Abraham 1

In the young days of Abraham, we learn that his fathers and othershad become so wicked with the immorality associated with idolatry that they allowed -

 "Even the thank-offering of a child did the priest of Pharaoh offer upon the altar..."  (Abraham 1:10)

I couldn't help but relate this to the heartless wickedness of abortion in our day.

Moses 8

Moses revealed an unknown weakness in Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah where -

"...Methuselah, the son of Enoch, was not taken, that the covenants of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to Enoch; for he truly covenanted with Enoch that Noah should be of the fruit of his loins.
3 And it came to pass that Methuselah prophesied that from his loins should spring all the kingdoms of the earth (through Noah), and he took glory unto himself."  (Moses 8:2–3)

Pride can lead to destruction.

Moses 7

Enoch saw that after Zion had been translated, that -

"...Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion."  (Moses 7:27)

Which suggests to me that many from the time of the translation of the City of Enoch to Noah and the flood,repented of their sins and joined with the City of Enoch.

Moses 6

As Adam asked the Lord why repentance and baptism, the Lord taught the plan of salvation including -

"For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;"  (Moses 6:60)

Which leads to the topics of justification and sanctification.

Moses 6

When Enoch was called by the Lord, he tried to excuse himself 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?"  (Moses 6:31)

But the Lord promised -

 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."  (Moses 6:32)

And by the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His grace  we read later that -

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

Grace for grace.

Moses 5

Just a thought. First -

"...Cain was shut out from the presence of the Lord, and with his wife and many of his brethren dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden."  (Moses 5:41)

And -

"...from the days of Cain, there was a secret combination, and their works were in the dark, and they knew every man his brother.
52 Wherefore the Lord cursed Lamech, and his house, and all them that had covenanted with Satan; for they kept not the commandments of God, and it displeased God, and he ministered not unto them, and their works were abominations, and began to spread among all the sons of men. And it was among the sons of men."  (Moses 5:51–52)

Sounds like the sons of men today.

Moses 5

One thing that is not clear in Genesis is that Cain or Abel were not the first sons of Adam and Eve for -

"...Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to multiply and to replenish the earth.
3 And from that time forth, the sons and daughters of Adam began to divide two and two in the land, and to till the land, and to tend flocks, and they also begat sons and daughters."  (Moses 5:2–3)

Moses 4

We often talk about the philosophies of men mingled with scripture which suggests that Satan may use truth mingled with falsehoods to deceive.  We see this in the Garden  as Satan said to Eve if she would partake of the forbidden fruit -

"...Ye shall not surely die;
11 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."  (Moses 4:10–11)

The lie being "ye shall not surely die".  That is a lie

Moses 4

It is hard for me to understand how Satan, in the pre-mortal existence, rejected to the point that he approached the Father with -

Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
(Moses 4:1)

Whose desire was -

"...to destroy the agency of man..."  (Moses 4:3)

And with that motive, drew away one third of the hosts of heaven.  Yet we find that here in our mortal lives.

Moses 3

I have sometimes opinioned that the so called "Tree of Life" mentioned in the Garden of Eden was not a real tree but symbolic.  This morning I read -

"...I, the Lord God, planted the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil."  (Moses 3:9)

Which suggest that my opinion was wrong and that there was a physical tree of life in the garden.

Moses 2

Obviously, the creation of the earth and everything on was a big deal.  The satisfaction of Jehovah is apparent as He states -

"...I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good..."  (Moses 2:31)

Moses 2

As the earth was created, the Lord tells Moses -

"...I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep..."  (Moses 2:2)

I believe the Institute Student Manual suggests that this darkness was water

Moses 1

Understanding we need the grace of God to be justified, which in my mind suggests that we need His grace or enabling power to overcome temptation.  As Satan came to tempt Moses, Moses still possessing the power of the Holy Ghost tells Satan -

"Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not..."  (Moses 1:16)

Again, Moses tells Satan -

"...Depart hence, Satan."   (Moses 1:18)

Satan does not leave and Moses says the third time -

"...Depart from me..."  (Moses 1:20)

Finally, Moses uses the Savior's name and power -

"...In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan."  (Moses 1:21)

It is then -

"...Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and he departed hence, even from the presence of Moses, that he beheld him not."  (Moses 1:22)

Moses 1

Moses noted that after his conversation with Jehovah -

"But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him."  (Moses 1:11)

Also -

"For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him."  (Moses 1:14)

This would suggest to me that all ancient prophets that beheld Jehovah must have been transfigured.

Maybe when the Brother of Jared saw the hand of the Lord, he wasn't yet transfigure, thus the comment -

"...never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast."  (Ether 3:15)

D&C 138

In vision. President Joseph F. Smith saw that -

"The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God,
59 And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation."  (Doctrine and Covenants 138:58–59)

Which suggest to me that there will be those that will have to pay the penalties of the transgression before they receive an inheritance.

D&C 138

Speaking of hell (prison) and heaven (paradise) after this life, we learn -

"Where these were, darkness reigned, but among the righteous there was peace;
(Doctrine and Covenants 138:22)

This is the conditions of the spirit world.

D&C 133

This morning I want to return to a previous  Section I read.  On the return of the lost ten tribes the Lord reveals -

"...they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.
31 And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.
32 And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.
33 And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.
34 Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows."  (Doctrine and Covenants 133:30–34)

Even though Ephraim was taken by the Assyrians and were lost with the ten tribes.  It appears that they would be separate and return earlier to receive the other ten tribes.  It seems many of the saints today are of Ephraim.  I wonder if Ephraim somehow got separated and settle in many European countries such as Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries.

D&C 134

Two Church policies in relationship to government caught my attention this morning -

"We believe that the commission of crime should be punished according to the nature of the offense; that murder, treason, robbery, theft, and the breach of the general peace, in all respects, should be punished according to their criminality and their tendency to evil among men, by the laws of that government in which the offense is committed; and for the public peace and tranquility all men should step forward and use their ability in bringing offenders against good laws to punishment."  (Doctrine and Covenants 134:8)

And -

"...we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded."  (Doctrine and Covenants 134:11)

Both seem relevant today.