential should give us cause to have hope and a powerful desire to live our lives worthily.

QUOTE #3:

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "Consider the power of the idea taught in our beloved song 'I Am a Child of God.' . . . Here is the answer to one of life's great questions, 'Who am I?' I am a child of God with a spirit lineage to heavenly parents. That parentage defines our eternal potential. That powerful idea is a potent antidepressant. It can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us. Establish in the mind of a . . . person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God, and you have given self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life." (Ensign, Nov 1995, p25)

There is nothing more important we can recognize on the earth than that we are children of God. I was reminded of an experience of our oldest Son, Forrest.
While serving on his mission in Milan, Italy, He passed a period of time that was unfruitful. Forrest and his companion came up with the idea to do some “guitar tracting.” Forrest had an old guitar we had sent him, and he and his companion learned a few hymns they could sing together.
Forrest says: “After passing nearly 4 months without getting in a single door, our first night of “guitar tracting” went something like this…we would buzz the outside intercom for someone to let us in. When they would inevitably ask, ‘who is it?’, rather than go through our regular shpiel of ‘Hey, we’re missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we have a special message to share with you today about how families can be together forever,’ we instead said, ‘Hello, we’re missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we would like to come in and sing you a few songs…. I have my guitar with me…. Would that be alright?’
“….. BUZZZZZZZ…. The front door made that beautiful sound we rarely heard as missionaries in that area, someone letting us inside the building!! We made our way up to the apartment (we would always start at the top of an apartment building and work our way down) and were greeted and ushered inside the apartment. Without any hesitation, we introduced ourselves, and extracted the guitar from its case.
“Our new friends looked on intently, smiling all the while, as we would start into ‘I Am a Child of God.’ After finishing the song (often receiving some modest applause), we would ask, ‘What did you think about that song? How did it make you feel?’ We would then take the opportunity to discuss the verses of the song with them and proceed to touch on all the points of a first discussion!! After making a follow-up appointment for another discussion, we would leave the apartment and proceed down a flight of stairs and repeat the process all over again.
“My companion and I went from teaching 1 or 2 first discussions a month in that area to well over 30!! Many people would ask us to write down the words of the song for them, which we would gladly do inside the front cover of a Book of Mormon. Point is…this song had a profound effect on many people I came in contact with. This song speaks of simple truths that were easy and natural for people to hear, understand, and know to be true.” (Forrest Hardy Hale)
In Moses 1:9-11, Moses learns that man is nothing.
◦ In previous verses, Moses communed with God and learned his importance and eternal potential.
◦ After the presence of God withdrew from him Moses said, “Now for this
cause I know that man is nothing.”

QUESTION: How can both concepts be true? [We have within us the seeds of eternal potential, but we can achieve nothing without dependence on God.]

QUOTE: #4

President Harold B. Lee: “It is a wonderful thing for us in our younger years to remember what old age brings. Chauncey Depew, a United States Congressman, was asked on his ninetieth birthday about his philosophy of life. He replied that when he was a young man his greatest ambition had been to display his intelligence, but the older he grew the greater was his anxiety to conceal his ignorance. It was indeed the beginning of learning when Moses said, after the great and soul-stirring revelation of the personality of God, ‘Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.’ (Moses 1:10). That was in the beginning of his wisdom.” (Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 198-199)

We Can Resist Satan’s Temptations

SCRIPTURE: Moses 1:12-15

12. And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.

13. And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his only Begotten; and where is thy glory that I should worship thee?

14. For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely?

15. Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve.

Here Satan commands Moses to worship him.

QUESTION: Why did Satan refer to Moses as “son of man”? [He is trying to influence the thinking of Moses. The Lord had referred to Moses as “son of God,” – a reference to his spiritual nature and divine potential. Satan wanted man to believe that he was no greater than any other creature.]

Satan takes a similar approach with us. He seeks to make the teachings of men more appealing than the light of truth. When we accept those teachings, we deny the fact that God is the father of our spirits.

EXPERIENCE:

A few days ago, I spoke on the phone to a relative. She said her son, who had recently divorced his wife, had told her that he no longer thought he believed in God. This young man has a 2-year-old daughter and is a returned missionary.

He had found the teachings of men more appealing than the light of truth. He believed that drugs would enhance his happiness. He believed that liquor would relax him. He believed that being free meant not being tied to a marriage. He believed that fun was the goal and work is only a means to acquire fun.

He was conflicted during his trip at Christmastime when he picked his daughter up from his former wife for the day. His wife seemed more beautiful to him, peaceful, and content. He felt conflicted upon learning that she is dating a returned missionary who is very much in love with her. He mentioned to his mother that he wanted to go and talk with the stake patriarch about God.

This young man was experiencing the lure of Satan’s appeal to have fun as his goal in contrast to his wife’s peaceful nature that spoke of obedience and freedom from sin. He had spent all his time listening to the voice of men and no time listening to the voice of God. (Maren Hardy Hale)

QUOTE #5: Elder Bruce R. McConkie addressed how we worship Satan.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “One of Satan’s greatest sins, as he works his nefarious schemes among men, is to get them ‘to worship him.’ (Moses 1:12; 6:49). His success in this venture is phenomenal. As the god of this world, he has the support and, though they may not consciously realize it, the adoration and worship of all those who live after the manner of the world. God our Father is worshipped in and through compliance with his commandments and in no other way. The same is true of Satan.” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 193)

QUESTION: How did Moses respond when Satan called him “Son of Man’? [He spoke up for truth and said, “Who art though? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten.” (Moses 1:13)

Our strong testimonies, that we are sons and daughters of God, help us to resist temptation.

4 times Moses told Satan to depart

SCRIPTURE: Moses 1:16-21

16. Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten.

17. And he also gave me commandments when he called unto me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me.

18. And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee. Depart hence, Satan.

19. And now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me.

20. And it came to pass that Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, calling upon God, he received strength, and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory.

21. And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan.

This teaches us that temptation may not flee from us when resisting it just once. It may come back to haunt us again. We must be prepared, be vigilant, and keep our lives in order so that we will not be worn down by temptation.

EXAMPLE: I know I have felt I have moved away from and beyond a former temptation, only to find that years later, it has revisited me. I’ve learned that if we fortify ourselves with prayer, scripture study, good habits, self control, obedience, and good works we can resist that temptation again. (Maren Hardy Hale)

Alexander Pope wrote:

Sin is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet, seen too oft, familiar with his face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

We read in verse 18: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee.

We learn hear that Moses has a relationship with God. He has felt the Spirit and he doesn’t feel it with Satan.

QUOTE #6:

President Hugh B. Brown: “I say to each and every one present, you will be equal to any temptation that may come to you provided you meet it with firmness when it first appears. I repeat, no man goes to hell in a single jump. Be careful with the first appearance of evil.” (Abundant Life, p. 73) [“Avoid the very presence of evil!”]

We need to develop a relationship with the Savior and our Father in Heaven that can support and sustain us. This relationship brings us the fullest measure of happiness. We need to nurture it daily through obedience, prayer, study, and good works.

QUESTION: How did Moses get Satan to leave? [“Moses…called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan.” (Moses 1:21)]

Brigham young tells us how prayer strengthens us to resist temptation:

QUOTE #7

President Brigham Young: “It matters not whether you or I feel like praying, when the time comes to pray, pray. If we do not feel like it, we should pray till we do.
“If the Devil says you cannot pray when you are angry, tell him it is none of his business, and pray until that species of insanity is dispelled and serenity is restored to the mind.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p 44-45)

The Work and Glory of God

After Satan departed, Moses again beheld the glory of God and was shown another vision of the earth and its inhabitants.

Moses asked in verse 30: “Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them?”

God answered in verses 31-32 that he made these things for his own wise purpose, and that by His Only Begotten has he created them.

The Lord expands on His answer in verse 33, “And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.”

President Joseph Fielding Smith: “Not only was this earth planned as an architect plans his building but its entire destiny and the destiny of its inhabitants was considered and known to the great Architect, before its foundation stones were laid. Our Eternal Father was not experimenting when this world came into existence. It did not come by chance. It is not the first of his creations. Millions upon millions of worlds such as this had rolled into existence before our earth was born. Every step taken was according to the divine plan, and that plan was an eternal one, which had been followed in the construction of other worlds without number unto man. In other worlds the plan of salvation had been given. Here we are enacting familiar scenes; scenes which are new to all mortal men, but which are well known to the Father and also to the Son.” (The Way to Perfection, pp. 35-36)

After touching on the vast expanse of His creations, the Lord states that he would only give Moses an account of the earth (Moses 1:35). He continues by stating that “there is no end” to his works (Moses 1:38).

I love the Hymn by William W. Phelps, “If You Could Hie to Kolob”

3. The works of God continue,
And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression
Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter;
There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit;
There is no end to race.

4. There is no end to virtue;
There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom;
There is no end to light.
There is no end to union;
There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood;
There is no end to truth.

5. There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above.
(Repeated)

The Lord more fully answers Moses in verse 39.

SCRIPTURE: Moses 1:39

“For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immorality and eternal life of man.”

QUOTE #8:

President David O. McKay: “What is the end and purpose of religion, swaying the lives of men the centuries through? The Latter-day Saints answer in the words of the Lord revealed through the Prophet Joseph that the end and purpose of true religion, which is the work of God, is’…to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’.” (Gospel Ideals, p 357)

President James E. Faust tells us about immortality and eternal life and how we may receive them:

QUOTE #9

President James E. Faust: “There is a distinction between immortality, or eternal existence, and eternal life, which is to have a place in the presence of God. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, immortality comes to all…, just or unjust, righteous or wicked. However, eternal life is ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God’ (D&C 14:7). We obtain this great gift, according to the Lord, ‘if you keep my commandments and endure to the end.’ If we so endure, the promise is, ‘you shall have eternal life.’ (D&C 14:7).” (Conference Report, October 1988, p. 14)

QUOTE #10

Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “Fortunately, God is preoccupied with His children. We (and what we may become) are His work and glory (Moses 1:39). All that He does is for our benefit (2 Nephi 26:24). As George MacDonald said of God, “He lays no plans irrespective of His children. Worlds and suns and planets…are but a ‘portion of His workshops and tools for bringing out of righteous men and women to fill His house of love’.” (Meek and Lowly, p. 12)

President Gordon B. Hinckley tells us of our role in this great work:

QUOTE:

President Gordon B. Hinckley: “`We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: … ‘In doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord’ (D&C 81:4)” (Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 94)

CONCLUSION

President Harold B. Lee: "Again and again has been repeated the statement that the home is the basis of a righteous life. With new and badly needed emphasis on the 'how,' we must not lose sight of the 'why' we are so engaged. The priesthood programs operate in support of the home; the auxiliary programs render valuable assistance. Wise regional leadership can help us to do our share in attaining God's overarching purpose, 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.' (Moses 1:39)
“Both the revelations of God and the learning of men tell us how crucial the home is in shaping the individual's total life experience. Running through all this is the urgency of impressing the importance of better teaching and greater parental responsibility in the home. Much of what we do organizationally, then, is scaffolding, as we seek to build the individual, and we must not mistake the scaffolding for the soul." (Stand Ye In Holy Places, p.309)

I pray that we will make our homes a place:
of prayer,
of teaching,
of learning,
of obedience,
of responsibility,
of service,
of faith.
of love,
– a place where the Spirit may dwell.
We are children of God, we can overcome the influence of the Adversary, and have the potential to become like our Father and Heaven and Jesus Christ.


References: Moses 1, Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, Robert J. Matthews quote, Bob Beardall,’s GD Lesson, January 2, 2010 Church News, Forrest Hardy Hale’s experience, Maren Hardy Hale’s experiences, and Conference Reports (Ensign).

Introduction to the Old Testament

My good friend Maren Hardy Hale is the instructor this year in the study of the Old Testament at my Ward (church meeting building and geographical area) and in this introduction lesson she has taken hours researching the information I have attached. Some of you know that no matter where you are in the world on Sundays or as it happens in Israel on Saturdays this years study in Sunday School is the same, from the same manual, by the same writers, on the same Sundays around the world.

Now my personal interest: As most of you know I was born in my grand parents family home, the home of my Mother's parents, Emma Jane Thomas Bethune and Daniel Malcolm Bethune, outside of Hartsville SC about 10 miles. By the time I was 4 we had moved to Florence SC where my brother Howard Jr was born, then we lived a short while in Atlanta GA, then we moved to Fayetteville NC where my brother Dan was born and where I started school in a private Catholic school because I was only 5 and not old enough for public school as my birthday was not until the end of Nov. The first book we learned to read from was the Old Testament. We made Bible maps out of flour, salt and water and then used water colors to color them. I loved the stories, I did not like all the discipline but over all my young memories were good ones.

The years in Fayetteville were fun and I especially liked Bible School on Sundays and in the summers. I also was aware that my grand parents, my parents and my aunts were members of the Mormon church and I did understand the differences from other religions by the time I was in 5th grade. Because for many years we did not have a gathering of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints in Fayetteville I attended a different church each Sunday with friends, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Synagogue, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Catholic.

By the time I was baptized in Hartsville in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward Building on my 8th birthday I knew enough to speak my mind about the differences. I was a logical child and I wanted answers so I would ask and ask and ask. More often than not I had to wait until we visited Hartsville where there were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints to get answers that satisfied me. I did learn from all religions the Old Testament is the foundation for all that I would learn in the years to come and indeed it is so. My testimony of Jesus Christ was first born when I was a small child and it became the focus of my life.

As far back as I can remember I have attended Sunday worship, Monday Family Home Evenings, Thursday Relief Society luncheons and lessons, Friday evening dinners at Church, Saturday clean up days at the meeting house, weeks at a time of directing plays at church, choir practice, years of church baseball teams with children and basketball and volleyball, scouting, years of rehearsals for Dance Festivals with 10,000 teens and on and on. I realized I was working all the years I have worked to support my family and myself but also to make it possible to get to and be part of all the activities, events, classes and socials at church.

This will be an exciting year as we work our way through the Old Testament and discover more meanings and insights. The blog will be open for comments and dialogue, we will learn together.

So find your Bible scriptures the King James version and keep a Book of Mormon handy too. And rather than saying "you don't believe or agree with what is said or written" help us to find answers and offer your opinions.

Please pass this invitation along to your loved ones. I love you all.....surely you know that by now and I want to connect in the best possible way and this seems to be an answer to prayer. Patricia/Pat/Grandma Trish/Mom


Introduction to the Old Testament December 27, 2009
Maren Hale, Pleasant View 1st Ward Gospel Doctrine Class

BOARD: “The Old Testament prophets from Adam to Malachi are testifying of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament, and it was He who conversed with Abraham and Moses.” President Spencer W. Kimball (Ensign, May 1977, p. 76, referenced in Ensign, January 2009, p. 41)

INTRODUCTION
EXPERIENCE:

The first time I tackled the Old Testament was when I attended early morning seminary as a teenager in Washington, D.C. I can’t recall too much about that experience now.

I remember my first full, in depth read through and study of the Old Testament. I was a young mother with small children. We were living in Maryland at the time. A friend from the ward and I decided we would read every single page of the Old Testament. For a year, we met once a week for an hour to discuss the things that stood out for us during our week’s reading.

I recall that Numbers and Deuteronomy were particularly tedious. We underlined every reference to Christ we could find – and there were so many.

My next in depth study session with the Old Testament was during an evening Institute class when we were stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho. The teacher and class members added to my understanding.

I’ve also been able to attend about 3 series of gospel doctrine classes that focused on the Old Testament.

In 2010, I’ll be learning right along with some of you and will look forward to being enlightened by many of you. In the new year we will be drawing upon the scholarship of great scholars in the Church, 3 of whom we sadly lost in 2009 – Daniel H. Ludlow, Truman G. Madsen, and Robert J. Matthews.

BODY

The Old Testament of the Bible is considered part of the official canon of scripture for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Old Testament is considered an "indispensable foundation" to understanding the ordinances and covenants we make during this life.

The Old Testament consists of a collection of books.

The term “Old” is used to distinguish it from the “New” Testament, or the Old Covenant from the New Covenant given by Jesus. Most scholars refer to the Old Testament as the “Hebrew Bible” or the Jewish Bible. Jews refer to it simply as “The Holy Scriptures.”

The books were written mainly in Biblical Hebrew with a few books in Biblical Aramaic.

The King James Version

The King James Version is an English translation of the Bible begun in 1604 and first published in 1611 under the authority of King James. The edition was published by the Church of England.

The Old Testament of the King James Version was translated from the
Masoretic Hebrew text. The translation was commissioned because of
glaring errors of translation in the bibles commonly used in England.

It was the result of the translating efforts of 47 scholars working in groups centered in universities. They often worked separately and then compared their translations. The guidance of King James encouraged them to uphold the
"divine right of kings to rule," and common protestant ideals.

A few years ago, I received from my Mother, a fascinating book by Adam Nicolson entitled God’s Secretaries, The Making of the King James Bible.

QUOTE: In it the author states:

“Jacobean England was the England of Shakespeare, Jonson, and Bacon, and the worst outbreak of the plague. Jacobean England was both more godly and less godly than the country had ever been, and the entire culture was drawn taut between these polarities.

“This was the world that created the King James Bible. It was the greatest work of English prose ever written, and it is no coincidence that the translation was made at the moment…the English language itself, had come into its first passionate maturity.

“The making of the King James Bible…remains something of a mystery. The men who did it, who pored over the Greek and Hebrew texts, comparing the accuracy and felicity of previous translations, arguing with each other over the finest details of chapter and verse, were many of them obscure at the time and are generally forgotten now, a gaggle of fifty or so black-gowned divines whose names are almost unknown but whose words continue to resonate with us.”
(God’s Secretaries, The Making of the King James Bible, pp. xi-xiv)

Because of the numerous translations performed anciently and the orientation of the King James scholars, who made translation decisions by majority vote, the Bible includes many errors in translation.

Thus, Latter-day Saints are Bible-believing Christians—as long as the Bible is translated correctly (see Article of Faith #8). Revelation directly from the Lord makes up for errors in translation. Thus, the other scriptures canonized by the Church clarify many obscure passages and omissions in the Bible.

Purpose and Message of the Old Testament

Through the power and light of the Old Testament, we gain precious and enduring benefits:

1. We gain a deeper understanding of the origin and nature of God’s design for the immortality and eternal life of man.

2. We gain life-sustaining insights into the covenant process of sanctification and purification.

3. We gain a treasured witness of the verity of Christ’s calling and atonement.

4. And we gain a greater abundance of strength and courage to “seek the face of the Lord always.” (D&C 101:38)

Let’s read about the message of the Old Testament:
QUOTE #1:

Elder John A. Widtsoe: “What is the message of the Old Testament? From the first to the last, in the Pentateuch, in the historical books, in the poetical books, and in the prophets, it teaches the existence of a personal God, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, the Father of the human race. It teaches that the earth and all things upon it are provided for man’s benefit but that man must obey law, divine law, to secure the blessings he desires. It teaches that obedience to the moral law, given by God for human conduct, involving faith in God, not to be compared with man-made, ethical, selfish codes of action, is the most important concern of man. It is the message of messages for humankind. (Evidences and Reconciliations, Salt Lake City, Improvement Era, p. 135)

QUESTION: So, what is the primary purpose for the Old Testament?
[To provide a witness of the Son of God, the great Jehovah]

The Old Testament shows us how we can move forward to be more like Him through covenant fidelity and obedience.

In the Old Testament we view our Savior in His sacred role as Jehovah, Messiah, Christ, Creator, Emmanuel, Jesus, and the King.

By making the Savior the central focus of our study of the Old Testament, we can look forward to rich blessings of wisdom in applying the Lord’s doctrines and commandments in righteousness.

How to Understand the Old Testament

Today we will discuss 8 ways we can achieve a deeper understanding of the Old Testament and its eternal message.

1. The first step to understanding the Old Testament is to study and pray.

QUOTE #2:

Brigham Young: “The Bible, when understood, is one of the simplest books in the world, for, as far as it is translated correctly, it is nothing but truth, and in truth there is no mystery save to the ignorant.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 124)
This statement gives us a clue to understanding the Old Testament – we must study and ponder the book, become acquainted with its makeup and format, and learn its doctrines and teachings.

The reason why the scriptures should be searched diligently is in the statement by the Savior in John 5:39: “They are they which testify of me.”

2. The 2nd step to understanding the Old Testament is to Follow the Spirit

Nephi taught of the power of combining the word of God with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

SCRIPTURE: 2 Nephi 32:3-5

3. Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

4. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

5. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

QUOTE: In his Latter-day Commentary on the Old Testament, Brother Ellis T. Rasmussen points out:

Brother Ellis T. Rasmussen: “The individuals and the peoples of the Old Testament experiences hopes and fears, aspirations and disappointments, achievements and failings in all of which we can find examples of good or evil, to be emulated or avoided. Indeed, as we see Old Testament accounts of our spiritual forebears and sense their faith, reverence, hope and joy – or feel their doubt, infidelity, despair, and misery – we may find ways to avoid pitfalls ourselves, reach our ideals, and attain more joy. But it must here be declared that the most important aid to understanding the Old Testament, or any other book of scripture, is the inspiration from the Holy Spirit, which is promised to us in those scriptures.” (A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament, Salt Lake City, Deseret, 1993, vii-viii)

3. The 3rd step to understanding the Old Testament is to Look at the big picture

When we are focusing our attention on a specific scriptural passage in the Old Testament or on a broader sweep of events and developments, it is helpful to begin our consideration by examining things from a higher perspective. By looking at the big picture ---- the structure and purpose of an entire book or series of books ---- we can often acquire a framework for understanding and interpreting individual passages or events.

QUOTE #3 Elder Charles W. Penrose gave the following counsel:

Elder Charles W. Penrose: “In reading the scriptures, whether the Old Testament or the New Testament, in order to understand them properly we should not take one isolated text, but read it in conjunction with the context, then we get the meaning of the writer or speaker.” (Conference Report, April 1911, p. 33)

The use of the Bible Dictionary is helpful in understanding the bigger picture.

QUOTE #4: Victor Ludlow gives us some specific recommendations:

Brother Victor Ludlow: “The reader should study the following items in the Bible Dictionary to better understand the Old Testament as a whole: Scripture, Bible, Canon, Italics, Joseph Smith Translation, Writing, Scroll, Roll, Codex, Lost Books, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Hagiographa, Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Vulgate, Dead Sea Scrolls, Tell el-Amarna Letters, Talmud.” (Unlocking the Old Testament, Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 1981, p. 2)

4. The 4th step to understanding the Old Testament is to look upon the Old Testament as a “family matter.”

The scriptures deal with the Lord’s relationship to and interaction with HIS FAMILY – the vast congregations of mankind that constitute His progeny. In this sense, all scripture is family history.

QUOTE #5: Daniel H. Ludlow provides some interesting details in connection with this view of scripture:

Daniel H. Ludlow: “The Old Testament is primarily a record of a series of families. In order to understand and appreciate the Old Testament, you will need to understand the major events, beliefs, customs, and traditions of the families discussed. (In Richard D. Draper, ed., A Witness of Jesus Christ: The 1989 Sperry Symposium on the Old Testament, p. 118)

“The family of Adam is introduced first, but by chapter 6 of the first book (Genesis), the family of Noah appears. In only 6 more chapters (Genesis 12), the family of Abraham is featured, next Isaac (whose birth is recorded in chapter 21), and then Jacob (Israel), whose story begins in chapter 25 and whose descendants dominate the remainder of the Old Testament.

Thus, of the 929 chapters in 39 books in the Old Testament, only 24 chapters do not deal directly with Jacob and his descendants, and these first 24 chapters provide the background for the coming forth of the family of Israel.

“The last part of the Old Testament is primarily concerned with a specific segment of Jacob’s family – the Jews, descendants of Jacob’s 4th son (Judah), and also citizens of the kingdom of Judah. Thus, sometimes the entire Old Testament is referred to as the ‘record of the Jews.’

“Other titles associated with the heads of major families might be used to indicate that the Old Testament is also the record of –

1. The Semites (descendants of Shem, the son of Noah)
2. The Hebrews (descendants of Abraham)
3. The Israelites (descendants of Jacob/Israel)

“All Israelites, (descendants of Jacob/Israel) are Hebrews (descendants of Abraham), but not all Hebrews are Israelites.

QUOTE:

Brothers Ed Pinegar and Richard Allen inform us that: “One reason the world is confused about these terms is that essentially the only Israelites the world has know about for over 2,700 years…are Jews. Most people, therefore, think the terms Jew and Israelite are synonymous, but they are not. (A Companion to Your Study of the Old Testament, pp. 5-6)

5. The 5th step to understanding the Old Testament is to read the Old Testament on its own terms.

Brother Lowell Bennion gives us some valuable advice for understanding the Old Testament on its own terms:

QUOTE:

“Some of [the prophets’] teachings have local and temporary meaning only; others have universal enduring value. It is not always easy to distinguish between the two, but the Old Testament cannot be understood apart from the times and circumstances in which its writings were produced.

“People habitually read a book…from beginning to end; but the Old Testament was not written as a single book…It is more like a shelf of books in a library, arranged neither chronologically nor alphabetically. Proverbs and Psalms are themselves collections of writings composed over centuries…

“Some Christians have not been interested in the Old Testament for its own sake but only because it predicts the coming of Jesus Christ…It can be so powerful that they may relate passages to the Savior that do not apply to him.”
(Lowell L. Bennion, The Unknown Testament, 1988, pp. 4-6)

QUOTE #6

Brother Lowell L. Bennion: “The Old Testament is a wonderfully honest and human record as well as inspired of God. Its humanity and divinity co-mingle in a fascinating record. It works best when it is read for its own sake, not as something it is not.” (Lowell L. Bennion, The Unknown Testament, 1988, pp. 4-6)

We need to remember that the Old Testament was formulated within a linguistic context very different from our own. If we were to seek an intimate understanding of the basic text of the Old Testament, we would likely want to acquire a knowledge of Hebrew.

QUESTION: Now, who studied Hebrew in our Church history? -- The Prophet Joseph Smith.

6. The 6th step to understanding the Old Testament is to become accustomed to the figurative and symbolic language of the Old Testament.

The ancient prophets frequently turned to figurative or symbolic language and often expressed themselves in poetic imagery to convey their inspired messages.

QUOTE:

These are guidelines that will be helpful as we decide how to correctly interpret the symbols used in the Old Testament:

1. Look for the interpretation of the symbol in the scriptures themselves.

2. Look for Christ in the symbols and imagery of the scriptures.

3. Let the nature of the object used as a symbol contribute to your
understanding of its spiritual meaning.

4. Seek the reality behind the symbol – the reality behind the Old Testament is Jesus Christ and His teachings of salvation. The better we understand Him, the more clearly we will see the meaning of the
symbols. (Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation, Gerald Lund, pp. 54-56)

The poetic nature of some Old Testament discourse lifts the message upward.

The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, often felt inspired to project the message of divine purpose and love through poetry.

7. The 7th step to understanding the Old Testament is Cross-illumination: Turn to Latter-day Revelation

We are extremely fortunate to be able to enrich our understanding of the Old Testament through insights and guidance derived from latter-day scripture. There are many illustrations.

QUOTE #7

Brother Robert J. Matthews said: “It is evident that the Old Testament, as it has come to us today, is not as clear and not as complete as it was anciently. Many plain and precious things have been taken from it…Thus we need the benefit of latter-day revelation…to give us a perspective and understanding of the Old Testament. Without latter-day revelation, a correct and thorough viewpoint of the Old Testament cannot be achieved, and hence I am bold to declare that the Latter-day Saints can have a more correct understanding of the Old Testament than anyone else upon the face of the earth…” (Selected Writings of Robert J. Matthews: Gospel Scholars Series, p. 109)

8. The 8th step to understanding the Old Testament is to look for practical themes and applications.

Our study of the Old Testament can be rendered more productive if we will seek to draw out themes and applications that can assist us in cultivating a more spiritual nature in our daily lives.

Themes of the Old Testament

We’ll now look at seven themes the Old Testament:

1. It is the old testament, or witness, of Jesus Christ. (The ancient prophets saw His coming and understood His ministry).

2. The message of the Old Testament is that the gospel is eternal. It was the same for the ancient patriarchs as it is for Latter-day Saints.

3. The Old Testament is a book about covenants. (Helps us learn how to make and keep covenants. We also learn the horrible consequences of breaking our oaths to God).

4. The Old Testament is a key to unlocking other scriptures.

5. The Old Testament is the record of our spiritual and physical ancestors. (It is the journal account of our own ancestors’ struggles to live the gospel).

6. We come to better appreciate temples through he Old Testament. (Our own Latter-day Saint temple heritage gives us an appreciation of why the children of Israel would sacrifice to build a temple to the Lord).

7. We gain a greater appreciation for the laws of God in the Old Testament.
(The torah or the law took a very special place in the hearts of the people).

QUOTE #8:

Brother Lee Donaldson: “…We will find the Old Testament so compelling [to read and study]. There are familiar tones of eternal principles in this testament of Christ. Its message is so familiar to Latter-day Saints because it is the same gospel. One can embrace this book because reading it is like coming home to an old friend.” (“Record of a Loving God and His People,” LDS Church News, January 1, 1994)

CONCLUSION

We have just celebrated Christmas and the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Old Testament prophesies concerning the birth of Christ have been fulfilled. Let’s look at three examples.

SCRIPTURES:

In Micah 5:1-2 we learn that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem:

Micah 5:1-2: “Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousand of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

In Isaiah 7:14 we read that Jesus would be born of a virgin and called Immanuel.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Hebrew = with us is God)

We read in Isaiah 9:6-7 that Jesus would come from David's family and be heir to his throne.

Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to 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, Counselor, The might God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for eve., The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

The Old Testament consists of writings from ancient prophets who testified of Jehovah (Christ) and His ministry yet to come.

The Old Testament teaches many important truths that must be understood to have a firm grasp of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It lays the foundation for the ancient covenants which have governed God's people since the beginning. The Old Testament is also important because all of the other official scriptures of the Church are rooted in it.

The Old Testament was the history and heritage of those living in New Testament times. It was the contemporary history of much of the Pearl of Great Price and the Book of Mormon. Even the Doctrine and Covenants is better understood in light of the teachings of the Old Testament.

QUOTE: Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin:

“We delight in the knowledge of the Lord that we find recorded in the Old and New Testaments. We know that Jehovah of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament are one and the same.

“We are grateful that this sacred record of God’s dealings with the people of ancient Israel ... has been preserved and passed to us to enlighten our minds and strengthen our spirits.

“The fragmentary nature of the biblical record and the errors in it, resulting from multiple transcriptions, translations, and interpretations, do not diminish our belief in it as the word of God “as far as it is translated correctly.”

“We read and study the Bible, we teach and preach from it, and we strive to live according to the eternal truths it contains. We love this collection of holy writ.” (“Christians in Belief and Action,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, p. 70).

The prophets who lived in Old Testament times prophesied of the coming Christ, His Atonement, and His Second Coming. They preached repentance to the people and warned them of the consequences of sin. These books also teach the concepts of tithing, fasting, the pre-mortal life and foreordination, the importance of temples and prophets, God's love for all nations, the return of Elijah, the sticks (writings) of Ephraim and Judah coming together, and the coming forth of the kingdom of God.


I am grateful for the Old Testament –

I pray that we may we have the desire and discipline to read and study it –

to ponder and pray –

and to invite the Spirit into our lives through it.

References:

Teachings and Commentaries on the Old Testament, “Understanding and Appreciating the Old Testament,” Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 1-12

God’s Secretaries, The Making of the King James Bible, Adam Nicolson, Harper Perennial, 2003

Various sources from an Internet Google referencing topic of: Old Testament introduction, LDS

Ensign, January 2010, pp. 39-45