This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to Isaiah 1-12. We discuss the historical context of Isaiah, his prophecies of latter-day restoration, and the miracle of forgiveness. Study with me!
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Showing posts with label #temples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #temples. Show all posts
Sunday, September 4, 2022
Sunday, July 17, 2022
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 186 - Cyrus and the amazing self-fulfilling prophecy
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to Ezra and Nehemiah. We discuss Cyrus and the return to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple, and setting up defenses against the not-good Samaritans. Study with me!
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Sunday, May 1, 2022
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 175 - The Temple Hasn't Changed As Much As You Might Think
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to Exodus 35-40 and Leviticus. We discuss particulars in the law of Moses and worship in the Tabernacle. Study with me!
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Sunday, October 24, 2021
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 148 - A Bold Proclamation and a Beautiful Place
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to D&C 124. We discuss a proclamation, why some ordinances require temples, and the Nauvoo House. Study with me!
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Sunday, October 10, 2021
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 146 - Cutting the strings off tithing
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to D&C 115-120. We discuss the name of the church, unfinished temples, and tithing. Study with me!
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Sunday, September 26, 2021
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep144 - Restoration and the Temple
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to section 109-110. We discuss the dedication of the temple and the restoration of priesthood keys. Study with me!
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https://soundcloud.com/user-961318159/ward-preacher-podcast-ep144-restoration-and-the-temple
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Monday, August 30, 2021
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 140 - Prioritizing the House of God
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to sections 94-97. We discuss the Lord's rebuke and his temple. Study with me!
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https://soundcloud.com/user-961318159/ward-preacher-podcast-ep-140-prioritizing-the-house-of-god
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Sunday, February 16, 2020
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 60 - Only the penitent man shall pass
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to 2 Nephi 11-25. We dive into Isaiah passages to study the temple, coming troubles, and the need for penitence. Study with me!
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Sunday, February 10, 2019
Ward Preacher Podcast Episode 7 - The various approaches of Jesus
In this episode, we discuss John 2-4 with the Come Follow Me curriculum. Jesus uses a whip, obfuscation, and a direct approach in teaching others.
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Friday, February 27, 2015
The Tongue of Angels
When I was very young, I remember going on trips to Los Angeles to visit the LDS Temple there. It is a large building set up on a hill on Santa Monica Blvd, surrounded by lovely landscaping without fountains and trees. The outside of this temple, for the most part, is plain. It does not have the ornate granite look on the temple in Salt Lake City, nor does it have the stunning white spires of the temple in San Diego or the temple in Washington DC. Perhaps it is because of its plain appearance that the golden statue fixed to the top of it always seemed to stand out to me.
The golden statue depicts an angel sounding a trumpet facing the east. The concept comes from a biblical depiction in the book of Revelation, chapter 14, verses 6-7: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
The fulfillment of John's prophecy was realized when the angel Moroni appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith, and brought a message that led to the translation of the Book of Mormon, which contains a record that confirms the divinity of Jesus Christ and his everlasting gospel, and is actively being distributed to nations all over the world.
The concept of an angel bringing a message from God is not unique to the coming of the Book of Mormon. The Bible names the angel Gabriel as the messenger who brought the news of Christ's birth to Mary. There are numerous passages where angels have come to bring messages, warnings, or instruction from heaven. Even going back to the garden of Eden, God placed Cherubim and a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life.
Over time, popular culture has influenced the impressions men have had of how angels appear and interact with people. Small, plump, nude babies with feathered wings are popular in some depictions, perhaps portraying some sort of innocence. Elegant figures with ornate dresses are common sights at the tops of Christmas trees.
Though I know they are not accurate representations, I confess to being impressed with fantasy portrayals of angels with majestic wings, bright armor, and shining swords. Though I do not typically include images in my posts, I thought these might be enjoyable:
As entertaining as these fantasy characters are, the actual divine messengers do not appear like this. In fact, because they are messengers it is rare that visibility is important at all in their work... The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi expounded a bit on this when he was trying to explain the concept of "speaking with the tongue of angels" (2 Nephi 32:2-3)
The idea is that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost. The methods by which the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of God communicates are found in various places in the scriptures.
Consider the disciples on the road to Emmaus who spoke with the resurrected Christ. After hearing his teachings, they confirmed with one another this spiritual influence by saying "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32)
Consider the word of the Lord coming to the prophet Elijah on Horeb. He recognized the messenger that prepared him for his journey as an angel, and he knew enough to realize that the wind and the fire and the earthquake were not the voice of the Lord... After these things came a still small voice, which he recognized, and answered. (1 Kings 19)
Consider the teachings of the Apostle Paul in Galatians: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)
The other important emphasis of Nephi is not just the method by which they speak, but the message they speak: "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)
The message of angels is the message of God. When the voice of the Father has been heard, it is almost always to point us toward his son, Jesus Christ. (Mark 1:11, 2 Nephi 31:11, 2 Peter 1:17, Matthew 17:5, JSH 1:17)
Because the teaching of Christ is to have faith, to repent, and to follow him... so is the message of an angel. Of course there may be certain circumstances where more specific guidance is needed, but for the vast majority of people... they are probably already aware of things they ought to be doing better. Anyone who has felt persuaded to change their life to become a better person has, most likely, been persuaded by the tongue of angels.
While it is fine for fantasy stories to portray angels as powerful divine warriors, for the vast majority of the time, they need not seem aloof or withdrawn... in truth, the tongue of angels can be heard by those who listen.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Whose Children We Are
Family history means different things for different people. For some it invokes remembrances of youth in immediate family circles. For many in the United States, it involves immigration from distant lands. For some in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it centers around stories of pioneers making their way with great sacrifice to travel through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and end up in Utah, where after a short time, many are asked to travel great distances to create new settlements from Canada to Mexico. I suggest that for most members of my church however, family history means a bunch of old people who think they are computer experts.
I recall "visiting" the family history library at our local meetinghouse in Southern California where some elderly people showed us how we could view census records or other types of data on a computer using a revolutionary new technology called CD-ROM. Admittedly, CD-ROMS were a revolutionary technology in the early 1990's... but not even the excitement of cutting edge technology could generate excitement over examining lists of names and dates.
Members of the church frequently refer to enthusiasm for Family History as the "spirit of Elijah", for reasons to be enumerated later in this post. For now, let me say that my father has the spirit of Elijah, and it does not seem to be strongly hereditary. My dad is able to speak at length about our pioneer roots including people of such LDS fame as Isaac Morley and Parley P. Pratt. My recalling those two names is about as far as I go. My dad has traced some lines back to William the Conqueror or even further back. To me, this means that filling out a chart four generations back is little more than busy work... it has already been done. It also means that actually coming across legitimately new work would require intense research only to attach myself to someone in the dark ages when record keeping for the most part was more of what we would call "guidelines" than actual "rules." Perhaps this contributes to my stand-offish nature with respect to Family History work. Whatever the reason, I ought to be better than I have been.
The background behind the attachment of many in the LDS faith to family history is something I can speak on with far greater confidence. The last two verses in the Old Testament say "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6) Thus, when the hearts of children are impressed to discover the truth of their heritage, it may be said they have the "spirit of Elijah".
Elijah lived during the reign of King Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel. Elijah is credited with acts of great power including sealing the heavens and preventing rain from falling for a great time, and then releasing the heavens. (1 Kings 18) He also called down fire from heaven on several occasions, both to burn an offering (1 Kings 18:37-38) and to destroy arrogant captains sent by Ahaziah, Ahab's son (2 Kings 1). He literally called on the power of heaven to affect earth.
Uniting events, people, or ordinances in heaven and on earth is a fundamental aspect to the power of God, that was undoubtedly lost when the apostles were killed, and priesthood lineage was destroyed. This is the purpose of Malachi's prophesy... that this binding power would need to be restored before the second coming of Jesus Christ. On April 3rd, 1836 in the Kirtland Temple, Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (D&C 110: 13-16).
The purpose for this power in modern times is not to call down fire on our enemies as Elijah did. Jesus Christ will take care of that when he comes again. The main purpose is to cement or seal the most precious relationships between humans on earth such that they are permanent. One of these relationships is marriage. The other is the bond between parents and children. A fundamental portion of the importance of families in the LDS faith is that they need not be temporary. Husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children: these titles have the potential to remain even when men cease to be presidents, rulers, or magistrates.
The importance of this power is manifested in the end of Malachi's prophecy: "lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:6) The angel Moroni quoted it slightly different but with the same effect "If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." (D&C 2:3) When I was younger, this idea always confused me. I would wonder whether the Bible was telling me that unless I enjoyed searching through census data and obituaries, God intended to kill me. Why the apparent threat?
I have since realized that the passage does not contain a threat in any version. God sent Elijah to eliminate the threat. God was there in the beginning, and he made great promises to the posterity of Adam. He made promises to the sons of men after the flood, or the seed of Noah. He made great promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their posterity. The sons of Aaron had unique roles in the time of Moses. The problem is that how can anyone now be sure they are entitled to the same promises? Even though it is safe to say that we are descended from Adam and Noah... are those bonds lasting? Have the ties to our parents been sealed with the power of Elijah? If not, then are we orphans? Are we legitimate? Whose children are we?
This is the great purpose of Family History and Temple work in the fullness of times. God intends to come again and keep every covenant he has sworn to any man since the days of Eden. That means having a heavenly recognizable bond that unites the posterity of Adam and Eve today in an unbroken chain so that we may say in every sense of the concept that we are the children of God himself.
As the apostle Paul put it, "...ye are not more strangers or foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:19) Those in God's house that love him will be granted protection when he comes again to purge the earth of evil. He is warning everyone via his apostles and prophets so that his house is not empty when he returns. Christ is trying to save us.
I believe that family history is more than the elderly woman at the family history library asking if I need help with a computer. It is more than reading through census records till my eyesight blurs. It is more than naming a couple pioneer ancestors, or knowing that I am descended from the man that successfully invaded and conquered England. Family history connects people. It unites people from all over the world. It shows the everlasting value of the bonds we share with fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives. It binds us to power that was here when the earth was young. It by learning that our family connections stretch back to the very beginning that we can better understand we are the children of God, and that our father has not forgotten us.
I recall "visiting" the family history library at our local meetinghouse in Southern California where some elderly people showed us how we could view census records or other types of data on a computer using a revolutionary new technology called CD-ROM. Admittedly, CD-ROMS were a revolutionary technology in the early 1990's... but not even the excitement of cutting edge technology could generate excitement over examining lists of names and dates.
Members of the church frequently refer to enthusiasm for Family History as the "spirit of Elijah", for reasons to be enumerated later in this post. For now, let me say that my father has the spirit of Elijah, and it does not seem to be strongly hereditary. My dad is able to speak at length about our pioneer roots including people of such LDS fame as Isaac Morley and Parley P. Pratt. My recalling those two names is about as far as I go. My dad has traced some lines back to William the Conqueror or even further back. To me, this means that filling out a chart four generations back is little more than busy work... it has already been done. It also means that actually coming across legitimately new work would require intense research only to attach myself to someone in the dark ages when record keeping for the most part was more of what we would call "guidelines" than actual "rules." Perhaps this contributes to my stand-offish nature with respect to Family History work. Whatever the reason, I ought to be better than I have been.
The background behind the attachment of many in the LDS faith to family history is something I can speak on with far greater confidence. The last two verses in the Old Testament say "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6) Thus, when the hearts of children are impressed to discover the truth of their heritage, it may be said they have the "spirit of Elijah".
Elijah lived during the reign of King Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel. Elijah is credited with acts of great power including sealing the heavens and preventing rain from falling for a great time, and then releasing the heavens. (1 Kings 18) He also called down fire from heaven on several occasions, both to burn an offering (1 Kings 18:37-38) and to destroy arrogant captains sent by Ahaziah, Ahab's son (2 Kings 1). He literally called on the power of heaven to affect earth.
Uniting events, people, or ordinances in heaven and on earth is a fundamental aspect to the power of God, that was undoubtedly lost when the apostles were killed, and priesthood lineage was destroyed. This is the purpose of Malachi's prophesy... that this binding power would need to be restored before the second coming of Jesus Christ. On April 3rd, 1836 in the Kirtland Temple, Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (D&C 110: 13-16).
The purpose for this power in modern times is not to call down fire on our enemies as Elijah did. Jesus Christ will take care of that when he comes again. The main purpose is to cement or seal the most precious relationships between humans on earth such that they are permanent. One of these relationships is marriage. The other is the bond between parents and children. A fundamental portion of the importance of families in the LDS faith is that they need not be temporary. Husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children: these titles have the potential to remain even when men cease to be presidents, rulers, or magistrates.
The importance of this power is manifested in the end of Malachi's prophecy: "lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:6) The angel Moroni quoted it slightly different but with the same effect "If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." (D&C 2:3) When I was younger, this idea always confused me. I would wonder whether the Bible was telling me that unless I enjoyed searching through census data and obituaries, God intended to kill me. Why the apparent threat?
I have since realized that the passage does not contain a threat in any version. God sent Elijah to eliminate the threat. God was there in the beginning, and he made great promises to the posterity of Adam. He made promises to the sons of men after the flood, or the seed of Noah. He made great promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their posterity. The sons of Aaron had unique roles in the time of Moses. The problem is that how can anyone now be sure they are entitled to the same promises? Even though it is safe to say that we are descended from Adam and Noah... are those bonds lasting? Have the ties to our parents been sealed with the power of Elijah? If not, then are we orphans? Are we legitimate? Whose children are we?
This is the great purpose of Family History and Temple work in the fullness of times. God intends to come again and keep every covenant he has sworn to any man since the days of Eden. That means having a heavenly recognizable bond that unites the posterity of Adam and Eve today in an unbroken chain so that we may say in every sense of the concept that we are the children of God himself.
As the apostle Paul put it, "...ye are not more strangers or foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:19) Those in God's house that love him will be granted protection when he comes again to purge the earth of evil. He is warning everyone via his apostles and prophets so that his house is not empty when he returns. Christ is trying to save us.
I believe that family history is more than the elderly woman at the family history library asking if I need help with a computer. It is more than reading through census records till my eyesight blurs. It is more than naming a couple pioneer ancestors, or knowing that I am descended from the man that successfully invaded and conquered England. Family history connects people. It unites people from all over the world. It shows the everlasting value of the bonds we share with fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives. It binds us to power that was here when the earth was young. It by learning that our family connections stretch back to the very beginning that we can better understand we are the children of God, and that our father has not forgotten us.
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