Nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ

Nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ:

• 1 Nephi 17:36 - They are creators. They made the earth here for us to dwell on
• 2 Nephi 9:6 - They are Merciful! They are planners and creators
• Mosiah 4:9 - Creators, wise, all-powerful and all-understanding
• 3 Nephi 12:48 - They are perfect and encourage us to be the same
• 3 Nephi 14:9-11 - They are giving and willing to help us as we seek them. 
• 3 Nephi 27:13-22 - Obedient, selfless, just, merciful, perfect, loving, and kind
• D&C 38:1-3 - Eternal, all-knowing, creators
• D&C 130:22 - The Father and Son have bodies of flesh and bone
• Moses 1:39 - selfless, want what is best for us!
• Mathew 5:48 - Perfect, have expectations 
• John 3:16-17 - Loving, merciful, and want us to be saved!
• Acts 17:27-29 - Parents, they give us life 
• Romans 8:16 - Parenthood
• Hebrews 12:9 - They want the best for us! 
• 1 John 4:7-9 - Love!!

All of these scriptures show how much our Father in Heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ love us! God is our Father. He wants us to learn, grow, repent, and be righteous to return to Him again. He loves us so much! His entire plan is for us! It is all about helping us to be able to return to Him again. I am so grateful for their love that is shown to me each day! I know that through His atonement that I can be forgiven of my sins, that I can learn to become like Him and draw closer to Him and to my Father in Heaven. It is through the power of His Atonement that all things are possible. Through Him I am able to do all things and become all that He would have me become. And what is so great is that this is true for everyone! We can all become better, we can all feel of their love for us, and we can all return to live back with Him again if we will but turn to Him. I am learning more and more that the only thing I can truly give to the Father is my will and my choices. The more that I come to know my Savior and my Father in Heaven, the more that I want to be like them and want to be with them again someday. I hope that I can always be willing to follow their will for me and do and be as they would have me be!
 




**All these scriptures can be found at: https://www.lds.org/scriptures?lang=eng

3 Significant Principles:

                There have been so many principles and doctrines that are significant that I have learned this semester as I have studied the Old Testament, but there are several that have stood out to me the most and have affected me every day this semester. 

                First, there are blessings that come from obedience. When we do what the Lord would have us do and as He instructs us to do, He guides and directs our path. I am so grateful for this knowledge and testimony that I have received on a higher level this semester!  The entire book of Deuteronomy is filled with examples of blessings that come from obedience. I love Deuteronomy 4:29-31 where the Lord promises that if we will seek the Lord, turn to the Lord, and be obedient to Him, we will find the Lord and the Lord will not forsake us, destroy us, or forget the covenants that we have made with Him. This principle has been so important to me this semester as I have struggled through taking nineteen credits, being a mom and a wife, and wanting to do all these good things that I simply have not had time to do. But as I have been obedient to the Lord, as I am striving to get my education as I feel that He wants me to do, I have receive so many blessings this semester. My life has been filled with miracles. I have had time to spend with Robby and Jackie even when I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to see them very much, my relationship with them has been made stronger, and I have been able to discipline myself more fully than before and use my time wisely. As I have been obedient to all that the Lord has wanted me to do this semester I have been happy and felt the strength of the Lord about me each day. As I have learned to be grateful in this situation that I have been in I have felt the overwhelming love that the Savior has for me and that my Father in Heaven have, and that they know me personally and everything I am experiencing right now! 

                The second principle goes along with this one, but it is about the power of the Savior’s atonement. As we studied in the book of Numbers 21 about the brazen serpent and how it represented Christ, I learned more fully to “look to God and live” (Alma 37:47). I have learned so much about the enabling power of the atonement this semester! The enabling power of the atonement is real. It is a power that allows us to become something more than we could become on our own. It enables us to do things, be things, and reach for higher possibilities and potential than we could ever reach otherwise. I have learned to put my trust in Christ and the power of His atonement each day. Especially days when I had lots of homework or concerts to be at and the thought of doing anything more would make me want to cry, I would remember my Savior and remember that He knows me and loves me. When it felt like there was too much to do, the only thing I felt that I could do was turn to my Savior and feel the love that He has for me. That love, and the power that came with it, gave me the strength to carry on and know that all would work out. There is so much more to the atonement than receiving forgiveness for our sins. Yes I am incredibly grateful for that of course, but there is so much strength, comfort, protection, and power that we can call upon to receive from the Savior through the gift and power of His atonement. I am so grateful that I have learned that this semester! 

                The last principle that has really stood out to me several times in reading the Old Testament is the commandment to teach our children. The Lord expects us to teach our children of the commandments and the way of truth. He also expects us to teach our children about spiritual experiences that we have had and times that we have recognized the hand of the Lord in our lives. This stood out to me in Exodus 12:26-27. Here the Lord instructs the children of Israel to teach their children about the Passover. They needed to share with their children the miracle that the Lord had performed in order to help them escape the Egyptians. Likewise, when we pray for a blessing and then receive that blessing from the Lord, we need to help our children be made aware of that so that they too can learn to recognize the hand of the Lord in their lives. In Deut. 6:7 the Lord teaches us that we need to consistently be teaching our children the words of the Lord. We teach them when we talk, when we sit in our house, when we walk, when we lie down and rise up. At every point in the day we can find ways to teach our children. No we don’t need to be preaching to them constantly, but we need to find ways to incorporate the gospel into our daily conversation with them and help them realize how important the gospel is the significance of the ordinances of the gospel. In Judges 13 we learn that if we come to the Lord he will help guide us as we raise our children. I love knowing that our Father in Heaven knows us best. Likewise, he knows our children best. I hope that I can always turn to the Lord for help in raising my children! I pray that I can make my home a place where the Spirit dwells.

                These three principles have been so influential in my life these past few months! I am so grateful for the testimony of them that I have received.

David, Jonathan, and Saul - 1 Samuel 18-26

David:	Jonathan:	Saul:
Wise	Loyal to friends	Deceiving
Righteous	Protective	Jealous
Strong	Righteous	Dishonest
Forgiving	Strong

Jonathan and David had a very strong friendship. It says in the Bible Dictionary that Jonathan’s friendship towards David is one of the most unselfish acts in all of the Old Testament. Jonathan could have been jealous towards David and all that David was given, but instead it says in 1 Sam. 18:3 that “he loved him as his own soul.” When Saul became jealous towards David and all that David was receiving, Jonathan was loyal to David and protected him many times. In chapter 20 of 1 Samuel they make a covenant of peace and friendship towards each other. The love that they have for each other is very unique. I think that it is there because they were both righteous young men. I think that they were joined because they both were striving to do what was right and they had to unite to protect each other against wickedness.

Saul tried many times to kill David – 1 Samuel 18:10-11; 19:9-12; 24:1-2. In contrast to this, David had two opportunities to kill Saul which he did not take. Instead, David knew that judgment was the Lord’s, and it wasn’t his place to take Saul’s life. David also understood that at one point, Saul had been anointed by God to be king over Israel. He still respected that even though Saul was failing in his duties and in what he should have been doing. He understood that it was not his responsibility to remove Saul from that place as King and that the Lord would do it in His own time. The Lord’s anointed today are the prophets and apostles and other leaders that we have in the Church. I think David is such a good example to us of how to respect those around us who are called of God. Even though Saul was trying to kill David, David still respected him as the king. The same goes with other leaders in our church. Hopefully none of them are trying to actually kill us, but we may not always agree with what they do. We might think that we know how to do something better in the ward than the way the bishop is doing it, or the stake president, or even an Elder’s quorum president or relief society president. If we try to put ourselves above them and take away their job from them, that isn’t right. We may not like everything that the prophet instructs us to do, especially when it comes to political or social views, however we need to remember that when it comes from the prophet it comes from the Lord and now the responsibility is on us to accept it.  We need to do our best to support the leaders that we have and to help them uphold their callings.

Ruth 1-2. “Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go”

Where Ruth and Naomi lived in Judah they battled the climate. There was generally enough water and the land was fertile enough to support crops of wheat and barley, grape vineyards, and olive and fig trees. However, sometimes the rain didn't fall and there was famine in the land. At the time of Ruth and Naomi, there was famine in the land. 

Ruth faced the trial of having her husband die. She then faced the challenge of deciding whether to go back to her family in Moab or to stay with Naomi and return to Judah with her. Another trial was the famine. I am grateful that I have never had the experience of my husband dying, but one trial that I have experienced that is somewhat similar happened when I got married. There were a lot of extended family members and close friends that didn't want me to get married when I did, but I knew that it was the right thing to do so I went ahead anyways! And I am so grateful that I did! 

Similarly, I think that Ruth knew that it was right to go with Naomi even though her family may have wanted her to stay with them. It would have been hard to go because she was not familiar with the people, the customs, or anything about the land of Judah. But she had been converted to the Lord and she wanted to remain with Naomi. She felt that it was right and so she was steadfast in her decision to remain with her. 

Boaz was so impressed with Ruth because of the things that she had done. He said, "It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

    The Lord recompense thy work, and a full ^areward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose ^bwings thou art come to trust." (Ruth 2:11-12). He was also impressed that she was willing to continue working so hard for Naomi and to help provide for her. This also explains why Boaz was so kind to Ruth and helped to provide for her an Naomi. 

I think that there are so many things that we can learn from the example of Ruth! She was diligent in all that she did, she was converted to the Lord in a time when there was a lot of wickedness and yet she chose the Lord. She had to sacrifice the life that she grew up living, she sacrificed her family for Naomi and the Lord. She was so steadfast in all the decisions that she made and she couldn't be persuaded to not do those good things that she did. She faced all of her challenges with faith. I don't think that I have ever made so many sacrifices as she did. I often feel like in my life I haven't sacrificed a lot because it has always been in my nature to want to do what is right and to keep the commandments. That is just one thing that I have always been blessed with. I was blessed with a testimony from a young age and it has always remained with me. I am so grateful for that, but it does make it seem like I also haven't had to give up a lot of things. I do know though, that as we sacrifice for the Lord and as we do all that He asks us to do, regardless of what it is, how big or how small it may seem, we are blessed because of it! I have noticed though that when I sacrifice something I am so blessed that in the end it didn't even feel like a sacrifice at all! The Lord wants to bless us as we do all that He has asked of us, and He will bless us as we devote our lives to Him and live in faith! 

Joshua 7-24. “Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve”

Read Joshua 10:12-14 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for Joshua 10:12-14
I would explain these verses to someone who says that they won't believe in the Bible because of this contradiction with science by helping them to understand our belief in God. We believe in a God that is all knowing and has all power. We believe that He created the Earth and has the power to control the elements according to His needs. This is one example of where He chose to make the earth stop on its rotation and allowed the sun to lengthen out the day.

Joshua 7-22.
 Successes of Israel:

• Ch. 8 - Israel defeats Ai by ambush
• Ch 10 - Israel defeats the Amorites and allies 
• Ch 11 - conquer whole land, destroying many cities and nations
• Ch 12 - Two kings on east of Jordan, 31 on west are conquered 
• Ch 13 - 22 - 12 tribes receive their individual lands for inheritance, they are sent away and given rest. They are left to themselves for the most part now to govern themselves. 

Failures:

• Ch 7 - Israel defeated by the people f Ai
• Ch 7 - Achan and household destroyed because of disobeying the Lord
• Ch 9 - Fail to recognize the Gibeonites, don't turn to the Lord

Joshua 23-24. The main theme that Joshua chose for his final address to the people was about choosing who they will serve. He admonished them to keep the commandments, to love the Lord, to remain in the covenant, and to choose to serve the Lord. I think that he chose this for his final speech to the people to help them see what everything they have been doing since leaving Egypt was preparing them for this time. Now the people have to choose to continue to serve the Lord. Joshua shows them all the things the Lord has done for them and how many times the Lord has proven to them who He is. Now it is up to them to use and exercise their agency to come to Him and stay serving the Lord. Serving the Lord is what makes us free and happy in this life, and Joshua is hoping that the people will recognize that more fully and have the courage and strength to continue to serve the Lord. 

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Blessings Come From Obedience

Deuteronomy 10:1-5 - The Lord directed Moses to keep the tablets containing the Ten Commandments in an ark. In the footnotes under ark, it says that it could also be a cabinet or a chest. This is to protect the Ten Commandments and to keep them safe. This shows us that the Lord wanted to keep the tablets that contained the Commandments safe and nice. Likewise, we should have a similar attitude toward sacred things and keep them sacred in our hearts and minds even if we don't specifically have two tablets of stone containing direction from the Lord.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:14-27. What blessings did the children of Israel deny themselves through their disobedience in the wilderness?
         The children of Israel denied themselves the blessings of the higher, Melchizedek Priesthood. Despite all that Moses did, they were not willing to sanctify themselves and they hardened their hearts so that they could not endure the presence of the Lord while in the wilderness. So the Lord "took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also." The lesser priesthood which contains the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel remained with them though.

Compare Deuteronomy 11:1, 13-14, 22; 30:6, 16, 19-20 with Matthew 22:36-40.
       Love is the most important commandment because it dictates all other things that we do. If we truly love the Lord we will want to be obedient to Him. We will want to keep the rest of the commandments and strive to obey all his laws. Sometimes this is hard for people because they argue that they can't see the Lord and therefore cannot love Him. But we don't have to see Him to know that He is real and that He is there. We are blessed to be able to have the Holy Ghost that bears witness of Him to our hearts. This allows us to know even more assuredly that we have a Father in Heaven that knows and loves us and that His Son, Jesus Christ is our Savior. And sometimes, really the best we can do is to just fake it until we make it! I know that's not the best way, but it does work! I know for me when I desire to keep the commandments, and I desire to love the Lord, but I just don't feel anything I pretend like I do. I do the things I know that I am supposed to do and eventually those real feelings come. Sometimes it does require a lot of faith to just keep the commandments everyday, and sometimes that is hard. But the Lord blesses our efforts and we can begin to feel of His love and His presence in our lives!

Read Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 11:1, 8-9; 13:4; and 26:17-19.
      In these verses the Lord again commands the people to love Him with all their heart and soul. All of them declare the importance of keeping all the commandments. In D&C 130:20-21 we learn that "there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--And when we receive any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." This helps us to understand the importance of being obedient to the commandments. If we want to receive blessings from the Lord we have to keep His commandments! In Mosiah 2:41 we are taught about the "blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God." Truly the commandments are given to us to make us happy! It is through keeping the commandments that we can experience true joy in our lives, and we can be blessed by our Father in Heaven in all things.

Read Deuteronomy 28:1-14.  Blessings that come from keeping commandments:

1. We will be blessed wherever we live
2. Our children will be blessed
3. Our flocks and fields will be blessed, those things that we strive to take care of and raise
4. We will be blessed in all that we do
5. Our enemies will not overtake us
6. The Lord will make us a holy people
7. All our work will be blessed

Deuteronomy 28:15-65. If we don't keep the commandments all the blessings that were promised previously will be replaced with curses. However, we also know that the Lord chastens His people and gives them afflictions. This helps us to remember the Lord and remember our dependence on Him always.

The Lord clearly stated consequences of disobedience, but He does not desire to curse His children. Read Deuteronomy 4:29-31; 26:7-11; Isaiah 55:6-7; Ezekiel 18:21-23; and Mosiah 26:30.
      The Lord's greatest desires are for His children to return to Him again. He wants us to repent of all the things we do wrong. He wants to forgive us! He is anxiously engaged in doing all that He can to help us return to Him and live the commandments. I am so grateful for this knowledge. The Lord does not ask us to do things that are too hard. He doesn't give us the commandments because He wants us to be miserable and lead boring lives, but He wants us to be happy and He knows the ultimate way to happiness! He knows what will bring us joy. He knows how to help us in all our needs. He will be there for all that we seek Him for. I know that He loves us and that He is mindful of us!
 

The Brazen Serpent - Numbers 21:4-9

The children of Israel sinned by speaking against the Lord and against Moses. This is what caused the "fiery serpents"

Sometimes today we are like the children of Israel anciently when we do not heed the promptings of the Lord. In 1 Nephi 17:45 Nephi is talking to his brothers, reminding them of all the things that they have received from the Lord. He reminds them that they have seen an angel, they have felt the still small voice, and the Lord has then spoken to them "like unto the voice of thunder" because they would not listen. I think we also find this in 1 Nephi 19:7 where Nephi is teaching that people of the world will "set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words - they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels." We see this around us everywhere in the world.

When Moses held up the brazen serpent, it was to symbolize Christ. (Alma 33:18-22)

We also can look to Christ for healing. We can look to Christ for physical healing and all other types of healing. He can heal us emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Through the power of His atonement He knows what each one of us experiences each day. He knows the pains we feel, the sadness, the sorrow, the joy, and all other things we go through. Ultimately, He is the only one that truly knows how to heal us and help us. We can receive priesthood blessings to receive strength and healing through the power of His priesthood. The Savior knows each of us personally, better than we know ourselves. And He is the one that can ultimately and completely heal us from anything that we may be going through physically or any other way.

Often, people in the world turn to other people in the world for healing. Now, this is not to say that going to the doctor is bad when you are sick or there is a physical, mental, or emotional thing that needs to be addressed. I am so grateful for modern medicine! But when people only turn to those things, only turn to the support of friends, or try to be healed through other worldly practices, without turning to the Savior then it becomes much more difficult to be completely healed. Sure we can eat a bowl of ice cream to make us feel better after a long day, but the ice cream or whatever it is cannot heal or improve us.

Rather, doing the simple things in the gospel of Jesus Christ can heal us! Daily scripture study and daily prayer are so important. Having that regular interaction with the Spirit in our daily lives is essential. I know for me the days are so much better when I get my studying in! Even if that day other things happen that would normally make the day worse, or the day is busier than usual, having the companionship of the Holy Ghost makes it all worth it. I feel the power of the Atonement each day in my life. I rely on my Savior each day to help me through all that I have to do! I am taking 19 credits this semester, have a one year old daughter, my husband works, and I am pregnant with our second one. Life is kind of crazy! And I hate being gone all day and leaving my daughter and husband home alone all day. Our roles are backwards for right now while I try and finish school. Often by the time I get home in the evenings I only have half an hour or so to play with Jackie before she goes to bed. Or I come home and she has already gone to bed. It just breaks my heart to not get to go through our bedtime routine together of reading scriptures, praying, and singing together before I lay her down in bed. That is one of my favorite times in the day, and I have missed it several times this semester. On those days I really turn to the Lord and tell Him how I am feeling, tell Him how much I missed being with Jackie today, tell Him all the desires of my heart and what I am striving to do. And when I am able to do that, I feel the overwhelming power of His atonement and His love. His atonement enables me to continue on each day and to somehow get done with everything that I have to do! Even when it's hard and long, He still is always there for me. I can feel it, I know that it is a real power in my life each day!