Readings Feb 1 - Feb 5

"Noah. . . Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House"

Mon, Feb 1: Moses 8:19–30;

Tues, Feb 2: Genesis 6

Wed, Feb 3: Genesis 7

Thurs, Feb 4: Genesis 8

Fri, Feb 5: Genesis 9; 11:1–9

Obedience and Sacrifice

I'm usually a good sleeper. But sometimes I wake up in the night and can't go back to sleep. After I've tried for an hour, I get up and watch the BYU channel which shows "Discussions on the Pearl of Great Price" and other scriptures. They put me right to sleep. I'm sure it's because they talk about the peace of the Gospel :). I watched/listened to the story of Cain and Abel and picked up some interesting insights. So, I'm borrowing some ideas from the group discussing Moses 5.

These are some of the main pillars the gospel is founded upon. So far we've been through the Plan of Salvation, the Sacrifice of the Savior, the Creation, the Fall, beginning earth life, and now sacrifice and obedience and opposition.

Adams has already shown that he is obedient, though I don't think it was blink obedience. I think Adam had learned enough already from God, that he knew that whatever was commanded of him was necessary and right. He did it, he didn't know exactly why, but the Lord commanded him, so he did it. This is a way for Adam to say that he has spiritual eyes, that he can give/destroy the best of the earth and expect a better life from what God will give him because he has faith that will happen.

Now for Cain and Abel's sacrifice. We are told in v 18 that Cain loved Satan more than God. It doesn't say that Cain didn't love God, but that he loved Satan more than God. (I wonder how that plays out in our lives: we love God, we know going to church is right, we know serving other people is right, but maybe our actions show that we love something else more). Satan uses what love or teachings Cain has of God and tell Cain to make an offering to the Lord (because that's the right thing to do, right?). So, Cain does that, but then chooses to make an offering of fruit rather than the commanded offering of the firstlings of the flock. The panel on the BYU show suggest that this is a willful misuse of the Priesthood that Cain was taught and was given. Cain knew he was offering the wrong thing, in a spirit of defiance. So, Cain's motive was false, but he also got it wrong when the symbolism was false as well. True sacrifice at that time was a sacrifice with the shedding of blood, symbolizing the sacrifice of the Savior. Fruit is nowhere near that. Then Cain was very wroth. I can just hear him rant: "You said to sacrifice, well, I did, aren't my ideas good enough?" Pride.

The Lord addresses him (v23) and gives him a chance to "choose the right" even after his deliberate defiance (2 Ne 28:32 I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts). Cain "rejected the greater counsel which was had from God" (v25). He was cursed (note this is a curse that happened before he killed Abel) that he will be delivered up to rule over Satan, be the father of his lies, he will be called Perdition. Joseph Smith taught that all beings who have bodies have power over those who do not. Cain has a body. His willful sin and unwillingness to repent of it amounts to a curse that he will rule over Satan.

Interesting stuff. I think I'll do a new post of the aftermath.

Readings Jan 25-30

"If Thou Doest Well, Thou Shalt Be Accepted"

I'll break this up a bit, but the first day I will leave the whole chapter since we read part of it last week.

Mon, Jan 25: Moses 5

Tues, Jan 26: Moses 6: 1-30

Wed, Jan 27: Moses 6:31-68

Thurs, Jan 28: Moses 7:1-35

Fri, Jan 29: Moses 7:36-69

Progression of events and progression

I think the progression of events after the big choice in the Garden of Eden is very interesting. I’m not sure that it’s all recorded in the right progression, I’ll have to look that up. But, for right now, I’ll list them out. Have you figured out by now that I like lists. Ask my DH, he’ll tell you how much I like lists.

1. Eve and Adam cast out of the garden and they work. Mos 5:1
2. Eve and Adam have children and they have children and they work. 5:2-3
3. Eve and Adam pray and receive commandments from the Lord. Namely to sacrifice.
4. Adam is asked why he is sacrificing. Adam doesn’t know why, but is obedient. 5:6
5. Adam is told that the sacrifice is a “similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father.” And is told to do all things in his name. 5:7-8

Now I’m not sure of the accuracy of the progression of events here or about when Adam and Eve learned which things. But if this progression is accurate, Eve and Adam and their families lived quite a while being obedient to the law of sacrifice without even knowing why and have lived without the Holy Ghost in their lives which we will see in the next verses:

6. The Holy Ghost fell upon Adam and received testimony of the Savior. 5:9
7. Adam is spiritually reborn and now understands that his transgression was necessary and that despite his transgression he will be able to have joy. Eve discovers this as well. 5:10-11
8. Adam and Eve teach their children the doctrines of the gospel. 5:12
9. Satan tells them not to believe what the Lord taught them (which I believe is what he told the spirits in the pre-existence). Men become carnal, sensual and devilish. 5:13

Did they not know until Satan appeared that they could believe anything else? Maybe, since Satan provides opposition. But after the opposition is in place then men are commanded to repent.

10. “The Lord Gad called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent” Whoever believes in the Son and repents of their sins will be saved. Whoever does not, will not be saved. 5:14
11. Adam and Eve do not cease to call upon God. 5:16

Moses 6:48-62 gives us more information about baptism and the Holy Ghost, and that despite sin and transgression, we’ve got good news. We are not alone, we are not comfortless, we have opportunity to be cleansed. See the post below.

One awesome verse

There are many wonderful verses of scriptures. But when I read this one, I was completely overwhelmed. This verse comes after the Lord explains the reason for baptism by water and then this verse is given (a prelude to the awesome verse):

Moses 6:60: For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sancitified;

Now for the awesome verse that just makes me feel so blessed and loved by a Supreme Being (I'm going to split it up into a list):

vs 61: Therefore [the Spirit] is given to abide in you;

the record of heaven;

the Comforter;

the peaceable things of immortal glory;

the truth of all things;

that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things;

that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, thruth, justice, and judgment.

What an awesome list of our possibilities, capabilities and potential! We are given the tools, we just have to forget ourselves and use them!

Snakes freak me out; questions about Satan; and then there are weeds

If I go to the zoo and into the reptile house, my goosebumps do not disappear until a few minutes after I leave. I think snakes are amazing, but they scare me stiff, or goosebumpy. This passage in Moses refers to the serpent being "more subtle than any beast of the field" and I cannot think of a better representation of Satan than a snake. Here's what stood out to me about Satan in our reading:

Satan knew that Christ was the "Beloved and Chosen from the beginning" and knew what the plan was. Even though he had this knowledge, he wanted to be the focal point of the plan, going against the plan of God, seeking "to destroy the agency of man." He wanted the name, the glory and the power. Did he know that he would get a name, a glory and a power, but as the opposition to the plan? Did he know that he would be necessary, but not in the way he wanted? Did he know that he would bring us joy, only because he would provide some of the misery? Did he know that he was providing Eve and Adam with a choice? The very thing he wanted to destroy? Perhaps he did, knowing that if he couldn't have it his way he's use agency to his advantage. Lots of things to wonder about. I sometimes I wonder if we should be grateful to him, in a twisted way.

Then from the choice Eve and Adam made, their bodies now experience pain, sickness, work, death. So, first there was moral opposition, then came physical opposition, opposition that doesn't necessarily have a right or wrong or solution or really not much to do with Satan, but opposition that tests out physicality, possibly leading to testing our moral decisions, which does have something to do with Satan.

Then there is the whole thing about "thorns and thistles" and I wonder if Eve and Adam wouldn't have made a different decision if they really knew that weeds would be the bane of their existence, like mine. Not really. I just don't like weeds.

I think I'll post tomorrow about the good news, or really the better news, as the above is still good news.

Readings Jan 18-22

"Because of My Transgression, My Eyes Are Opened"

I forgot to break up the readings into days last week, sorry about that. Here's the break up for this week. I think Adam and Eve are so intriguing, because we know enough about them, but it's really not very much. But I love contemplating what we do know.

Mon, Jan 18: Moses 4; 1-18

Tues, Jan 19: Moses 4; 19-32

Wed, Jan 20: Moses 5:1–15;

Thurs, Jan 21: Moses 6:48–62

The Creation: conversion all over again

I really love the account(s) of the creation! When I taught the Sunbeam class one year, I realized that the lessons follow the plan of salvation, beginning with Heavenly Father and the creation. Though they follow the lessons creation by creation: sun, water, land, fish, bugs, etc.

As I thought about the creation this week and also attended the temple, I realized that in the scriptures, when a person is being converted to the gospel, they are taught about the plan of salvation beginning with the creation. The accounts that come to mind are: King Lamoni, King Lamoni's father, Abraham, Moses, Nephi (in asking to see the vision of the tree), attempts to convert Laman and Lemuel, conversion of his brother Jacob, the people of Mosiah, numerous people in church history since Joseph Smith and hopefully everyone the missionaries teach now.

So, I think it's pretty great that at least every four years we talk about the creation and for those who attend the temple, get a reminder of the creation every time they go. Why do I think it's so great? We are given the opportunity to humble ourselves, like Moses was:

"I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." Moses 1:10

I think in out routine lives centered around ourselves, our duties, our families, our jobs, our food, our recreation, we tend to think we are something. When in an eternal perspective, we are nothing. But the irony is that in realizing that we are nothing, we become something. We become true children of God who realize that we are dependent upon Him for all that we are and hope to become. We also realize that everything has a purpose, even giraffes and praying mantis' and slugs. We have a purpose, and because we are a little more intelligent we have a bit of a say in what our purpose is. Will we fill the purpose of our creation? Will we even go to the right source to figure out our purpose? Hopefully the account of the creation will lead us back to our Creator every time we read or view it and hopefully that we are nothing without God.

Readings Jan 11-15

The Creation

Moses 1:27–42; 2–3

Additional readings: Abraham 4–5; Genesis 1–2.

We actually will not begetting into the Old Testament until Lesson 6. The Creation, story of Adam and Eve and the story of Cain and Abel, will be read from The Pearl of Great Price, according to the LDS Sunday School study guide. Though you can read the Biblical accounts from the additional readings.

Afterthought - Foreordination

This is a quote read in our Sunday School class about foreordination, by Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

"Foreordination is like any other blessing - it is a conditional bestowal subject to our faithfulness. Prophecies foreshadow events without determining those outcomes, because of a divine foreseeing of that outcome. So foreordination is a conditional bestowal of a role, responsibility, or a blessing that, likewise, foresees but does not fix the outcome.

Another side note: my spellchecker in two programs does not recognize the word foreordination. Too bad. On a number of levels.

Answers to questions. More questions.

This conversation with Abraham and the Lord, must have been so educational. Abraham, having lived in Egypt with all the different religious teachings of that area, is given more than a few things to ponder and reconcile. He is first given a lesson of the celestial bodies. I suppose that before being introduced to doctrines such as pre-earth life, foreordination, choosing a Savior and the second estate of man, it's good to be humbled. Like Moses, I'm sure Abraham felt the nothingness of man after the Lord declared "the works which my hands have made" and being told a couple of times that he is speaking with the Being whose intelligence is greater than anything else. So, he's probably ready to hear what is next.

What is next is the Plan of Salvation. There was a pre-earth life, that spirit dwelt there, they were organized, there were noble and great ones and he was one of those. All monumental revelations that breed questions. What was the point on knowing all this?

Point: These spirits are going to live on a world. They need to be proved, tested, move on to the next part of seeking salvation. If they are going to be proved, that means there needs to be opposition, that means they might make mistakes, that means that there needs to be different kingdoms of glory. If they make mistakes they can still keep their first estate if they access the power offered by a Savior. Who is the Savior?

The Savior is the one who understood the plan, who understood where the power belonged. Now we need the opposition: the one who did not understand the plan, the one who wanted the power to transfer to himself. At this exhibition, he lost his first estate.

Now here is an interesting doctrine with not much detail. What exactly is a first estate? McConkie defines it as “the first time we lived as conscious identities. The spirits who were faithful in that first estate earned the right to be born into this world and get mortal bodies.” There is some doctrine and a lot of speculation about what we did in that first estate. Did we choose our mates? Did we choose our worldly difficulties? Did we form our families (a la Saturday’s Warrior – thanks a lot) ?

It seems to me, this is my own opinion, that at a very basic level, it doesn’t matter what we chose, other than choosing to be faithful enough to get bodies. We are here and whatever has happened to us, or whatever we have chosen, we need to deal with. A step up from the basic level, it is my current opinion, that we chose to choose. That is, we chose to have bodies so we could choose how we react to certain people and experiences, because we knew there would be a Savior. It does not seem congruent to me that a person who has been born in the covenant, has a wonderful temple marriage with children who have all served missions and married in the temple and have grandchildren following in the same way, can say that this is exactly what he/she chose in the first estate. Wouldn’t everyone choose that? Yet, very few fulfill that. Maybe those are the noble and great one, who knows. People who have had the unfortunate experiences of abuse, alcoholism, a wide variety of diseases, infidelity, I cannot believe that they chose to experience those things in the pre-earth life. First, how could they even know what those were without experiencing them, without having bodies at the time of decision?

Like I said at the before, I think we chose to choose. Which means we believed in the Plan, we believed in a Savior. Some people who believe we chose specific things in pre-earth life use that belief to get them through rough times. But shouldn’t the knowledge that we had confidence in a Savior then, be enough to get us through rough times?

Good stuff. It’s good to know where we came from and why we are here.

Readings Jan 4-8th

"Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born"

I'm going to try to break up the readings into manageable daily chucks, but you can read it however you want to. I will just determine what is manageable, it may not span over the whole week and I most likely will not comment every day. But I will comment before Sunday (last week excepted).

Monday, Jan 4: Abraham 3:1-14

Tuesday, Jan 5: Abraham 3:15-28

Wednesday, Jan 6th: Moses 4:1–4

This is My work and My Glory

What an appropriate name for the beginning of the Old Testament! As I stated in a previous post, I will be reading the Old Testament to find evidences of a testament of Jesus Christ. I think that people are rightly intimidated by the Old Testament because there are so many meanings, many traditions, many languages, and a whole different time. But, I believe that the Old Testament is more simple than people believe and by focusing on how it is a testament of Jesus Christ I really feel like I can become more happily acquainted with it.

The Sunday School study begins with the Book of Moses in The Pearl of Great Price, which is "an extract from the translation of the Bible as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet." This extract as the introductory note states: "touch[es] many significant aspects of the faith and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." So, to me, it is no surprise that in our study of the Old Testament, we do not begin with the Creation (lesson 3), but with the doctrine behind the creation. We start with the very existence of God and Jesus Christ.

Here are key doctrines in Moses 1 (I will probably miss some, so if you have additions, comment please) that can also be applied to us-long, but good list:

1. We have a testimonial that Moses saw the face of God, Moses experienced His glory. v1-3

2. Moses is told that he is the Lord's son, and that he will learn from the Lord. v4

3. Man cannot understand all the works of God. v5

4. Moses learns that there is work for him to do, appointed by God.v6

5. There is no other God and all things are present with God, He knows all.v6

6. Moses sees all of God's creations. v7-8

7. Moses learns that being without the presence of God decreases his strength. v10

8. Moses notices the difference of seeing with mortal eyes and spiritual eyes, that both have purposes together and seperate.v11

9. Satan tempts Moses. There is opposition and all things. v12-13

10. Moses compares the glory of God to the power of Satan, notices that he can see Satan with his natural eye, but that he needed spiritual eyes to see God. v13-14

11. Moses realizes that because he can make this differentiation, the spirit of God has not left him and that he can judge between bad and good and does so as he tells Satan that he will worship the only true God and tells Satan to leave. v15-16

12. Moses remembers that God gave him commandments. v17

13. Moses commits to obeying the commandments given and continues to call upon God and again tells Satan to leave. v18

14. Satan throws a fit (which in my opinion tells us a lot about Satan) and causes Moses to fear. v19-20

15. When Moses was fearful he saw the bitterness of hell.

16. Moses discovers that fear is the opposite of faith as he calls on God in his fear and received strength. Now, with the strength of God, Moses commands Satan to depart and it's Satan's turn to tremble and he throws a bigger fit, but leaves. v20-22

17. After Moses' trial of faith he was filled with the Holy Ghost and called on the name of the Lord again and is blessed with the strength and companionship of the Lord. v24-27

18. After the trial of faith, Moses was shown the world again, and saw even more - every particle and soul and land. v27-29

19. Moses asks why all these things were made and was told that God has a purpose for them, but for the time being that wisdom remains with God. v31

20. But then Moses is told about God's only begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth (which I think is just wonderful after He tells Moses that there are somethings that he shouldn't know. In effect, God tells and shows Moses many things, but there are somethings that he can't know yet, but there is a Savior to help you through the things that you don't know). v31-32

21. God creates the world with His Only Begotten, and the first man is Adam. v33-34

22. Other world have been created, but we are only informed of the inhabitants of this world, but all worlds are known to God. v35

23. Moses is satisfied with knowing about the inhabitants of this earth. v36

24. He is given basically the definition of eternity, time keeps going and worlds keep going, there is no end to the work of God and the work of God is bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

25. God tells Moses that he will tell him of the earth (which happens in the next chapters beginning with the creation), but one more verse before that tells us this:

26. The children of men will not respect the words of God at times (and speaks of a specific time before Joseph Smith), but that he will bring another like Moses (a prophet) to come and teach the truths among the people again. Revelation.

That was a long list, but I just couldn't pick out one or two things to talk about. There is value in looking at a list of truths though and makes me appreciate the process of learning Moses went through because I go through it too, though not to the same extent, but then I'm in a different time with different tools.

This will be fun.