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!