Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 6:16

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 6:16
"A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it."

The footnote for window says "HEB tsohar; some rabbis believe it was a precious stone that shone in the ark. Ether 2:23-24"

It would make sense if Noah's ark was lite by precious stones that the brother of Jared would be familiar with this miracle and ask the same for their vessels. It's a good reminder to be familiar with the scripture stories and miracles.

"And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire.
For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth."
(Ether 2:23-24)

"And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying:
And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
(Ether 3:1, 4)

I turned to the Sefaria which has the Talmud and Midrash, with 3,000 years of Jewish text. This is the section on "The Miraculous Light in Noah's Ark".

"The miraculous light within Noah's Ark, described as a pearl that illuminated the entire ark, adds a fascinating layer to the biblical narrative. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an eighth-century midrashic work, elaborates on the biblical story of Noah's Ark, providing additional details and interpretations."

Rabbi Meir said: One pearl was suspended in the ark, and shed light upon all the creatures in the ark, like a lamp which gives light inside the house, and like the sun yonder which shines in his might, as it is said, "A light shalt thou make to the ark" (Gen. 6:16). Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 23:6

Day 3747

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 130:14-17

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 130:14-17
"I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the following:
Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter.
I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face.
I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time."

The reminded me of another quote of Joseph Smith, Jr.

"Of the Savior’s words that no man knows the day or the hour of the coming of the Son of Man (see Matt. 24:36), the Prophet asked: “Did Christ speak this as a general principle throughout all generations? Oh, no, He spoke in the present tense. No man that was then living upon the footstool of God knew the day or the hour. But He did not say that there was no man throughout all generations that should not know the day or the hour. No, for this would be in flat contradiction with other scripture. For the prophet says that God will do nothing but what He will reveal unto His servants the prophets. Consequently, if it is not made known to the prophets, it will not come to pass.”
(Grant Underwood, "The Prophet Joseph Smith's Use of the Old Testament", Aug 2002 Ensign)

President Nelson also spoke of not knowing the hour or day of the second coming.

"Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We do not know the day or the hour of His coming. But I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that “great and dreadful day.”
(Russell M. Nelson, "Confidence in the Presence of God", Apr 2025 General Conference)

Then in General Conference we have at least 4 talks that spoke of the parable of the ten virgins. You know what I find interesting? That in Jesus' time the bride and the virgins didn't know the day or the hour that the bridegroom was coming, but they knew the season. It would be after the harvest and the father of the bridegroom said it was time. The reason the virgins are waiting is because they knew the time was close the harvest was ending. Like a woman with child, they knew the month and the year the child is coming.

Another interesting thing about Matthew 24:36 is what comes after it.

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
(Matthew 24:36-37)

I asked myself how long was Noah building the ark? I find that some scholars say it between 55 to 75 years. Other scholars consider it was up to 120 years. Now how long has The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint been restored and waiting for the second coming? The 200th anniversary is in 2030. We've been preparing longer than it took Noah to build the ark. What also happened to Noah before the rain came? The Lord told Noah to take all his house into the ark. (It was their temple.) The Lord shut the door, and it was seven days later that the rains started. You cannot tell me that a prophet of God won't know how close we are to the second coming, if the Lord told us it would be like the days of Noah.

Day 3719

Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 1:25-31

Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 1:25-31

"But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices."

I can't imagine the Lord laughing and mocking the wicked because they would not listen. I know I'm sensitive on that because I have someone I love that is facing jail time for their actions, and they just made things worse for themselves. There is no way I could laugh and mock them when the demands of justice fall on them. As I sat and pondered on this I realized the Lord's hands are tied in many ways. Just like mine are. That laugh and mock is not a cruel one. I could just picture His stretched out hands saying "Now you want me to save you?" It's that laugh of you're asking the impossible of me, because there are laws. You just don't get it, after all I warned you about. Sometimes, we don't receive answers to prayers because there are things we need to learn first. At some point the lesson time runs out and justice must be served. The doors to the ark are already closed and that boat isn't coming back.

Day 2788

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 132:7-9

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 132:7-9

"We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy."

I love these verses that speak of the temple. It is only being there that you understand the scriptures better. It also made me think of something Sister Nelson mentioned in a recent devotional.

"After conference two friends who have served as leaders of a Missionary Training Center, and who are now serving as senior missionaries in Malta wrote:

"This conference was the very best. President Nelson we feel you have asked us to get on the ark!" "No matter what happens, we know we will be prepared-as-we follow your lead."

(Wendy W. Nelson, Lethbridge Alberta Member Devotional, 16 Oct 2022)

I am studying this past general conference and will make sure I follow all the guidance and instructions given so I get on the ark! Worship in God's temple, and shout for joy.

Day 2769