Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 10:16-17

Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 10:16-17
"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

This is an amazing covenant and promised blessing. Repentance and that mighty change or heart is priceless.

"And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.
And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.
And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"
(Alma 5:12-14)

Day 3302

Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 9:13-14

Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 9:13-14
"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

This made me think of the red heifers that the Jews are trying to raise unspotted and supposedly needed to cleanse themselves before the third temple is built. I really don't understand it when Jesus Christ already made this sacrifice and the law of Moses is done away.

In this chapter Paul also mentions that Christ would only offer himself once, unlike the high priest that made this offering yearly.

"Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;" (Hebrews 9:25)

"It will be necessary here to make a few observations on the doctrine set forth in the above quotation, and it is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely done away when the Great Sacrifice [i.e., the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus] was offered up, and that there will be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in future; but those who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties, privileges and authority of the priesthood, or with the Prophets.
The offering of sacrifice has ever been connected and forms a part of the duties of the Priesthood. It began with the Priesthood, and will be continued until after the coming of Christ, from generation to generation. We frequently have mention made of the offering of sacrifice by the servants of the Most High in ancient days, prior to the law of Moses; which ordinances will be continued when the Priesthood is restored with all its authority, power and blessings.
Elijah was the last Prophet that held the keys of the Priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation, restore the authority and deliver the keys of the Priesthood, in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness. It is true that the Savior had authority and power to bestow this blessing; but the sons of Levi were too prejudiced.”And I will send Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord,” etc., etc. Why send Elijah? Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the Priesthood; and without the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness.
It is a very prevalent opinion that the sacrifices which were offered were entirely consumed. This was not the case; if you read Leviticus, second chap., second and third verses, you will observe that the priests took a part as a memorial and offered it up before the Lord, while the remainder was kept for the maintenance of the priests; so that the offerings and sacrifices are not all consumed upon the altar—but the blood is sprinkled, and the fat and certain other portions are consumed.
These sacrifices, as well as every ordinance belonging to the Priesthood, will, when the Temple of the Lord shall be built, and the sons of Levi be purified, be fully restored and attended to in all their powers, ramifications, and blessings. This ever did and ever will exist when the powers of the Melchisedek Priesthood are sufficiently manifest; else how can the restitution of all things spoken of by the holy Prophets be brought to pass? It is not to be understood that the law of Moses will be established again with all its rites and variety of ceremonies; this has never been spoken of by the Prophets; but those things which existed prior to Moses’ day, namely, sacrifice, will be continued.
It may be asked by some, what necessity for sacrifice, since the Great Sacrifice was offered? In answer to which, if repentance, baptism, and faith existed prior to the days of Christ, what necessity for them since that time? The Priesthood has descended in a regular line from father to son, through their succeeding generations."
(Joseph Smith Jr., "History of the Church", 4:211-212)

This quote was after the third temple, the Kirtland temple. was dedicated, and Elijah came to restore these priesthood ordinances keys. We are making offerings and sacrifices in righteousness now.

Day 3301

Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 8:10

Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 8:10
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:"

I read this in the New Testament Student Manual.

"The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) noted that although Jews in New Testament times generally rejected this new covenant, it would again be offered to them at a later time: “Christ, in the days of His flesh, proposed to make a covenant with them, but they rejected Him and His proposals, and in consequence thereof, they were broken off, and no covenant was made with them at that time. But their unbelief has not rendered the promise of God of none effect: no, for there was another day limited in David, which was the day of His power; and then His people, Israel, should be a willing people;—and He would write His law in their hearts, and print it in their thoughts; their sins and their iniquities He would remember no more” (in History of the Church, 1:313)."

The early saint went into apostasy because they rejected the new covenant. It made me stop and ponder on how much emphasis we had in the past general conference on keeping our covenants. Now I understand those words, and the urgency in it. We must be a people that have written His laws on our hearts and minds, our thoughts and actions.

Day 3300

Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 7:3

Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 7:3
"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."

How could Mechisdec be without father or mother. The Joseph Smith Translations explains this.

"For this Melchisedec was ordained a priest after the order of the Son of God, which order was without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life; and all those who are ordained unto this priesthood are made like unto the Son of God, abiding a priest continually."
(JST Hebrews 7:3)

It is the Mechizedek priesthood that is without father or mother, meaning it's not inherited.

"This phrasing indicates that, unlike the Levitical or Aaronic order in ancient times, the Melchizedek Priesthood is not conferred based on lineage alone. Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles further explained: “The right to this higher priesthood was not inherited in the same way as was the case with the Levites and sons of Aaron. Righteousness was an absolute requisite for the conferral of the higher priesthood” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 478).
(New Testament Student Manual, Chapter 49: Hebrews 7-13)

Day 3299