Mormon Life - New Testament tag

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:49:00 -0600

source: lds.org

Mormon Life says: One last tribute to Mother's Day (even if it's a day late).

Casting LDS New Testament film project

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:13:00 -0600

source: ldsmediatalk.com

Mormon Life says: What an opportunity! If you live close to Utah, you may be interested in the following message from the Church’s media department:

Currently casting background actors for additional New Testament stories to be filmed during July & August of 2012.

Parable of the Two Sons — judging others

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:48:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

In the Parable of the Two Sons, the Savior praises sinners who repent, then warns those who claim righteousness but refuse the work and worth of souls.

Jesus Christ taught: "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go to work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

"And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, the first. Jesus sayeth unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

LDS Church to blitz YouTube, Facebook with messages of Jesus Christ on Easter weekend

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:52:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: I love that the Church is doing this. Wouldn't it be awesome if all members shared the videos this weekend on their own social media? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is planning to blitz the world of social media this weekend with a new media campaign aimed at helping "those not of our faith understand that we believe in and follow Jesus Christ."

In an email sent from the LDS Church Missionary Department to those who have created profiles on the church's Mormon.org website, officials said the campaign will take place Friday through Sunday on YouTube and Facebook, and will feature "members of the church sharing their beliefs about the Savior."

The campaign will consist of paid advertising on YouTube during the weekend, which they expect to be viewed "a minimum of 15 million times."

Jesus Tried by Caiaphas, Peter Denies Knowing Christ

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:59:00 -0600

source: lds.org

Jesus Warns Peter and Offers the Intercessory Prayer

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:52:00 -0600

source: lds.org

New Bible Video: The Last Supper

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:20:00 -0600

source: lds.org

Professor's discovery resurrects debate over 'Jesus tomb'

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:36:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: I don't agree with his thoughts about Christ's body, but his discovery is interesting. Five years removed from his controversial "Jesus Tomb" documentary, UNC Charlotte archaeologist James Tabor announced Tuesday that he has helped uncover perhaps the earliest Christian image ever found.

The discovery, in Jerusalem, took place in 2010, Tabor told The Charlotte Observer.

The Lord's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:18:00 -0700

source: radio.lds.org

Mormon Life says: A new Bible Video!

Waiting on Our Road to Damascus

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:38:00 -0700

source: lds.org

BibleVideos.LDS.org releases series of Easter-themed videos, adds e-card function

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:25:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

In the weeks leading up to April 8, 2012, BibleVideos.lds.org plans to release a series of Easter-related videos that relate stories from the Savior’s final weeks—from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to His Crucifixion and Resurrection.

The Easter-themed videos began with the January 23 release of Jesus Teaches about the Widow’s Mites, which was soon followed by Jesus Teaches a Samaritan Woman and The Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The videos planned for release over the next several weeks will tell several stories, in the following order:

New Bible video available

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:47:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

With more than 1.5 million video minutes viewed at the website biblevideos.lds.org, The Life of Jesus Christ Bible videos given to the world by the Church last Christmas have been viewed in 194 different countries. Last week, a new video based on the parable of the Widow's Mites became available for the first time. The website states the videos were created "solely for the purpose of helping more people understand and appreciate the matchless life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world."

Jesus Teaches about the Widow's Mites

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:31:00 -0700

source: radio.lds.org

Good, better, best and the parable of the Great Supper

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:28:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

As we dawn a new year and prioritize between good, better and best, consider the parable of the Great Supper in Luke 14:16-24. The Savior teaches an invaluable lesson about the destructive consequences of allowing worldly excuses to annul the things that matter most.

In the parable, a certain man hosts "a great supper" and bids his guests to attend, saying through his servant, "Come; for all things are now ready" (Luke 14:17). But one by one, the diners who had committed to the feast make excuses, including awaiting a land inspection, caring for oxen, busy with domestic life, etc.

When the excuses are relayed to the master, he commands his servant to go into the streets of the city and invite the poor, the maimed and the blind to the feast. He further instructs the servant to go beyond the city walls to "the highways and hedges" that "my house may be filled" (Luke 14:23).

Aids in Closing out the New Testament

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:03:00 -0700

by LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Here are a few resources as you close out the New Testament course of study and we close our Sunday School study of the Bible for a couple years.

Excerpt from "The Miracle of the Holy Bible," Elder M. Russell Ballard, April 2007 General Conference:

My brothers and sisters, the Holy Bible is a miracle! It is a miracle that the Bible’s 4,000 years of sacred and secular history were recorded and preserved by the prophets, apostles, and inspired churchmen.
It is a miracle that we have the Bible’s powerful doctrine, principles, poetry, and stories. But most of all, it is a wonderful miracle that we have the account of the life, ministry, and words of Jesus, which was protected through the Dark Ages and through the conflicts of countless generations so that we may have it today.
It is a miracle that the Bible literally contains within its pages the converting, healing Spirit of Christ, which has turned men’s hearts for centuries, leading them to pray, to choose right paths, and to search to find their Savior.
The Holy Bible is well named. It is holy because it teaches truth, holy because it warms us with its spirit, holy because it teaches us to know God and understand His dealings with men, and holy because it testifies throughout its pages of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Abraham Lincoln said of the Bible: “This Great Book … is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong” (Speeches and Writings, 1859–1865 [ 1989 ], 628).

For the full talk, click here.

Videos:

For teachers: If your meetinghouse has Intenet, consider showing this video at the end of the last New Testament lesson as a testimony of the blessing of scripture.

"The Blessings of Scripture," Mormon Messages

The Church has also posted the new Bible videos having to do with the beginning of Jesus Christ's life. With Christmas coming, it is a great reminder of the beginning of Christ's mortal ministry, as recorded in the New Testament. Click here to see all available videos.

New Testament Lesson 46: "He Will Dwell with Them and They Shall Be His People"

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:05:00 -0700

by Ted L. Gibbons
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: In this, the last lesson in the New Testament course of study, we will discuss the dramatic conclusion to Revelation - the prophecy of the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ.

INTRODUCTION:

Did anyone ever spoil a movie for you by telling you the ending before you attended? Have you video-taped an athletic contest to watch at a later date, only to have someone tell you the final score before you had the chance to watch the event for yourself? There is a certain excitement in participating in (or watching) a dramatic incident without knowing the outcome. But what if the incident is one involving the entire world–the history of all mankind and the success or failure of the Kingdom of God on the earth? No one who loves the Lord and his work wants the final score kept a secret.

And it has not been. In the Garden of Eden the Father told Satan that while he might have some successes–“thou shalt bruise his heel”–in the end, righteousness and the eternal destiny of man would triumph through the intercession of Christ and the work of the atonement: “He shall bruise thy head.” (Moses 4:21)

Again, at the end of the Bible. The Lord affirmed this simple and most rewarding truth: “In the end, the good guys win.” This is of course the message of the book of Revelation. In a world tumbling headlong into apostasy, a world where persecution intensified and the kingdom seemed to be in rapid retreat, John sent this message within the pages of this wonderful book: In the end, the kingdom of God and Christ will be established for eternity and all the blessings promised to the faithful will be theirs forever and ever.

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Rev. 21:1-7)

We know how the contest ends! The drama lies not in the conclusion but in the choices of the individual participants. Where will we be when the earth becomes a celestial world and the righteous are invited to inherit it forever?

I. SATAN FIGHTS AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUS (Rev. 5, 6)

John had just had a remarkable vision. He saw the throne of God,

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald (Revelation 4:3).

He who sat upon the throne “had in the right hand . . . a book written within, and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” (Rev. 5:1) That book contained a record of the history of the world, each of the seals representing 1000 years of the earth’s temporal history.

“Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?

“A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence” (D&C 77:6).

Nephi had a vision of many of these same things, but he was not permitted to write them:

“And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them. And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel” (1 Nephi 14:24 - 27).

Perhaps brother of Jared was one of those “others” spoken of in the verses above.

“. . . and when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things--it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things” (Ether 3:25.26).

The brother of Jared was commanded to write the things which he had seen, and Moroni informed us that he, Moroni, had “written upon [the] plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw.” (Ether 4:4) Having written these things. Moroni was commanded to “seal them up.” (Ether 4:5)

Nephi wrote of this record, “And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.” (2 Nephi 27:7)

Thus we have knowledge of records which were written and sealed up, containing revelations of the history of the world “from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.”

John’s longing to know the content of the book he saw was perhaps much like ours to know the content of the sealed portion of the plates received by Joseph. “I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and read the book . . .” (Rev. 5:5)

But the Lamb was worthy. He took the book and opened the seals (see Rev. 6:1, ff). As he took the book, the 24 elders mentioned in Revelation 4:4,10 (see the JST for these verses), and in Rev. 5:8 fell down before him to worship him. Their praise is enlightening:

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Rev. 9,10)

In this kingdom we know of only one way to become “unto our God kings and priests” and that has to do with temples and the entire endowment. In years past, reading that the endowed of every nation would reign on the earth with the Savior has been a concept almost impossible to comprehend. But all that has changed now. We now have about 134 temples, with 16 announced and 10 under construction. We have had prophets who have found a way to take the blessings of the temple to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people where there are enough members and where there is enough faith for the work to be accomplished.

Several years ago I visited the Redlands, California temple, at that time the most recently dedicated. I was reminded of a visit and a session in the Colonia Juarez, Mexico Temple four years previous. It was after a visit to this location that President Hinckley received the inspiration for “small” temples, temples with all the ordinances and opportunities of the larger ones, but to be made available on a much wider basis. I had a lovely experience in that tiny Mexican temple in a small community in an area with essentially two stakes. The youth there told me that those who were able had been required to travel 25 hours by bus to Mexico City or Mesa, AZ to do baptisms for the dead in previous years, but they would not have to make that journey again. We can now truly begin to visualize the fulfillment of John’s vision. We may in our lifetime see “unto our God kings and priests” from every nation.

And John the Revelator recorded that the faithful in latter days would praise the Lord by saying:

"Thou art worthy for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of eve kindred, and tongue, and people, an nation;

"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:9-10.).

“That is, before the millennial era, before the time when Christ shall reign personally upon the earth, the elect of God among every kindred, the saints who speak every tongue, the converts among all peoples and nations, having first believed the restored gospel, will go to the temples of God and receive the ordinances of exaltation whereby they qualify to become kings and priests.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Conference Report, April 1969, p.144)

In Revelation 6, some of the seals are opened, and we have the opportunity to see the efforts of Satan to destroy the work of God on the earth. Note the following phrases are indicative of the things Lucifer tries to accomplish among the children of God. How many of them are still occurring in our day?

(vs. 4) “take peace from the earth”
(vs. 4) “that they should kill one another”
(vs. 6) “a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny” (famine)
(vs. 8) “the sword”
(vs. 8) “hunger”
(vs. 8) “death”
(vs. 9) “slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they had”

This war between good and evil began in heaven and continues on earth:

President Hinckley based one of his conference messages on a New Testament scripture—Rev. 12:7-12. There, John the Revelator speaks of the war in heaven, the casting out of Satan and the triumph of Christ.

“That war, so bitter, so intense, has gone on, and it has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error, between agency and compulsion, between the followers of Christ and those who have denied Him. His enemies have used every stratagem in that conflict. They’ve indulged in lying and deceit. They’ve employed money and wealth. They’ve tricked the minds of men. They’ve murdered and destroyed and engaged in every other unholy and impure practice to thwart the work of Christ.

“It began in the earth when Cain slew Abel. The Old Testament is replete with accounts of the same eternal struggle.

“It found expression in the vile accusations against the Man of Galilee, the Christ, who healed the sick and lifted men’s hearts and hopes, He who taught the gospel of peace. His enemies, motivated by that evil power, seized Him, tortured Him, nailed Him [page 43] to the cross, and spoke in mockery against Him. But by the power of His godhood, He overcame the death His enemies had inflicted and through His sacrifice brought salvation from death to all men.

“That eternal war went on in the decay of the work He established, in the corruption which later infected it, when darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the people (see Isa. 60:2).

“But . . . . the war was not over. It was renewed and redirected. There was contempt. There was persecution. There were drivings from one place to another. There was the murder of the young prophet of God and his beloved brother. . . . Today the war continues as the Church seems to be constantly under attack from one quarter or another. However, the Church moves forward” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The War We Are Winning,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 42.434).

Revelation gives some information about the opening of each seal. The distribution of emphasis on the various seals is interesting:

The first 5 seals [from the time of the Fall to about the year 1000AD] are discussed in Revelation 6:1-11.

The 6th Seal [c. 1000-2000 AD] comprises 14 verses, from Revelation 6:12 through 7:8.

The 7th Seal [c. 2000-3000 AD] is discussed in 201 verses, from Revelation 8:1 through 19:21.

There are 15 verses for the millennium and the final scenes. I wish I had the time to spend with you on the material in chapters 8-18, but let us skip the lessons on plagues and destructions and rush to the Savior’s final conquest of Satan and his works

In Revelation 19, the Lord comes. His coming and his meeting with the righteous is symbolized as a wedding feast. This is a wonderful image, a continuation of the frequent description of Christ as a bridegroom and Israel as an often unfaithful bride. (See Isaiah 61:10,11; 62:5; Matt. 25:1-13; D&C 33:17; 65:3, etc.) You might want to note in your scriptures that the word servants in 19:2,5 was changed to saints in the JST.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).

Finally the church is ready for the coming of the Lord. The world has probably been ready for a long time, festering in iniquity and awaiting the destructions of the Second Coming. But there is a need of kings and priests to reign on the earth for a thousand years. That preparation will require substantial time and planning. But now, “his wife hath made herself ready.”

“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev. 19:8).

The bride is arrayed in a robe, a marriage robe, as it were, or a wedding dress, a robe representing the “righteousness of the saints.” If in fact we weave our wedding garment by our righteousness, what does our robe look like?

---A long, beautiful garment, clean and white and of fine linen?
---A pair of cut-offs?
---A loin-cloth?

John is commanded to write the invitation:

“Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb”

At this same time, Satan is bound.

“AND I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (Rev. 20:1-2).

Some discussion has occurred about the binding of Satan. Is he bound by the power of God as is described above, or by the righteousness of the saints (see 1 Nephi 22:26)? Perhaps the answer is that he is bound by power, and his binding is maintained by the righteousness of men on the earth. If Satan has “no power over the hearts of the people” (1 Nephi 22:26), he has no power anywhere. Someone once asked in a religion class how such a change in the world was possible. How could this earth be transformed from a place of brutality and wickedness to a place of peace and righteousness in such a short period of time? The answer given by the teacher was (and I quote) “You kill the wicked and scare the hell out of the righteousness.” (For more on the binding of Satan, see D&C 29:22; 43:31; 88:11)

It will not do for us to wait for the arrival of the Bridegroom to bind Satan. We must be about it now. Our own righteousness must restrict his influence now in our lives and the lives of those we love. The war of which President Hinckley spoke earlier in the lesson is being waged now. The crisis is now. The battle lines are being drawn now, and “we are all enlisted” (Hymns, 250) on one side or the other.

At the end of the millennium when Satan is loosed “for a little season,” the final battle between good and evil will take place. Satan and his followers will be cast into outer darkness, “and there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth . . .”

“And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil--for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house--and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil” (Alma 40:13).

III. AFTER THE LAST JUDGEMENT, THE RIGHTEOUS WILL DWELL WITH GOD (Rev. 20:12-22:21)

What does Revelation 20:12, 13 suggest about the judgement? On what basis will men be judged? What three things does Alma say will be considered when we stand before God on judgement day?

“For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence” (Alma 12:14).

We learn from 2 Nephi 2:18 and 27 that Lucifer seeketh “that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” The same chapter teaches that “men are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25) Read the description in Revelation of what will happen to misery when Christ dwells on the earth during 1000 years:

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:3,4, emphasis added).

We will indeed have joy! Part of that joy will come from the opportunity to dwell with God in the holy city. A description of that city is given in Revelation 21:10-27. Read it and consider the implications.

“The city lieth foresquare,” John tells us, and he should know. He saw the place in vision (21:10) “The length is as large as the breadth . . . the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal[!]” The city is a cube, equal on all sides. And the sides are 12000 furlongs. The footnotes tell us that a furlong is about 607 English feet, or 185.2 meters. Thus one side of this city is equal to 12000 X 607 feet, for a total on each side of 7,2284,000 feet, or 1,379.5 miles on a side. I do not mean to declare that all of this is to be taken with absolute literalness. Perhaps it is. I do not know. But what I do know is that the promises of the Lord are sure, and of this city he promised

“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Rev. 21:27).

And when I read that, I know where I want to live, no matter what the city is shaped like.

CONCLUSIONS:

This lesson marks the end of the New Testament course of study for Gospel Doctrine. I pray it will not mark the end of your study of the New Testament. You will return of course in four years to this volume, and again in four years after that. But I am convinced that you cannot learn the scriptures from anyone. You can learn about them–a great deal about them, it is true–but you can only learn them from the Spirit as you pay a personal price of study and prayer. Elder Maxwell said,

“On very thin pages thick with meaning, are some almost hidden scriptures. Hence we are urged to search, feast and ponder” (Ensign, November 1999, p. 6. Emphasis in original).

Now as this experience of mine comes to a close, may I share by way of testimony an experience and an application from my life as a young father many years ago, an experience that taught me that I must trust the Savior with all my heart. I have changed one name.

I trusted Brock to remodel the house. He showed me his temple recommend and talked about his missionary work and explained what he would do to make our disintegrating rambler livable and loveable, and we took out a loan for $30,000 and gave him all of it before he began. I know you are shaking your heads in consternation, wondering how a being with a functioning brain in this century could have made so mindless a move. But I was young, and the sheltered existence I had endured growing up in Logan had never prepared me for the predators waiting. My wife and I trusted him and paid him in full in advance.

He began the work with substantial zeal, and we watched the growing expanse of new siding with anticipation and pride. Then his visits diminished in frequency and our letters and calls went unanswered and finally the work stopped. Next thing we knew, he was in Costa Rica or Texas or some other foreign country, and we were obliged to borrow more money and find a new contractor to get the work finished. In all the years since I have never given my trust so freely again. I want someone's name somewhere with penalties and guarantees and late fees written into the contract, and I want the whole arrangement notarized, with me holding most of the money until the work is done.

But the most important lesson I have learned about trust, I did not learn from Brock. At the same time Lydia and I were agonizing over the debacle of our half-finished remodeling, my oldest son was teaching me what trust is really all about. He taught me in a lesson that lasted only an instant, and he taught it so well that the message burned itself into my bones.

Chris liked to jump. He walked early (he never crawled till kindergarten when a special needs teacher taught him to crawl so that he could learn to read; it worked!). And one day in his infancy he climbed on a chair while I was laying on the floor. I held out my arms and said, "Jump, Chris," and he did. I caught him and he laughed. Then he wanted to show Mom. She came and he repeated his leap and laughed some more, and she hugged him, so he showed her once more. We tried it again and again, and as the weeks and months passed, he graduated from chairs to the kitchen table and finally to the top of the old upright, a Zeck Standard Quality piano so tall that he could barely perch on top without hitting his head on the ceiling.

He leapt to me from the railing of the front porch when he was four, from the top of the car when he was five, and from the shed roof when he was six. And I caught him. The frequency of his airborne adventures decreased after that. He had less interest, and he weighed more, and my enthusiasm was tempered by three back surgeries and my regard for the integrity of my spinal column.

I never missed him. I never came close to missing him. This was due as much to luck as to skill. I have scars enough on this old body to prove that I am not infallible. But the years passed and every time he jumped, I caught him.

It was this kind of confidence that made possible the thing that happened. He and I were at my Uncle Alma Heaton’s for a family home evening, playing in the back yard. Johnny Carson called the space behind Alma Heaton's house the most exciting back yard in America. It probably is. Chris had climbed into a tree that supported one end of a platform at the back of the yard. He was about 12-14 feet off the ground. From that landing he could swing out over the lawn on a rope, or bounce to the ground and back on thick bungee cords. I was not paying attention to my 8-year-old. I had watched him climb, decided he was safe, and turned around to observe another child at play. Suddenly I heard his voice: "Catch, Dad!"

I knew from his inflection that he was already in the air! This was not a call for preparation. This was a call for action. "Catch, Dad!" I whirled and he hit my chest laughing, wrapping his little boy arms around my neck while I scrabbled backward, trying desperately to secure him and to retain my balance. When I was in control, I set him down and he dashed off. I watched him leap to grab the handle on the pulley that stretches across the yard, and bowed my head in relief that he was safe.

And then I remembered a scripture–my wife's favorite verses—from Proverbs 3:5,6. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart . . ." and "lean not unto thine own understanding" Chris jumped to me when I wasn't looking. He saw me standing below, knew he was safe, and threw himself into space. I would have made much more sense for him to stand in the tree wondering: is he looking? Is he ready? Will he miss me or drop me? Am I too high? But none of that occurred. He simply trusted, with all his heart, and jumped, knowing that his father would never let him fall.

From time to time, I find myself in the tree, elevated there by financial struggles and less than perfect parenting and employment challenges and church callings that stupefy me. I know that the Father has said He will catch me and carry me (Isaiah 46:3,4); I know that He has never let me fall before. But I hesitate, not certain that I have the trust to throw myself into the haven of His arms without the certainty of his gaze upon me and the assurance of his waiting arms to rescue me. I sit in the tree, leaning on my own understanding. "Trust me," He is saying. "Do it my way," He invites. "I'm here, and I will not let you fall" He promises.

"Except ye become converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). I think I have become converted, but I have not yet become as a little child. I am not yet as trusting of my Father as Chris was of his. I am not yet able to throw myself into His invisible, inevitable arms because of my trust in Him and His promises. But I want to.

With all my heart, I want to.

________________________________________________

Thanks for a great year, my LDSLiving friends and neighbors.

                                Ted L. Gibbons

Apostles became fearless preachers

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:33:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

Mormon Life says: Some historians argue Luke's account of the apostles' lives after Christ is false. This author shows how he absolutely believes it's true. Virtually all historians, of all religious opinions, agree that Jesus was crucified. The New Testament says that he died just prior to Passover.

One of his inner circle of 12 apostles betrayed him, nine fled at his arrest, and another — Peter — pretended not to know him. The last, John, seems to have watched events unfold from a safe distance (Luke 23:49; John 19:25-27). Thereafter, as prominent followers of a convicted and executed "criminal," they went into hiding.

Only a few weeks later, though, the 11 surviving apostles were transformed. They even appointed a willing replacement for Judas.

New Testament Lesson 45: "He That Overcometh Shall Inherit All Things"

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:05:00 -0700

by Ted L. Gibbons
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Understanding the book of Revelation can be a challenge, to put it lightly. As you study, I suggest you don't read it; SEE it.

INTRODUCTION:
One of the challenges of the book of Revelation is that the language is often strange and the images seem unfamiliar. We have some difficulty in understanding what John is trying to convey to us. There is a solution to this problem, and it is related to the problem of understanding the following transliteration from an ancient Greek text.

O SIBILI, SI ERGO:
FORTIBUSES INERO.
OHNOBILI, DEMIS TRUX.
SEWATIS ENIM?
COWSNDUX

For about 98% of those who see this message, the meaning is invisible. And yet, when they continue to look at it and to read it over and over, sometimes even reading aloud to hear and experience the sounds of the language, the passage suddenly opens itself and its complexity becomes clear. Try it yourself. Read it over at least twice out loud, and have someone else nearby read it to you. You will soon discover that the message is clear.

The book of Revelation is much the same. The first time through the book, or through a section of the book, you may feel confused and unrewarded. But as you look again and again, as you begin to isolate phrases and concepts whose meanings are clear, and then to link them together and to adjoining verses, you will suddenly discover that the book will open itself to you in a wonderful way.

By the way the “translation” of the text above is as follows: Oh, see Billy, see her go: forty busses in a row. Oh no, Billy. Them is trucks. See what is in ‘em? Cows and ducks.

Here are a few suggestions for you to consider as you study this book. Don’t read Revelation. See it. As much as possible, let the images stand by themselves. Let them teach you. Do not exhaust yourself trying to force meanings on the symbols. Most of the time, the meaning is clear from the images themselves. Joseph Smith said of this book: “The book of Revelation is one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.290)

Speaking of this remarkable book of scripture, Elder McConkie said

“In my judgement the Gospel of John ranks far ahead of those of Matthew Mark, or Luke; at least John’s record of the life of our Lord is directed to the saints; it deals more fully with those things that interest people who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, who have the hope of eternal life. But even ahead of his gospel account stands this wondrous work. the book of Revelation, or at least so it seems to those who are prepared to build on the foundations of the gospels and epistles and to go forward forever in perfecting their knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, September 1975, p. 85).

Perhaps some background information will help a little. John, one of the original Twelve, was confined by Roman officials on the island of Patmos, a small protrusion of rock off the western coast of Turkey. His offence was bearing testimony of Christ to a society more and more given to the cult of emperor worship. Christians, because of their belief that Christ, not Caesar, was Lord, were facing increasing hostility. While on Patmos, John wrote to the seven branches of the church in Asia. Those letters are the book of Revelation. The theme of the book is that eventually, the good guys will win. Good will triumph over evil. Christ will reign triumphantly on the earth and Babylon, the earthly kingdom of the devil, will fall. By the way, about 20% of the book of Revelation is changed in the JST. Be sure to check JST footnotes and the JST appendix for clarification.

I. JOHN SEES SEVERAL SYMBOLS REPRESENTING PARTS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST (Revelation 1:1-3;12)

The vision that begins this book starts with a voice.

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea” (Revelation 1:10,11).

When John turned to see the source of the voice, he saw seven golden candlesticks. According to 1:20, these sources of light represent the seven churches. Why are the candlesticks gold rather than pewter or brass or baked clay? Why are they represented as candlesticks? What light does the church provide for the world? Who does John see standing in the midst of the churches? (Rev. 1:13) Can you see this image? What is John trying to tell us about the church and its relationship to the Son of Man? Read John’s description of Christ in Rev. 1:13-15. What did the Lord have in his right hand? (Rev. 1:16) According to Rev. 1:20, the stars are the angels of the seven churches. According to JST footnote ‘a’ for 1:20, what are the angels? They are the servants of the seven churches. They are servants in the way that your bishop is a servant. Christ said, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matt. 23:11)

Don’t just read this: see it! Christ stands in the midst of his church holding the leaders of the church in his right hand. There is a beauty to this image that enlarges the soul and increases faith. If we stay close to our leaders, who else will we be close to? If we are active in the church, honoring our covenants and keeping the commandments, who will we be close to? Through what agency will the Savior make himself and his work know to the world?

II. THE LORD TELLS THE SEVEN BRANCHES IN ASIA ABOUT THE BLESSINGS PROMISED TO THOSE WHO OVERCOME.

The Lord now sends messages to the angels–the servants or leaders–of each of the seven churches. To the members of each of these churches–these wards or branches–John writes some wonderful promises, promises made to those who overcome.

As you review these promises about overcoming from the book of Revelation, mark and make a list of all of them. I think you will be amazed as I was at what the Lord promises to those who “overcome” the world. [I have presented this information as a sort of “fill in the blank” scriptural review because the blanks offer the simplest way to emphasize the words that convey the power of the promises.]

(Rev. 2:7) “To him that OVERCOMETH will I give to eat of the ____ of ____, which is in the midst of the ________ of God.” Turn to Revelation 22:2. How many kinds of fruit grow on this tree?_____ What are the leaves for? Ezekiel 47:12 teaches the following:

“And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”

(Rev. 2:11) “He that OVERCOMETH shall not be hurt of the _____ _____.” Turn to Rev. 21:8. The second death is described as a “_____ which _______ with _____ and _______.”

(Rev. 2:17) “To him that OVERCOMETH will I give to eat of the ______ _____.” Manna was miracle bread, supplied from heaven. But what happened to those who ate it? (See John 6:49)___________ Read John 6:48, 50, 51. Who is the bread of life or the bread of heaven (the hidden manna)?______ According to verse 50, what happens to those who partake of this “hidden manna”? __________________________

(Rev. 2:17) “ . . . and will give him a ____ _____ and on the _______ a ______ ______ written.” Turn to D&C 130:10,11. The white stone mentioned herein will become a _____ and _______ to each individual who receives one. What will be revealed by these stones?_______________________________________ ___________________________________________________
According to D&C 130:11, such a stone is given to all those who come into the __________________. Who knows the name on the stone?_________________ _____________________________

(Rev. 2:26) “He that OVERCOMETH, to him I will give power over the _______.” Turn to D&C 78:15. To people who overcome the Lord will say, “. . . come up uno the _______ prepared for you, and be made _______ over _____ ________.” The kingdoms here referred to are eternal kingdoms, patterned after the kingdom of God the Father.

(Rev. 2:28) “ And I will give him the _______ ______.” Turn to Rev. 22:16. Who is the “morning star”?

(Rev. 3:5) “He that OVERCOMETH . . . shall be clothed in ______ ______. . .” The literal meaning of “white raiment” is probably in verse 4 of the same chapter. “Thou hast a few names . . .which have not defiled their ________; and they shall ______ with me in _______; for they are ________.” There is also a symbolic meaning. In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith prayed for the saints (D&C 109:76), that at the time of the Second Coming, “ . . . our _______ may be _____, that we may be clothed upon with _______ of _____________, with palms in our hands and ______ of _______ upon our heads.”

(Rev. 3:5) “And I will not ______ his _____ out of the book of life.” In Revelation 21 John describes the “Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God.” (vs. 10) Revelation 21:27 tells us who enters into this city, and who does not. Those who get through the gates are “they which are _______ in the ______ ______ of _______.” The Book of Life is (according to D&C 88:2) “. . . the book of the names of the _________, even them of the ________ world.”

(Rev. 3:5) “But I will _______ his ______ before my ________ and before his ________.” Turn to D&C 45:3-5. Here Christ describes what he will do when he confesses your name before his Father. In verse three he says, “Listen to him who is the ________ with the Father, who is ________ your ______ before him–“ In verse 5, what does the Savior ask the Father to do for us? “Wherefore, Father, ____________ these my brethren that _________ on my name, that they may come unto me and have ________
life.”

(Rev. 3:12) “Him that OVERCOMETH will I make a ______ in the _______
of my _______, and he shall go no more out.” Elder Bruce R. McConkie says of this phrase, “A pillar in the temple of my God” means “a person of stature and eminence in the Celestial Kingdom of God. Heaven itself, the house and abode of God, is a temple, the chief and supreme temple of eternity.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, p. 459) Turn to Helaman 3:30. Those who enter the Celestial Kingdom” sit down Abraham, Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, _________ ______ ________ ________.” Our Celestial inheritance will be an eternal inheritance and even though we are now away from the presence of the Father, we will never be required to leave again.

(Rev. 3:12) “And I will _______ upon him the ______ of my ______.” God’s
name is God. To have the name of God written on you means that yo are a God. This could not have been said more plainly. Those who gain eternal life become Gods.

(Rev. 3:12) “ . . . And the name of the _____ of my _____, which is the New Jerusalem.” Revelation 21:9-27 describes this city. To have “the name of the city” means to live in the city. For example, we might say, “he is a New Yorker” and mean the same thing.

(Rev. 3:12) “And I will write upon him my ______ ______.” Please turn and read Revelation 19:11-16. What is the name written on the Savior in verse 16? ________________________________________________________ What kind of being would be considered a “King of Kings” or a “Lord of Lords.” If we have this name “written” on us, what will we be? __________

(Rev. 3:21) To him that OVERCOMETH will I grant to _______ with me in my ________ even as I also overcame and am sat down with my Father in his ________.” Turn to Romans 8:17. “And if children [of God], then _____ of _______, and joint-heirs with ___________.” What does it mean to sit down on the throne of Christ in the same way that Christ sat down on the throne of God?_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

These scriptures from Revelation 2 & 3, with the cross references noted, may give the best description of Godhood and of your eternal destiny available anywhere in the standard works. . If you OVERCOME, you are promised:

I.    The fruit of the tree of life
II.    Freedom from the second death
III.    The right to partake of the hidden manna
IV.    A white stone
V.    A new name
VI.    Power over nations
VII.    The morning star
VIII.    The opportunity to be clothed in white raiment
IX.    Your name written in the Lamb’s book of life
X.    That Jesus himself will confess your name before the Father
XI.    That you will be a pillar in the temple of God
XII.    That you will have the name of God written on you
XIII.    That you will have the name of the City of God written on you
XIV.    That you will have the new name of Christ
XV.    That you will sit with Christ in the throne of Christ.

D&C 132:20 says, “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore they shall be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all because all things are subject unto them. Then they shall be Gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.”

D&C 109:77 tells of the kind of being who now sits enthroned in heaven:

“O Lord God Almighty, hear us in these our petitions, and answer us from heaven, thy holy habitation, where thou sittest enthroned, with glory, honor, power, majesty, might, dominion, truth, justice, judgment, mercy, and an infinity of fulness, from everlasting to everlasting” (D&C 109:77).

III. JOHN LEARNS THAT THE SAINTS OVERCOME SATAN THROUGH THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST AND THROUGH THEIR TESTIMONIES (Revelation 12)

Note that much of Revelation 12 is found in the JST Appendix. If you begin your perusal of the chapter there, you will have the benefit of continuing revelation to clarify the content of this chapter.

The question that needs to be answered about “overcoming” is what we are to overcome. Chapter 12 supplies an answer to that query. John, as a part of his vision, saw “a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads . . .” (Rev. 12:4, JST) Some have tried to identify the meaning of the seven heads. For me it is enough to recognize that if I cut off one of the heads–if I overcome one of Lucifer’s attempts to destroy me–he will come at me from another direction, or perhaps six other directions. Tobacco and alcohol are no temptation to me. But that does not mean that I cannot be tempted. Satan knows plenty of other ways to get after me, and he will use them as effectively and maliciously as he can to make me “a prey to his awful misery.” (2 Nephi 9:46)

Revelation 12 describes a woman and a child and their flight from the dragon into the wilderness. The woman was “the church of God” and the child she brought forth was “the kingdom of our God and his Christ.” (Rev. 12:7, JST) The dragon is of course “that old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth; and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev. 12:8, JST)

The dragon “prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the church of God . . .” (Rev. 12:7, JST) Therefore he went “went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17, JST) Since Lucifer was unable to prevail against the church, nor against the kingdom of God and Christ, he determined to attack those who belong to that church and that kingdom. We would do well to remember that a being of awful, malignant power had declared war upon us----relentless, merciless, endless war.

“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, yea, and they who dwell upon the islands of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:12, JST).

He has been remarkably successful in his war with goodness, because “it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Rev. 13:7) So many of our brethren have been overcome by the power of the evil one. He and his servants have offered them freedom from restraint, from commandments—

“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:119,20).

CONCLUSION:

Thus we can overcome the power of the destroyer–the dragon– or we can be overcome by it. And if we are to overcome, how is it to be done? “They have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death.” (Rev. 12:11, JST)

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5).

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

“Wherefore, gird up your loins and be prepared. Behold, the kingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome” (D&C 38:9).

New Testament Sunday School Lesson 44 (JF): 1-3 John

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:33:00 -0700

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1-3 John seem to be letters written to different churches in the region of Ephesus mostly in response to a group of apostates whom we call Gnostics. Most scholars believe that John wrote these letters before he wrote the Gospel of John, though that is not a unanimous opinion. There are, for example, some who believe that at least 1 John was written after the Gospel of John, and some such as Stephen Smalley (Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 51) argue that the John’s gospel was written before any of the letters.

There is also dispute as to whether all four documents (Gospel of John and 1-3 John) were written by the same person. Though few doubt that 2 and 3 John have the same author, there is more disagreement about the authorship of the other two. For these study materials, however, I will not worry about that concern. I will refer to John as the author of all three of these letters as well as the Gospel of John.

New Testmant Lesson 42 (KD): James

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:32:00 -0700

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 Introduction

1.1 Big Picture

The epistle of James clearly occupies a special place in LDS discourse because of James 1:5. Before we narrow in on specific parts of the letter let’s consider some big picture questions:

Do you find James to be an enjoyable letter to read? Has it been an influential letter for you personally? Why?

Do you find the material in James, in general, more applicable to you than the Pauline letters?

Do you think we are are a “Jamesian” Church? Does that go too far? In what ways might that be both a fair and unfair moniker?