Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 7:2, 4

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 7:2, 4
"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

Paul is speaking on the law of Moses being fulfilled in Christ. The Mosaic law was a dead law and now they must marry themselves to Jesus Christ, his church and law. It does make me wonder what new laws we will live during the millennium?

“[In Romans 7:1–4, Paul] compares Israel’s allegiance to the law of Moses with that of a wife to her husband. As long as her husband lives, a wife is bound to him, must obey his laws, and if she be with another, she is an adulteress. But when the husband dies, he can no longer direct her actions, and she is free to marry another; she can no longer be subject to him that is dead.
“So with Israel and the law. As long as the law lived, and was therefore in force, Israel was married to it and required to obey its provisions. … But now the law is fulfilled; it no longer lives; it has become dead in Christ; and Israel is married to another, even to Christ, whose gospel law must now be obeyed” (Bruce R. McConkie, "Doctrinal New Testament Commentary", 2:253–54).
(New Testament Student Manual, "Chapter 36: Romans 4-8")

Day 4177

Today's Favorite Verse: John 11:15

Today's Favorite Verse: John 11:15
"And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him."

When people say "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?" it makes me think of Lazarus. To be sick and die and placed in a grave for 4 days would seem a pretty bad thing. Yet, the Lord called him forth from the grave. How many times has the Lord saved me from the grave and any numbers of trials. All of these experiences have been for my good. They are sacred to me. They have strengthened my faith and belief in Christ and trust in his timing.

Day 4132

Today's Favorite Verse: Mark 5:39-40

Today's Favorite Verse: Mark 5:39-40
"And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying."

I pondered on laughing and ridiculing things that require faith. The Savior put them all out. They could not be present while he performed a miraculous miracle. It would be like casting pearls before swine. In some ways they were no different than the legion cast into the swine. Spiritual they had cast themselves into the deep and drown. They would not witness Jesus raising Jairus' daughter from the dead. Then he charged those that attended that no man should know what had happened. How many times do we miss miracles happening around us because of not only our lack of faith but our mocking of it too?

Day 4086

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 8:21-22

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 8:21-22
"And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead."

I wanted to understand these verses better. The student manual referred me to Luke 9:59-60). Maybe he wasn't referring to the first burial of his father.

"And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."
(Luke 9:59-60)

"Respect for parents was very important in Jewish culture and included the responsibility to provide a proper burial for them when they died. After preparing a body for burial and placing it in a tomb, family members typically returned a year later to place the bones in a stone box called an ossuary, which remained in the tomb as a secondary burial. If the disciple was speaking of his father’s secondary burial, the Savior’s response would seem to communicate that now was the time for the man to serve a mission (see Luke 9:59–60). The man could be at peace about letting his deceased father remain in the tomb with other dead members of the family. It is also possible that the Savior’s response could be understood, “Let the [spiritually] dead bury their [physically] dead.”
In either case, the Savior’s words do not mean it is wrong to mourn the loss of a loved one or give proper respect at a funeral. Rather, these words emphasize devotion to the Lord as a disciple’s highest priority."
(New Testament Student Manual, Chapter 17: Luke 9-14, "Let the Dead Bury Their Dead")

Day 4061

Today's Favorite Verse: Job 38:4

Today's Favorite Verse: Job 38:4
"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding."

This made me think of our "Come, Follow Me: reading for this week. How President Joseph F. Smith saw in vision the redemption of the dead after the crucifixion of the Savior and his appearance in the spirit world. Christ organized from the righteous his forces, and appointed messengers with power and authority to preach the gospel to the dead.

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:18—20.)
“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6.)

It also goes on to state how some reserved for our day were chosen in the beginning. This would be when God laid the foundations of the earth, while we were in the pre-existence.

"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,
Including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit world.
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.
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."
(Doctrine and Covenants 138:53-56)

Day 3901

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 131:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 131:6
"It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance."

I thought upon this verse a little differently. I reflected on performing proxy baptisms and other ordinances for my kindred dead. If they are ignorant of that offering, or reject it out right, it has no saving grace upon them. Man must receive and accept ordinances to be in effect. This made me think of Joseph F. Smith vision of the redemption of the dead, regarding Jesus Christ's ministry between his crucifixion and resurrection. (1 Peter 3:18-20; 1 Peter 4:6)

"And I wondered at the words of Peter—wherein he said that the Son of God preached unto the spirits in prison, who sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah—and how it was possible for him to preach to those spirits and perform the necessary labor among them in so short a time.
And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;
But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.
And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.
Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.
These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,
And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."
(Doctrine and Covenants 138:28-34)

Day 3720

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 28:7-8

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 28:7-8
"Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.
And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father."

The Lord is speaking to the three Nephites that requested, like John the Beloved, to remain on this earth until the Lord's coming.

I attended a funeral today. The person that passed did so in their sleep. Several of us were remarking on how that is a wonderful way to go. Then we had a discussion on how its possible we could be here when the Savior returns and be twinkled, which sounds even better. Though some of our patriarchal blessings say we will rise in the morning of the first resurrection. Thinking we will probably be gone before that happens. I then recalled that the morning of the first resurrection began when Christ was resurrected and will continue into and through the Millennium. I now wonder if you can be twinkled and thereby receive your resurrection at the same time? For all men will die, and every man resurrected in his proper order.

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming."
(1 Corinthians 15:22-23)

President Joseph Fielding Smith also taught: “Men on the earth will still be mortal, but a change shall come over them so that they will have power over sickness, disease and death. Death shall all but be banished from the earth, for men shall live until they are the age of a tree or one hundred years old, and then shall die at the age of man, but this death shall come in the twinkling of an eye and mortality shall give way to immortality suddenly. There shall be no graves, and the righteous shall be caught up to a glorious resurrection” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols. [1953], 1:461).

"And he that liveth when the Lord shall come, and hath kept the faith, blessed is he; nevertheless, it is appointed to him to die at the age of man.
Wherefore, children shall grow up until they become old; old men shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye."
(Doctrine and Covenants 63:50-51)

I have decided to no longer assume rising on the morning of the first resurrection necessarily means you have died before the Lord's second coming.

Day 3551

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:29

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:29

"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"

I learned something new about baptism for the dead..

"No baptisms for the dead were performed before the Savior visited the spirit world and bridged the gulf between paradise and the spirit prison. Vicarious baptisms were performed only after Jesus was resurrected. The only Bible passage that mentions vicarious baptism for the dead is 1 Corinthians 15:29, although other ancient texts attest that baptism for the dead was practiced by early Christians."

(New Testament Student Manual, "Chapter 40: 1 Corinthians 15-16", Baptism for the Dead)

I had never really thought much on when vicarious baptism for the dead started. I know many scriptures are missing and just assumed mention is lost in the Old Testament. Turns out baptism for the dead could not take place until Jesus Christ was resurrected. It makes so much sense considering President Joseph F. Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead after reading 1 Peter 3:18-20, and 1 Peter 4:6. Where Christ preached to the spirits in prison in the brief time between his crucifixion and resurrection.

"And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;

But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.

And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.

Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.

These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,

And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross."

(Doctrine and Covenants 138:29-35)

Day 3236