Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 55:4

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 55:4

"And again, you shall be ordained to assist my servant Oliver Cowdery to do the work of printing, and of selecting and writing books for schools in this church, that little children also may receive instruction before me as is pleasing unto me."

As I've been watching the Church's BYU-Pathway Worldwide program expand I keep thinking on this verse. I do believe like in the early days of the church were we needed to education our children, that it will happen again. First the Pathways program was a prep for college and moved on to certificates and degrees, now there is a a new BYU Online High School for grades 7-12. I believe one day there will be a remote program for elementary age children. Maybe with the COVID-19 pandemic more parents will see the education of their children as their responsibility. I don't know how this scripture will be fulfilled again, but I do believe something is coming.

Day 2058

Today's Favorite Verse: Zephaniah 3:8-9

Today's Favorite Verse: Zephaniah 3:8-9
"Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent."

These verses reminded me of preparation. The Lord will come when his people are prepared. There is much preparation still needed to become a Zion people. I think the new home-centered gospel learning, along with the Self-Reliance initiatives are part of that preparation. Looking at this quote from President Wilford Woodruff seems to support that.

"The hand of God is in all the operations we are trying to carry out. We have to build up Zion independent of the wicked; we have got to become self-sustaining, and the Lord is inspiring His prophets to preach to us to lay the foundation for the accomplishment of this work. The day is not far distant when we shall have to take care of ourselves. Great Babylon is going to fall, judgment is coming on the wicked, the Lord is about to pour upon the nations of the earth the great calamities which He has spoken of by the mouths of His prophets; and no power can stay these things. It is wisdom that we should lay the foundation to provide for ourselves."
(Wilford Woodruff, Improvement in the South, JD 12:11)

The last verse about a pure language reminded me of the PathwayConnect program I am taking. It is the church's world-wide low-cost education program that helps people start or return to college.  It is connected to BYU-Idaho and the Learning Model is to Prepare, Teach One Another, and Ponder and Prove. Teaching and serving are important in the learning process. Learning by the spirit is emphasized. Giving you the ability to learn greater than your own.

At the end of my first semester I discovered that people attending world-wide are required to learn English. All the classes are in English. My gathering meeting had a break-out session for those learning English. Now I'm not saying that English is the pure language spoken of in verse 9, but I can see the importance of a common language among the people. When the Lord returns we will have the language of angels, the language of God the Father, and will all understand one another and will have no need for the gift of tongues. The ability for us to learn and to serve will increase.

Day 1484