Old Testament FDREL 301 Week 4

When we hear a prophet’s voice there are many ways to take their counsel. In Numbers 11 the people complain and this displeases the Lord. This week I reflected on how I react to counsel given by the Lord through His prophets, in scripture, through the Holy Ghost or even what the Bishop asks me to do. I don’t like hearing people complain it is tiresome. I understand people need to share and it is important to be a good listener but constant complaining brings a negative feeling and quickly turns to criticizing. We need more Tiggers and less Eeyores in the world. There have been lots of changes in the church from visiting teaching to ministering and we can look at it and complain or sustain our prophet and the Lord and just do it!

The Lord masterfully teaches us what to do when the load we carry is too heavy. In Numbers 11 the Lord teaches Moses to bring the elders and the Lord will come down and talk with them there. It reminds me of Elder Bednar’s talk, “Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease” May 2014 He says, “Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most.” Christ teaches us He is approachable and wants to assist us in carrying the load we are to carry.

 Here are a few principles from my scripture study this week

Finding Principles Leviticus 11 - 27

Scripture: Leviticus 14: 13-20

13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:

19 And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:

20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

Learning more about sacrifices and how they were made impressed upon my mind the role of the priest as an advocate for the sinner. The one who brought the animals of sacrifice needed to offer something in order to be forgiven. When I seek forgiveness, I need to offer my heart and willingness to turn away from sin and turn towards my Savior, Jesus Christ. I need to be willing to bring a sacrifice. Although I feel like I knew this, studying how the Savior and I work together as a team, and because He has fulfilled the Atonement, He has the power to forgive, and heal.

“When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do. When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”. April 2017 Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives, President Russell M. Nelson 

2. Scripture: Leviticus 16

Chapter 16 - The Day of Atonement

Principle: I wanted to learn more about the Day of Atonement when on one day of the year the high priest would be dressed in white and offer sacrifices before entering the tabernacle. The Bible Dictionary offers more insight into this sacred day. The high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, and those who participated in this day would fast, pray, and contemplate the mission of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The principle I learn is I need to reverence the Savior’s Atonement more frequently. I need to take time to ponder His sacrifice, and how it impacts my life personally. The many mercies I have received and will continue to receive because of the power of our Savior, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.

3. Scripture: Leviticus 26: 3-4, 6

3 ¶ If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

Principle: The principle of “If”. Blessings are conditional to our obedience to the commandments of the Lord, and following Him. He was very detailed to the children of Israel of what they needed to do, and how they would be blessed specifically. Through my Becoming project, I have been able to study the words of the prophets and leaders from the last General Conference and to identify the “if’s” so I can know what is expected of me, and follow what the Lord would like me to do. Obedience is required to receive the blessings the Lord has in store for us.

Finding Principles Numbers 1 - 36

1. Scripture: Numbers 4:49

49 According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the Lord commanded Moses.

 There are a couple of principles that stand out to me in this scripture. First, being numbered is something we all want to be isn’t it? Knowing the Lord is aware of us, and includes us in His fold. I thought of another scripture testifying to us that we are all loved. 1 John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.” Another principle from the scripture in Numbers is the children of Israel were numbered according to their service responsibilities, and his burden. We each have responsibilities we are to accomplish and the Lord counts on us to fulfill these. I thought of our ministering responsibilities and how we are organized in a manner to take care of each other. We are organized in order to ensure we all feel loved and cared for, as the Savior would care for us Himself. (182)

2. Scripture: Numbers 11:1

1 And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

This scripture outlines clearly how our Savior, Jesus Christ feels about complaining. Sometimes it we feel we need to vent and share our feelings in order to get some clarity of the situation, or to have someone hear our side. However, we can become negative and only see the negative in others when we choose to complain. Sometimes those we share it with are also brought down in misery because we are sharing the negative.

In the article called “We Believe In Being Positive” January 2016 it says, “As we put our trust in God’s plan for us and choose to live with a positive attitude, our ability to deal with life’s challenges will be strengthened. Our worries and fears will affect us less, and we will experience the joy He wants for us. (175)

3. Scripture: Numbers 11:16-17

16 ¶ And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

Principle: The Lord teaches us how we can approach him with our worries, and frustrations rather than complaining. In this case the Lord invites the priesthood and share how He will come down to them and talk with them. He teaches bearing another’s burdens and that they will not bear the burdens alone. He will be with them. I am also impressed how the Lord will meet them. He will come to them. I have felt in my life when I needed comfort desperately and I felt immediate peace as I shared in prayer my frustration and hurt. Although the Lord was physically not there, I felt comforted as I unburdened myself with my cares rather than take it internally and not share with anyone or complain to others, I took my personal matters to my Heavenly Father in prayer. (234)

Old Testament - FDREL 301 Week 3

The Edmonton Alberta Temple
This temple has special meaning to me. I was sealed to my husband, Grant and my children.
My Forever Family

This week the scripture impressing me to be more obedient is to find my “sanctuary” in order to ponder and consider what matters most in life. Jehovah commanded the children of Israel to build a tabernacle a sanctuary that He may dwell among them. It is obvious to me the temple is my sanctuary, however, I am not always in the temple. I need to create a sanctuary in my home to provide a peaceful environment to receive and experience moments of revelation.

Below are some scriptures this week I pondered and wrote about the principles I learned.

Scripture: Exodus 25:8, 29:45-46

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

45 ¶ And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.

46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.

The second part of the week I thought about how I serve. I reflected on service and how my willingness to service enhances my ability and experience. The Lord spoke to the children of Israel and asked that they bring an offering to Him and be willing to give it. I had an experience where I was serving and I felt overwhelmed with my callings and responsibilities. I prayed and emotionally felt spent. As my husband and I discussed our teaching calling with the Bishop it became evident through the spirit that although it was a difficult task, I knew the Lord wanted us to do our best to fulfill it. From that day on I had a changed attitude with how I served in that particular calling.

Scripture: Exodus 25:2

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

Principle: I thought of a couple questions to ask myself as I thought about sacrifices, and how willing my heart is. Sacrifice with our willing heart is required.

How can I improve my willingness?

How can I increase my willingness in my heart, attitude, in prayer, service, and sacrifice?

Mechanical service will only take us so far, and it is difficult to come to know the Savior, Jesus Christ when we give sacrifice only because we are commanded to. Real intent is part of the sacrifice. I know I can be too involved in my own life, and responsibilities to take time to ask my Heavenly Father what it is I can do to make a sacrifice. When I ask the Lord whom I assist or serve, I always have a heart-warming experience. The Savior wants to be involved in our service, and understands what sacrifice is completely. If we need improvement in how we sacrifice we can ask in faith, and prayer, and the Lord will answer our prayer. I know my testimony increases when I sacrifice with a willing heart. My joy is full. My favourite place to practice a willing sacrifice is in my home to serve my family, and in the temple. The temple is where I can assess my heart, and renew my covenants with the Lord. It is my increase in temple attendance that teaches me heart felt sacrifice.

2. Scripture: Exodus 25:8, 29:45-46

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

45 ¶ And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.

46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.

Principle: I felt that both of these scriptures taught me more about the purpose of our modern day temples. The Lord commanded that the children of Israel build the Tabernacle for multiple reasons, one being that He knew that they needed a sanctuary away from the worldliness in order to as the Lord says, “that I may dwell among them.” It is touching to me that our Savior, Jesus Christ wants to dwell with us. We have temples today that fulfill the same desire of the Lord. Multiple times these scriptures teach that our God wants to dwell with us.

Old Testament - FDREL 301 Week 2

There is a lot of information to take in from the events of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. This week it was a joy to learn new principles as I studied the Old Testament.  The study skill I used this week was finding principles and doctrines as I studied in Genesis. Below are the scriptures and principles from this week I would like to share.

Finding Principles Genesis 12-23

1. Scripture: Genesis 13:8

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

Principle: I admire Abram for saying and encouraging Lot that there be no strife or contention between them. Abram understood family and what was important, and he recognized something needed to be done to end the strife. I looked up the meaning of strife in the dictionary and found the following definitions:

·      angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.

·      exertion or contention for superiority

The principle that impressed me is we need to seek to have harmony in our relationships with others. Like Abram, we need to be the ones to seek for “no strife” to eliminate contention and do what is necessary to have a feeling of contentment and unity. For Abram, he allowed Lot to select the land he desired. How commendable to think of the relationship first instead of his own interests. Abram’s humility and obedience to follow the Lord’s will is an example I would like to follow. This means following the admonition given by President Monson when he said, “May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.” Choices, May 2016

This quote by President Monson changed my life that conference. I was able to put off hurt feelings of betrayal, and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost to make amends with a family member who was terminal. I knew it would be difficult, and I knew the Lord wanted me to act. I felt His strength, and His healing power as I followed the prompting. Following the prophet, and the Holy Ghost helped me to eliminate the strife, and heal my relationship. I am forever grateful for the many chances we receive to become more Savior-like, and for the gift of Christ’s Atonement.

2. Scripture: Genesis 15:1

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Principle: Last week I tried the substitution study skill, and this week’s reading gave me the opportunity to see where I could place my own name, and feel the love of my Heavenly Father for me by doing it. The words “Fear not…Echo…I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

I do worry excessively about life, my future, and about family. Pondering the phrase, Fear not, has a power to feel the love our Savior has for each of us, and to trust in Him. I think of the covenants I have made, and when I am blessed, which is every day, it is a witness to me that the Lord, Jesus Christ keeps His covenants. When I keep my covenants, the Lord is my shield and my covenants shield me from the evils of the world. The Lord himself is my reward. I have a testimony that the Savior, Jesus Christ, provided a way, the Atonement, for us to return to our Heavenly Father, repent, be healed and forgiven, and live with our families again as resurrected beings. When I take a step back and look at the eternal perspective, I know there is no reason to fear.

3. Scripture: Genesis 18:14

 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Principle: I love this question because I reflect on all the challenges I have had and how the Lord has strengthened me through it all. The hymn “When Faith Endures” comes to my mind when I pondered this scripture:

I will not doubt, I will not fear;

God’s love and strength are always near.

His promised gift helps me to find

An inner strength and peace of mind.

I give the Father willingly

My trust, my prayers, humility.

His Spirit guides; his love assures

That fear departs when faith endures.

I know there is nothing that is too hard for the Lord. What is essential is that we ask for His help when we feel overwhelmed or when we are confused and don’t know what to do. Jesus Christ provides peace in all circumstances and I have felt that in my life. I know I struggle sometimes more than I have to because I forget that nothing is too hard for the Lord so what don’t I approach Him? When the impossible stares you in the eye or when you feel beaten, remember the answer to the question, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” The answer…No. He understands us perfectly, and comprehends our circumstance perfectly. We have a friend in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Finding Principles Genesis 24-50

1. Scripture: Genesis25: 30-33

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

Principle:
In Genesis chapter 25, Jacob takes Esau‘s birth right by cunning measure and it reminds me of the scripture in Mosiah 3:19

“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”

King Benjamin warns us of how the “natural man” is susceptible to temptation and weakness. I reflected upon this principle that teaches us to be aware of how we act and feel as our choices can lead us to be tempted to get gain. Jacob takes advantage of his brother when he was hungry and asked for the birthright hardly a fair transaction.

2. Scripture: Genesis 27:24

24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

Principle: Again, this scripture shows the weakness of the natural man. Jacob had the opportunity to be honest and chose to deceive his father for the birthright. I pondered the importance of honesty in the small and big things in life. There is a strong desire to please people or to get a head in life without thought of the consequences. The principle of honesty is that we might be honest in all things. It is important to the Lord that we be honest as we are asked this question in our temple recommend interviews. Honesty is a attribute of the Saviour, Jesus Christ and we should work to be honest in the small and large things of life.

Elder Neil L. Andersen said in August 2017, “For a disciple of Christ, honesty is at the very heart of spirituality.” The Divine Standard Of Honesty

3. Scripture: Genesis 33:3-4

 3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Principle: This event was a wonderful moment of reconciliation. I feel that this principle is something we all need in our personal relationships and in our families. We all make choices of regret and there are people who have made mistakes that hurt us. Jacob through time came to know that he made mistakes and wanted to do all he could to reconcile himself with his brother. Esau also do a wonderful thing and that was to forgive Jacob. What Jacob did changed the course of Esau’s life, and yet Esau forgave Jacob. From this scripture account I learn that it is important to do all we can to reconcile our relationships that are in turmoil, and to reconcile ourselves to our Heavenly Father through the Atonement. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the way to reconcile, and we will be forgiven. I also felt the importance of forgiving others freely when we have been wronged as Esau did. How beautiful that they embraced, and wept together. I feel my meeting with the Savior will be like that