Today's Favorite Verse: Colossians 1:9
"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"
I thought about how wonderful a prayer that is. If you prayed that someone would know God's will for them, and have wisdom and spiritual understanding it would cover all that is needful. I would want someone to pray for me like that.
Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 2:19, 51
"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart."
I pondered on the importance of pondering. Mary was capable of this and twice in this chapter it mentions her pondering things in her heart. Keeping them "in her heart" means she held them close to her. They were sacred experiences. She must have not gone into great details on her experiences with others. Otherwise, I imagine more would have been recorded on these events.
"Luke recorded that after the shepherds’ visit and after finding the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple, Mary pondered the events and sayings, and she kept them “in her heart” (Luke 2:19, 51). Her actions demonstrate the importance of treasuring sacred experiences. While it is vital that we share our testimonies with others, President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we should ponder our sacred experiences and share them only when we are prompted to do so:
“It is not wise to continually talk of unusual spiritual experiences. They are to be guarded with care and shared only when the Spirit itself prompts you to use them to the blessing of others. …
“I heard President Marion G. Romney once counsel mission presidents and their wives … , ‘I found out that if I talked too lightly of sacred things, thereafter the Lord would not trust" me.’
“We are, I believe, to keep these things and ponder them in our hearts, as Luke said Mary did of the supernal events that surrounded the birth of Jesus” (“The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, Jan. 1983, 53).
(New Testament Student Manual, "Chapter 15: Luke 1-3")
Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 77:9
"Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?
A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things."
This is the verse is reference.
"And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,"
(Revelation 7:2)
In this chapter the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. is inquiring of the Lord the meaning of various verses in Revelation. How I wished he had asked even more questions. As I was reading more on these verses I stumbled on this interesting quote by Orson Pratt.
"When the Temple is built the sons of the two Priesthoods, that is, those who are ordained to the Priesthood of Melchizedek, that Priesthood which is after the order of the Son of God, with all its appendages;and those who have been ordained to the Priesthood of Aaron with all its appendages, the former called the sons of Moses, the latter the sons of Aaron, will enter into that Temple in this generation, or in the generation that was living in 1832, and all of them who are pure in heart will behold the face of the Lord and that too before he comes in his glory in the clouds of heaven, for he will suddenly come to his Temple, and he will purify the sons of Moses and of Aaron, until they shall be prepared to offer in that Temple an offering that shall be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. In doing this, he will purify not only the minds of the Priesthood in that Temple, but he will purify their bodies until they shall be quickened, renewed and strengthened, and they will be partially changed, not to immortality, but changed in part that they can be filled with the power
of God, and they can stand in the presence of Jesus, and behold his face in the midst of that Temple.
This will prepare them for further ministrations among the nations of the earth, it will prepare them to go forth in the days of tribulation and vengeance upon the nations of the wicked, when God will smite them with pestilence, plague and earthquake, such as former generations never knew. Then the servants of God will need to be armed with the power of God, they will need to have that sealing blessing pronounced upon their foreheads that they can stand forth in the midst of these desolations and plagues and not be overcome by them. When John the Revelator describes this scene he says he saw four angels sent forth, ready to hold the four winds that should blow from the four quarters of heaven. Another angel ascended from the east and cried to the four angels, and said, “Smite not the earth now, but wait a little while.” “How long?” “Until the servants of our God are sealed in their foreheads.” What for? To prepare them to stand forth in the midst of these desolations and plagues, and not be overcome. When they are prepared, when they have received a renewal of their bodies in the Lord's Temple, and have been filled with the Holy Ghost and purified as gold and silver in a furnace of fire, then they will be prepared to stand before the nations of the earth and preach glad tidings of salvation in the midst of judgments that are to come like a whirlwind upon the wicked."
(Orson Pratt, "Consecration, Etc.", JD 15:354)
This was the first time I had seen a reference on people receiving a "renewal of their bodies in the Lord's temple". I have personally experienced this phenomenon, at least it was to me. It made me ponder on how much emphasis is being given for us to attend the temple. How it will prepare us for the second coming of the Lord. This must not be just a spiritual preparation, but a physical preparation too.
Today's Favorite Verse: Moroni 1:4
"Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord."
Though Moroni's writing had a much greater purpose than mine, I thought of my personal and scripture journals. How what I write may some day be of worth to my posterity or family relations. How I would love to read the journals of my ancestors. Even more so to hear of their conversion to the gospel and their faith promoting spiritual experiences.
Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 47:22-26
"But behold, as the king came out to meet him Amalickiah caused that his servants should go forth to meet the king. And they went and bowed themselves before the king, as if to reverence him because of his greatness.
And it came to pass that the king put forth his hand to raise them, as was the custom with the Lamanites, as a token of peace, which custom they had taken from the Nephites.
And it came to pass that when he had raised the first from the ground, behold he stabbed the king to the heart; and he fell to the earth.
Now the servants of the king fled; and the servants of Amalickiah raised a cry, saying:
Behold, the servants of the king have stabbed him to the heart, and he has fallen and they have fled; behold, come and see. "
This is such a fascinating story of how Amalickiah uses treachery, murder, intrigue and fraud to become king of the Lamanites. I think this is a warning for our day. That things are not always as they seem. The one warning sign of the dangers of Amalickiah was his conspiring heart. He was not a man to be trusted. At the root Amalickiah was bad, and obviously surrounded himself by others that would do his dirty deeds. We have to be ever watchful that we do not support anyone with the tendencies of Amalickiah. This is where the warning of President Nelson fits for us to survive this danger. It is only through the ability to receive personal revelation that can keep away from such people and identify lies when we hear them.
"But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation."
(Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives", Apr 2018 General Conference)
Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 19:4, 9-11
"And she said unto him: The servants of my husband have made it known unto me that thou art a prophet of a holy God, and that thou hast power to do many mighty works in his name;
And Ammon said unto her: Believest thou this? And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.
And Ammon said unto her: Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites.
And it came to pass that she watched over the bed of her husband, from that time even until that time on the morrow which Ammon had appointed that he should rise."
I reflected on the faith of king Lamoni's wife, the queen. How her faith came from believing the words of others, and acting on them. It made me think of the gifts of the spirit, and believing on the words of others is one of them.
"For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.
To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful."
(Doctrine and Covenants 46:11-14)
Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 28:10, 20
"Now king Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom upon, for there was not any of his sons who would accept of the kingdom.
And now, as I said unto you, that after king Mosiah had done these things, he took the plates of brass, and all the things which he had kept, and conferred them upon Alma, who was the son of Alma; yea, all the records, and also the interpreters, and conferred them upon him, and commanded him that he should keep and preserve them, and also keep a record of the people, handing them down from one generation to another, even as they had been handed down from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem."
I pondered on how after king Mosiah's son left to preach the gospel to the Lamanites he set his affairs in order. He had no one to confer the kingdom on and the very first matter he settled was translating the plates of gold the Limhi's people had discovered. He acted in the role of a seer. Then he took all the sacred records and conferred them upon Alma, with command to preserve them and record their history. Mosiah took care of spiritual things before he addressed the physical or political needs of the kingdom. He took care of what was most important first.
Today's Favorite Verse: Revelation 9:4
"And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."
This chapter continues with the last three angels sounding their trumpets and wo's being pour out upon the wicked. I once again tried to find where should I be? Then I spotted where the righteous are, they have the seal of God in their foreheads. Which I will take to mean their focus and aim is to do what is pleasing to God. They have the Holy Spirit of Promise. They are not focused on the world and its destruction and the great fear coming upon man, for what is prophesied will come to pass. The focus is on the Lord's second coming. We are taking the Spirit as our guide for both physical and spiritual protection. Yes, we may get caught up in events as the wicked are destroyed, but that is not the destruction of our souls. It really doesn't matter which side of the veil we are one when the Lord appears again. The difference is in what direction is our focus.
"The Apostle John saw that certain calamities preceding the Second Coming would not affect all the earth or its inhabitants, “but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads” (Revelation 9:4). This corresponds with other scriptural promises that in the last days, those who are faithful will ultimately be protected (see 1 Nephi 22:17–19; D&C 115:5–6). President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) emphasized that spiritual preparation should be our first priority when seeking protection from the calamities of the last days:
“Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came.
“The Lord has said, ‘If ye are prepared ye shall not fear’ (D&C 38:30).
“The primary preparation is also set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants, wherein it says, ‘Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come’ (D&C 87:8). …
“We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. This is a first priority. We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments” (“If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 62).
Though the Lord promises protection to the righteous in the last days, the Prophet Joseph Smith clarified that some who are righteous may lose their lives in the trials and calamities of the last days: “[I] explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and ‘the righteous shall hardly escape’ [see D&C 63:34]; still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith [see Habakkuk 2:4]; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 253)."
(New Testament Student Manual, Chapter 54: Revelation 4-11, "Revelation 9:4 The Righteous Will Be Protected")
Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:11
"And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;"
I feel like "study to be quiet" is the season of my life right now. I'm getting much better at being quiet. First, I had to learn the hard way that sharing spiritual experiences can open them up to being attacked, or stifled, even by those you trusted. It can also cause you to not follow the promptings received. Because of this you may lose out on once in a lifetime opportunities, that can never be called back.
"I unreservedly testify of and attest to the reality of God and the miracles in the everyday life of countless people from both the low and high stations of life. True, many sacred experiences are rarely spoken of, in part because of their divine origin and the resulting possibility of ridicule by some who do not know better."
(Christoffel Golden, "Preparing for the Second Coming of Christ," October 2021 General Conference)
Joseph Smith: “Let us be faithful and silent, brethren, and if God gives you a manifestation, keep it to yourselves” (History of the Church, 2:309).
Brigham Young: “Should you receive a vision or revelation from the Almighty, one that the Lord gave you concerning yourselves, or this people, but which you are not to reveal on account of your not being the proper person, or because it ought not to be known by the people at present, you should shut it up and seal it . . . as secret as the grave. The Lord has no confidence in those who reveal secrets, for he cannot safely reveal himself to such persons” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 43-44).
Boyd K. Packer: “I have learned that strong, impressive spiritual experiences do not come to us very frequently. And when they do, they are generally for our own edification, instruction, or correction. . . . I have come to believe also that it is not wise to continually talk of unusual spiritual experiences. . . . I heard President Marion G. Romney once counsel mission presidents and their wives . . . I do not tell all I know; . . . for I found out that if I talked too lightly of sacred things, thereafter the Lord would not trust me. We are, I believe, to keep these things and ponder them in our hearts, as Luke said Mary did of the supernal events that surrounded the birth of Jesus.” (Boyd K. Packer, "The Candle of the Lord", Ensign, Jan. 1983, 53)
