Today's Favorite Verse: Job 15:8-9

Today's Favorite Verse: Job 15:8-9

"Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?"

How do you share faith with someone that has no faith? How do you tell them to trust the Lord when they neither know how to trust or who the Lord is? I reflected on the parable of the ten virgins. There were five virgins with oil in their lamps and then to spare, yet they could not share it. There are somethings you cannot share because it is not understood until you seek for it yourself. If there in nothing inside, then it will seem a mystery.

"And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves."

(Matthew 25:8-9)

Day 2610

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 7:1-3

 Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 7:1-3

"And the Lord said unto me: John, my beloved, what desireth thou? For if you shall ask what you will, it shall be granted unto you.

And I said unto him: Lord, give unto me power over death, that I may live and bring souls unto thee.

And the Lord said unto me: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, because thou desireth this thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people."

The chapter header says "Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, April 1829, when they inquired through the Urim and Thummim as to whether John, the beloved disciple, tarried in the flesh or had died. The revelation is a translated version of the record made on parchment by John and hidden up by himself."

What I pondered on how wonderful it was to have a living prophet inquire of the Lord the mysteries that generations have wanted to know. Did John the Beloved ever taste of death? The answer is no.

This makes clear the verse in Luke 9:27 "But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God."

Day 2010

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 10:19

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 10:19
"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in the times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round."

I pondered on how important it is to come to know and understand the stories of God's dealing with men in the scriptures. How I need to apply them to myself. For the the workings of God are eternal, and never changing. As I have come to understand some of the mysteries of God I have found what I learn is never original. It has been taught and understood before. It was just a mystery to me until the Holy Ghost revealed it to my understanding. I will always find another witness by those in authority that confirms what I have been taught by the spirit.

Day 1773

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 1:1

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 1:1
"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceeding in my days."

I have two parts highlighted in this verse.

Highly favored = Graced by the Lord. Enabling power or strength of the Lord. Almost like affliction is required to see the grace of the Lord. It was through the afflictions that Nephi went through that he could see the hand of the Lord in his life.

Mysteries of God = Revelation. I substitute revelation for mysteries. For the mysteries of God are understood through revelation. Either the doctrine is revealed to the prophets or the spirit reveals the doctrine in a way we can understand it.

Day 1764

Today's Favorite Verse: Revelation 10:7

Today's Favorite Verse: Revelation 10:7
"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."

I have a substitution word now for "mystery". In its place I use "revelations". What can be a mystery to one person can be understandable to another. For the mysteries of God are revealed to those that are prepared to receive them. When I substitute revelation in this verse it makes sense. A mystery is not unattainable if you seek for understanding, then the meaning is given through personal revelation. All that was revealed to the prophets will be fulfilled. 

Day 1750


Posted 13 Jan 202012

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 29:39-40

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 29:39-40
"These things ye shall do unto the Lord in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.
And Moses told the children of Israel according to all the Lord commanded Moses."

As I read this long list of offerings, with exact descriptions of how many of this, and how many of that, my brain went numb. To the point I almost felt like I was in a trance. How many days are you doing all this? Really eight days!  No where does it really tell me why your doing this? Did anyone ever ask the question "Why?" Then I saw the why in the very last verse. The children of Israel didn't want to speak personally to the Lord. They had wanted Moses to interact with God on their behalf. Maybe this was continually repeated so they would eventually come to God themselves and ask "Why?" Not a murmuring or challenge why, but a sincere why, because I want to understand.

It made me think of Nephi and his brothers. After their father Lehi's vision of the tree of life only Nephi inquired of the Lord as to its meaning. Then he comes back from this amazing experience, with the vision opened up to him, and he sees his brothers. They are disputing with each other the meaning of their father's vision. (1 Nephi 15)

This is what Nephi acknowledges.

"For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought."

So Nephi simply asks them.

"And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."

Then Nephi teaches them.

"Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said? - If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."

So what this makes me think is that the Lord gives us hard things to understand sometimes, simply so I will turn to him and ask. The harder my heart the less likely I am to ask. Asking is exactly what I need in order to understand the mysteries of God. I don't think I've ever read about God saying don't knock or don't ask me, leave me alone. I think its only people that do that. I wonder what I've missed, because I didn't ask?


Day 721

Today's Favorite Verse: D&C 100:5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 100:5-6

"Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say."

I have experienced this many times in my life. I pondered on some of my experiences and realized the frequency is happening more and more. I think consistent scripture reading helps because often the impressions that comes are in the way of scriptures. One thing is for sure I am also taught during those experiences. Truly the words that come, put gospel principles in a light I had never considered before. They do bear testimony of truths. I have even said to people, "Wow, I didn't know that. I learned something new too." I have pondered a lot on a recent experience. I continued to learn more afterwards the more I pondered on it. I have wondered if the other person's question or concern, that were not my own, were also a means for Heavenly Father to teach me more of his mysteries. It's like both parties needed to be edified by the experience. Having learned something myself is a true marker that is was indeed instruction through the Spirit.

Day 519

Today's Favorite Verse: D&C 97:3, 5

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 97:3, 5

"Behold, I say unto you, concerning the school in Zion, I, the Lord, am well pleased that there should be a school in Zion, and also with my servant Parley P. Pratt, for he abideth in me.

And I will bless him with a multiplicity of blessings, in expounding all scriptures and mysteries to the edification of the school, and of the church in Zion."

I looked at the footnotes and not only does this speak of the school of the prophets, but also schools for children. Number one among this is to expound scriptures. It made me think of the conditions of our public schools today. You cannot read your scriptures there. I reflected on how important the opening of your mind is to learning. Reading the scriptures does that very thing. It gives you the mind to understand mysteries, which is anything you didn't earlier know. It really could be any type of subject, like sewing, arithmetic, or nuclear science. 

I pondered on how I went from an average high school student to a perfect 4.0 college graduate. What made the difference? I read my scriptures. Reading the scriptures prior to study opened my mind. I was able to put things in logical order in my brain and able to understand. Yes, mysteries were opened to my mind. As I have seen my children go to college I have encouraged them to read their scriptures and promised them the ability to understand would be there. Sadly, not all of them have tested the truthfulness of that concept. A mother can always hope, I can hear the Father echoing those same words. 

Day 516

Today's Favorite Verse: D&C 74:5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 74:5-6

"Wherefore, for this cause the apostle wrote unto the church, giving unto them a commandment, not of the Lord, but of himself, that a believer should not be united to an unbeliever; except the law of Moses should be done away among them,

That their children might remain with circumcision; and that the tradition might be done away, which saith that little children are unholy; for it was had among the Jews;"

Joseph Smith has been commanded to translate the Holy Bible. While doing so he had questions regarding 1 Corinthians 7:14 and received this revelation as an explanation. This scripture had often been used to justify infant baptism, an incorrect principle. There are only 7 verses and each is very important to understand Paul's counsel to the Church. 

"For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else were your children unclean, but now are they holy." (1 Corinthians 7:14)

The council is that unbelievers not marry, unless the law of Moses is done away between them. That is how the believing husband or wife sanctifies the other. The practice of circumcision was to be done away. Such a practice said the child was unholy otherwise. The chapter ends in verse 7 "But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ; and this what that scriptures means."

I sat and pondered on how a mystery of God was now made known through personal revelation. How glorious that is.

Day 493

Today's Favorite Verse: D&C 63:23

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 63:23

"But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life."

I have finally learned what a mystery of the kingdom is. A mystery is anything that I do not know or understand. Through the spirit the questions that I have will be opened up to me. I will understand that which I earlier did not know. Any instruction through the spirit is opening up the mysteries of God. One person can have a mystery and another mind already understand that particular thing. I can totally see the beauty in having gospel questions. It is on God's time table and through the Holy Spirit that I will receive those answers. It was quite exciting to me when I understood that and realized I have been having the mysteries of the kingdom opened up to me since I was just a little child. Once I learn one thing I will have yet another gospel question to ponder on. It really is a well of living water always being replenished as I obey the commandments of the Lord.

Day 482