Thoughts on Deborah the prophetess in Judges 4

At the time of Deborah, the Israelites were oppressed by Jabin, king of Canaan and his general Sisera, who commanded 900 iron chariots.

4 ¶ And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Judges 4:4-9)

When we hit this story, we love that Deborah is a prophetess, but it is not very clear to us how.

Recently, however, it hit me that this whole story tells at least one big instance of her prophetic gift at work.

She summons Barak from Kedesh-Naphtali and tells him, “Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded…?”  This is interesting language. It is as if she is telling him something that she knows he already knows, but in the story it is as if this is the first he’s heard of it (or at least Barak doesn’t say anything about knowing something about it already).  

What Deborah’s language tells us is that Barak had already had promptings or impressions or dreams that the Lord wanted him to save Israel, and that Deborah’s summons was confirming revelation that he really was supposed to do this. The Lord had revealed to her that it was supposed to be Barak.  I don’t know whether the Lord also revealed to her that Barak already knew or whether she just trusted that the fact this had been shown her meant he already knew too. 

But I love that she talks to him with complete assurance that he already knows this stuff. There’s no pussy-footing around the fact they both know. There’s no saying, “So, I had this weird dream. I think you’re supposed to do this.” No, she says, “Hasn’t the Lord said…?”

Also, she knows how many people are supposed to fight alongside Barak—ten thousand—and she knows what tribes they are from—Naphtali and Zebulun—and she knows where they are supposed to gather—Mount Tabor—and she knows how Sisera is going to die—by the hand of a woman. It’s like she’s already seen the battle happen, which very well could have happened in a grand, sweeping vision or prophetic dream.

Later, in v14, once the army is gathered, she also knows the day the battle will happen, and she lets Barak know that too, also with language that assumes he has been shown this too.

When she prophesies that Sisera will be sold into the hands of a woman, the reader tends to think, “Oh, that woman must be Deborah, since she’s going into battle at Barak’s side.” But then we get the surprise that it is Jael who kills Sisera, and by reading about how Jael is associated with Sisera, it becomes clear that Sisera and Jael’s family were actually in some sort of league with each other. So we are treated to the surprise that Sisera was killed by one of his allies, not an enemy. That is not what anyone would have expected, and prophecy is like that. It will tell something that is unexpected.

One of the things this story about Deborah tells me is that calls from prophets don’t come out of the blue. The Lord will give individuals some indication that they are soon to do a work, and then the call from the prophet confirms this revelation. This is how the individual knows he or she is not just making it up, and the response of the individual shows the prophet that the individual has been prepared by the Lord. This is why it is important to have the Spirit with us so that we are open to the revelation God has for us, whether it is how to deal with our challenges or whether it is an upcoming course change we need to be ready for, or a work we are to do.

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The Suffering Alleviated by the Scriptures

Here King Mosiah teaches his sons about the sacred record on the brass plates:

And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying: My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God. (Mosiah 1:3)

That bit about how we must have suffered in ignorance struck me recently. It made me think about how I’ve made so many good choices in my life because of what I’ve learned from the scriptures. I’ve been able to resist many temptations and keep out of trouble because of what I’ve learned from the scriptures. If I hadn’t had the scriptures or the influence of the church in my life I really would have suffered so much because of all the mistakes I would have made in ignorance. There have been many pivot points when a scriptural principle I’ve learned has come back to me, and acting on instead of giving in to temptation or taking a lower way has brought blessings and safety to me.

I can’t deny I’ve also had some suffering arise out of following good scriptural principles, but it has been sanctified suffering, and knowing from the scriptures that I was right helped me persevere.

One major way we would suffer in ignorance from not knowing the mysteries of God is suffering the load of accumulated guilt for sin. Because no matter how the world will try to deny it, guilt is there. It piles up and you can’t get out from it without Christ and without repenting. The scriptures tell us about how we can escape guilt and sin and lay hold on salvation through Christ.

What a mystery of God repentance and faith is! That a God would become man and suffer for everyone’s sins to give us a chance to repent! That our belief in this God and efforts to change and prayers for forgiveness are efficacious! To a tangibly focused, material-evidence-oriented mind that would seem beyond belief.  But it’s real!

Some Mysteries of Godliness for Ending Error

And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways. (D&C 6:11)

This verse intrigued me recently, and I noticed that along with the promise of knowing and finding out mysteries if we inquire, it also states that the purpose of finding out mysteries is to bring people to know the truth and convince them of where they’ve erred. I think that’s really interesting, since it implies there are mysteries of God’s kingdom that help us forsake our errors and overcome certain stumbling blocks in our lives that come out of ignorance or the prevalence of the traditions of men.  Mysteries can be useful and practical, instead of speculative, as we often think.

In fact, I’ve been noticing how many principles of revelation are in D&C 6. Since it was given to a world with no authoritative guidance on how to prepare for revelation or how to discern revelation, D&C 6 is itself full of mysteries.

Another thing I notice in this verse is the statement “thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou shalt find out mysteries.”  It makes me ask, “How do I exercise my gift?” From the perspective of a church member, I immediately think the gift referred to is the gift of the Holy Ghost, but I don’t know if I exercise that gift as much as I hope that it exercises me.  What do you think? How do we exercise the gift?  Do you think of exercise here in terms of just using the gift, or in terms of trying to build a muscle?

Jesus’s Knowledge of Paul’s Heart

In the story of Jesus’s appearance to Paul on the way to Damascus, it is impressive how much Jesus knows about Paul’s inner state.

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (Acts 9:5)

To all outward appearances, Paul was as staunch an enemy of the fledgling church as the Jewish leaders would hope for. And yet, Jesus knew 1) Paul’s heart had been pricked multiple times, 2) that Paul was fighting his own inclinations as well as the church, and 3) it was hard for Paul to continue that fight.

It may be that Paul needed the Lord to tell him, “I know what’s going on in your heart and head, so stop putting on such a front.”

This is a great reminder that the Lord knows our hearts. He knows what we’re inclined to do, He knows when we’re putting on a front. He knows why and what the effect of it is on us. Paul was a case of one who needed to follow his good inclinations and not fight them. The Lord also knows when we are covering up bad inclinations and need to fight them more and achieve spiritual change.

I’m thankful to know that the Lord knows my heart. It gives me a reason to be careful about my thoughts and attitudes. But I’m also thankful that He is merciful and long-suffering and gives me the mental space to work through things.

An Amalekite’s Unbelief and Attempts at Self-justification

While the four sons of Mosiah are on their mission to the Lamanites, Aaron has this interesting experience while trying to teach the Amalekites and Amulonites about the need to repent.

5 Therefore, as Aaron entered into one of their synagogues to preach unto the people, and as he was speaking unto them, behold there arose an Amalekite and began to contend with him, saying: What is that thou hast testified? Hast thou seen an angel? Why do not angels appear unto us? Behold are not this people as good as thy people?

6 Thou also sayest, except we repent we shall perish. How knowest thou the thought and intent of our hearts? How knowest thou that we have cause to repent? How knowest thou that we are not a righteous people? Behold, we have built sanctuaries, and we do assemble ourselves together to worship God. We do believe that God will save all men.

7 Now Aaron said unto him: Believest thou that the Son of God shall come to redeem mankind from their sins?

8 And the man said unto him: We do not believe that thou knowest any such thing. We do not believe in these foolish traditions. We do not believe that thou knowest of things to come, neither do we believe that thy fathers and also that our fathers did know concerning the things which they spake, of that which is to come.

9 Now Aaron began to open the scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and that there could be no redemption for mankind save it were through the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of his blood.

10 And it came to pass as he began to expound these things unto them they were angry with him, and began to mock him; and they would not hear the words which he spake. (Alma 21:5-10)

I thought it was interesting that Mormon included this little conversation between Aaron and the Amalekite because the rest of the chapter greatly summarizes Aaron’s teaching. So it seems there was something about the Amalekite’s objections and Aaron’s responses that Mormon thought worth recording.

I think the Amalekite represents a pattern of unbelief that is very entrenched and will not receive the gospel. Perhaps Mormon met people in his day that expressed the same sentiments. Probably we will see the same in our day, if we haven’t already.

The Amalekite starts out with incredulous questions about why his people don’t have angelic visitations, while at the same time he contends his people are as good as Aaron’s people.  Then he asks a bunch of “How do you know” questions challenging Aaron’s knowledge:

--How do you know the thought and intent of our hearts?

--How do you know we have cause to repent?

--How do you know we’re not a righteous people?

Then the Amalekite tries to prove the Amalekites’s righteousness on the grounds that they have build churches and gather to worship God and that they believe God will save all men.

But when Aaron asks him if he believes in Christ’s redemption, then the Amalekite spouts a torrent of “we don’t believe” statements!

--We don’t believe you know God will redeem mankind from their sins.

--We don’t believe these foolish traditions.

--We don’t believe you know of things to come.

--We don’t believe your fathers or ours knew what they were talking about concerning things to come.

Then when Aaron tries to show through the scriptures that there is grounds for belief in the redemption of Christ, all his listeners get angry, mock him, and don’t want to hear.

So the Amalekite essentially answers his own questions, even though he doesn’t realize it: The Amalekites don’t see angels because they don’t believe in the prophecies of what’s to come that angels and scriptures would give.  (Much of what angels do is quote scripture and prophesy, after all.)  If a person has made it clear that they don’t believe in Christ when a mortal messenger declares it, is that message going to be any easier to swallow if an angel gives it?   The Amalekite has grounds to repent because he doesn’t believe Christ will come to redeem men. He’s cut off from the atonement. His people have cause to repent because their unbelief is the same.

It is quite fascinating that the Amalekites believe God will save all men, and yet they don’t believe Aaron or their ancestors could know of things to come.  But then, what grounds for belief do they have that God will save all men, something that would require revelation and prophecy to know at all?  To affirm a belief in a future event while denying the future can be known is contradictory.  Beliefs based on that kind of thought process seem more like wishful thinking.

The Amalekite seems insulted by Aaron’s teaching the truth, which hints he feels rebuked and insecure in his own spirituality. So he tries to cover it by painting Aaron as a sort of religious imperialist and by arguing that church attendance makes the Amalekites as good as the Nephites.  But if that is all the Amalekite can point to, he doesn’t understand the full extent of what righteousness is, since it goes far beyond just going to church.  In trying to justify himself as righteous, the Amalekite actually reveals that he is not.  Again, if he doesn’t believe Christ will redeem humanity from their sins, he is stuck in his sins and can’t escape them.

There are several principles that can be got from this exchange.

1)    A dearth of spiritual gifts and privileges arises out of unbelief.  We may not even know what we disbelieve until someone challenges us on it. 

2)    When unbelief is challenged, it easily turns into noisy self-justification. 

3)    Self-justification tends to be contradictory, and it is obvious to others. (It’s also pathetic.)

4)    Self-justification is not possible.  (Christ is the only one who can justify us through His grace, and that can only happen when we repent.)

Aaron knew that he couldn’t force the Amalekite to believe differently, so after trying to present his grounds for testimony and being rejected, he simply left. Likewise, when people around us reject our testimonies, we can’t do anything to change that. 

But looking at it from a different perspective, what if we find that in some respect we are like the unbelieving Amalekite?  Thinking about how the Amalekite should have responded if he had been meek is an interesting exercise.  How could this Amalekite have turned the exchange into a learning experience?

What do you think?

For Pioneer Day: Find the Pioneer in You

The following is a talk* I gave a few years ago about pioneering...

As a small child, I was profoundly affected by stories of pioneers leaving their homes and taking only the things they absolutely needed with them. After a family home evening lesson about the Saints leaving Nauvoo, I went up to my room and challenged myself to choose which of my belongings I would take with me if I had to leave the house in 15 minutes with my family and never come back. I told myself to limit the amount to what would fit in a milk crate. Not only did this teach me even more respect for the pioneers, it also gave me an early lesson about priorities that has stuck with me to this day.

As a younger teenager, I loved to read stories about scientists and inventors and patriots who pioneered to bring us the lightbulb, the television, immunization, our republican government, the radio, the airplane, the automobile, the train, the telephone, cleanliness in hospitals, the sandwich, the vacuum cleaner, the periodic table, and more. The desire to pioneer something great grew within me. I still have this desire today. You may have this desire too.

Satan does not want us to pioneer and make progress. (In fact, he wants us to regress.) So he tells us lies to try and get us to stop our efforts and cease our desires to pioneer. I’m going to list some of these lies and discuss why they are false. Then I will discuss principles of pioneering and use lots of illustrative examples. Then I will point out many ways that we pioneer today without even knowing it. Finally, I will give some ideas of ways we can pioneer in the gospel.

Lies Satan tells about pioneering

1. Satan tells us, “There’s nothing new under the sun. Everything that can be contributed has already been done.”

This is completely false. We still have problems, a few of which are: working with computers, finding clean entertainment, gas prices, finding modest clothing, heavy traffic, and so on. Every problem represents a place pioneering is needed. Look for problems that you can pioneer into and solve.

Here's a very small example--I loved the ease of making cornbread from a mix, but I found the dryness of cornbread annoying. So I pioneered "pumpkin-spice cornbread" and "apple-spice" cornbread by mixing quantities of pumpkin puree or apple sauce into the batter to give it more moisture. Problem solved.

2. Satan tells us, “Pioneering only involves colonizing using a covered wagon or handcart.”

This is false. A pioneer is a person who goes before, opening up new ways of thought or activity. Our challenges are different, and pioneering is about solving the new problems that arise. It’s also about solving old problems in new, better ways. Dallen H. Oaks taught that our problems are different from the pioneers’, but they’re just as dangerous and significant to our salvation. To paraphrase him, the pioneers protected their children from prowling wolves. We protect our families from pornographers and drug dealers. Pioneers struggled against physical hunger. We struggle against spiritual hunger. Pioneer children had to work very hard to survive. Today, our children have to work just as hard to find meaningful work to teach discipline, responsibility, and self-worth.

3. Satan tells us, “YOU can’t be a pioneer; you’re too ordinary.”

This is ABSOLUTE BOSH. Pioneering is done by people just like us. Missionaries pioneer the gospel into the hearts of men. Mothers and fathers pioneer knowledge, civilization, gospel teaching, and life skills into the hearts and minds of their children. Oldest children pioneer for their siblings what privileges will be given by their parents. They also pioneer what’s considered “cool” to their siblings. (So you oldest children, consider carefully the precedent you set is righteous or not, because I know as an oldest child myself that you will be held accountable for those precedents.) Another way that we pioneer is by eradicating faults passed down by our parents. If your parents were alcoholics or smokers, if you work to keep the Word of Wisdom, you are a pioneer going to new realms of righteousness where your parents have never been themselves.

All pioneers began as ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Consider Joseph Smith Jr. He was an ordinary farm boy of fourteen years old. What does he do? He asks a question—“Which church is true?” and got extraordinary results. So many of his revelations came from his pioneering efforts as he asked the hard questions. Or consider the guy named Al, an ordinary man. He was terrible at math when he was going to school. Yet this is the person who pioneered the theory of relativity. He gave us the simple equation E = mc^2. He pioneered the dual nature of light—particle and wave. You know him as Albert Einstein. Ordinary people who pursue their talents and interests in extraordinary ways become pioneers.

Think about your interests and talents. Suppose you had an interest in gardening. Suppose you pursued that in an extraordinary way, experimenting with all kinds of ways and means of growing plants, growing them quickly, creating an ideal growing environment for them. Wouldn’t that be pioneering?

Or suppose your interest was in reactivating members in the gospel. Suppose you experimented with different ways of reaching these people and finding the best way to love them back into church activity. Wouldn’t that be pioneering?

4. Satan tells us, “YOU can’t do that; it’s too scary. You don’t know anything about it.”

Oh yeah? Well ignorance is only a temporary obstacle. N. Eldon Tanner said, “Anyone seeking to become a pioneer will take care to fill his mind with what is known about the route he plans to take.” Pioneering starts out as something you are curious about and know nothing about. You pioneer your own knowledge first.

For me, this was the Book of Isaiah. I felt my first interest in the Book of Isaiah when I was a teenager and I read a book my mom had bought about it. I took a class about Isaiah at BYU. I continued studying Isaiah. In time, I knew enough about what was out there about Isaiah to be able to see what was NOT out there. (This was when I decided to write a book for teenagers about Isaiah.) When you reach a point that you see what is not known, you see where you can pioneer for others.

Dallen H. Oaks said, “It is not enough to study or reenact the accomplishments of our pioneers. We need to identify the great, eternal principles they applied to achieve all they achieved for our benefit and then apply those principles to the challenges of our day.”

Principles of Pioneering

1. Self-reliance and independence. Pioneers have no one to depend upon for help but themselves and God.

When the pioneers got the Great Basin, they didn’t have any hotels in which to stay while they were building their houses. They didn’t have food except for what they could carry with them and whatever edible plants they could find around. They had the tools they carried with them. They had their animals they brought with them. And they had God.

Nephi went to the Lord for direction on how to build a ship. Yes, others had built ships before, but it was Nephi’s first time, so he was a pioneer. Also, the scriptures say that the ship the Lord helped him build was “not after the manner of men,” and from this we can infer that the ship was different from previous ship designs Nephi had seen before. It was a pioneering design he was guided to build. And he had the skills to make the tools he needed to make the ship.

When I first started writing my book about applying the writings of Isaiah to the temptations that teenagers face, I realized pretty quickly that I was all alone on the topic. No one else had been there yet. All I had to help me was some stuff I had learned from that BYU class and what I had learned on my own study since then. I also had the certainty that if I lacked wisdom, I could ask of God and He would give liberally and not upbraid.

2. Problem-solving skills. Pioneers solve problems not yet tackled by anyone else, or they solve problems in a different, better way from anyone else.

3. Creativity. Pioneers use what resources are around them.

Nephi built a temple in the promised land like Solomon’s temple, except he couldn’t make it out of so many precious things because they were not to be found upon the land. But he DID build a temple using what he could find. That’s resourceful pioneering.

4. Vision and work. Pioneers have a vision of what they want and they work on it.

Thomas Edison wanted to make an incandescent lightbulb that lasted for many hours. He had a vision in his head of the result for which he was working. He tried many, many different materials to see if they would make a good filament. That took a lot of work.

5. Curiosity and interest. If pioneers don’t know anything about what must be done, they educate themselves about it.

An example is that Brigham Young studied guidebooks about crossing the plains. He also talked to explorers and mountain men about what was out west.

When the Wright brothers were trying to build their first airplane, they read everything they could find about other people’s attempts to build flying machines.

6. Courage. Pioneers are not immune to fear. Instead of running from their fears, they face them. Facing fears is courage. We know it as faith. Joseph Smith noted that fear and faith can’t be found in the same person at the same time.

I had a difficult time with the subject of Calculus in high school, and I didn’t feel very proficient in it when I finished the class. I feared it. But I didn’t like that I feared it. So I made a promise to myself that one day I would take Calculus again and I would make myself LIKE it. When I took it again, I did more than like it; I loved it. I learned that when I fear something, I must face it. I also learned that when I face my fears, I can overcome them.

7. Perseverance. Pioneers are not immune to failure, but the determination to keep trying and keep working on their goal is what sets them apart. It is also what keeps them going when the new sparkle has worn off their goal and they are in the midst of the nitty-gritty labor that lasts for months or years.

Mothers and fathers are brilliant examples of perseverance. They work for 18 years on their children (sometimes longer), pioneering knowledge, civilization, the gospel, and life skills into the hearts and minds of their children.

Two separate times, Henry Ford formed a company to build and sell automobiles. Each time, the company went bankrupt. It was his third attempt that succeeded and made money as he instituted assembly-line manufacturing. It is likely that the first two failures taught him important lessons that made his later success possible.

8. Pioneers don’t worry much about what people think of them. Lots of times other people think they are crazy. Pioneers are frequently misunderstood by their contemporaries who prefer to stay in their comfort zones.

How do we gain the pioneering mindset?

1. Push to know a little more about a subject you’re interested in. Do what it takes to learn a little more. Do one more math problem than you have to.

2. Push yourself to begin your assignments a little earlier than you would otherwise. This builds self-starting skills that are absolutely necessary to pioneering. It also helps you get used to the feeling of doing things your peers haven’t done. It helps you get comfortable with the sensation of not being able to check your answers with other people and it teaches you how good it feels to be able to help your peers because of what you’ve done.

3. Push yourself to keep the commandments more carefully than you have before. Or keep a commandment that you haven’t kept before. That’s new, exciting territory with new blessings to discover such as you have never imagined before!

4. Push yourself to do a little something that you’ve never done before, whether it is learning a new word in a different language or trying to ride your bike with no hands, doing a cartwheel, or trying a puzzle. Or eating a new food. Regularly leaving your comfort zone is a kind of pioneering that we usually call “personal growth.”

5. Push yourself to confront your fears.

I told you about how I confronted my fear of Calculus. Another fear I confronted was my fear of learning dance. (I had some bad experiences in junior high school when I had to learn a dance routine in gym class and then perform it. When I started performing, I couldn’t remember any of it.) I could PRETEND to dance pretty well at church dances with no set moves at specific times, but learning choreography and then performing it was something I was scared of. At BYU I decided to take a folk dance class to face my fear. It was hard for me to get used to switching my weight the right way and I was always afraid I would forget the dances we learned, so I spent a lot of time after class making notes to myself about how the dances went. It turned out to be a lot of fun for me and I gained confidence in myself.

6. Keep trying a little longer.

Every insight I have gained in my scripture study came because I didn’t stop thinking about things that confused me. Other factors played a part too, but the very first factor that always came in to play was my dogged attempts to understand.

If you are scared to try something new and you don’t know where to start, God can help you. Moroni 7:26, at the end of the verse says, “…whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.” This tells us that if we want to have the courage and the drive to pioneer in our lives, we can ask Heavenly Father for our very nature to change, and He will do it. He will give us that little beginning push and then it is up to us to keep up the momentum and do.

What if you are pioneering something and you want to do it, but you can’t? Again, Heavenly Father can help. Moroni 7:33 says, “And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.” This tells us that Christ gives us the ability to pioneer and succeed. This can be in the form of opportunities to practice, or it can be in the form of a miraculous success. (I personally prefer the practice opportunities because it makes success repeatably consistent.)

The consequences of these little things we can do is that they build the pushing-for-progress attitude of pioneering, and doing those things often can make that attitude so much a part of us that when the Lord gives us a big opportunity to pioneer something, instead of running away screaming, we’ll be ready to take it on. It will seem like just another incremental step in our development.

Pioneering and the Gospel

It is still possible to pioneer in the gospel. In Doctrine and Covenants 76, the Lord says that to those who fear Him and who serve Him in righteousness and in truth unto the end, he will give these chances to pioneer:

And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.
And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.
For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.

Again, in verse 5, those who get this privilege are those who 1) fear God and 2) serve Him in righteousness and in truth unto the end. I know those promises are fulfilled because I have seen it in my own life. As my respect for God has increased and as I have tried to be more obedient, God has shown me wonderful, fascinating truths, things that were right under my nose and I never saw them before. I anticipate learning the wonders of eternity and all hidden mysteries. This promise is to everyone.

Pioneering and Missionary Work

Missionary work is spiritual pioneering. As I pointed out before, it is taking the word of God and the gospel of Christ into the wilds of men’s hearts and minds. It is laying the foundation of Zion in a person’s soul.

In many cases, missionary work is like walking through a jungle, but instead of seeing monkeys and tropical birds, and panthers, you see all manner of strange beliefs peering out at you from the underbrush. In these cases, your pioneering involves pushing back the jungle of error and planting the truth in its stead.

In other cases, pioneering missionary work is like setting up a city in the desert where there is nothing. In these cases, your pioneering involves nourishing faith, bringing in all the truth you can to fill up the emptiness, setting up sources of nourishment, digging wells for the living water.

One of the apostles talks about building a gospel-sharing home into which we can bring our friends and associates and introduce them to the gospel as it is seen in action. Our bishop believes this is a way of sharing the gospel that will be emphasized more and more as the Spirit is sucked out of the rest of the world. This is an exciting chance for us to be pioneers and implement pioneering principles in carrying this out.

Pioneering and the Temple

One way you can pioneer in temple work is by doing your family history. When you search for more knowledge of your progenitors than is available, you are clearly pioneering your family tree through the roots. Each ancestor is a new discovery.

We are in an exciting time as temples are spread throughout the world. We have heard stories of people pioneering to the temple, sacrificing their worldly possessions just to attend the temple one single time. Now, we have an opportunity to pioneer our temple attendance by going more frequently.

When we lived in Austin, Texas, my husband Devon and I attended the temple in Houston. It was a three hour drive each way. Going to the temple essentially took the day. We went to the temple perhaps once every six months. At one point, Devon suggested that we make a goal to attend the temple once a month. It was a bit of a sacrifice to give up an entire Saturday each month. We met our goal about 3/4ths of the time. When we moved to Chandler, Arizona in 2004, going to the temple once a month became a cinch because the Mesa temple was only a 30-minute drive. In May 2005, a traumatizing event caused us to flee to the temple for solace, and while there, we ran into another friend, who told us that she and her husband went to the temple every week. This seemed like a great idea to us, so we started coming to the temple every Tuesday, first in hopes of meeting our friends there, and after a while, because we wanted to and it felt right. We still go every week.

As you can see, we pioneered into new realms of temple-attending frequency two different times. I know several people in our ward who go to the temple every week. They have a hefty schedule, yet they go. You can also pioneer into new realms of temple attendance.

Another way that we can all collectively pioneer is in establishing new temples. We have seen that when temple attendance is great enough, a new temple is needed in a community. Our Mesa temple is a large one, but I was curious to find out what it would take to completely flood our temple, filling every seat, and make a new temple necessary in the valley. I did some figuring and I gathered some numbers and I figured the following, taking into account the temple’s current schedule:

• If we were to go to the temple once every 6 months, it would take approximately 6500 youth and 968,000 adults to fill the temple.
• If we were to go to the temple once every month, it would take approximately 1100 youth and 162,000 adults to fill the temple.
• If we were to go to the temple once every week, it would take approximately 245 youth and 36,500 adults to fill the temple.
• If we were to go to the temple once every day, it would take approximately 35 youth and 5200 adults to fill the temple.

(Youth numbers assume one baptismal group in the morning before school.)

According to our bishop, our stake has over 6,000 people in it. That kinda makes you think a bit, doesn’t it?

Let’s say that half of our stake are endowed adults with current temple recommends. Let us say that all the youth in the stake are worthy to go to the temple. That’s 3,000 adults and more than 35 youth. Let us say that the next stake over has the same numbers of worthy adults and youth. These two stakes could fill and overflow the temple and make a new one necessary in our valley if they went every day! That’s only TWO stakes out of 45 stakes in the east valley.

I challenge you to kick your temple attendance up a notch. If you can’t yet attend the temple, I challenge you to kick your preparation to attend the temple up a notch. Pioneer your way into realms of faithfulness you’ve never entered before!

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Note: About two years after this talk was given, new temples were announced in Gilbert, Arizona (next town over from Chandler, Arizona); Gila Valley, Arizona; and Phoenix, Arizona.

*A few deletions, insertions, and reordering was done for editorial purposes in this post.

Seeing clearly

My eyes went bad at a very early age—around first grade. I started to realize this when I noticed that I couldn’t read the hymn numbers on the chapel wall even though our family sat on the second row. So my mom took me to the eye doctor and I got my first set of glasses. During the years that followed, I had to have my prescription made more powerful about once every year until I was about in junior high school. By this time, my glasses were quite thick and from time to time people called me “coke-bottle” eyes. Sometimes when I looked in the mirror, it seemed to me that my eyes appeared half the size of what they would look like without my glasses.

When I was a freshman in high school, my mom allowed me to get a pair of contact lenses. This, I was sure, would jumpstart my social life and give me a chance in the dating scene in a few years.


I didn’t anticipate how difficult it would be for me to learn how to put my contact lenses in, however. Whether it was an exceptionally strong protective instinct or whether it was my own squeamishness about touching my own eyeball, the process of putting my contacts in took a long time. My father eventually gave me a little rubber tool that seemed to make it easier for me. On one end it had a little cup that I could place my contact in before applying it to my eye. On the other end, were two rubber prongs that could be used to pinch the contact off my eye. I used this tool for years before I became accustomed enough that I could put in and take out my contacts with just my fingers.

I remember when I first got my contacts, I was so elated about how I looked when wearing them, that I promised myself that I would never wear my glasses out in public again if I could help it. I appreciated the ability to see clearly in a way that seemed so natural.

My experience with contacts prepared me to better understand this scripture:

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. (Proverbs 7:2)

Our ancient fathers used the phrase “apple of the eye” to refer to the iris and pupil of the eye. They admonished us to see everything through the lens of the commandments and the law of the gospel.

When we are born again, it is as if we put on contact lenses that help us see things the way the Lord sees them. It also makes it easier for others to see us for who we really are—children of God—as they notice how our behavior changes.

Unlike contact lenses, however, we do not need to take these gospel lenses off every night before we go to bed. We are encouraged to keep them in all the time.

To keep our gospel vision from growing dim and blurry, we must frequently repent. We must also read our scriptures and follow the living prophets. When we do these things, Lord gives us eyes to see afar off and gives us an eye single to the glory of God. We see not just with physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes.

The idea of vision is used in prophecies and is used to teach important principles in the scriptures.

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: (Joel 2:28)

And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: (Isaiah 29:11)

Spiritual vision and prophesy was tightly associated with the authorship of the Book of Mormon and became just as important in the translation of it.

Nephi wrote of his father’s ability to see clearly.

…he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. (1 Nephi 1:16)

Because Lehi had clear vision of the gospel and the truth, he shared his views with his children which blessed them to begin to see clearly as well.

These words were written about king Uzziah who reigned in Israel:

And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. (2 Chronicles 26:5)

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)

Righteous views contribute to our secular learning as well, which Daniel and his companions found out:

As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. (Daniel 1:17)

Cultivation of the Holy Ghost in our lives with a gospel view of the world will help us see clearly.

Image: http://www.corriganopticians.co.uk/index.php?id=79913&option=1230

1 John: A manual on discernment

I recently figured out that the book of 1 John in the New Testament is a handbook for discernment and the discerning of spirits. As apostasy was creeping into the church, it became very important for the saints to know how to tell the false from the true. The gift of discernment became very important. How could they tell what doctrines were of God, which were of men, and which were of devils?

John tells them often that there are many deceivers, false prophets, and false spirits in the world, and his epistle is full of hard and fast indicators for the saints to use in sifting truth from error. He speaks of important indicators such as love, compassion, keeping the commandments, bearing testimony of God and Christ, awareness of the Fall, and so forth.

I found it very helpful to go through the book of 1 John (and even 2 John) with a highlighter and mark in one color all the verses that set forth these tests for discernment. When I was done, half of the content in 1 John was highlighted. (I recommend this exercise for everyone.)

Here are some things I picked out:

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (1 John 2:18-19)

NEED FOR DISCERNMENT

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

…He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:9)

10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (2 John 1:10-11)

RECEPTIVENESS

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6)

KNOWLEDGE OF THE FALL

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us….
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

TESTIMONY

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. ( 1 John 4:14-15)

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: (1 John 5:1)

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:2-3)

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)

23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. (1 John 2:23)

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 John 5:10)

22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)

KEEPING COMMANDMENTS

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (1 John 2:5)

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (1 John 2:3)

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6)

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: (1 John 3:6)

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ( 1 John 5:18)

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. (1 John 3:7)

If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29)

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9)

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
(1 John 3:2-3)

…And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:24)

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1 John 3:10)

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:4)

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God… (2 John 1:9)

…whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him….
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning… (1 John 3:6,8)

FELLOWSHIP

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another… (1 John 1:6-7)

LOVING OTHERS

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

…God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. ( 1 John 4:21)

…If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (1 John 5:2)
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3)

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. (1 John 2:10)

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. (1 John 3:14)

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world….. (1 John 2:15-16)

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now….and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:9,11)

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:20)

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

…He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him….
17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John 3:14-15,17)

OVERCOMING THE WORLD

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5)

CONFIDENCE IN GOD

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. (1 John 3:21)

Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13)

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

ETERNAL LIFE

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:12-13)

SUMMARY

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (2 John 1:8)

Now, we might be inclined to say, “These aren’t real tests; anyone could fake these things. I know a number of good people who aren’t members.” I say that the tests still stand because though it might be easy to fake it through one particular test, it becomes harder to fake all of them together. It becomes even harder to fake all of them together over a sustained period. It becomes impossible to fake all of them when faced with a personal trial. And it is impossible to fake all of them when the saints are being persecuted. When the going gets tough, the fakes are revealed.

We also might be inclined to think that these sayings mean we are allowed to condemn people, but that isn’t true. Rather, they are to help us be able to detect those influences would lead us astray (false prophets, false spirits, deceivers, etc.). It also means that we watch ourselves according to these principles and monitor the condition of our own hearts. This is why John tells the saints, “Look to yourselves” (2 John 1:8). I know John’s words are true. I monitor my own attitudes and thoughts a lot, using those principles to measure and evaluate them. I’m not perfect at it, but I’ve been able to catch myself going astray many times and by repenting, I’ve gotten back on track. The times I wasn’t able to catch myself, others with discernment (like my bishop) were able to catch me. Eventually I realized my fault and repented and got back on track.

Another way that John’s writings may bother us is through the simplicity of his words. Life is black or white to him; there are no shades of gray. Does this mean that he didn’t understand the complexities of people, things, and choices? Does this mean he didn’t recognize that so often we are confronted with mixes of good and evil?

I think he was perfectly aware of all of that, and I think that is precisely why he wrote what he did—to help us cut through the mess and see clearly. Let other people say we are unsophisticated. We are not in the business of making excuses for sin. A sin is a sin. We are in the business of proclaiming salvation from sin through Christ and the necessity of repentance. And we each have a duty to forgive others their trespasses.

Captain Moroni's perfect understanding

And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding (Alma 48:11, emphasis added)

These are strong words about Captain Moroni, considering all the knowledge we have today that hadn’t even been thought of in his day. Yet Mormon, a disciple of Christ, considers Captain Moroni’s understanding “perfect”.

Can we aspire to this perfect understanding? Do we need to know everything in order to have this “perfect understanding”?

Mormon elaborates on what makes up Captain Moroni’s understanding.

…yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; (Alma 48:11)

Captain Moroni understood the sanctity of life. This suggests he understood the plan of salvation.

…a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; (Alma 48:11)

Captain Moroni understood the importance of agency. And he loved liberty not just for himself, but for his whole country.

Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; (Alma 48:12)

He had perfect understanding of all the blessings that had been bestowed not just on him, but on his people as well, and he understood exactly who he should be thankful to for those blessings. He also seems to have understood that it was okay to show his gratitude, because he allowed his heart to swell with thanksgiving, rather than trying to suppress it and choke it off.

…a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people. (Alma 48:12)

Captain Moroni understood the principle of work and he practiced it. He also had a perfect understanding of his own responsibility. He understood there was much to be done for his people’s welfare and safety. No one understood better than he his people’s precarious situation, because he labored exceedingly; there was so much to do and so little time to do it in.

Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ… (Alma 48:13)

He had a perfect understanding of the principles of the gospel and the need for Christ’s Atonement. He put his complete trust in Christ, achieving and retaining a remission of his sins and undoubtedly urging others to do the same.

…and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. (Alma 48:13)

He had a perfect understanding of how covenants bind a person to act and how God assists his people to keep their righteous covenants, so he was willing to bind himself by covenant to defend his people, his rights, his country, and his religion, trusting that God would enable him to faithfully fulfill it even in the greatest extremity.

Based on this description, it seems that “perfect understanding” is possible and attainable. In fact, many of us are well on our way towards it! May we strive until we achieve that perfect understanding so that it can be said of us as it was said of Captain Moroni: “if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto [insert your name here], behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” (Alma 48:17)

Image: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, http://www.lds.org/hf/art/display/1,16842,4218-1-3-99,00.html.

Toward Expertness in the Scriptures and the Gospel.

Yesterday I read an interesting article that asserted that in order to become good at something it requires about 2,000 hours of concentrated study and practice, and expertness requires about 10,000 hours.

This got me thinking about how we have been encouraged to become gospel scholars and familiar with the scriptures. I began to wonder just how many hours I had spent studying the scriptures in my life. I decided to try to calculate how much time I had spent.

And as I began trying to calculate, I realized how wonderful it was that I had been so consistent because it made it pretty easy to figure.

I could calculate pretty well how much time I had spent in the scriptures in Sunday school and gospel doctrine, in seminary, and summer institute classes.

I could also calculate pretty well how much time I had spent in the scriptures due to my parents holding family scripture study while I grew up, my parents sending me to EFY, my parents allowing me to go to BYU where I could take religion classes, and my husband and I reading together.

I could also calculate pretty well how much time I had spent in the scriptures on my own in daily study, in working on my book about Isaiah, and in writing my posts for this blog.

I’m not going to put the numbers up because I don’t want to provoke some kind of statistics comparison war on the Mormon blogosphere. We compare ourselves to others so much as it is. But I will tell you that it showed me that as members we will obtain a certain amount of knowledge and familiarity with the gospel simply by showing up at church and being where we are supposed to be. (Many of us acquire knowledge through teaching callings as well.) We will also acquire a certain amount of knowledge beyond that through the faithfulness of our parents and maybe even our spouses in having scripture study. But obtaining anything beyond that is completely and totally up to us.

Did you know that if you only dip into the scriptures in gospel doctrine class, in 80 years you will have gotten 4160 hours? That’s certainly a pretty good level of competence. But if you read the scriptures every day for 80 years without fail for half an hour, you will have gotten 14,600 hours! That’s more than 3 times as much practice with the potential for 3 times as many insights and more! And those two together (and nothing else) is over 18,000 hours!

It is plain to me that Heavenly Father wants us to become experts. (And not just experts, but gods and goddess.)

Here are some verses I found about the importance of studying the scriptures and what it can do for us:

And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life. (Alma 32:40)

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. (Titus 1:9-11)

And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Joseph Smith Matthew 1:37)

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)

Ways of Getting Answers from the Scriptures

Today at work when I was reviewing the big stack of textbooks on the shelf looking for useful texts for writing tutoring, I ran across these interesting paragraphs from the book Content Area Reading by Richard T. Vacca, Jo Anne L. Vacca, and I thought it perfectly applied to how we find answers to life’s questions in the scriptures.

A reader draws on two broad information sources to answer questions: information in the text and information inside the reader’s head. For example, some questions have answers that can be found directly in the text. These questions are textually explicit and lead to answers that are “right there” in the text. (Richard T. Vacca, Jo Anne L. Vacca, Content Area Reading, 5th ed., HarperCollins, NY: 1996, p48.)

When I’d get in a situation when I didn’t know what to do, often I’d open the scriptures and find a principle explicitly stated with I could apply to my problem and get a clear answer.

Other questions have answers that require students to think about the information they have read in the text. They must be able to search for ideas that are related to one another and then put these ideas together in order to answer the questions. These questions are textually implicit and lead to “think and search” answers (ibid).

Think and search. Doesn’t that sound like it fits so well with “search, ponder, and pray”? I think this passage has clarified for me just what can go on when I search, ponder, and pray. I can be pondering a question, then searching for the answer in the scriptures, then pondering how what I’ve found might fit together with my previous knowledge. And sometimes the Spirit brings to our memory some scriptural phrases that are applicable. And I pray for understanding when I'm really stuck.

Sometimes I try to think of scripture stories that are similar to the one that I am reading and then I think about how they are the same and how they are different. How is the story of Paul preaching to King Agrippa like or unlike the story of Abinadi preaching to King Noah? How is the story of Joseph helping Pharaoh understand his dreams the same or different from the story of Ammon helping King Lamoni out with the sheep? How is the story of Lehi leaving Jerusalem like or different from the story of the brother of Jared leaving Babel? How is the story of Joseph being sold by his brothers like or different from the story of Nephi’s relationship with his brothers? Is there anything we can learn from those differences or similarities?

Still other questions require students to rely mainly on prior knowledge and experience. In other words, responses to these questions are more inside the reader’s head than in the text itself. These questions are schema-based and lead to “author and you” and “on my own” answers (ibid).

So, when you get the answer “on your own”, the text has gotten you thinking and then you use your prior knowledge to answer the question.

I don’t know how far I’ve gotten into this kind of studying of the scriptures. Do any of you have experiences of this kind to share?

What is the nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?

I decided I wanted to collect scriptures on this important topic to bring together things the prophets have said and gain a more comprehensive picture of the Godhead. Joseph Smith noted that having a correct idea of the nature of God is necessary if we are to exercise our faith in Him.

My survey is rather long, so please forgive me. I tried my best to organize it in a helpful way.

God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit

55 But [Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55-56)

It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith History 1:17)

The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. (D&C 130:22)

Unity & Cooperation in the Godhead

I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. (John 8:18)

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. (John 5:19)

I and my Father are one. (John 10:30)

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (1 Corinthians 12:3)

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21)

Eternal Nature of God

The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. (Psalms 146:10)

For I am the Lord, I change not (Malachi 3:6)

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round. (1 Nephi 10:19, emphasis added)

God the Creator

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3)

And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. (Moses 1:33)

Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it. (1 Nephi 17:36)

26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)

Omniscience (all-knowing-ness) of God

But he knoweth the way that I take (Job 23:10)

[F]or the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9)

1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. (Psalms 139:1-4)

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Matthew 10:29-30)

[F]or your Father knoweth what things ye have need of (Matthew 6:8)

[A]ll things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them. (Moses 1:35)

But behold, ye cannot hide your crimes from God; and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony against you at the last day. (Alma 39:8)

Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. (Alma 26:35)

Intelligence and Wisdom of God

8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. (Abraham 3:19)

The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. (D&C 93:36)

Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works. (Jacob 4:10)

I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. (D&C 10:43)

Foreknowledge of God

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation (Acts 17:26, emphasis added)

But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. (1 Nephi 9:6)

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee (Jeremiah 1:5)

Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; (D&C 1:17, emphasis added)

Glory of God

And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. (Exodus 24:17)

And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the glory of his majesty shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. (2 Nephi 12:19)

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith History 1:17, emphasis added)

Perfection of God

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. (James 1:13)

Every word of God is pure (Proverbs 30:5)

I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round. (Alma 7:20)

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us (Hebrews 6:18, emphasis added)

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48, emphasis added)

God, the Standard of Righteousness

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. (Leviticus 19:2)

For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. (John 13:15)

Law of God

Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. (Isaiah 51:4)

12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—
13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things. (D&C 88:13, emphasis added)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people (Hebrews 8:10, compare with Jeremiah 31:33)

20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (D&C 130:20-21)

For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world. (D&C 132:5)

Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him. (2 Nephi 9:25)

Thus, none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and in solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness. (D&C 107:84)

Indignation of God

Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. (2 Kings 22:13)

11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. (Psalms 7:11-12)

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; (Romans 2:8-9)

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:5-6, emphasis added)

Oh, this unbelieving and stiffnecked generation—mine anger is kindled against them. (D&C 5:8)

And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments. (D&C 59:21)

But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine danger is kindled against them. (D&C 60:2)

9 ¶ For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. (Isaiah 48:9-10)

Love of God

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you (D&C 95:1)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:8)

He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. (Deuteronomy 10:18)

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (John 13:1)

For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. (John 16:27)

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. (4 Nephi 1:15)

Mercy of God

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. (Isaiah 49:15)

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. (Psalms 103:13)

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10)

Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you, O ye elders of my church, who are assembled upon this spot, whose sins are now forgiven you, for I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts. (D&C 61:2)

Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. (Micah 7:18)

And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name (Alma 32:22)

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:36)

Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy. (Moroni 8:19)

For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. (D&C 76:5)

Verily, verily I say unto you, blessed are such, for they shall obtain; for I, the Lord, show mercy unto all the meek, and upon all whomsoever I will, that I may be justified when I shall bring them unto judgment. (D&C 97:2)

Will of God

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Daniel 4:35)

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34)

And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. (3 Nephi 11:11, emphasis added)

Nevertheless, he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come; (D&C 63:10)

And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will. (Words of Mormon 1:7)

For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man. (D&C 76:10)

Power of God

Is any thing too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14)

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:17-18, emphasis added)

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. (John 5:21)

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26)

8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.
9 Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.
10 And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley.
11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake;
12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center.
13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved.
14 Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done;
15 And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.
16 And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done.
17 Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done.
18 And behold, if a man hide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall say—Let it be accursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it up—behold, it shall be accursed.
19 And if the Lord shall say—Be thou accursed, that no man shall find thee from this time henceforth and forever—behold, no man getteth it henceforth and forever.
20 And behold, if the Lord shall say unto a man—Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be accursed forever—it shall be done. (Helaman 12:8-20)

But verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as receive me, to them will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on my name. Amen. (D&C 11:30, emphasis added)

How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints. (D&C 121:33)

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29)

For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people. (D&C 84:119)

Works of God

For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil. (Alma 5:40)

The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be
frustrated, neither can they come to naught. (D&C 3:1)

I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work (D&C 10:43)

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29:14)

4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease.
5 Wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth. (Moses 1:4-5)

114 But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord, and the mysteries of his kingdom which he showed unto us, which surpass all understanding in glory, and in might, and in dominion;
115 Which he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter;
116 Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him;
117 To whom he grants this privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves (D&C 76:114-117)

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

Access to God

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (Romans 10:12)

And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith. (2 Nephi 26:13)

Presence of God

19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
(Exodus 20:19-20)

Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time. (Moses 6:57, emphasis added)

Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence (Isaiah 64:1)

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. (James 4:8)

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.
37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: (Exekiel 20:35-37)

That through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his [God’s] presence in the world of glory. (D&C 76:118, bracket text added)

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. (Revelation 7:15)

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:18)

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. (Psalms 140:13)

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalms 16:11)

Privilege of Seeing God

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am (D&C 93:1)

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)

Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house. (D&C 110:8)