Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 94:1-2, 5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 94:1-2, 5-6
"And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall commence a work of laying out and preparing a beginning and foundation of the city of the stake of Zion, here in the land of Kirtland, beginning at my house.
And behold, it must be done according to the pattern which I have given unto you.
And there shall be a lower court and a higher court, according to the pattern which shall be given unto you hereafter.
And it shall be dedicated unto the Lord from the foundation thereof, according to the order of the priesthood, according to the pattern which shall be given unto you hereafter. "

The word that stood out to me was pattern. The Lord is commanding the saints to build His House. A House of the Lord had not stood since Herod's temple was destroyed in 70 AD. First, I'm not sure the saints knew exactly what they were commanded to build. This was a matter of importance and the House of the Lord needed instructions. By revelation the pattern was revealed. The Lord has established the giving of patterns before to man. I reflected on how Adam was commanded to build an altar and to make sacrifices. Noah was shown how to build the ark that would save his family from the floods. Moses was shown how to build the tabernacle and all the items in it. David was shown the pattern for the House of the Lord and instructed his son Solomon who was worthy to build it.

"Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."
(Hebrews 8:5)

"According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount."
(Exodus 25:9, 40)

"Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:"
(1 Chronicles 28:11-12)

I pondered on how patterns in building the House of the Lord is used today. I can typically enter a new temple and take comfort that I will soon know my way around. I thought of how layouts may change, but what takes place in each has not. There have been marvelous revelations on how more temples could be built quicker and less costly for a time so more saints could receive their blessings. I love the story of President Gordon B. Hinckley and the searching for land for the Hong Kong temple.

"The group was exhausted from the rigorous day of prayerfully reviewing the various properties. President Hinckley retired to his hotel room and requested that Elders Brough and Carmack come back the next morning to further discuss the matter. It was apparent that the Area Presidency had yet to find a solution President Hinckley could accept.
("How the Hong Kong Temple Came to Be", December 2006 Ensign)

[President Hinckley] referring to his experience.... "He went to bed...feeling unsettled about the decision he needed to make. Then the whisperings of the Spirit woke him up early the next morning.

Something very interesting came to my mind, he recorded in his journal. I did not hear a voice with my natural ears. But into my mind there came the voice of the Spirit. It said, Why are you worried about this? You have a wonderful piece of property where the mission home and the small chapel stand. They are in the very heart of Kowloon, in the location with the best transportation... Build a building of [several] stories. It can include a chapel and classrooms on the first two floors and a temple on the top two or three floors. Having received that revelation, President Hinckley said, I relaxed and went back to sleep."
("Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley", chapter 7, "The Whisperings of the Spirit")

Day 3683

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 94:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 94:2

"And behold, it must be done according to the pattern which I have given unto you."

This chapter is a revelation on building the first temple of this dispensation. The pattern to be used was given to Joseph Smith through revelation. The last temple on the earth was destroyed in 70 A.D. so no one knew the pattern. I find it interesting that the temple built in Kirtland, Ohio is unlike the ones built since then. I'm sure it was unlike the one destroy in 70 A.D. Yet, this temple served its purpose and when completed and dedicated it was accepted by the Lord and the heaven's opened.

Day 2097

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 2:9-10

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 2:9-10
"And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."

I thought the mention of a book interesting, for I was just reading this morning an article in the January 2019 Ensign, "John, the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved". In it, it discussed Revelations and the book John was given to eat. I wondered if there were more books given to prophets, and found this great quote mentioning them in an October 2005 General Conference talk by Merrill J. Bateman, "A Pattern for All". This pattern was something new to me.

"At the beginning of most dispensations, a book is given to the newly called prophet. Moses received tablets (see Ex. 31:18) Lehi was given a book to read concerning the destruction of Jerusalem (see 1 Ne. 1:11–14) Ezekiel was given “a roll of a book” (Ezek. 2:9–10) containing the Lord’s message for the house of Judah in his day. John the Revelator on the Isle of Patmos was shown a book with seven seals (see  Rev. 5  D&C 77:6) Is it any wonder, then, that the Lord would provide a book containing the fullness of the gospel as part of the “restitution of all things”? The Book of Mormon has the power to draw all men and women to Christ. Its references to the Savior’s Atonement are the clearest on record with regard to its purpose and powers."

Day 1379