Class tomorrow!

I just wanted to let you  know that we will be having class tomorrow morning, here at the house at 10:00.  We will be discussing up through Numbers 21.  I have learned so much from this reading!  I am excited to discuss it all with you!  See you tomorrow!

Exodus 1-14

I think I have read this assignment at least twenty times.  Each time, I have learned or experienced something different.  The first time I read it, I was really impressed with the amazing stories of faith that are recorded in these verses.  Like the story of the handmaids and how they feared God more than man.  Or the faith of the mother of Moses.  Or the faith of the Israelites as they prayed for deliverance.  Or even the faith of the Egyptians as they heard of the hail storm that was to come, and they put their cattle in their houses.

The second time I read it, I really studied the plagues and learned the relationship between each of these plagues and the false gods of Egypt.  The Lord wanted to show Pharaoh, that he was more powerful than  man, magicians, pharaohs, kings, Satan, and all  false gods.  There is only one true God--The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The next few times I read it, I was impressed with the comparisons between the deliverance of the children of Israel and the deliverance of all of God's children from physical as well as spiritual death through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  My understanding of the atonement deepened as I studied the Passover and learned about the passover lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs.  I gained a greater appreciation for repentance and the sacrament.

The last time that I read it, I was struck with the similarities between the Israelites bondage and the effects of the fall of Adam.  I hadn't caught it the first several times around.  There was a change in the political make-up of Egypt.  The Israelites had "fallen" from favor.  They were made to work "with rigour", by the sweat of their brows.  Words like "affliction", "bondage", "bitter" and the like, were used to describe the bondage condition of the Israelites.  Those same terms are used to describe the situation Adam and Eve found themselves in when they were cast out of the garden.  Interestingly, as a result of the fall, Adam and Eve were blessed with posterity.  The Israelites also were blessed with posterity despite the severity of their afflictions. The Pharaoh did not want to release his death grip on the Israelites.  Just as Pharaoh would require an awesome display of power before releasing the Israelites from bondage, the laws of justice would require an infinite and eternal display of power before releasing us from the physical and spiritual bondage caused by the fall.  There is only One that has that infinite power.

So, what insights did you gain?  What did you learn?  What touched your heart?

Class this week

The Relief Society Presidency has asked us to change our schedule a little bit.  So, we will be meeting the LAST Tuesday of the month from now on.  This change will start this week.  We will be meeting on Tuesday March 30th at 10 am.  Hope to see you all there!

I think our reading schedule may have been a little too aggressive.   I am having trouble keeping up.  I think maybe some of you are too.   I think it might be smart to follow the Sunday School schedule a little more closely.  So, I will be slowing things down a little bit.  Check the schedule on the sidebar for updates. 

Thanks everyone!

Scripture Class

Today at 10am at my house as usual!  Hope to see you all!

Genesis 18-23

I am going to skip Lot for now.  I want to talk some more about Abraham.  I've been thinking about Abraham a lot lately.  WARNING--this is just a whole lot of me thinking.  So, take it for what it is worth.

We read in the Pearl of Great Price about an experience that he had in Ur.  As I mentioned before, we aren't sure how old Abraham was when his father attempted to offer him as a sacrifice to heathen gods.  Regardless of his age, I am confident that this was an experience that Abraham would never forget.  We have probably all had experiences in life that are permanently etched in our memories.  They might be traumatic, they might be joyous or otherwise.  We can see the experience in our mind's eye vividly with precise details--we can hear the noises and smell the smells.  So, what do you think Abraham remembers from his unbelievable experience?  What sights, sounds, feelings, etc would he take with him for the rest of his life?  What lessons were permanently and indelibly etched in his mind and soul?  This is obviously a question to ask Abraham himself.  But, from his record, I think we could assume some basic things that Abraham might have learned.

*God is powerful.
*Sometimes God intervenes and sometimes He does not.
(remember that Abraham witnessed the sacrifice of 3 righteous virgins)
*God answers prayers.
*There is great power in the priesthood.
*God fulfills His promises.
*Through Christ we are saved.

I also think that Abraham might have taken from this experience some pretty powerful spiritual feelings or memories.  I am pretty sure that Abraham knew what it felt like to be in the presence of "evil".  And in contrast, I am pretty confident that he knew how to recognize feelings and promptings that come from God.

So, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, I think that all of these memories and lessons resurfaced in a very powerful way.  How were the experiences similar?  How were they different?  Why would Abraham obey immediately (the very next morning in fact) and not need any time to process what was going on?  I think it's because despite the memory of all of the horror of that experience when he was young.  Abraham knew the Lord.  He knew that this commandment came from the Lord.  He could feel the difference.  God would definitely fulfill the promises that He had made to Abraham of this he was certain.

Such amazing faith and obedience!

Genesis 21-22

We are told in the scriptures, that Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac was a type of Heavenly Father's sacrifice of his Only Begotten Son.  There are many similarities between these two events.  I was particularly interested in the similarities of Isaac and Christ.  I found the following in The Old Testament for Latter-day Families and the CES Old Testament Student Manual:
Isaac
1.  Isaac was Abraham's only covenant son and the product of a miraculous birth
2.  The sacrifice of Isaac took place in "the land of Moriah" (the same mountain range as Golgotha)
3.  Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice
4.  Isaac's limbs were bound upon the altar
5.  Isaac did not resist, but was a willing sacrifice
6.  Issac was to have his blood shed
7.  In the moment of sacrifice, an angel appeared to stop it
8.  Abraham loved God and obeyed Him and was willing to sacrifice his son

Jesus Christ
1.  Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God and the product of a miraculous birth
2.  The sacrifice of Christ took place on Golgotha, at Jerusalem
3.  Christ carried His cross
4.  Christ's limbs were nailed to the cross
5.  Christ did not resist, and willingly did the will of the Father
6.  Jesus Christ shed His blood
7.  During Christ's agony, an angel appeared to strengthen Him
8.  God loved the world and sacrificed His Only Begotten Son

The purpose of the law of sacrifice has always been to test or prove God's children, and to bring them unto Christ.  We know that the Law of Moses was fulfilled in Christ, but the law of sacrifice still continues to be a vital part of the gospel today.  We obviously no longer offer animal sacrifices.  We are commanded to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  What else might the law of sacrifice entail today?

Elder Russell M Nelson taught:  "We are still commanded to sacrifice, but not by the shedding blood of animals.  Our highest sense of sacrifice is achieved as we make ourselves more sacred or holy.  This we do by our obedience to the commandments of God."

Elder Ballard taught: "When we overcome our own selfish desires and put God first in our lives and covenant to serve Him regardless of the cost, we are then living the law of sacrifice."

Newsflash

I have a sick little one.  We are going to postpone our class until next Tuesday March 9th.  See you all then.  And I haven't forgotten...several scripture updates are coming your way soon!

Genesis 12-17

I know that I am way behind.   Sorry about that.  I hope to post several times over the next few days to get us caught up.  These chapters introduce us to Father Abraham.  What an amazing man and prophet.  I would encourage you to read the first couple of chapters of the Book of Abraham to supplement your study.  I was first impressed with his amazing faith and fearlessness as a young man.  We aren't sure how old he was, when his father offered him as a sacrifice to heathen gods.  But he was bold and fearless in his missionary efforts at even that young age.  He sets an amazing example of obedience and faith throughout his life.  He wanted more than anything the blessings promised to his patriarchal fathers.  He was granted that desire by receiving the high priesthood from Melchizedek and entered a covenant with the Lord known today as the Abrahamic covenant.  Prior to Abraham the priesthood and authority to perform saving ordinances was passed from father to son.  Abraham's father was not worthy of the priesthood.  He sought these blessings from Melchizedek.  A new gospel dispensation began with Abraham, in which all could receive the blessings of the gospel in a similar way.  In this respect he is known as the "father" of the faithful.  All who embrace the gospel become his seed, regardless of blood lines. 

There are several parts to the Abrahamic covenant.  A covenant is a promise or commitment that we make with the Lord.  The Lord sets the terms and we agree to the terms that are set.  Covenants bind us to the Lord and allow us to call upon His power.  In Abraham's case, the Lord makes a promise of chosen lands that will be given to his posterity.  There is a promise of posterity (that he will be the father of many nations, kings will come through his line, his posterity will be as numerous as the sands of the sea).  There is a promise of salvation and eternal life.  All of the blessings of the gospel--the saving ordinances of baptism and the temple will be granted to his posterity and brought from them (by them, through them) to all of the families of all nations.  Abraham promised to walk uprightly and perfectly before the Lord.  He promised to minister to all the nations.  Through his seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed.  As members of the church, this covenant is extremely important to us.  We are Abraham's seed--his posterity... we are greatly blessed!  And where much is given much is required.  The responsibilities of missionary work and temple work are on our shoulders.  It seems a daunting task.  But, in the Doctrine and Covenants, we are told:

  30 ^aAbraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins—from whose ^bloins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph—which were to continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the ^cstars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them.

  31 This promise is yours also, because ye are of ^aAbraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham; and by this law is the continuation of the works of my Father, wherein he glorifieth himself.

  32 Go ye, therefore, and do the ^aworks of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved.

  33 But if ye enter not into my law ye cannot receive the promise of my Father, which he made unto Abraham.

So how do we approach this daunting task?  We "do the works of Abraham"!  We have faith.  We obey with exactness.  We live the gospel and participate in the saving ordinances of the temple.  We walk uprightly with the Lord.  We strive for perfection (line upon line).  We teach our children.  And we share the gospel with all the world.

That still seems a bit overwhelming for me.  I loved Sister Beck's comment..."be brilliant in the basics!"  Now that's something I can sink my teeth into.  I can be brilliant in family prayer, family scripture study, and family home evening.  I can attend my meetings and serve others.

Line upon line.

Genesis 4-11

OK, where to start...This reading assignment covers a large hunk of history.  So, let's break it down into some bite-size morsels.
*Adam and Eve in the lone and dreary world
*Cain and Abel
*Enoch
*Noah


Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden.  They could hear the voice of the Lord, but were no longer privileged to "see" him.  I couldn't help but think of the void this left in their lives and hearts.  Adam and Eve were taught the gospel.  They were taught to offer sacrifices of the firstlings of the flock.  Adam at first did not understand.  Later he learned that this was done in similitude of the sacrifice of the Savior.  We learn that Adam was taught the plan of salvation, and that he was baptized in accordance to this plan, by water and by fire (the gift of the Holy Ghost).  Adam rejoices in the gospel and states in verse 10:

And in that day Adam blessed God and was ^afilled, and began to ^bprophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my ^ctransgression my ^deyes are opened, and in this life I shall have ^ejoy, and again in the ^fflesh I shall see God.

 He could have the privilege of seeing God again, by embracing the gospel through repentance and baptism.  In Moses 6:64-68 we read:

64 And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was ^acaught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the ^bwater, and was brought forth out of the water.

  65 And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was ^aborn of the Spirit, and became quickened in the ^binner man.

  66 And he heard a voice out of heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with ^afire, and with the Holy Ghost. This is the ^brecord of the Father, and the Son, from henceforth and forever;

  67 And thou art after the ^aorder of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.

  68 Behold, thou art ^aone in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my ^bsons. Amen.

 We can all become sons and daughters of God by following these same steps.  Satan, of course, would not have us believe these things that were taught.  In Moses 5:13, we read:

13 And ^aSatan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: ^bBelieve it not; and they believed it not, and they ^cloved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be ^dcarnal, sensual, and devilish.
The account of Moses then gives us a powerful polar comparison of a believer and a non-believer.  Cain loved Satan more than God.  He did not believe the words of his parents or the Lord.  He heeded to the temptations of Satan and offered an inappropriate sacrifice to the Lord.  He eventually covenants with Satan and eventually kills his brother Abel.  Enoch, on the other hand, is taught of his fathers and believes the words of the Lord.  He is called of the Lord to preach repentance to the people. He is blessed with great power as a result of his faith.  He teaches them the gospel of Christ and eventually is taken up with his entire city to the presence of the Lord.  The Lord covenants with Enoch that his posterity will be preserved through Noah.

Noah is a righteous man.  There are many similarities between the days of Noah and the latter-days.  There are also many similarities between Noah and Jesus Christ.  I was struck by the thought that only Noah's family survived destruction.  They were allowed to live.  That is also true of Christ's family.  Only those that become his sons and daughters through repentance, baptism, and the reception of the Holy Ghost will be granted eternal life.  Can you think of any other examples?

Genesis 3-The Fall

Wow.  There is a lot here.  And there is a lot of other scriptures to supplement this chapter in Genesis.  Take a gander at Moses chapter 4.  It surprised me however, how similar the two accounts were.  I highly recommend looking up "The Fall of Adam" in the bible dictionary.  I especially liked the scripture references listed at the very end.  As was mentioned in the manual, the events of the Fall are covered well in the Genesis account, but the why's and wherefore's are best found in the Book of Mormon. 

A few things that stood out to me:
*  Although Satan deceived Eve, he did tell her one truth.  By partaking of the fruit she would become like the gods--knowing good and evil.  We came to this earth to become like our Father in Heaven.  Adam and Eve are well on their way.  They've received bodies and now they have acquired this godlike characteristic--being able to understand the difference between good and evil.  (steps one and two--check!)
*  Eve was deceived by Satan and partook of the fruit with the intent to act contrary to divine command.  She was in the transgression.  Adam was not deceived--he chose to deliberately do as Eve desired and carry out the purposes of God.
*  Once they had transgressed, they had an immense sense of guilt--they recognized their own spiritual nakedness (or unworthiness to stand before God) and hid themselves.  If they hadn't figured it out on their own--Satan was more than willing to point out their "nakedness" for them.  He is such a creep. 

And we are off!

Thanks to all that came to our little gathering this morning.  It was fun as always!  Now that we have adequately introduced ourselves to the topic of the year, we are ready to dive right in!  So let's get started.  Our first assignment is to read Genesis 1-2.  You will recognize these passages.  They will be familiar to you.  My assignment to you is to compare the Genesis account to the Moses account.  Then just for fun, go to the temple and see how all three accounts stack up.  Are they the same?  Are they different?  What's different about it?  Why do you think that is?  Then come back here and let me know what's on your mind.  Ready, set, go!