The Plates of Brass 1 Nephi 3

Right after Nephi had been “blessed” by the Lord because “he had sought Him diligently, with lowliness of heart”, the Lord provided a way to prove him to see if he would truly “keep His commandments”.

What is the assignment given from the Lord?

1 Nephi 3:1 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.

2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.

3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.

4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

Lehi had received the command from the Lord to send his sons back to Jerusalem to retrieve the “plates of brass”. Because our knowledge of the records of Lehi are limited, it might be difficult to observe exactly what Lehi’s Abrahamic test was. I believe that in keeping with the story of Abraham, wherein Abraham was required to sacrifice his son by the Lord, Lehi similarly is required to sacrifice his sons by sending them back to Jerusalem. Quite possibly, this could be the test that proves Lehi and Nephi at the same time, similar to Abraham and Isaac. I will address this more in my next post.

For now, I would like to concentrate on why the Lord instructed Lehi to get the plates.

Nephi explains to his brothers the importance of the plates in the following:

1 Nephi 3:19 And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;

20 And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.

Nephi points out that the plates were needed to:

1) preserve their language

2) preserve the words of the prophets, in other words, instructions on the “covenant”

Later in the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin also expounds on the need for the plates:

Mosiah 1:3 And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying: My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.

4 For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time.

5 I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.

King Benjamin taught that the information in the Brass Plates was necessary to know the “mysteries of God”, which we have previously discovered, by seeking makes it possible to be visited by the Lord. He also stressed that the written word was necessary to preserve the commandments. We have also discovered that keeping the commandments allows one to receive the blessings attached to them. Without the knowledge of what the commandments are, it would literally be impossible to keep them, limiting the Lord’s ability to bless us. Finally, the written word would keep the “traditions of men” from becoming the law and a stumbling block to us.

What did these important records contain?

1 Nephi 5:11 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents;

12 And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;

13 And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.

14 And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine.

It appears that the “Brass Plates” were similar to the records we have in the beginning of the Old Testament. They contained the history of the Covenant People up until the time of Lehi’s departure. We are told later, as Nephi is given a vision of the future (1 Nephi 13:23), that the record that Lehi was commanded to get had even more information in it than the Old Testament we have today, perhaps pre-removal of plain and precious truths. It was their “Book of Scripture” similar to our standard works of today.

Jumping ahead in the story line, we soon find out that the first thing Lehi did after receiving the plates from his sons was to search them.

Are we searching them still? If we are not searching them, is it really any different than not having them? Lehi was willing to sacrifice the lives of his sons in order for us to have the information contained in these records, are we grateful for them? How do we show our gratitude for them?

King Benjamin was truly grateful for the sacrifice made to have the records in his day. He bore a solemn testimony of their worth and implored his posterity to not regard them as a “thing of naught.” He understood that the records allowed his posterity to “keep the commandments” and call upon the “promises” made to his fathers. (Remember that is the promise we have just discussed in 1 Nephi Chapter 2)

Mosiah 1:6 O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.

7 And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.

Are we searching diligently? Are we profiting from the information contained in the records from the Lord? Do we know and understand the commandments contained in these records so that we can be obedient to them? Are we calling upon the promises given to us because of our obedience?

I, like King Benjamin, know these records contain truth and am grateful to have them before my eyes.

What say you?

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Lehi 1 Nephi 1

How grateful I am for the record we are given in the Old Testament of the dealings of the Lord regarding the Children of Israel. Perhaps for the first time ever, in all my studies of the Book of Mormon, I finally believe I have come to more fully understand the historical background and current issues that the Prophet Lehi and his family faced by living when they did in Jerusalem. This understanding comes, in part, because of the accounts given by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These men, contemporaries of Lehi, were prophets of the Lord who delivered messages of repentance to a wicked and prideful people. These people, the covenant or chosen people of the Lord, had received authority to administer in the ordinances of the Temple, but had lost the “power” through disobedience, wickedness and the worship of false Gods or abominations. They had come to rely more upon the arm of flesh, than upon the Lord himself. (Again, my attention is called to Elder Boyd K Packer and his voice of warning given in conference.)

Isaiah had prophesied many years before the time of Lehi, to an unrepentant Northern Kingdom of their impending doom, or scattering, which became a reality because they were unwilling to listen to his voice. The Assyrians were the means the Lord used to accomplish this work of scattering, as He allowed them to conquer the Northern Kingdom and utterly destroy its leadership. In Lehi’s lifetime the prophet Jeremiah resounded with a similar message given to the prideful Southern Kingdom. These Children of Israel would soon follow the same path as the Northern Kingdom when the Lord uses the Babylonians to scatter His covenant people because of their disobedience to his commands.

The Babylonian “take over” of Israel came in waves. First, they quietly removed those who had wealth, education, or political power from the area and took them to either the city, or king’s court in Babylon, as was the case with Daniel, or to the outlying areas which were similar to refugee camps, which was the case with Ezekiel. Next they replaced the rightful King of Judah, who they took captive to Babylon, with a “puppet king”, one they could control, by the name of Zedekiah. It was during the first year of Zedekiah’s reign that Lehi received his call to cry repentance to the people of Jerusalem. At the same time the prophet Jeremiah was also preaching to the people in Jerusalem. Thus, we have four different prophetic accounts of the Lord’s message to His people who lived simultaneously.

It is interesting to note that the Lord instructed three of the prophets, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah to convey His will to them, that they needed to physically surrender to Babylon but return to the Lord spiritually so that He could some day allow them to return to their land of promise. (This would be facilitated by His use of the Persian Empire, and King Cyrus who eventually conquered Babylon and, as Isaiah prophesied years earlier, allowed the Children of Israel to return and reconstruct their beleaguered Temple.) Lehi conversely was given the message to take his family and flee into the wilderness.

This is the situation that was present at the time of the record of 1 Nephi, as he informs us:

1:4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.

Having entered into a Covenant with the Lord, the Children of Israel could not believe that their “great city” could be destroyed. They must have been confused by the message given, after all, they had a Temple in their midst, certainly the Lord would offer protection and guidance to those He loved? This attitude is evidenced by the account of the actions of Laman and Lemuel. Their focus on the authority, or gift of the covenant, allowed them to forget the true source from which the actual blessings come, the “power” of His word. I believe that the Book of Mormon is a definitive work, or instruction manual, on HOW to tap into that power. This is the same power that President Packer warned us about, which is ultimately the only way to be saved from destruction.

As I study, I love to look for principles and patterns that show HOW to gain that power in my life. That will be my focus in studying the Book of Mormon this time around.

What will be yours?

Slow of Speech, Enoch and Moses

Enoch and Moses were both great prophets of God. They both had a similar experience when they were called by God to do His work. Both initially had the same response to the challenge issued explaining that each was “slow of speech” and simply not up to the task given. Their acknowledgment of weakness in this area was, however, followed by two different approaches to the problem. It is interesting to study them together to gain insights into the way the Lord makes our “weak things strong.”

In the Pearl of Great Price, the account is given of Enoch and his great calling. Look for Enoch’s initial response to the directions given by the Lord:

Moses6: 27 And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their fears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off;

28 And for these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and in their own abominations have they devised murder, and have not kept the commandments, which I gave unto their father, Adam.

29 Wherefore, they have foresworn themselves, and, by their oaths, they have brought upon themselves death; and a hell I have prepared for them, if they repent not;

30 And this is a decree, which I have sent forth in the beginning of the world, from my own mouth, from the foundation thereof, and by the mouths of my servants, thy fathers, have I decreed it, even as it shall be sent forth in the world, unto the ends thereof.

31 And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?

Enoch must have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the calling he had just received and simply inadequate to do the great task ahead. The Lord knew what Enoch was capable of doing even if Enoch didn’t fully realize his own potential.

Moses 6:32 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good.

33 Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you.

34 Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.

Enoch, who was humble and submissive, took the Lord at His word and obeyed His command.

Moses 6: 37 And it came to pass that Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works; and all men were offended because of him.

Because Enoch was willing to “go and do”, the Lord made his weak area his strength.

Moses 6:47 And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence.

Moses 7:13 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 drivers 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.

When Moses was called by the Lord to be the deliver of the Children of Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh, his initial response is exactly the same as Enoch’s.

Exodus 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 ¶ And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

11 ¶ And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Moses must have felt inadequate and ill equipped for his new calling, the same as Enoch did, so Moses pressed the Lord further.

Exodus 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

The Lord then explained to him exactly what he was to say to the Children of Israel to make them understand that he had received his call from the Lord but even after the explanation, Moses still queried.

Exodus 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.

At this point, the Lord showed Moses the power of his word in the form of a miracle when He turned Moses own hand into a leprous state and then cleansed it. He showed Moses that He could take Moses' weakness or imperfections and make them perfect, but still Moses feared.

Exodus 4:10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

Still patient with Moses the Lord responded:

Exodus 4:11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

It is at this point that the two prophets, Enoch and Moses, differ. Enoch simply obeyed and his weakness in speech became mighty. Moses, however, still had his doubts at his ability and asked for the Lord to send someone else.

Exodus 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

Unlike Enoch, who the Lord blessed with powerful speech, Moses lost the ability to have that gift because of his fear or lack of confidence, either in the Lord or in himself, and the Lord provided Aaron to be his spokesman.

Exodus 4:14 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

Do we ever lose out on blessings because we are too fearful to heed the calling of the Lord? Do we recoil at assignments given to us because of our lack of confidence? Can we gain all the strength the Lord has to offer us if we give in to that fear of inadequacy?

President Monson instructed us in a talk he gave in the October 2008 Priesthood session of General Conference called “To Learn, to Do, to Be” how we can be profitable servants in the sight of our Lord. He explained:

“First, learn what we should learn. Second, do what we should do. And third, be what we should be. By so doing, the blessings of heaven will attend. We will know that we are not alone.”

Although I believe that Moses was one of the greatest prophets that the Lord has sent, and that he is a Priesthood keyholder of prominent importance even still today, something can be learned by this example. For me, it shows us how fear and a lack of confidence can prohibit us from gaining the strength the Lord is willing to provide for us if we are faithful and obedient to his will. After all, the Lord promises, “he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong.”

Enoch was blessed immediately with mighty speech, Moses just had to wait a little longer to gain that blessing. This is one of the reasons I really love Moses. He simply had to learn some things the hard way. Perhaps I can relate much more easily with Moses.

Old Testament Higher Laws

As students of the Old Testament we often perceive the teachings contained therein as having an emphasis on the lesser or lower law of sacrifice, while we think of the New Testament, or teachings of Jesus Christ’s personal ministry, as ones that require a higher form of commitment. The example to illustrate this principle that is often used, is that of the Sermon on the Mount, both given to the people in the land of Jerusalem, and then once again by the resurrected Lord to the people on the American continent. This famous teaching recalls the commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai, known as the Ten Commandments, but gives additional instruction requiring the disciple to consecrate more of himself to the will of the Father by living the spiritual aspect of the law as well as the physical. For example it is stated:

3 Nephi 12:27 Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery;

28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.

29 Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart;

We are taught the importance the Lord places not only on the action, but also upon the intent. This is one example of why we are taught we need to cleanse the inner vessel.

Alma 60:23 Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things? Behold I say unto you, Nay. Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also.

The intent with which we do something, or conversely don’t do something, seems to be just as important to the Lord as the act itself.

Looking for this teaching in the Old Testament is a little more difficult but it can be found. The Old Testament contains the same laws as the New Testament; they are just packaged a little differently. A good illustration of the principle of intent is found in the book of Genesis, in the story about Joseph and the dealings with his brothers.

Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, or Israel, was sent on an errand, by his father, to check on the other brothers as they attended to their duties with the flocks. Although Joseph was visibly the favorite son of his father, he was apparently not the favorite among the brothers themselves. His visions and dreams, in which he saw himself as ruler over his brothers, and even his father, had placed him in a very precarious position among his siblings. How the brothers felt about Joseph is manifest in their actions in the following account:

Genesis 37:19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

By this account it is revealed that most of the brothers saw this as an opportunity to rid themselves of their younger brother who professed to someday rule over them, and they had the intent in their hearts to kill him.

Reuben, alone, wanted no part of the scheme.

21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

The intent that Reuben had was to temporarily get rid of him so that the brothers could not do the evil that they had designed.

What happens next is a great illustration of the principle of intent versus performing the act. Casting him in the pit, Judah comes up with another plan to rid themselves of their brother:

23 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

The desire of their heart was to get rid of their brother in any way possible. Whether it was caused by jealousy, or simply pride wherein they intended for his visions and dreams to be proven false, we are not told. But in any case, in their hearts they designed to do evil. The Lord had other plans in mind for these brothers.

28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

Although the evil act was not actually done by the brothers themselves, but by the passing band of Midianites, the consequence of the act is soon felt by all of them. In an attempt to cover up their intents they formulated a lie to tell their father about the fate of Joseph. By the lesser law the brothers really did not commit the treacherous act, but by the higher law, their intent is apparent. The importance the Lord places on intent is then illustrated by the process of repentance that was required of the brothers simply because of the intent of their hearts.

Joseph, who was sold into slavery, became the perfect illustration of the admonition of the Lord, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” His intent to progress in any circumstance soon elevated him to a position of importance in Pharaohs kingdom, where ultimately he acted as a savior for the whole house of Israel.

The great process of repentance that is required of the brothers teaches us that the thoughts of our hearts are just as important to the Lord as the actual deed itself.

Mosiah 4:30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

So, what is my point in using this illustration of the “higher law” in the Old Testament you may ask?

Besides the great message of seeking to cleanse the inner vessel by recognizing our intents and not just our actions, my hope would be for us to look deeper at the great teachings the Old Testament has to offer and ponder on the gift it is to us for scriptural guidance.

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

After all, The Old Testament is one of my favorite books to read!

What Was So Great About King David Anyway?

I have often pondered why King David of the Old Testament was considered one of the greatest kings in Israel. Although he did many obedient things during his lifetime, he also did some not so hot things too. While studying in 2 Samuel this past week I believe I have found a reason why David was so special.

Saul, who started out strong as the king of Israel and the Lord’s anointed, simply went down hill fast. He became obsessed with David and jealous of David’s popularity with the people, and with the Lord himself. Pride and disobedience soon became the downfall of Saul, and the Lord withdrew from him. Most of Saul’s life was spent in pursuit of David, resulting in many attempts at David’s life. One amazing thing about David was his respect for the Lord’s anointed even when he didn't deserve it really, but I don’t think this is the true reason he was considered great.

After the death of Saul, Ishbosheth, who was the son of Saul, became ruler over the kingdom the Israel but David ruled Judah.

2 Samuel 2:8 ¶ But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10 Ish-bosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

These two rulers created a division in the kingdom, or in the Children of Israel. The division lasted seven years and six months. Upon the death of Ishbosheth, the tribes of Israel then came to David, and in his mercy and grace, he united the kingdom which was divided for the first time.

2 Samuel 5:1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.

4 ¶ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

This unification of the Children of Israel has never occurred again since. It was a great accomplishment and will only be repeated by Jesus Christ himself. In this way David is truly an Elias for Jesus Christ, who is the King of Kings.

I believe that is what made David so great. What do you think?

Sarah, A Woman of Sacrifice

We are reminded all the time of the sacrifice of Abraham and his willingness to be obedient to the Lord, but in remembering him we must remember his wife Sarah also. Sarah's life is one of sacrifice; it was filled with continual tests or trials, which as she proved faithful and obedient, resulted in blessings without number.

The first sacrifice Sarah faced required her to leave her home and family and “cleave” unto her husband, as they both left the familiar surroundings of Ur, to travel by faith to an unknown land. Arriving in the land of Canaan during a time of great famine, they were then required to journey onward still into Egypt for sustenance. Before they were to enter into the area of Egypt, Sarah was instructed that it would be safer for Abraham if she relinquished her title as wife, and become a sister to him to save him from death.

Sarah’s willingness to sacrifice even her precious virtue to Pharaoh if need be, so that Abraham could live, served as an example of consecration in marriage in the fullest sense. She was blessed for her obedience as she was allowed to leave Egypt with her husband with her virtue unscathed. In fact, she and Abraham left Egypt with far more substance than they had when they arrived; they received riches, through the Lord, in abundance from Pharaoh himself.

The Lord had covenanted with Abraham and promised him that through his lineage would continue a “royal priesthood”, and that his posterity would be “as numerous as the sands of the seashore.” Yet, after 24 years of marriage, Abraham still had no seed by Sarah. At the age of seventy-five, knowing that the years of her child bearing possibilities had passed, Sarah learned another great lesson of sacrifice. Putting her heart on the altar she submitted her will in offering her handmaid Hagar as another in her stead, to fulfill the promise of an heir to Abraham, made by the Lord. Because of her willingness to consecrate her all, this time to the Lord, she was blessed with the miracle birth of Isaac.

It is evident that Sarah became a great “mother of nations” as we come to know the character of Isaac himself, more fully through the experience he has with Abraham and his willingness to become the sacrifice to the Lord. Isaac’s unquestioning submission to the will of both his earthly father, and his Heavenly Father, confirms the fact that Sarah had taught him the ways of the Lord. He knew and understood the importance of the law of sacrifice, which Sarah had a firm testimony of herself. That testimony of sacrifice entitled her to the same blessings as Abraham in the eternities to come.

The fullness of glory is given to Sarah as Abraham becomes “a covering of the eyes” or a veil for her. This beautiful honor of a veiled faced showed that Sarah was given a place in the kingdom, not only of the earth but of heaven too. Abraham's blessing of priesthood, posterity, and a land inheritance was to be shared equally with this beautiful woman, Sarah.

The Torah Pointed To Jesus Christ

As I was studying from one of my new favorite books called, Beloved Bridegroom by Donna B. Nielsen, I was struck by a description of the Torah she gave as she quoted Ariel Berkowitz from his book, Torah Rediscovered.

“The word Torah in Hebrew does not only mean ‘law’, it also means ‘teaching’. Moreover, the root for ‘Torah’ can be traced to the Hebrew word meaning ‘to shoot an arrow,’ or ‘to hit the mark.’ Thus, the word ‘Torah’ means literally, ‘teaching,’ whether it is the wise man instructing his son, or God instructing Israel. Hence, we can say that ‘Torah’ is God’s teaching, hitting the mark of man’s needs including his need to know who God is and what His righteousness looks like.”

The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch or the first five books of Moses. For the Christian world these can be recognized as the first five books in the Old Testament. The Torah was a record written on scrolls that was to be read aloud to the congregation in the synagogue.

According to Alfred Edersheim in his book, Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ, the main objective of the synagogue was the teaching of the people. He states, “At present the Pentateuch is for this purpose arranged into fifty-four sections, of which one is read on each successive Sabbath of the year, beginning immediately after the feast of Tabernacles. But anciently the lectionary, at least in Palestine, seems to have been differently arranged, and the Pentateuch so divided that its reading occupied three, or, according to some, three and a-half years.”

In the Gospel of Luke we read about this very experience concerning Jesus as he read in the synagogue.

Luke 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16 ¶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

This “law” or “instruction” given to Moses was simply a pattern for what was to come, a witness to bear testimony of the “Law of the Gospel” which was the “good news” of Jesus Christ. Christ himself bore witness that He was the law.

D&C 88: 13 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.

The Torah or “arrow hitting the Mark” took three and a-half years to read starting right after the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast was celebrated in the Fall. It is interesting to note that many believe that the ministry of Christ began in the Fall of AD 26 and continued until the Spring of AD 30, exactly three and a-half years. In my opinion, the Torah was simply another testimony of Jesus Christ or the Mark.

Jacob 4:14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.

We know that all things point to Christ. With that understanding, as we worship today, we need to take special precautions so that we do not make the same mistake of looking beyond the Mark.

Ruth, A Story of Both Faith and Works

One of my favorite stories about women in the scriptures is the story of Ruth and Naomi. Their stories are so similarly intertwined in an instructive twist of fate. Naomi, who was a woman from Bethlehem-Judah, finds herself in a strange land in a peculiar predicament. She and her husband chose to leave their homeland and venture to the area of Moab because of a shortage of “bread” in their land. While in Moab, Naomi loses her husband to death. She also loses her only two sons to death, but not before they each had taken a Moabite woman as a wife. With no means of financial support, and upon hearing there was food to be found in her homeland of Bethlehem-Judah, Ruth decides to return home.

To understand the predicament that each of the three women were in, one must understand the conditions of the Levirate marriage. Under the law, if a man should die the dead man's brother should marry the widow and raise a family to the dead man, meaning all children born to this new union would be counted seed to the deceased brother. The firstborn son to this union would still be considered the birthright child of the dead husband and would inherit all the property and rights that should have been his dead fathers.

This custom insured the security and protection of the widow, who might have otherwise been left friendless and destitute. The law further stated that if there were no brothers to take upon themselves this widow a more distant male relative would be required to perform this duty of marriage and continuation of seed to that family. This was the responsibility of the closest blood relative, who actually became the widows "redeemer or protector" called a "Go'el."

For Naomi to have a continuation of seed, she must require her daughter-in-laws to marry her husbands nearest living relative. It is important to note that posterity was one of the ways in which a person was measured as far as worth. Naomi unselfishly allows her two daughter-in-laws their freedom and instructs them to return to their families and to their ways of worship. At this point Naomi also blesses them with the following petition to the Lord on their behalf:

Ruth 1:8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9 The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

Orpah, one of the daughters, “kissed her mother in law” and left, but Ruth “clave unto her.” The true conversion that Ruth had to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the love she felt for her mother-in-law and her God is shown by her response.

Ruth 1:16 Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

They both return to Judah and it is there we see a twist of fate; Ruth is now the one in a strange land facing a peculiar predicament. This Moabite woman is now required to provide support for her mother-in-law, whom she loves. To do this she is forced to go to the field and “glean” for their food.

The Lord explained this process of gleaning,

Leviticus 19: 9 ¶ And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.

10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.

The “glean” was the food that was left for the poor, either on the vine or on the ground, after the harvest was gathered by the harvesters. Ruth had resolved to go into the field, for it was during the Barley harvest, and glean for food. As Ruth was gleaning in the field, the land owner who was called Boaz noticed her and found favor with her.

Ruth 2:11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Both the prayers of her mother-in-law Naomi, and of Boaz, who we ultimately find becomes her husband, desire for Ruth to be blessed because of her faith and her works. This faithful convert, does “find rest in the house of her husband” for his house is the House of David, which is the “house” Jesus Christ himself comes through. This “house” or family line is that of kings and priests, and would be considered a “full reward” for any righteous woman to have. Because of the faithful consecrated acts that Ruth performed, not only for her mother-in-law but for her God too, she received the blessings of redemption and eternal life.

The Camp of Israel and The Three Degrees of Glory

I love the Old Testament. That said, I believe that many of the “plain and precious” truths that were contained in the Old Testament were taken out during the many translation processes. Joseph Smith had the incredible job of restoring some of those truths back where they belong, within the context of the scriptural stories of the Old and New Testament. Today we have what is known as the JST or Joseph Smith Translation which adds back many truths that have been lost to the world.

The Lord knowing the “cunning and craftiness” of Satan and of men, knew that some of these evident truths would be tampered with. In His wisdom he allowed them to remain, buried in symbolism, known only to those who “searched” diligently, guided by the direction of the Spirit, to find them. These are some of the “mysteries of the kingdom” that we are instructed to search for.

One such mystery is that of the organizational make up of our Heavenly abode. The Doctrine and Covenants plainly teaches about the “three degrees of glory” and illustrates the nature of Heaven.

D&C 88:20 That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.

21 And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.

22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.

23 And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.

24 And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.

I believe that even though this doctrine is not as plainly taught in the Old Testament it is still there. It was such an important concept to learn, that the Lord made sure His covenant children would never forget it, or recognize the truth of it when taught to them a new.

One example of the Lord’s teaching on the "three degrees of glory" is shown to the Children of Israel through the manner in which they were to set up the camp of Israel, as they wandered in the wilderness under the direction of Moses. They were given strict instructions as to the placement of the tribes and tabernacle, as illustrated below.

Even in the placement of the Camp of Israel we see the separation, or concept of the degrees of glory, that is being taught. The innermost place was the Tabernacle of the Lord, moving out from there were the Son’s of Moses and of Aaron, or the priesthood. These priesthood holders acted as mediators between the outermost circle which consisted of the rest of the camp and represented the world, and the Tabernacle itself. There was even a place labeled “outside” the camp of Israel where certain portions of the sacrifices were to be taken.

To illustrate the point even further, within the Tabernacle there were three distinct separations as well.

D&C 131: 1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

The Lord made sure that the “mysteries of His kingdom” would be made know to those who searched for them throughout all generations. We are so lucky to have the added insights from the additional scripture we have been given, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Joseph Smith Translation. These scriptures allow us to more fully recognize these truths that are taught in both the Old and New Testaments.

The Old Covenant and The New and Everlasting Covenant

I love the Gospel, or “Good News” of Jesus Christ and the simplicity of it. As I have begun teaching from the Doctrine and Covenants this year I have found how simply beautiful the doctrine and principles of His Gospel are for each of us to understand and embrace.

I am thankful for the past year of study I have had solely in the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament. It has given me a greater understanding of the covenant relationship we have with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. With that foundational understanding I have been allowed to see the relationship the “Old Covenant” has with the “New and Everlasting Covenant” of today.

What exactly is the “Old Covenant” I am referring to?

Many people term the “Old Covenant” as the Abrahamic Covenant. That has been somewhat confusing to me at times, because the covenant was originally made with Adam, renewed with Enoch, Noah, and so forth throughout all the dispensation heads. I have often wondered why it was not labeled the Adamic Covenant, since it truly began with Adam, but I guess that is food for thought for another post, right?

My intended purpose for writing this post is to express my thoughts of WHAT the covenant, or as we call it, Abrahamic Covenant, really is. For simplicity I have broken it down in this way:

A covenant is a two way promise between God and man, with God setting the terms. Applied to that promise are blessings or consequences for how well you live up to your end of the “contract”. God always lives up to His end of the deal that is why He is God.

The actual promise is really very simple. God has stated that “If you will make me your God, then I will make you my people, therefore walk with me.”

Leviticus 26:3-12

3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.

10 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.

11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

IF we make Him our God we must learn to “walk with Him”. What exactly does that entail really? I have spent much time pondering that question, and have found that it is really as simple as learning to be obedient and being willing to sacrifice. This life is given to us so that we may learn to walk. How easy that learning process is, is our own choice, but ultimately we will all learn to walk.

If we choose not to “walk the walk” patterned after His walk then there are consequences as well:

Leviticus 26: 27-28

27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;

28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

Even if we do not choose the easy path, He still allows us to learn to walk. We are simply given a different, or most times harder, path to walk until we learn to walk WITH Him. Through His chastisement or the difficult path we are given, we WILL learn. This difficult path is for our own growth, for “whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.”

The covenant we make is simply this: to make Him our God and walk in His ways. He in turn will make us His people. I think, in that deal we are getting more than we are giving really, but isn’t that how it always is with our Father in Heaven?

Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, and The Law of the Firstborn

Right now I have been studying the messages that the Lord has given to his children through the words in the Old Testament. I have found that there is profound wisdom to be learned from each and every word that is written upon those sacred pages.

In the book of Exodus, we come to know of the power that God has, and of his ability to save his children “by His strong hand.” This concept is taught to us through the “wonders” or plagues that Moses, His prophet, pronounces upon the Egyptians. A study of the plagues can bring us closer to understanding the wonder of the Lord himself, and learn of His power over all other gods that could become distractions in our lives today.

Presently I would like to focus a little on the tenth plague, or death of the firstborn, that was given by the Lord himself. In previous plagues the children of Israel were exempt from their harmful effects, but to realize the protection from this last one, they must now actively DO something to show their commitment. The instructions came directly from the Lord through Moses, His living prophet.

1) They must participate in the Passover Feast. There were specific instructions given as to the specifications of the actual lamb that was to be sacrificed. They were told that they were to celebrate this feast as a “memorial throughout their generation.” A memorial is simply a reminder or something to jog your memory. This feast was to remind them of the power that was needed to save them. It was to point to the ultimate sacrifice, or the last great sacrifice, Jesus Christ. This Passover Feast was in remembrance of the Law of Sacrifice. It was to end with the death of Jesus Christ, when the times of the Jews would be ended and the beginning of the times of the gentiles would be started. Their generation would come to a close, no more need of the feast.

2) Simultaneously to be celebrated with the Feast of Passover, was the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Lord required His children to remove all yeast, representing sin, from their midst, and partake of unleavened bread for seven days. This particular feast would be as an “ordinance for ever.” An ordinance is “a sacred rite or ceremony performed by the power of the priesthood and intended to bless God’s children.” Today we partake of this in a different way, the way shown to the disciples by Jesus during the Last Supper. We call this the ordinance of the sacrament. It is a reminder that we have covenanted to live The Law of the Gospel.

3) Because of the mercy the Lord showed in saving all of the firstborn of Israel, He instituted the requirement or Law of the Firstborn for all of His covenant children. This law required that each firstborn child would be consecrated to the Lord, as payment for His saving grace. He stated to Pharaoh emphatically that “Israel was His firstborn.” This means that ultimately this directive or Law of Consecration was the requirement for any who desired entrance into the “church of the firstborn.”

I am amazed at the beauty and simplicity with which the Lord teaches us these three important laws, The Law of Sacrifice, The Law of the Gospel, and The Law of Consecration. All these are required for entrance into His kingdom, reminding us continually that salvation and exaltation will only be given “by the strong hand of the Lord.”