Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 100:11

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 100:11
"And I will give unto thee power to be mighty in expounding all scriptures, that thou mayest be a spokesman unto him, and he shall be a revelator unto thee, that thou mayest know the certainty of all things pertaining to the things of my kingdom on the earth."

The power to expound all scriptures made me think of Bruce R. McConkie and his role in helping to develop the 1979/1981 edition of the Latter-day Saint Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. With his inspired understanding of the scriptures he was able to write all the chapter headings. How I depend on them. This made me find the BYUtv show "That Promised Day: The Coming Forth of the LDS Scriptures". The Lord truly put in place the right people able to make the scriptures "one in thine hand".

"Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: the take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephram, and for all the house of Israel his companions.
And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand"
(Ezekiel 37:16-17)

Then Elder Thomas S. Monson was a printer and understood page layout, format, styles and type. Elder Bruce R. McConkie was an expert on the doctrine. He oversaw the footnotes, chapter headings, JST, and dictionary. Elder Boyd K. Packer oversaw that it be affordable and able to be handled, he also oversaw the topical guide and concordance. The talents and gifts of these apostles and all the others involved in this undertaking were absolutely given power to be mighty in expounding all scriptures. I cannot image how much I would be lacking if I did not have ability to cross reference these scriptures to learn and study from them.

"Never since the day of Joseph Smith...has there been such an opportunity to increase gospel scholarship as has now come to those who have our new English editions of the scriptures"
(Elder Bruce R. McConkie)

"However talented men may be in administrative matters [or] worldly things - they will be denied the sweet whisperings of the spirit that might have been theirs unless they pay the price of studying, pondering, and praying about the scriptures."
(Elder Bruce R. McConkie)

Day 3689

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 97:25-26

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 97:25-26
"Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.
But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire."

These made me ponder on the importance of listening to a prophet. Something so simple as looking at a brass serpent on a pole meant life or death to the children of Israel. The Lord didn't take away the fiery flying serpents, He prepared the way for them to be healed. That meant that good people got bit and ill. But, those that would look at the serpent were healed, as those that will look to Christ will live. With all that is coming its now more important than ever to listen to the counsel of a prophet. To take to heart the words he speaks at general conference and be obedient. To prepare ourselves to be the Zion people, the pure in heart.

"We do not say that all of the Saints will be spared and saved from the coming day of desolation. But we do say there is no promise of safety and no promise of security except for those who love the Lord and who are seeking to do all that he commands.
It may be, for instance, that nothing except the power of faith and the authority of the priesthood can save individuals and congregations from the atomic holocausts that surely shall be.And so we raise the warning voice and say: Take heed; prepare; watch and be ready. There is no security in any course except the course of obedience and conformity and righteousness."
(Bruce R. McConkie, "Stand Independent above All Other Creatures", Apr 1979 General Conference)

“… Zion can be built up only among those who are the pure in heart, not a people torn by covetousness or greed, but a pure and selfless people. Not a people who are pure in appearance, rather a people who are pure in heart. Zion is to be in the world and not of the world, not dulled by a sense of carnal security, nor paralyzed by materialism. No, Zion is not things of the lower, but of the higher order, things that exalt the mind and sanctify the heart”
(President Spencer W. Kimball, "Becoming the Pure in Heart", Apr 1978 General Conference)

Day 3686