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, July 29, 2021

D&C 98

 The Lord instructs - 

"...renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children;

17 And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed before me."   (Doctrine and Covenants 98:16–17)

Of the preaching to the Jews, I note the comments of President Ezra Taft Benson - 

“In Jacob's blessing to Judah, he declared: ‘Judah is … as an old lion: who shall rouse him up?’ (Gen. 49:9; italics added.) We come as messengers bearing the legitimate authority to arouse Judah to her promises. We do not ask Judah to forsake her heritage. We are not asking her to leave father, mother, or family. We bring a message that Judah does not possess. That message constitutes ‘living water’ from the fountain of living water. 

“Our prophet, Joseph Smith, was given a commandment by the Lord to turn ‘the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews.’ (D&C 98:17.) We are presently sending our messengers to every land and people whose ideology permits us entrance. We have been gathering Joseph's descendants for 146 years. We hope you, who are of Judah, will not think it an intrusion for us to present our message to you. You are welcome to come to our meetings. We display no crosses. We collect no offerings. We honor your commitment to your unique heritage and your individuality. We approach you in a different way than any other Christian church because we represent the restored covenant to the entire house of Israel. 

“Yes, we understand the Jews, as David Ben-Gurion said. We understand them because we belong to the same house of Israel. We are your brothers—Joseph. We look forward to the day of fulfillment of God's promise when ‘the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel’ (Jer. 3:18.)” (“A Message to Judah from Joseph,” Ensign, December 1976, page 72).