Scripture Blog

This weblog is my personal online scripture journal. I try to read the scriptures each morning as I exercise on my cross-trainer. It has a great impact on my life and my testimony of the Savior and his restored church. The journal is really for my own benefit but I have set it up as a web log in hopes to benefit anyone else that may be interested. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." 1 Nephi 10:19

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, John 6

As a great multitude followed the Savior all day long in a desert place, his disciples came to him concerned that the multitude should be sent away to find something to eat. The Savior answered -

"...They need not depart; give ye them to eat." (New Testament Matthew 14:16)

Upon learning that they had -

"...but five loaves, and two fishes." (New Testament Matthew 14:17)

The Savior then took the opportunity, telling his disciples -

"...Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children." (New Testament Matthew 14:18 - 21)

Shortly after performing such a great miracle, the Savior taught one of his greatest lessons. After arriving in Capernaum, the word must have traveled quickly for many gathered again to witness some great miracle and to be physically fed, to which the Savior tells them -

"...Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (New Testament John 6:26)

A little disappointed they respond -

"...What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?" (New Testament John 6:30)

It is here that that the Savior provides this great doctrine -

"...Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." (New Testament John 6:32 - 33)

It appears they are still thinking they may be physically fed as they follow -

"...Lord, evermore give us this bread." (New Testament John 6:34)

The Savior testifies -

"...I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (New Testament John 6:35)

"For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (New Testament John 6:38 - 40)

As they murmured, the Savior continued -

"...He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (New Testament John 6:47 - 51)

Not making any effort to hear with spiritual ears, they sarcastically respond -

"...How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (New Testament John 6:52)

The Savior then provided even greater doctrine for those that would ponder and hear -

"..Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." (New Testament John 6:53 - 58)

There is no question that what we eat and drink is what we take in us and is what we are then made of. Helping his disciples to understand the meaning of his teachings, he teaches -

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (New Testament John 6:63)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught -

“This querulous, unbelieving attitude on the part of the Jews was, not only wholly unwarranted, but from Jewish lips it bordered on absurdity. Probably no people in all history understood better or had made more extensive use of symbolical and figurative language than they had. Further, Jesus had just taught them the doctrine of the Bread of Life. For them to pretend not to know that eating the flesh of Jesus meant accepting him as the Son of God and obeying his words could only mean that they were wilfully closing their eyes to the truth.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:359.)

I found this story to end this blog -

THE BREAD OF LIFE

"I had never thought much about sacrament meetings prior to attending college. To me they were an opportunity to meet my friends and to discuss our plans for the week. I felt no particular spiritual uplift from them.

When I came to school, I took a class in New Testament. One day we were discussing the great sermon by Jesus called the Bread of Life, and I found myself unable to understand what the teacher was saying. After class I went to his office and asked for an interview. I said that I hoped he could enlighten me some. Specifically, I wished to know how Jesus could become the bread of life to me.

My teacher began patiently. He said that there were many ways to partake of the bread of life. He referred to the great mission of our Savior, and spoke of the great gift which the Father offered us all in the person of the Son and of the offering of the Son in giving his life for men’s sins. I had heard it all before, and it didn’t stir my soul at all.

Finally my teacher asked, “Do you understand the atonement of Christ?” I replied that I knew he had taken upon himself the sins of men and had died for us. “Do you know what it cost him to make such an atonement?” I replied that I did not. He then began rehearsing for me the terrible suffering of our Savior, the suffering of both body and spirit to the extent that it caused him, even God, to bleed at every pore—a suffering which he willingly took upon himself, a suffering so intense that it covered the punishment due for the sins of all men. And to think that at any time our Savior could have withdrawn—he had the power; at any time he could have said, “Be gone,” and all of his accusers and tormentors would have withered as dried reeds. He could have saved himself but he did not.

I was impressed; who wouldn’t be? But when the teacher said that my own sins and his were among those which gave the Savior pain, I looked within and did not like what I saw. And I began to weep—at my angry thoughts, my unholy thoughts, my backbiting, my greed. I wept because of them, not only because I was sorry—for I had been sorry before—but because I knew for the first time that I had been partly to blame for the Savior’s terrible suffering. Before this time I had put all the blame upon those wicked Jews. “How could they have been so blind?” I had wondered. “Couldn’t they see that this was the Son of God?” Now for the first time I saw the suffering of the Savior in relation to myself. The Jews were not alone responsible for the Savior’s suffering. I was also to blame. It was I, and all of us, who had been the cause of his death.

My heart was sincerely touched with my new realization, and I cried. I found myself wishing that some great suffering might come upon me so that I could, in some way, rid myself of the torment and guilt I felt. For I did feel guilty—guilty of the blood of him who had died. I had been evil at times—happy to do wrong; yes, even glorified in my wickedness at times. Afterwards I had felt a little twinge of conscience and vowed that I would do better; then I pushed the wrong deed into the back of my mind. At no time did I realize that I was adding to the incomprehensible suffering of my Savior.

As I thought on these things, however, a flood of memories came rushing back to me, and I remembered my many wrongs. Not that I was evil as regards our civil or moral laws, for in these I knew that I had not erred. But in the light of this new thing I was painfully aware of my greatest sins—my carelessness; yes, even my blasphemy. I now realized how irreverent I had been in remembering the emblems of his death. I had gone my merry way, basking in his love; I had sinned and was flippantly sorry, and then I sinned again. And at none of these times did I realize that I, even in my slightest evils, was helping to crucify my Lord. How many times had I looked at his picture during the administration of the sacrament and said under my breath, “Yes, Lord, I do love thee.” Then I had taken the sacred emblems into my mouth and immediately begun wishing for a new hat like the one I saw in front of me. How many times had I prayed during the sacrament and said, “Dear Lord, I thank thee for all that I have, and now please give me this and give me that.” And never once did I truly thank him for his gift to me nor ask his forgiveness for my sins. Or how many times had I come to the sacrament table and asked forgiveness for my own transgressions, still holding a grudge against those who had transgressed against me.

All these things and many, many others stood bright and clear before me, and I was weak and sick with shame. How sad he must be for my hypocrisy! But even in my darkest moment I knew that he still loved me. Even then—in fact, then more than ever—I could feel the warmth and peace of his love. Then suddenly, the light flashed on bright and perfect and clear as crystal. “This is it!” I exulted. “This is the love of God—the love of God which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men. This is that bread of life, that living water which, if a man will eat or drink of it, he shall never hunger or thirst again.”

My heart leaped with joy, and I wept again. This time it was not with sorrow or shame, but with joy, for I had tasted of his love and forgiveness, and I knew what it was. It was the same thing I had felt on many occasions before but could not recognize. This time I knew that I knew. I had indeed felt of his Spirit and of the strength that comes through seeking a personal relationship with him."

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Matthew 10, Mark 6, Luke 9

As the Savior was about to send his apostles forth to preach, minister, and heal the sick, he provides them a great deal of instruction and council on this assignment. What seemed to impress me the most was his words -

"He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." (New Testament Matthew 10:40)

John recorded these words -

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." (New Testament John 13:20)

In modern revelation the Savior taught the same principle -

"...the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 1:14)

For -

"...I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 1:38)

Whom the Lord sends is those duly called and appointed by those holding the keys as the Lord's representatives, for -

"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Pearl of Great Price Articles of Faith 1:5)

For those who accept and receive the oath and covenant of the priesthood are -

"...they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 84:35)

But just as important -

"For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;
37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 84:36 - 37)

Our obligation is to received his servants - the servant that are our file leaders. Who are our file leaders? President Marion G. Romney said -

"Who are his servants? They are his representatives in the offices of the Priesthood—the General, Stake, Priesthood Quorum, and Ward officers. It behooves us to keep this in mind when we are tempted to disregard our presiding authorities, bishops, quorum and stake presidents, etc., when, within the jurisdiction of their callings, they give us counsel and advice.” (Marion G. Romney in CR, Oct. 1960, p. 73. )

Our file leaders then would include our local leaders. Elder Boyd K. Packer said -

“Some of us suppose that if we were called to a high office in the Church immediately we would be loyal, and would show the dedication necessary. We would step forward and valiantly commit ourselves to this service.

But, you can put it down in your little black book that if you will not be loyal in the small things you will not be loyal in the large things. If you will not respond to the so-called insignificant or menial tasks which need to be performed in the Church and kingdom, there will be no opportunity for service in the so-called greater challenges.

A man who says he will sustain the President of the Church or the General Authorities, but cannot sustain his own bishop is deceiving himself. The man who will not sustain the bishop of his ward and the president of his stake will not sustain the President of the Church.

I have learned from experience that those people who come to us for counsel saying that they cannot go to their bishops, are unwilling to accept counsel from their bishops. They are unwilling or unable to accept counsel from the General Authorities. Actually, the inspiration of the Lord will come to their bishop and he can counsel them correctly.” (Boyd K. Packer, “Follow the Brethren,” Speeches of the Year, 1965, pp. 4–5.)

Let us always be reminded as the Savior's duly authorized file leaders -

"...speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost.
4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 68:3 - 4)

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8

What seems to be the Savior's first lesson taught as a parable is the Parable of the Sower where the Savior teaches -

"Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (New Testament Mark 4:3 - 9)

It seed is the "word" of God, for-

"The sower soweth the word." (New Testament Mark 4:14)

What seems to be the most important component is the properties of the soil upon which the seed is sown. As I initially pondered the meaning of the soil, I sensed the Savior was speaking of the heart - our deepest and most sincere desires. This was confirmed as the Savior explained to his disciples of the seeds that fell -

"...by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts." (New Testament Mark 4:15)

The Prophet Joseph Smith commented -

“Men who have no principle of righteousness in themselves, and whose hearts are full of iniquity, and have no desire for the principles of truth, do not understand the word of truth when they hear it. The devil taketh away the word of truth out of their hearts, because there is no desire for righteousness in them. . . .” (Smith, Teachings, p. 96.)

The Savior explained of the seeds that -

"...likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." (New Testament Mark 4:16 - 17)

President Harold B. Lee commented of us today -

"Let me say to you, that many of you will see the time when you will have all the trouble, trial and persecution that you can stand, and plenty of opportunities to show that you are true to God and his work. This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with victory. To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not till you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand.

Remember these sayings, for many of you will live to see them fulfilled. The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?" (Quoted by Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1965, p. 128; see also Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, pp. 446, 449–50.)

I am also saddened as the Savior explains -

"...these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." (New Testament Mark 4:18 - 19)

Is is this group in our families and in the Church which concerns us greatly as we strive to magnify our priesthood responsibilities. Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote -

“If the seed falls among thorns, it is in good soil, as is evidenced by the growth of the undesirable plants. But the good plant is soon choked and dies because it cannot overcome the influence of the weeds and thistles. So it is with the members of the Church who know the gospel is true, but who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus, who are not affirmatively and courageously striving to further the interests of the Church. So it is of the Saints who think more of the honors of men, the educational standards of the world, political preferment, or money and property, than they do of the gospel. They know the Lord’s work has been established on earth, but they let the cares of the world choke the word...” (DNTC, 1:289.)

And finally the Savior explained -

"...these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred." (New Testament Mark 4:20)

This verse also suggests that there is a great deal of variance in abilities and magnifying callings with those who do bring forth fruit. Again, Elder McConkie states -

“If the seed falls on productive, fertile soil, and if it is thereafter nurtured and cared for, it bringeth forth a harvest. But even here crops of equal value are not harvested by all the saints. There are many degrees of receptive belief; there are many gradations of effective cultivation. All men, the saints included, shall be judged according to their works; those who keep the whole gospel law shall bring forth an hundred fold and inherit the fulness of the Father’s kingdom. Others shall gain lesser rewards in the mansions which are prepared.” (DNTC, 1:289.)

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you...." (New Testament John 14:2)

Monday, December 18, 2006

Mathew 13:44-46

As the Savior began to use parables in his teaching, he tauht -

"...the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." (New Testament Matthew 13:44)

He also taught -

...the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (New Testament Matthew 13:45 - 46)

In both parables, the message is conveyed that when that of great value is found, a wise man will sacrifice all that is necessary to possess it. The Savior testifies herein to all men that the kingdom of heaven is of such value to we should sacrifice all, pay whatever to costs to obtain it. As he taught in parables -

"...the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" (New Testament Matthew 13:10)

"...Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand." (New Testament Matthew 13:11 - 13)

Alma taught the Zoramites -

"...concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—...Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." (Book of Mormon Alma 32:26 - 27)

To those who would "hear" or desire to believe and would give a place for a portion of his words by exercising faith, the Savior promised -

"...blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear." (New Testament Matthew 13:16)

Saying to them -

"Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord." (New Testament Matthew 13:51)

I believe the kingdom of heaven is worth any price to obtain.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Matthew 12:37, Luke 8:21

The Savior Said -

"...My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." (New Testament Luke 8:21)

I read this poem this morning -

If you had walked from Nazareth
Behind the older son,
Would you have testified of him,
The Lord’s anointed one?
Or would you have said to Him,
“I have no need of thee,
“For I can walk through heaven’s gate
Because of family!
“Your mother is the same as mine,
Our brethren, see them, three!
“Now what can be in you divine
That isn’t here in me?”
Proud head, bow down! For He is Lord,
And perfect; without sin.
The man who bore, by Mary, you,
Was not a sire to Him.
Brothers in flesh can lay no claim
To have their faults forgiven,
But must obey, as all the same,
To enter into heaven.
The water, blood, and Holy Ghost
May purge your heart, and change,
Then you’ll not just a brother be,
But son to Him who reigns!

What jumped at me the most was "...Because of Family!". To the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Savior said -

"...begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." (New Testament Luke 3:8)

But -

"Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance..." (New Testament Luke 3:8)

It is through obedience and repentance that we bcome the sons and daughters of Christ for -

"...as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name..." (New Testament John 1:12)

For as he testified -

"...whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." (New Testament Matthew 12:50)

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35, Luke 8:19-21

As the Savior was teaching his disciples -

"...his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him." (New Testament Matthew 12:46)

And with traditional respect -

"...one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee." (New Testament Matthew 12:47)

To which the Savior answered in greater perspective -

"...Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!" (New Testament Matthew 12:48 - 49)

Then he teaches -

"For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." (New Testament Matthew 12:50)

Luke records that he also said -

"...My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." (New Testament Luke 8:21)

"Hear the word of God , and do it" suggests that obedience is a key to the eternal family of Christ. King Benjamin taught -

"...because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 5:7)

For -

"...I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters." (Book of Mormon Ether 3:14)

As his family, we covenant that we -

"..are willing to take upon [us]the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given [us]..." (Book of Mormon Moroni 4:3)

As we "hear the word of God, and do it" with other fellow saints, we develop a kinship as brothers and sisters in the family of Christ. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained -

“This [the idea that we may become members of the family of Christ] is a special family relationship reserved for the faithful. It is over, above, and in addition to the fact that all men are the spirit children of the Eternal Father. . . . This is a glorious and wondrous doctrine. We are the sons and daughters of the living God, the children of the great Jehovah, the adopted offspring of the Lord Jesus Christ. We bear the name of Christ. We are members of his family. He is our father.” (McConkie, “The Ten Commandments of a Peculiar People,” Speeches of the Year, 1975, p. 30.)

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Matthew 12:22-37, Mark 3:22-30

To the Savior was brought -

"...one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed..." (New Testament Matthew 12:22 - 23)

Not understanding who he really was, they questioned -

"...Is not this the son of David?" (New Testament Matthew 12:23)

In other words, "is this not just a common person being the son of a carpenter?"

Naturally, those in power and authority -

"...the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." (New Testament Matthew 12:24)

It is here that the Savior teaches a powerful truth -

"...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" (New Testament Matthew 12:25 - 26)

Mormon taught -

"...every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him." (Book of Mormon Moroni 7:16 - 17)

It's interesting that I have heard accusations that the Book of Mormon is false and is of the devil. If one sincerely read the Book of Mormon, they would find the entire book is a testimony of the divinity and mission of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even the title page of the book declares -

"...And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations..." (Book of Mormon Preface Title Page:2)

"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." (New Testament Matthew 12:30)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Matthew 5:3-5

As I read the Savior's teachings in his Sermon on the Mount, I found myself again pondering the following:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (New Testament Matthew 5:3 - 5)

For my own reference, I found the following explanations that were given by President Harold B. Lee -

1. Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

“To be poor in spirit is to feel yourselves as the spiritually needy, ever dependent upon the Lord for your clothes, and your food and the air you breathe, your health, your life; realizing that no day should pass without fervent prayer of thanksgiving, for guidance and forgiveness and strength sufficient for each day’s need.”

2. Blessed Are They That Mourn

“To mourn, as the Master’s lesson here would teach, one must show that ‘godly sorrow that worketh repentance’ and wins for the penitent a forgiveness of sins and forbids a return to the deeds of which he mourns.”

3. Blessed Are the Meek

“A meek man is defined as one who is not easily provoked or irritated and forbearing under injury or annoyance. Meekness is not synonymous with weakness. The meek man is the strong, the mighty, the man of complete self-mastery. He is the one who has the courage of his moral convictions, despite the pressure of the gang or the club.” (taken from Lee, Decisions for Successful Living, pp. 56–63.)

Each of these quotes have provided me a great deal more incite.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Matthew 6, Luke 6

As the Savior taught his followers and disciples many principles of righteousness, he counseled -

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (New Testament Matthew 6:19 - 21)

Suggesting -

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." (Old Testament Proverbs 23:7)

Our hearts is symbolizes our truest and most sincere desires. This becomes apparent as the Savior explains -

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (New Testament Matthew 6:22 - 23)

Our hearts will either desire light or darkness. Neither can co-exist, therefore -

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (New Testament Matthew 6:24)

Elder Bruce R. McConkies wrote -

“Mammon is an Aramaic word for riches. Thus Jesus is saying, ‘Ye cannot serve God and riches, or worldliness, which always results from the love of money.’” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:240.)

The question for us all is are wordly riches and entertainment our treasure or is it faith in Jesus Christ. Nephi taught the same doctrine -

"...there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.
8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:7 - 9)

"Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.
13 They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up.
14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:12 - 14)

"O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!" (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 28:15)

Do we serve God or Mammon?