Today's Favorite Verse: John 9:27-29

Today's Favorite Verse: John 9:27-29
"He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is."

Jesus healed the man born blind on the Sabbath. The Pharisees then question the man and his parents. When they asked the man a second time on how his eyes were opened he remarks on how they didn't listen the first time. Do you want to hear again and also be his disciples?

What gave me pause is how the Pharisees said they were Moses' disciples. Why didn't they say they were followers of the great "I Am" or Jehovah? I know prophets today speak to God but I'm not any prophet's disciple. I'm not a disciple of Joseph Smith, Jr. or President Dallin H. Oaks. I would call myself a disciple of Jesus Christ. That is who I follow. I know John the Baptist had disciples but he pointed them to Jesus when He made himself known.

"Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus."
(John 1:34-37)

Day 4130

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 4:29-31
"But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them."

Moses is talking not only to the children of Israel then, but to us today. We are living in the latter days. Not only is God the same yesterday, today and forever, so is the natural man. We all need to seek the Lord. Seek and ye shall find. We are to love the Lord God with all our hearts, mind, and strength. Tribulations will come to all of us, it is especially prophesied for these latter days. God will remember His promises to us, if we remember our promises to Him.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
(Matthew 5:8)

Day 3798

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 27:20-23

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 27:20-23
"And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses."

Moses asked that the Lord set a man over the congregation, so they are not like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord called Joshua the son of Nun. Moses is then instructed to lay his hands upon Joshua and give him some of his honor. Which means a delegation of responsibility. He is also ordained and given authority by the laying on of hands. The congregation is to witness this, that allows them to know who has been called to leadership. I love that the use of the Urim and Thummim is described here.

Day 3793

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

Today's Favorite Verse: Leviticus 10:16-17
"And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,
Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?
Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.
And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?
And when Moses heard that, he was content."

I pondered on how the sacrifices continued right after Aaron's sons were devoured and died before the Lord for offering strange fire. How hard it would be for their father and brothers to carry on their responsibilities. Then again Aaron's sons did not complete the offering by eating the sin offering in the holy place. Aaron then speaks up on why. I can feel them not feeling worthy to go into the holy place to complete the offering. It made me think about how the Lord does take into consideration when we suffer and struggle at times making it hard to fulfill our callings and responsibilities.

"Part of the sin offering was specified for the use of the priest who administered the offering, thus “bearing the iniquity of the congregation” (v. 17); however, Eleazar and Ithamar had burned all of it rather than eating their portion. This was the second time the sons of Aaron had not followed the law. Moses rebuked them, but Aaron withstood the rebuke. “The excuse which Aaron makes for not feasting on the sin-offering according to the law is at once appropriate and dignified; as if he had said: ‘God certainly has commanded me to eat of the sin-offering; but when such things as these have happened unto me, could it be good in the sight of the Lord? Does he not expect that I should feel as a father under such afflicting circumstances?’ With this spirited answer Moses was satisfied; and God, who knew his situation, took no notice of the irregularity which had taken place in the solemn service. To human nature God has given the privilege to weep in times of affliction and distress. In his infinite kindness he has ordained that tears, which are only external evidences of our grief, shall be the outlets to our sorrows, and tend to exhaust the cause from which they flow.” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:539.)"
(Old Testament Student Manual, "Leviticus 1-10: A Law of Performances and Ordinances, Part 1: Sacrifices and Offering")

Day 3779

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 18:15, 19

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 18:15, 19
"And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:"

I'm reading three chapters a day in the Old Testament, so I can finish within a year. As I was reading chapter 16 and 17 it repeated stories of the children of Israel murmuring, chiding and complaining to and about Moses. Granted the problem of no food or water is pretty severe. The story makes it sound like Moses only went to the Lord after the complaining was unbearable. It doesn't mention Moses crying unto the Lord about their issue before that. Was Moses trying to wait on the Lord with faith alone to be uncomplaining, when more was required, to ask? This is a great lesson on the importance of prayer and asking.

Then Jethro, his father-in-law arrives and sees all these people coming to Moses to ask him to inquire of God for them. Yes, there were some issues that only a prophet could speak for God, but the true problem were the smaller issues. The ones that people needed to learn to talk to God and asked for themselves. It made me ponder on what I would have done. I think I would have prayed and asked God what to do about food and water for me and my family. Until that inspiration came I would pray for the prophet to also receive inspiration on how to solve this for everyone. As I was reflecting on this it made me think about food storage and how much prayer and preparation and guidance of the Lord has come from it. How it has taken faith to store it. I'm sure there are some that think when a crises hits the church will provide for them, which simply isn't possible. Once God gave the children of Israel manna to eat, and water from a rock they needed to properly take care of it on a family by family bases. We have resources now, and will be accountable if we think we can go out in the field on a Sunday to gather manna.

Day 3768

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 4:6-8

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 4:6-8
"And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign."

As I prayerfully read the scriptures questions will come to my mind. Not questions of doubt, but one of seeking understanding. When I read this verse I wondered when did Moses perform this sign of his hand turning leprous and then being healed? This wasn't something I recall being done in front of Pharaoh. Then the answer came when I read these two verses.

"And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. "
(Exodus 4:29-30)

This sign wasn't for Pharaoh to believe, it was for the elders of the children of Israel to believe. It makes sense that Moses would be sent to them first, so they would know God's plan for the day of their release from bondage was upon them. God's people needed to understand that Moses, through his brother Aaron spoke for Him.

Day 3764

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 3:22

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 3:22
"But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians."

Borrow = to ask

"And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians."
(Exodus 12:36)

I pondered on why the children of Israel were to ask of the Egyptians jewels of silver and gold and raiment? You would think with leaving Egypt there would be more important things to take like food, water and provisions? Even Lehi in the Book of Mormon was told to leave his riches behind.

"And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness."
(1 Nephi 2:4)

Then I thought about how those riches left behind were used in trying to obtain the plates of brass from Laban. The attempt failed and they had to leave their riches behind a second time. But there was a purpose, if they had taken them into the wilderness they wouldn't have brought them back to Jerusalem when trying to obtain the brass plates. Then I thought about why the children of Israel may have needed the gold and silver and raiment. At first they failed by making a golden calf with some. Later they did need them in worshiping God. They were used in the building of the tabernacle. I imagine it would have been extremely difficult to find such things while wandering in the wilderness. God had also promised Abraham that this descendants would serve others for 400 years, yet come out with great substance. The Lord keeps his word.

"And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.."
(Genesis 15:14)

Day 3763

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 8:25-26

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 8:25-26
"And it repented Noah, and his heart was pained that the Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at the heart.
And the Lord said: I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Noah that I have created them, and that I have made them; and he hath called upon me; for they have sought his life."

Comparing this verse to Genesis 6:6-7 and the Joseph Smith Translation found in Genesis 8:13-14)
"And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them."

"And it repented Noah, and his heart was pained that the LORD made man on the earth, and it grieved him at the heart.
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man, and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air,"
(JST Genesis 8:13-14)

The difference is in who repented. It wasn't the Lord it was Noah. There is also another explanation here in the Hebrew word used.

"The Hebrew word used here, and translated repented in the Bible, is nacham (naw-kham), which literally means “to sigh,” “to breathe strongly,” “to be sorry,” “to pity.”
(Pearl of Great Price Student Manual, "Moses 8")

Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation. After trying to preach the gospel there were people that wanted to kill him. Yet, I can see this great sorrow he must have had. He tried to warn them and change their hearts, knowing that destruction would come otherwise. Noah and his righteous sons would be saved with their wives, but none else. I pondered on how as wicked as this world gets before the Savior's Second Coming we need the heart of Noah. We need to feel sorrow and pity for those that chose the wrong path. We do all that we can for as long as we can, until the Lord says it's enough. I feel really bad when I hear people say they can't wait for the second coming with the intent that the wicked are destroyed. That should never feel like a good thing. Otherwise, we lose the humanity within us. We won't have the right spirit about us. I think at the Lord's Second Coming it will be both a great and dreadful day for the righteous. How could we not mourn for the millions that are gone, family and friends, no matter how bad they were.

Day 3737

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 6:5-6, 8, 46-47

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 6:5-6, 8, 46-47
"And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration;
And by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled. 
Now this prophecy Adam spake, as he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and a genealogy was kept of the children of God. And this was the book of the generations of Adam, saying: In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.
For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language.
And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence."

A book of remembrance was created in the beginning in the Adamic language. The pure language of God that was confounded at the Tower of Babel. It was preserved with Jared and his brother and those that came with them to their new land of inheritance. It was this land. They had the Adamic language, and their records would have been written in them. This is what Moroni said about the record left by Ether that would have been in this same language.

"And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them."
(Ether 12:24)

What must it be like to hear the words of God as Enoch spoke them, or read what Ether recorded?

Day 3735

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 3:1

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 3:1
"Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them."

I wondered who "all the host of them" were? I started to look at the footnotes.

"And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;"
(Doctrine and Covenants 29:36)

The third part of the hosts of heaven were Satan and his angels, all those that rebelled against God and were cast out. So automatically some of these other hosts are the two-thirds of spirit children that would be worthy to come to earth and obtain physical bodies.

"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;"
(Doctrine and Covenants 38:1)

seraphic hosts = Seraphim
"Probably fiery beings. Angelic beings mentioned in the account of Isaiah’s vision (Isa. 6:2). They are represented as winged and partly human in form. They are attendants in Jehovah’s court, the ministers of the heavenly sanctuary, joining in adoration before the throne." (Bible Dictionary)

The spirits of man and the heavenly beings were all created before we can to this earth. This earth had a divine plan and purpose. It was not formed by accident.

"The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) said: “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” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 511).
President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) taught: “The Lord informed Abraham that he had chosen rulers from among the intelligences that were organized, to be given in various capacities down the ages; and Abraham was one of these who was so chosen [see Abraham 3:22–23].“It is reasonable to believe that in the beginning, before the earth was prepared, the Lord would have all things organized from the beginning to the end of time. It is written in the scriptures: ‘Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them.’ This is equivalent to the Lord’s saying that everything was in preparation to be placed on the earth in its due course when mankind should be placed upon it” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. [1966], 5:182).

(Pear of Great Price Student Manual, "Moses 3:1-25")

Day 3732

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 2:3-4

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 2:3-4
"And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was light.
And I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness."

I pondered on how simple a verse it is to say "Let there be light", and there was. As if the creation of light was like flicking a light switch on. I thought about how light is the first condition needed to commence a project or work. God was creating a world, a place for man to dwell, and we needed light. Looking at the footnotes on light it took me to the source and power of that light.

"He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—
The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things."
(Doctrine and Covenants 88:6-13)

This made me ponder on how important it is to seek this light before undertaking the work that needs to be done. How important it is to seek God in prayer when I start my day and in the evening when I end it. This light of Christ will guide me in what I need to do.

Day 3731

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 1:36, 40-41

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 1:36, 40-41
And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content.
And now, Moses, my son, I will speak unto thee concerning this earth upon which thou standest; and thou shalt write the things which I shall speak.
And in a day when the children of men shall esteem my words as naught and take many of them from the book which thou shalt write, behold, I will raise up another like unto thee; and they shall be had again among the children of men—among as many as shall believe."

I'm now in the Pearl of Great Price. While Joseph Smith was translating the Bible he received by revelation these extracts from the Book of Moses. As I was reading this chapter I kept thinking about the Five Books of Moses in the Bible, which include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. I wondered if they were oral traditions that Moses wrote down or revelations? In these verses I think I have my answer. God revealed the creation of this world and all its inhabitants. I can picture that he saw in vision all that took place in the garden of Eden, Noah and the flood, and the building of the Tower of Babel. He saw the beginning and the end of this world. He was commanded to write it. Moses was even shown that one day men would not esteem his words and take many things from the book. The one raised up would be Joseph Smith, restoring what was once lost.

Day 3730

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 84:23-24

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 84:23-24
"Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory."

I have been reflecting on the children of Israel lately. How the Lord asked them to sanctify themselves and He offered to come down in the sight of all the people and they could Hear Him as he spoke to Moses. They would have witnessed an amazing revelation. Yet, when the trumpet sounded they trembled and were not ready to come up to where Moses was. Only Moses could endure God's presence. As the holy mount served as a House of the Lord I have thought on how many times we are instructed to prepare ourselves and attend the temple. President Nelson recently said in the Oct 2024 General Conference: "Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple."

I feel like there is a parallel between the children of Israel and the saints today. Those that want to go up to the House of the Lord and those that don't, wanting someone else to go in their place. I feel there is greater importance in the need to attend the temple today than many are aware of. Those that could attend the temple and won't will feel like very foolish virgins in the end.

Day 3673

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 49:8

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 49:8
"Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself, holy men that ye know not of."

I asked myself "Who are these holy men that God reserved unto himself?" I didn't find an answer to that. So I made my own list of possibilities. First, I identified who the Lord was addressing. This chapter is directed to the Shakers. This is some background found in the chapter header.

"In prefacing this revelation, the Prophet wrote, “In order to have a more perfect understanding on the subject, I inquired of the Lord, and received the following.” The revelation refuted some of the basic concepts of the Shaker group. The aforementioned brethren took a copy of the revelation to the Shaker community (near Cleveland, Ohio) and read it to them in its entirety, but it was rejected."

Since this was being read to the Shakers they would be holy men they were not aware of. To start they would not have know that Joseph Smith, Jr. was a prophet of God and that is indeed a holy man. But, being still a mortal man he probably still needed repentance. I thought about those that were reserved then that never tasted death. The Shakers wouldn't have known about the Book of Mormon and the three Nephites. They were like John the Revelator and would never taste death. All would be holy men. Then I thought about the city of Enoch, which included Enoch and all his people that were taken up to heaven. They would certainly be holy men reserved to come to earth again. They possibly wouldn't know about Moses and Elijah also taken up. I suppose there could be more. Unless there has been some physical change that came upon us all will die and all are in need of repentance.

Day 3638

Today's Favorite Verse: Jacob 6:5

Today's Favorite Verse: Jacob 6:5
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts."

Before I was reading this I was reading in Exodus 9 and 10 and noticed the footnotes. Every time it said "And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh" in the footnote it is corrected and says "And Pharaoh hardened his heart". At one point Moses is told "for he hath hardened his heart, and the hearts of his servants, therefore I will show these my signs before him;" (JST Ex. 10:1) The Lord God does not harden his heart against his children. His arms of mercy are always extended towards us if we will repent. It is man that will harden his heart against God. Pharaoh was given every opportunity to repent and soften his heart. Sometimes we pass through hard things before we are humble enough to do it.

Day 3410

Today's Favorite Verse: Jacob 4:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Jacob 4:6
"Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."

This made me think of the various times prophets were commanded to control the elements. What they were not controlling was people, taking away their agency to choose. Even with Moses and Pharaoh, God didn't take away Pharaoh's agency to choose if he would release the children of Israel. It was Pharaoh that hardened his heart and would not let them go. It wasn't until that final plague where the first born died that Pharaoh said enough. Up until that very end everyone had the choice to do their will or God's will. We cannot control other people no matter how much at times we would want to.

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
(Matthew 17:20)

"For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove—and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith."
(Ether 12:30)

"And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him."
(Moses 7:13)

"Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.
And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done."
(Helaman 10:4-5, 9)

"And now, whoso readeth, let him understand; he that hath the scriptures, let him search them, and see and behold if all these deaths and destructions by fire, and by smoke, and by tempests, and by whirlwinds, and by the opening of the earth to receive them, and all these things are not unto the fulfilling of the prophecies of many of the holy prophets."
(3 Nephi 10:14)

Day 3408

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:5

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:5
"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."

That power comes from priesthood authority. Paul was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those same keys were given to this dispensation.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:“The true gospel consists of two things: The Word, and The Power. Anyone can have the word; the books in which it is written are universally available. But the power must come from God; it is and must be dispensed according to his mind and his will to those who abide the law entitling them to receive it. The word of the gospel is the spoken or written account of what men must do to be saved. …“But actual salvation comes only when the power of God is received and used; and this power is the power of the priesthood and the power of the Holy Ghost. These must operate in the lives of men; otherwise their souls cannot be cleansed; they cannot be born again; they cannot become new creatures of the Holy Ghost; they cannot put off the natural man and become saints; they cannot be sanctified by the Spirit”
(Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 3:42–43).
(New Testament Student Manual, "Chapter 46: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians")

Those priesthood keys were restored by heavenly messengers to the prophet Joseph Smith. First, came John the Baptist and the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood. Then came Peter, James and Johns to restore the Melchizedek priesthood. Followed by Moses committing the keys of the gathering of Israel, Elias the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, and Elijah with the sealing power. All I know is belonging to a church that holds these priesthood keys. I am so grateful for the blessing it has brought into my life.

Day 3271

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 6:2-3

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 6:2-3

"Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."

The apostles looked for seven men to assist them in caring for the poor and needy. It doesn't say what calling these men had but it would probably be similar to bishops and branch presidents today.

This made me think of Moses and the council Jethro, his father-in-law gave him.

"Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee."

(Exodus 18:21-22)

I also pondered on the reference to "serve tables" and found these quotes.

"Was Jesus asking His disciples to respond to random requests from the crowd or to serve tables? No! He was asking them to serve in His way. The people were not to be masters of his disciples. The Lord is their Master."

(Russell M. Nelson, "Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods", April 1996 General Conference)

"Also that the Seventies are not called to serve tables, or preside over churches, to settle difficulties, but are to preach the Gospel and build them up, and set others, who do not belong to these quorums, to preside over them, who are High Priests. The Twelve also are not to serve tables, but to bear the keys of the Kingdom to all nations, and unlock the door of the Gospel to them, and call upon the Seventies to follow after them, and assist them. The Twelve are at liberty to go wheresoever they will, and if any one will say, I wish to go to such a place, let all the rest say amen."

(Joseph Smith, Jr, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 109)

It made me think of people that find fault with the prophets and apostles and want things done their way. Prophets don't answer to people, they answer to God. Even those that "serve tables", like bishops and branch presidents, they still have the gift of discernment, the spirit as their guide to know how to best assist those in needs.

Day 3183

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 3:22-23

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 3:22-23

"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."

Moses spoke these words in Deuteronomy 18:15. The prophet was Jesus Christ himself.

"And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness."

(1 Nephi 22:21)

When the Lord visited the Nephites he also confirmed Moses spoke of him.

"Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people."

(3 Nephi 20:23)

When Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith he quotes these verses.

"In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ; but the day had not yet come when “they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people,” but soon would come."

(Joseph Smith History 1:40)

These words were later revealed to Joseph Smith.

"And upon them that hearken not to the voice of the Lord shall be fulfilled that which was written by the prophet Moses, that they should be cut off from among the people."

(Doctrine and Covenants 133:63)

It's interesting that this warning of what is to come has been given in every set of scriptures, the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. When that judgment times comes you do not want to be found lacking. It will be sad to think of those that will be cut-off from the association with the saints because they just wouldn't listen. They lost the spirit and the ability to hear and fell away.

Day 3180

Today's Favorite Verse: Mark 9:9-10

Today's Favorite Verse: Mark 9:9-10

"And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean."

Jesus took Peter, James and John with him to the mount of transfiguration. They saw Elias and Moses, they heard God the Father say "This is my beloved Son: hear him". They saw and heard much but didn't understand what Jesus meant that he would be risen from the dead.

"For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead."

(John 20:9)

They knew this event would happen but didn't understand how or why. It made me ponder on how it is like us with Jesus' second coming. We know there are prophesies but we don't understand how they will all come about. It's OK not to know all the details.

"For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him."

(Mark 9:31-32)

Yet, the Lord knew what they were thinking. It shows it in this chapter when the apostles disputed amongst themselves who would be the greatest. They didn't tell him that is what they were discussing, but he answered their question anyways. The Lord could have just as easily explained every part of this death and resurrection that was to take place, but he didn't. There must be something to the experience of recognizing a prophesy fulfilled when it has happened.

Day 3125