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, May 06, 2010

2 Chronicles 29

In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet Joseph Smith pleaded -

"...that no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it;
21 And when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent and return unto thee, and find favor in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence thee in thy house.
22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;
23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.
24 We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity;
25 That no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself;
26 That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house..." (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 109:20 - 26)

Hezekiah seemed to have the same desire in his heart regarding the Lord's house in that -

"...he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD..." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 29:2)

In that -

"...he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 29:4 - 5)

"Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 29:31)

Then -

"...Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 30:1)

And of those that were not worthy, much like the Prophet Joseph Smith -

"...Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 30:18 - 19)

And -

"...the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 30:20)

Later, as the Assyrians, with all their warriors and weaponry came to conquer Judah, Hezekiah, counsels because of the faithfulness of Judah -

"...Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 32:7 - 8)

After the Assyrians had mocked the God of Judah -

"...the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria." (Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 32:21)

Even -

"...the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses." (Old Testament | 2 Kings 19:35)

When the saints our faithful to their temples covenants, the promises of teh Lord will be fulfilled.