Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Exodus 25:10–22; 37:1–9. The Ark of the Covenant
•The Ark of the Covenant was a chest, or box, of shittim wood overlaid with gold.
• Poles on both sides allowed the priests to carry it without actually touching the ark itself.
• Inside, the tablets of the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai were placed (see v. 16). Hence, the name. Later, a pot of manna and Aaron’s rod, which miraculously bloomed, were also placed inside the ark (see Hebrews 9:4).
• The ark was placed inside the inner room of the tabernacle known as the most holy place, or Holy of Holies.
• The ark was viewed with the greatest reverence by the Israelites, and prayers were recited before it was moved or placed in position (see Numbers 10:35–36).
• The lid, or covering, for the ark is described in Exodus 25:17–22. It is also known as the “Mercy Seat.”
• The covering was made of solid gold and on it were formed two cherubim with wings which came up and overshadowed the lid or mercy seat.
• The word cherubim usually refers to guardians of sacred things. While the exact meaning of the word is not known, most scholars agree that these cherubim represented “redeemed and glorified manhood” or “glorified saints and angels.”
• Since Latter-day Saints do not believe that angels have wings the commandment to form wings on the cherubim may raise some questions. Another revelation indicates, however, that wings symbolically represent the power to move and to act (see D&C 77:4).
• Between these cherubim on the mercy seat, God told Moses, He would meet with him and commune with him. Latter-day revelations state that angels stand as sentinels guarding the presence of God (see D&C132:19).
• The blood of the lamb of Jehovah was sprinkled upon the mercy seat during the sacred Day of Atonement.
• Paul and John both spoke of Jesus as being “the propitiation” for our sins (see 1 John 2:2; 4:10; Romans 3:25). The Greek word hilasterion, translated “propitiation,” was also used to translate the Hebrew kapporeth (“seat of atonement”) in the Greek Old Testament. One scholar discussed the significance of the word hilasterion:
“All Greek nouns which end in -erion mean the place where something is done. Dikasterion means the place where dike, justice is done, and therefore a law court. Thusiasterion means the place where thusia, sacrifice is done, and therefore the altar. Therefore hilasterion can certainly mean the place where hilasmos, expiation, is done and made. Because of that, both in the Old and New Testament, hilasterion has a regular and a technical meaning. It always means the lid of gold above the ark which was known as the mercy-seat. In Exodus 25:17 it is laid down of the furnishings of the tabernacle: ‘Thou shalt make a mercy-seat (hilasterion) of pure gold.’ In only one other place in the New Testament is the word used, in Hebrews 9:5, and there the writer speaks of the cherubim who overshadow the mercy-seat. The word is used in that sense more than twenty times in the Greek Old Testament. . . .
“If then we take hilasterion to mean the mercy-seat, and, if we call Jesus our hilasterion in that sense, it will mean, so to speak, that Jesus is the place where man and God meet, and that specially He is the place where man’s sin meets with the atoning love of God.” (Barclay, The Mind of St. Paul, pp. 87–88.)
• It is clear the Ark of the Covenant was one of the most significant features of the tabernacle, both in its importance to ancient Israel and also in its symbolic significance.
• Poles on both sides allowed the priests to carry it without actually touching the ark itself.
• Inside, the tablets of the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai were placed (see v. 16). Hence, the name. Later, a pot of manna and Aaron’s rod, which miraculously bloomed, were also placed inside the ark (see Hebrews 9:4).
• The ark was placed inside the inner room of the tabernacle known as the most holy place, or Holy of Holies.
• The ark was viewed with the greatest reverence by the Israelites, and prayers were recited before it was moved or placed in position (see Numbers 10:35–36).
• The lid, or covering, for the ark is described in Exodus 25:17–22. It is also known as the “Mercy Seat.”
• The covering was made of solid gold and on it were formed two cherubim with wings which came up and overshadowed the lid or mercy seat.
• The word cherubim usually refers to guardians of sacred things. While the exact meaning of the word is not known, most scholars agree that these cherubim represented “redeemed and glorified manhood” or “glorified saints and angels.”
• Since Latter-day Saints do not believe that angels have wings the commandment to form wings on the cherubim may raise some questions. Another revelation indicates, however, that wings symbolically represent the power to move and to act (see D&C 77:4).
• Between these cherubim on the mercy seat, God told Moses, He would meet with him and commune with him. Latter-day revelations state that angels stand as sentinels guarding the presence of God (see D&C132:19).
• The blood of the lamb of Jehovah was sprinkled upon the mercy seat during the sacred Day of Atonement.
• Paul and John both spoke of Jesus as being “the propitiation” for our sins (see 1 John 2:2; 4:10; Romans 3:25). The Greek word hilasterion, translated “propitiation,” was also used to translate the Hebrew kapporeth (“seat of atonement”) in the Greek Old Testament. One scholar discussed the significance of the word hilasterion:
“All Greek nouns which end in -erion mean the place where something is done. Dikasterion means the place where dike, justice is done, and therefore a law court. Thusiasterion means the place where thusia, sacrifice is done, and therefore the altar. Therefore hilasterion can certainly mean the place where hilasmos, expiation, is done and made. Because of that, both in the Old and New Testament, hilasterion has a regular and a technical meaning. It always means the lid of gold above the ark which was known as the mercy-seat. In Exodus 25:17 it is laid down of the furnishings of the tabernacle: ‘Thou shalt make a mercy-seat (hilasterion) of pure gold.’ In only one other place in the New Testament is the word used, in Hebrews 9:5, and there the writer speaks of the cherubim who overshadow the mercy-seat. The word is used in that sense more than twenty times in the Greek Old Testament. . . .
“If then we take hilasterion to mean the mercy-seat, and, if we call Jesus our hilasterion in that sense, it will mean, so to speak, that Jesus is the place where man and God meet, and that specially He is the place where man’s sin meets with the atoning love of God.” (Barclay, The Mind of St. Paul, pp. 87–88.)
• It is clear the Ark of the Covenant was one of the most significant features of the tabernacle, both in its importance to ancient Israel and also in its symbolic significance.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Obedience
Last Sunday, the 18th October 2009, I gave a sacrament talk on Obedience. This is what I said.
Goodmorning,
I must say I wasn't too happy when I saw my talk topic was to be obedience. It's one of those topics I just know, but I'm not sure why I know it because I can't even remember the first time it was taught to me. So when I actually started finding this topic interesting to research it kind of dawned on me that maybe getting this subject was a little reminder that where Heavenly Father is concerned, there is no such thing as boring.
Because obedience is such a monsterously large subject to cover, I've narrowed it down to five simple questions to serve as a focus area.
Goodmorning,
I must say I wasn't too happy when I saw my talk topic was to be obedience. It's one of those topics I just know, but I'm not sure why I know it because I can't even remember the first time it was taught to me. So when I actually started finding this topic interesting to research it kind of dawned on me that maybe getting this subject was a little reminder that where Heavenly Father is concerned, there is no such thing as boring.
Because obedience is such a monsterously large subject to cover, I've narrowed it down to five simple questions to serve as a focus area.
- What is it?
- To whom are we obedient?
- When is it neccessary?
- Why?
- How?
What?
The Collins dictionary defines obedience as; "Willingness to carry out instructions or orders."
In terms of the gospel obedience can be defined as Ephesians 6:1;
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: For this is right."
Here we find righteousness is paramount to obedience.
To whom?
In reference to obedience as "Willingness to carry out orders or instructions," then it is possible to be obedient to anyone who orders or instrusts.
However, let's have a lok at Acts 5:29, Peter and the other apostles stand in front of the High Priest and Council and say;
"We ought to obey God rather than man."
And so we should, for who is more liely to ask in righteoussness?
So now I've established the focus of my talk today, obedience to God.
When?
There are two parts to this section, the first part is in reference to the righteoussness of the demand, and the second part is in reference to obedience to the commandments.
In refernce to obedience to God, it is only neccessary when the demand is righteous. Therefore, when He asks us in righteoussness we can respond with obedience.
Now we know He always askes in righteousness because of Alma 42:13, in which the last sentance reads;
"Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
The definition of righteous is "moral, just, virtuous, morally justifyable or right." So the above sentance can also be read as;
"Now the work of righteousness could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God."
God has not ceased to be God, otherwise everything we are and know would have ceased to be along with Him (2NE 11:7). Since we are still being, everything He has asked anyone from the beginning of our existance up to this very point in time, has been asked in rightousness, and as I said before, if He asks in rightousness we can respond in obedience.
Also, we are obedient when the commandments warrent it, and more than often obedience is required 24/7.
There are no days off from "Thou shalt not steal," and usually if it seems like there is a day off from a commandment it's worth taking a closer look.
For example,
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy."
It appears that this is a commandment where obedience is only neccessary on the Sabbath.
But wait there's more...
The rest of the commandment reads;
"Six days shalt thou labor."
So we have "Observe the Sabbath," that's one day, plus "Labor six days," which equals seven days. Full time obedience.
This can be found in Exodus 20:9
Why?
After the whole sacrifice of Isaac ordeal an angel of the Lord said to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice." Therefore Abraham's obedience resulted in this wonderful promise from the Lord. So it can also be said that disobedience equals no promise, which is nicely summed up in D&C 82:10;
"I, the Lord, am bound when you do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
So what are the promises? Try Leviticus 26, Deut. 28 and 29. Here we find a list of all the promises of the Lord to the obedient. To name a few;
- Safety
- Peace.
- Land ridden of evil beasts.
- Power over enimies, even with a small army.
- Respected by the Lord.
- Opportunity to establish covenants.
- Lord will walk among them.
- High above all natins of the Earth.
I think human kind as a species needs a lot of motivation, apart from all these wonderful blessings listed in many sections of the standard works there are some pretty hairy curses lurking about for the disobedient.
To name a few;
- Pestilence cleave unto thee until it has consumed thee from off the land, where ever you go.
- Smited with consumption, fever, inflamation, extreme burning, with the sword, with blasting, mildew, until thou perish.
The list goes on, and it can be found in the same chapters I mentioned that had the promises in them.
It's evident here that He really has accounted for all tyes of people, some respond better to promises, and what can be gained, whereas others like to be scared into doing something.
We all have our own rationales as to why we should do this or that, for me, with obedience, I have two.
- If I do this I will become a better person and get more from life.
- Jesus Christ gave up his entire life for me, the least I can do is be obedient.
How?
I'll keep this part short, because most commandments are basically self explainitory. The one thing we can do is not be ignorant to what is required of us. If you have the time, study and learn, my scriptures are my link to finding all about what is required of me, and how I can do it. There are millions of "what to do," and "what not to do," examples in them.
Also we find Nephi's testimony concerning obedience in 1NE3:7;
"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which He commandeth them."
I know these things to be true, and I know all the answers can be found in scripture, in prophets and in prayer, and I know obedience is a blessing, and an interesting topic, which I never thought I'd say.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Moses 1:6
Moses 1:6 “All Things Are Present With Me”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell; “God does not live in the dimension of time as we do. We are not only hampered by our finiteness (experiential and intellectual), but also by being in the dimension of time. Moreover, God, since ‘all things are present’ with him, is not simply predicting based solely on the past. In ways that are not clear to us, he sees rather than foresees the future, because all things are at once present before him.”
Alma 40:8 D&C 130:4-7
Joseph Smith; “Without the knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures; for it is by reason of the knowledge which he has of all things, from beginning to the end, that enables him to give that understanding to his creatures by which they are made partakers of eternal life; and if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him.”
God’s foreknowledge of all things does not hinder or limit our freedom to choose good or evil.
James E. Talmage; “Many people have been led to regard this foreknowledge of God as a predestination whereby souls are designated for glory or condemnation even before they have been born, and irrespective of individual merit or demerit. This heretical doctrine seeks to rob Deity of mercy, justice, and love; it would make God appear capricious and selfish, directing and creating all things solely for His own glory, caring not for the suffering of His victims. How dreadful, how inconsistent is such an idea of God! It leads to the absurd conclusion that the mere knowledge of coming events must act as a determining influence in bringing about those occurrences. God’s knowledge of spiritual and of human nature enables Him to conclude with certainty as to the actions of any of His children under given conditions; yet that knowledge is not of compelling force upon the creature.”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell; “God does not live in the dimension of time as we do. We are not only hampered by our finiteness (experiential and intellectual), but also by being in the dimension of time. Moreover, God, since ‘all things are present’ with him, is not simply predicting based solely on the past. In ways that are not clear to us, he sees rather than foresees the future, because all things are at once present before him.”
Alma 40:8 D&C 130:4-7
Joseph Smith; “Without the knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures; for it is by reason of the knowledge which he has of all things, from beginning to the end, that enables him to give that understanding to his creatures by which they are made partakers of eternal life; and if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him.”
God’s foreknowledge of all things does not hinder or limit our freedom to choose good or evil.
James E. Talmage; “Many people have been led to regard this foreknowledge of God as a predestination whereby souls are designated for glory or condemnation even before they have been born, and irrespective of individual merit or demerit. This heretical doctrine seeks to rob Deity of mercy, justice, and love; it would make God appear capricious and selfish, directing and creating all things solely for His own glory, caring not for the suffering of His victims. How dreadful, how inconsistent is such an idea of God! It leads to the absurd conclusion that the mere knowledge of coming events must act as a determining influence in bringing about those occurrences. God’s knowledge of spiritual and of human nature enables Him to conclude with certainty as to the actions of any of His children under given conditions; yet that knowledge is not of compelling force upon the creature.”
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Exodus 20
As summarised from "Old Testament Student Manual 1"
Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:1-17. The Ten Great Foundation Stones
The greatest indication of the importance of the Ten Commandments is that they are found recorded in three of the four standard works. In addition to the first time they were given (Exodus 20), Moses repeated them when he summarized the experiences of Israel in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 5).
The prophet Abinadi quoted them to the wicked priests of King Noah (Mosiah 13).
And, although they are not written in the exact form they appear in the Old Testament, they can also be found in the New Testament (Matthew 5) and in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 42 and 59).
Elder Mark E. Petersen:
By His own finger the Lord rote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. They represent the basic law of the Almighty and have formed the underlying elements of civil and religious law ever since.
They are fundamental to our relationship with God; they are an integral part of the restored gospel and are essential to becoming perfect. They form the foundation for all proper human contact.
These commandments show us three great priorities of life. The fist four show us our proper relationship to God. The fifth establishes the importance of family and proper family relationships. The last five regulate our relationships with others.
Exodus 20:2-3. Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me
The first commandment gives man his priority in life. See also D&C 98:14-15, 27:2, 55:1, 59:1, 88:67 and Matthew 6:33.
Two things should be remembered in relation to this commandment;
1. As Lord and Creator of the entire universe, who has all power, knowledge and glory, God does not need man’s adoration and worship to add to his state of being. When it says He is a “jealous God” it is not jealously as in a protective concern for his own status.
2. The Lord taught Moses that the Lord’s work is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Anytime His children set anything before God in importance, they begin to thwart his work for them. He is the only source of power and knowledge sufficient enough to save. To set anything above Him lessens their ability to draw on that power and knowledge for their salvation.
Exodus 20:4-6. Thou Shalt Not Make unto Thee Any Graven Image
Commenting on modern idolatry, Spencer W. Kimball said:
The idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshipping of still other gods. They are not the image of God or of man, but they are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions and desires. Some are in no way physical, but are intangible.
Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, machines or property. Intangible things such as degrees or titles can also become false gods.
A good indication of what a person sets as their god is that who they serve. We serve who we love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and desires.
Exodus 20:5. If Jealousy Is a Negative Trait, Why Is God a “Jealous” God?
The Hebrew work kanah denotes “ardor, zeal, jealousy.” So jealousy can also, more correctly, describe God’s feelings as being sensitive and deep.
Exodus 20:7. Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain
Two aspects of this commandment are important.
1. This commandment implies that His children must have a deep and reverential attitude about God and His Name. This precept not only forbids false oaths, but also common swearing, or where He is appealed to as a witness of the truth. It also forbids all light and irrelevant mention of God.
2. And integral part of living the gospel is the making of oaths and covenants with God. When a person is baptized he covenants to take the name of Christ upon himself (D&C 20:37). If he forgets that solemn oath made at baptism, he has taken the name of the Lord in vain. Those who disregard the covenants they make with the Lord are also taking his name in vain. Such light treatment of sacred things does constitute vainness in the sight of God. See D&C 63:61-62.
Exodus 20:8-11. Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep it Holy
The doctrine of the Sabbath includes the following important concepts:
1. The commandment has a dual aspect of promoting both work and worship. The commandment is to labor six days and rest the seventh.
2. The Sabbath was given as a token of the rest of the Gods after the Creation. The Sabbath is directly tied to the Creation not only in the actual commandment but also in scriptures such as Genesis 2:1-2 and Exodus 31:17.
3. Under the Mosaic dispensation violation of the Sabbath was a crime incurring capital punishment.
4. The Lord indicates that keeping the Sabbath is a “sign… that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). The Lord teaches a similar concept of holiness or spiritual cleanliness in D&C 59:9, “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go up to the house of prayer and offer up they sacraments upon my holy day.
5. The concept of sanctification and the idea of rest in the scriptures seem closely related (rest=sanctification). The rest of the Lord is defined as “the fullness of God’s glory” (D&C84:24). Alma taught that certain early Saints entered the “rest of the Lord” after being made pure through a process of sanctification (Alma 13:12). In other words, God’s work is the sanctification of His children to the point where they can into the ultimate rest, which is the fullness of his glory. Once a week man is commanded cease his own labors and allow God to perform His work of sanctification of man. Resting on the Sabbath implies far more than taking a nap or stopping normal activities. Mankind must enter into the Lord’s work on that day. This work involves making themselves and others more Godlike. The two commandments for the Sabbath are rest and worship (D&C 59:10) The Hebrew verb la-avodh, “to worship” also means “to work” and “to serve.” This holy work creates a new and holy man; so the Sabbath is tied into the work of creation.
6. The commandment to observe the Sabbath was not just for the individual himself but also for servants, family members and animals. Under the Mosaic Law even the land itself was its rest once every seven years (Exodus 20:10; Leviticus 25:1-7).
7. Direct promises of temporal plenty, divine protection and spiritual power are promised in connection with keeping the Sabbath (Leviticus 25:18-19; D&C 121:45; Isaiah 58:14; D&C 132:37).
Exodus 20:12. Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother
Proper family relationships constitute one of the ten fundamental principles of law, both in this world and in the world to come. In obedience to this law, the family unit and all other parts of society remain stable and healthy. In this day, which is prophesied to be an age where people are “disobedient to parents” and “without natural affection” (2 Timothy 3:2-3), one needs to contemplate seriously the implications of the commandment to honor thy mother and father and the promises included with it.
When parents are righteous children have little problem understanding the commandment to honor their parents, although they may have difficulty doing it. When parents are not righteous it can be asked:
1. Is one still required to honor unrighteous parents?
2. Does honor imply obedience if the parents ask for unrighteous behavior?
First of all, though in most cases honor includes obedience, the two are not the same. To honor means “to bring honor, or to have an attitude of honoring.” Obedience means “to follow direction or example.” Paul said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” (Ephesians 6:1) Honoring parents may not always imply obeying them, but anytime a child lives righteously he brings honor to his parents.
Only in the relationship of mans heavenly parents to their children is the perfect model of parenting. They have chosen to have mortal parents stand in as their representatives in the bringing up of children. Parents stand as direct representatives of God and the office of parent requires honor.
Parents are obligated to strive to be as much like God as possible. The Lord has made it clear that should parents fail in their responsibility, which includes teaching children what He would teach them if He were here, serious consequences will follow. (D&C 68:25-31) If parents don’t try their best to fulfill their office then they become accountable to God, but this does not affect the child’s obligation to honor them. The child always has the obligation to honor the parent because of the parent’s standing as a representative of God.
Exodus 20:12. That Thy Days May be Long upon the Land
The Apostle Paul referred to the fifth commandments as the first commandment with promise (Eph. 6:1-2). It refers to extended life or time living upon the Promised Land. The following points should be taken into account:
1. The Israelites had been promised a particular land as their inheritance, just as the Jaredites and the people of Lehi were given a promised land. In all cases the Lord taught a favored inheritance was earned by righteousness and that wickedness would jeopardize their inheritance (Deut. 28:1-2, 7, and 10).
2. When Moses summarized the law that had been given to Israel he changed the wording slightly. Deuteronomy 5:16 reads: “honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
3. Moses commanded the parents of Israel to diligently teach their children the laws of God so that “it may be well with thee…in the land that floweth with milk and honey” (Deut. 6:3, Ex. 20:3-7).
4. Earlier, Moses used similar language when he warned Israelites: “When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children … and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord … I shall call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land;… and not prolong your days upon it, but shall be utterly destroyed (Deut. 4:25-26).
5. To summarise, the condition for maintaining an inheritance in a promised land is personal righteousness. Only when parents teach their children the law of God and children honor and obey their parents will personal righteousness be maintained. Thus, to say “long upon the land”, the family unit must be functioning properly children must honor their parents.
6. There is a personal aspect of the commandment as well. The Lord promised that those who “walk in obedience to the commandments” will enjoy health, vigor, endurance, and shall be passed over by the “destroying angel” (D&C 89:18, 21).
Bruce R. McConkie said:
“Paul interprets the promise as a personal one. Obedient and faithful children are to have long lives upon the earth. That is, temporal life is prolonged by obedience to gospel laws; but, more particularly and in the ultimate sense, those who are God fearing and righteous- meaning the meek- shall live upon the earth in its final or celestial state.”
Exodus 20:13. Thou Shalt Not Kill
To be guilty of destroying life is an act of rebellion against the plan of the Almighty by denying an individual the privilege of a full experience in the earth-school of opportunity. It would not be surprising if the penalties to be imposed upon a murderer were to be of similar character as the penalties meted out t those spirits which were cast out of heaven with Satan.
There is a vast difference between murder and destroying life while acting under the mandate of a sovereign nation, as part of an army in a war, whom we are in duty bound to obey.
Exodus 20:14. Thou Shalt not Commit Adultery
The covenant of marriage, this sacred thing which was to go on eternally, was the heavenly institution provided by God under which his mortal children on earth were to reproduce themselves. There should be no human sex relationship outside of marriage. Children born to man and woman under divinely appointed marriage were to remain as their children forever. Families would continue as a unit even into eternity. The ties of home established in earth life would last forever. It was part of the system transferred from heave to earth. It must be kept sacred.
Exodus 20:15. Thou Shalt Not Steal
From the fall, Adam and all mankind who followed him were commanded to labor for their bread (Gen. 3:19). When one seeks to reap the benefits of another’s labor without adequate compensation, it is theft. Thus, stealing involves far more than just taking the property of another.
Exodus 20:16. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
To bear false witness is to testify to or to pass along reports, insinuations, speculations, or rumors as if they were true, to the hurt of a fellow human being. It centres in the destruction or defamation of character and reaches to the ruin of reputation.
Exodus 20:17. Thou Shalt Not Covet
The commandment against covetousness does not mean that we should not have a wholesome discontent or desire to improve ourselves or our situation. It does not mean that we may not admire what our neighbour has, and seek by our own industry to earn things of like worth. The earth holds plenty for all- and the urge to acquire for ourselves such good things as other men have is a productive quality of character- provided that we acquire them by honest effort and lawful means. The danger comes when mere ‘things’ begin to matter too much.
Paul, on two occasions, equated coveting with idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). The implication is that when one sets his heart on things of the world to the point that allegiance to God and His principles no longer matters, then material things become as a god to that person.
It is important to note that even today in the midst of the fullness of times; the Lord has reiterated every point of the sacred law.
Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:1-17. The Ten Great Foundation Stones
The greatest indication of the importance of the Ten Commandments is that they are found recorded in three of the four standard works. In addition to the first time they were given (Exodus 20), Moses repeated them when he summarized the experiences of Israel in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 5).
The prophet Abinadi quoted them to the wicked priests of King Noah (Mosiah 13).
And, although they are not written in the exact form they appear in the Old Testament, they can also be found in the New Testament (Matthew 5) and in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 42 and 59).
Elder Mark E. Petersen:
By His own finger the Lord rote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. They represent the basic law of the Almighty and have formed the underlying elements of civil and religious law ever since.
They are fundamental to our relationship with God; they are an integral part of the restored gospel and are essential to becoming perfect. They form the foundation for all proper human contact.
These commandments show us three great priorities of life. The fist four show us our proper relationship to God. The fifth establishes the importance of family and proper family relationships. The last five regulate our relationships with others.
Exodus 20:2-3. Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me
The first commandment gives man his priority in life. See also D&C 98:14-15, 27:2, 55:1, 59:1, 88:67 and Matthew 6:33.
Two things should be remembered in relation to this commandment;
1. As Lord and Creator of the entire universe, who has all power, knowledge and glory, God does not need man’s adoration and worship to add to his state of being. When it says He is a “jealous God” it is not jealously as in a protective concern for his own status.
2. The Lord taught Moses that the Lord’s work is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Anytime His children set anything before God in importance, they begin to thwart his work for them. He is the only source of power and knowledge sufficient enough to save. To set anything above Him lessens their ability to draw on that power and knowledge for their salvation.
Exodus 20:4-6. Thou Shalt Not Make unto Thee Any Graven Image
Commenting on modern idolatry, Spencer W. Kimball said:
The idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshipping of still other gods. They are not the image of God or of man, but they are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions and desires. Some are in no way physical, but are intangible.
Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, machines or property. Intangible things such as degrees or titles can also become false gods.
A good indication of what a person sets as their god is that who they serve. We serve who we love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and desires.
Exodus 20:5. If Jealousy Is a Negative Trait, Why Is God a “Jealous” God?
The Hebrew work kanah denotes “ardor, zeal, jealousy.” So jealousy can also, more correctly, describe God’s feelings as being sensitive and deep.
Exodus 20:7. Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain
Two aspects of this commandment are important.
1. This commandment implies that His children must have a deep and reverential attitude about God and His Name. This precept not only forbids false oaths, but also common swearing, or where He is appealed to as a witness of the truth. It also forbids all light and irrelevant mention of God.
2. And integral part of living the gospel is the making of oaths and covenants with God. When a person is baptized he covenants to take the name of Christ upon himself (D&C 20:37). If he forgets that solemn oath made at baptism, he has taken the name of the Lord in vain. Those who disregard the covenants they make with the Lord are also taking his name in vain. Such light treatment of sacred things does constitute vainness in the sight of God. See D&C 63:61-62.
Exodus 20:8-11. Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep it Holy
The doctrine of the Sabbath includes the following important concepts:
1. The commandment has a dual aspect of promoting both work and worship. The commandment is to labor six days and rest the seventh.
2. The Sabbath was given as a token of the rest of the Gods after the Creation. The Sabbath is directly tied to the Creation not only in the actual commandment but also in scriptures such as Genesis 2:1-2 and Exodus 31:17.
3. Under the Mosaic dispensation violation of the Sabbath was a crime incurring capital punishment.
4. The Lord indicates that keeping the Sabbath is a “sign… that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). The Lord teaches a similar concept of holiness or spiritual cleanliness in D&C 59:9, “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go up to the house of prayer and offer up they sacraments upon my holy day.
5. The concept of sanctification and the idea of rest in the scriptures seem closely related (rest=sanctification). The rest of the Lord is defined as “the fullness of God’s glory” (D&C84:24). Alma taught that certain early Saints entered the “rest of the Lord” after being made pure through a process of sanctification (Alma 13:12). In other words, God’s work is the sanctification of His children to the point where they can into the ultimate rest, which is the fullness of his glory. Once a week man is commanded cease his own labors and allow God to perform His work of sanctification of man. Resting on the Sabbath implies far more than taking a nap or stopping normal activities. Mankind must enter into the Lord’s work on that day. This work involves making themselves and others more Godlike. The two commandments for the Sabbath are rest and worship (D&C 59:10) The Hebrew verb la-avodh, “to worship” also means “to work” and “to serve.” This holy work creates a new and holy man; so the Sabbath is tied into the work of creation.
6. The commandment to observe the Sabbath was not just for the individual himself but also for servants, family members and animals. Under the Mosaic Law even the land itself was its rest once every seven years (Exodus 20:10; Leviticus 25:1-7).
7. Direct promises of temporal plenty, divine protection and spiritual power are promised in connection with keeping the Sabbath (Leviticus 25:18-19; D&C 121:45; Isaiah 58:14; D&C 132:37).
Exodus 20:12. Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother
Proper family relationships constitute one of the ten fundamental principles of law, both in this world and in the world to come. In obedience to this law, the family unit and all other parts of society remain stable and healthy. In this day, which is prophesied to be an age where people are “disobedient to parents” and “without natural affection” (2 Timothy 3:2-3), one needs to contemplate seriously the implications of the commandment to honor thy mother and father and the promises included with it.
When parents are righteous children have little problem understanding the commandment to honor their parents, although they may have difficulty doing it. When parents are not righteous it can be asked:
1. Is one still required to honor unrighteous parents?
2. Does honor imply obedience if the parents ask for unrighteous behavior?
First of all, though in most cases honor includes obedience, the two are not the same. To honor means “to bring honor, or to have an attitude of honoring.” Obedience means “to follow direction or example.” Paul said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” (Ephesians 6:1) Honoring parents may not always imply obeying them, but anytime a child lives righteously he brings honor to his parents.
Only in the relationship of mans heavenly parents to their children is the perfect model of parenting. They have chosen to have mortal parents stand in as their representatives in the bringing up of children. Parents stand as direct representatives of God and the office of parent requires honor.
Parents are obligated to strive to be as much like God as possible. The Lord has made it clear that should parents fail in their responsibility, which includes teaching children what He would teach them if He were here, serious consequences will follow. (D&C 68:25-31) If parents don’t try their best to fulfill their office then they become accountable to God, but this does not affect the child’s obligation to honor them. The child always has the obligation to honor the parent because of the parent’s standing as a representative of God.
Exodus 20:12. That Thy Days May be Long upon the Land
The Apostle Paul referred to the fifth commandments as the first commandment with promise (Eph. 6:1-2). It refers to extended life or time living upon the Promised Land. The following points should be taken into account:
1. The Israelites had been promised a particular land as their inheritance, just as the Jaredites and the people of Lehi were given a promised land. In all cases the Lord taught a favored inheritance was earned by righteousness and that wickedness would jeopardize their inheritance (Deut. 28:1-2, 7, and 10).
2. When Moses summarized the law that had been given to Israel he changed the wording slightly. Deuteronomy 5:16 reads: “honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
3. Moses commanded the parents of Israel to diligently teach their children the laws of God so that “it may be well with thee…in the land that floweth with milk and honey” (Deut. 6:3, Ex. 20:3-7).
4. Earlier, Moses used similar language when he warned Israelites: “When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children … and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord … I shall call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land;… and not prolong your days upon it, but shall be utterly destroyed (Deut. 4:25-26).
5. To summarise, the condition for maintaining an inheritance in a promised land is personal righteousness. Only when parents teach their children the law of God and children honor and obey their parents will personal righteousness be maintained. Thus, to say “long upon the land”, the family unit must be functioning properly children must honor their parents.
6. There is a personal aspect of the commandment as well. The Lord promised that those who “walk in obedience to the commandments” will enjoy health, vigor, endurance, and shall be passed over by the “destroying angel” (D&C 89:18, 21).
Bruce R. McConkie said:
“Paul interprets the promise as a personal one. Obedient and faithful children are to have long lives upon the earth. That is, temporal life is prolonged by obedience to gospel laws; but, more particularly and in the ultimate sense, those who are God fearing and righteous- meaning the meek- shall live upon the earth in its final or celestial state.”
Exodus 20:13. Thou Shalt Not Kill
To be guilty of destroying life is an act of rebellion against the plan of the Almighty by denying an individual the privilege of a full experience in the earth-school of opportunity. It would not be surprising if the penalties to be imposed upon a murderer were to be of similar character as the penalties meted out t those spirits which were cast out of heaven with Satan.
There is a vast difference between murder and destroying life while acting under the mandate of a sovereign nation, as part of an army in a war, whom we are in duty bound to obey.
Exodus 20:14. Thou Shalt not Commit Adultery
The covenant of marriage, this sacred thing which was to go on eternally, was the heavenly institution provided by God under which his mortal children on earth were to reproduce themselves. There should be no human sex relationship outside of marriage. Children born to man and woman under divinely appointed marriage were to remain as their children forever. Families would continue as a unit even into eternity. The ties of home established in earth life would last forever. It was part of the system transferred from heave to earth. It must be kept sacred.
Exodus 20:15. Thou Shalt Not Steal
From the fall, Adam and all mankind who followed him were commanded to labor for their bread (Gen. 3:19). When one seeks to reap the benefits of another’s labor without adequate compensation, it is theft. Thus, stealing involves far more than just taking the property of another.
Exodus 20:16. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
To bear false witness is to testify to or to pass along reports, insinuations, speculations, or rumors as if they were true, to the hurt of a fellow human being. It centres in the destruction or defamation of character and reaches to the ruin of reputation.
Exodus 20:17. Thou Shalt Not Covet
The commandment against covetousness does not mean that we should not have a wholesome discontent or desire to improve ourselves or our situation. It does not mean that we may not admire what our neighbour has, and seek by our own industry to earn things of like worth. The earth holds plenty for all- and the urge to acquire for ourselves such good things as other men have is a productive quality of character- provided that we acquire them by honest effort and lawful means. The danger comes when mere ‘things’ begin to matter too much.
Paul, on two occasions, equated coveting with idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). The implication is that when one sets his heart on things of the world to the point that allegiance to God and His principles no longer matters, then material things become as a god to that person.
It is important to note that even today in the midst of the fullness of times; the Lord has reiterated every point of the sacred law.
The Passover and The Exodus
As summarised from "Old Testament Student Manual 1"
The Passover: A Symbol of the Savior to Come.
At the appointed time for their deliverance from Egyptians bondage, the Lord commanded each family in Israel to sacrifice a lamb, to sprinkle its blood on their doorposts, and then to eat unleavened bread for seven more days- all to symbolize the fact that the destroying angles would pass over the Israelites as he went for slaying the firstborn in the families of all the Egyptians; and also to show that, in haste, Israel should go forth from slavery into freedom. As a pattern for all the Mosaic instructions yet to come, the details of the performances here involved were so arranged as to bear testimony both of Israel’s deliverance and of her Deliverer. Among other procedures, the Lord commanded, as found in Exodus 12:
1. “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.” Signifying that the Lamb of God, pure and perfect, without spot or blemish, in the prime of his life, as the Paschal Lamb, would be slain for the sins of the world.
2. They were to take the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it upon the doorposts of their houses, having this promise as a result; “And the blood shall be to you a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague will not be upon you to destroy you.” Signifying that the blood of Christ, which should fall as drops in Gethsemane and flow in a stream from a pierced side as He hung on the cross, would cleanse and save the faithful; and that, as those of Israel were saved temporally because of the blood of a sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses, so the faithful of all ages would wash their garments in the blood of the Eternal Lamb and from him receive an eternal salvation. And may we say that as the angel of death passed by the families of Israel because of their faith- as Paul said of Moses, “Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.” (Hebrews 11:28)- Even so shall the Angel of Life give eternal life to all those who rely on the blood of the Lamb.
3. As to the sacrifice of the lamb, the decree was, “Neither shall ye break a bone thereof.” Signifying that when the Lamb of God was sacrificed on the cross, though they broke the legs of the two thieves to induce death, they did not break any of His bones, fulfilling the scripture in John 19:31-36, that a bone of him shall not be broken.
4. As to the eating of the flesh of the sacrificial lamb, the divine word was, “No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.” Signifying that the blessings of the gospel were reserved for those who come into the fold of Israel, who join the Church and carry their part of the burden in the bearing of the Kingdom. Similar to the concept of those that eat his flesh and drink his blood shall have eternal life and he will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:54)
5. As “The Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,” because they believed not the word of the Lord delivered to them by Moses and Aaron, even so should the Firstborn of the Father, who brings life to all who believe in His Holy Name, destroy worldly people at the last day, destroy all those who are in the Egypt of darkness and whose hearts are hardened like Pharaoh and his minions.
6. On the first and seventh days if the Feast of Unleavened Bread the Israelites were commanded to convocations in which no work may be done except the preparation of their food. These were occasions for preaching, explaining, exhorting and testifying. We go to sacrament meetings to be built up in faith and in testimony. Ancient Israel attended holy convocations for the same purposes. Knowing that all things operate by faith, the conclusion that can be drawn is that it is as easy for us to look to Christ and His spilt blood for eternal salvation as it was for the Israelites to look to the blood of the sacrificial lamb, sprinkled on doorposts, to give temporal salvation, when the angel of death swept through the land of Egypt.
It was, of course, while Jesus and the Twelve were keeping the Feast of the Passover that our Lord instituted the ordinance of the sacrament, to serve essentially the same purposes served by the sacrifices of the preceding four millenniums. After that final Passover day and the crucifixion of Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, the day for proper celebration of Passover ceased. After that Paul was able to say “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leave of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinth. 5:7-8)
The Passover: A Symbol of the Savior to Come.
At the appointed time for their deliverance from Egyptians bondage, the Lord commanded each family in Israel to sacrifice a lamb, to sprinkle its blood on their doorposts, and then to eat unleavened bread for seven more days- all to symbolize the fact that the destroying angles would pass over the Israelites as he went for slaying the firstborn in the families of all the Egyptians; and also to show that, in haste, Israel should go forth from slavery into freedom. As a pattern for all the Mosaic instructions yet to come, the details of the performances here involved were so arranged as to bear testimony both of Israel’s deliverance and of her Deliverer. Among other procedures, the Lord commanded, as found in Exodus 12:
1. “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.” Signifying that the Lamb of God, pure and perfect, without spot or blemish, in the prime of his life, as the Paschal Lamb, would be slain for the sins of the world.
2. They were to take the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it upon the doorposts of their houses, having this promise as a result; “And the blood shall be to you a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague will not be upon you to destroy you.” Signifying that the blood of Christ, which should fall as drops in Gethsemane and flow in a stream from a pierced side as He hung on the cross, would cleanse and save the faithful; and that, as those of Israel were saved temporally because of the blood of a sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses, so the faithful of all ages would wash their garments in the blood of the Eternal Lamb and from him receive an eternal salvation. And may we say that as the angel of death passed by the families of Israel because of their faith- as Paul said of Moses, “Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.” (Hebrews 11:28)- Even so shall the Angel of Life give eternal life to all those who rely on the blood of the Lamb.
3. As to the sacrifice of the lamb, the decree was, “Neither shall ye break a bone thereof.” Signifying that when the Lamb of God was sacrificed on the cross, though they broke the legs of the two thieves to induce death, they did not break any of His bones, fulfilling the scripture in John 19:31-36, that a bone of him shall not be broken.
4. As to the eating of the flesh of the sacrificial lamb, the divine word was, “No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.” Signifying that the blessings of the gospel were reserved for those who come into the fold of Israel, who join the Church and carry their part of the burden in the bearing of the Kingdom. Similar to the concept of those that eat his flesh and drink his blood shall have eternal life and he will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:54)
5. As “The Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,” because they believed not the word of the Lord delivered to them by Moses and Aaron, even so should the Firstborn of the Father, who brings life to all who believe in His Holy Name, destroy worldly people at the last day, destroy all those who are in the Egypt of darkness and whose hearts are hardened like Pharaoh and his minions.
6. On the first and seventh days if the Feast of Unleavened Bread the Israelites were commanded to convocations in which no work may be done except the preparation of their food. These were occasions for preaching, explaining, exhorting and testifying. We go to sacrament meetings to be built up in faith and in testimony. Ancient Israel attended holy convocations for the same purposes. Knowing that all things operate by faith, the conclusion that can be drawn is that it is as easy for us to look to Christ and His spilt blood for eternal salvation as it was for the Israelites to look to the blood of the sacrificial lamb, sprinkled on doorposts, to give temporal salvation, when the angel of death swept through the land of Egypt.
It was, of course, while Jesus and the Twelve were keeping the Feast of the Passover that our Lord instituted the ordinance of the sacrament, to serve essentially the same purposes served by the sacrifices of the preceding four millenniums. After that final Passover day and the crucifixion of Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, the day for proper celebration of Passover ceased. After that Paul was able to say “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leave of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinth. 5:7-8)
Names of the Lord
As summarised from Old Testament Student Manual 1 and a talk by Jeffry R. Holland found in the September 1974 issue of the Ensign.
Names of the Lord
We can come to know the Lord by what he says he is. Traditionally, He was identified only through four Hebrew letters represented in our alphabet as; IHVH, JHVH, JHWH, YHVH, YHWH. The life of Christ is a precious jewel that flashes in the flame of the sunlight and blinds our eyes with its rays. The prophets have, in reverence and holy appreciation, sought to speak of it, to praise him for the love and glory he displays. Some of the titles we hear often—Savior, Redeemer, Messiah; others we recognize less well—Dayspring, Ahman, Bishop of our Souls. He is the Mediator, the Advocate, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. He is Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. He is the Holiest of All, the Lion of Judah, the Mighty One of Jacob. He is the Man of Sorrows, the Horn of Salvation. He is Eternal and Everlasting. He is the Son of Man. He is the Bright and Morning Star. The list is only representative of another list that is only representative. What he is goes on forever, flashing in the sun. Including sections from a talk by Jeffry R. Holland found in the September 1974 Issue of the Ensign.
The Most Sacred Name; YHWH
1. Pronounced ee-ahoo`ah or YAHWEH.
2. Translates to “I am”.
3. Transliterates to “I am who/that I am” or Yahweh. Hebrew for YHWH; read from right to left.
4. Yahweh translates roughly to Jehovah.
5. First used in Exodus 3:14 when the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush. It’s obvious that the name had been known to the Israelites before Ex. 3:14 otherwise its value for identifying the Lord would have been useless. Correct identification was crucial to Moses in authenticating his call to the Israelites.
6. How often the name YHWH is used in the KJV of the Bible may not be evident since the translators substituted the title LORD or GOD almost every place it appeared written in Hebrew. This practice shows deference to the reverential feelings of the Jews who never pronounced the name, substituting their word for Lord- Adoni.
7. The name doesn’t appear frequently in the Bible; however Jesus (known as Jehovah in the OT) used it on other occasions to identify himself. In Abr. 1:16, John 8:58 and D&C 29:1, He uses it to identify himself to Abraham, the Jews and Modern Israel respectively.
8. “I am” is the first person singular form of the verb “to be.” Therefore YHWH (which can also be the third person singular would mean “He Is” or “He Exists.” The first or third person of the same verb was used by the Lord in the Hebrew text of the OT, depending upon whether He wanted to emphasize His own or our own perspective.
I am Alpha
1. To John on the Isle of Patmos, the resurrected Jesus announced himself, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending … which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8.)
Alpha=The Beginning=Premortal Existence
2. Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, suggests commencement and inception.
3. “… I was in the beginning with the Father …” he reveals (D&C 93:21), and, as the Firstborn, he stood at the right hand of the Father in the councils of heaven and in the work of creation.
4. It was by our unity with him (as he was one with the Father) that we survived a great conflict between good and evil before this world was created.
5. By the “blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony,” we overcame the opposition of Satan, “that old serpent, called the Devil” (see Rev. 12:7–11), and we saw him cast out into the earth ahead of us.
6. He was “the firstborn of every creature.” (Col. 1:15.)
7. Nothing is so pervasive in our lives, nothing so encompassing and enfolding and upholding, as the Savior of this world and the Redeemer of all men.
I am Omega
1. As Omega, a name taken from the last letter of the Greek alphabet, Christ is the terminus, the end cause as well as the end result of mortal experience.
2. John wrote, “… now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 Jn. 3:2.)
3. As he was in the beginning, so will he be when this world ends.
4. He will come to reign as the Messiah, Lord of lords and King of kings, and we will call him Master.
5. In this finality, which is for the redeemed a beginning, the Lord of this earth will come, in Solomon’s language, as “fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.” (Song 6:10.)
I am Alpha and Omega
1. These letters from the Greek suggest the universal role of Jesus from the beginning of the world to its end.
2. He ought to be Alpha and Omega in the sense of our personal beginning and our individual end—that model by which we shape our journey and the standard by which we measure it at its conclusion.
I am the Great I AM
1. In addition to Jesus’ past and future life is his eternal presence. Christ is not only Alpha and Omega; he is Alpha through Omega—complete, permanent, and unchanged. As well as being before and after us, Christ will be with us.
2. The great challenge of life is usually living in the present moment as God would have us live, not meditating on what we once were or wishing on what we may yet become. Christ can be in that moment for each of us since “all things are present” before him (D&C 38:2) and “time only is measured unto men.” (Alma 40:8.)
3. To Moses, who was faced with the brutal presence of a godless Pharaoh, Jehovah said, “I AM THAT I AM. … Say unto the children of Israel, I AM … this is my name for ever. …” (Ex. 3:14–15.) God has declared himself in the present tense.
4. See also YHWH.
I am the Way
1. A journey from beginning through present to end suggests a path and Jesus said he was “the Way.”
2. To travel here suggests the admission that we will need his merciful assistance for every step of the journey.
3. To know Christ is to know the Way, this particular way is impassable alone.
4. Ultimately, he carries us on his shoulders, rejoicing, because we find the heights are too great and the waters too deep. (See Luke 15:5.)
5. Only strict adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ will see us through. There is “none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12.)
6. He told his disciples, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. …” (John 10:9.) Thus, the place the way leads to is the way itself. “… No man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” Jesus warned. (John 14:6.)
7. Nephi closed his record and his life with the stirring injunction to follow undeviatingly the straight and narrow path once it is, through the grace of God, begun.
“… Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. … My beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way … feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Ne. 31:20–21; 2 Ne. 32:3.)
I Am the Truth
1. In our dispensation the Lord has defined truth as “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” (D&C 93:24.)
2. To his disciples in the meridian of time he said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31–32.)
3. The prescribed method for coming to knowledge and freedom is to “give diligent heed to the words of eternal life” (D&C 84:43).
4. We will be bound and burdened until we know the words of truth and salvation.
5. Learning the word of the Lord and coming to the Word/Lord is almost the same thing. (See D&C 84:45–47; John 1:1–14.)
6. It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance and that the person who has diligently gained more knowledge and intelligence (i.e., truth) in this life will have great advantages in the world to come. (See D&C 131:6; D&C 130:19.)
7. To study the scriptures, to obey the living prophets, to pray and meditate upon the truths of the gospel will lead us to freedom. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7.)
I Am the Light and the Life of the World
1. Hell has been referred to as outer darkness. (See D&C 101:91.) On the other hand, eternal life and the degrees of glory are scripturally described by metaphors of light and vision.
2. When God first looked out upon the earth, it was “without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” The fundamental need was obvious, and he said, “Let there be light.” (Gen. 1:2–3.)
3. Later, Jesus would say, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12.) Christ is, according to our revelations, the light of the sun, the light of the moon, the light of the stars and of the earth. Furthermore, he is the light which “giveth you light, … [which] enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings.” (See D&C 88:7–11.)
4. Light, like truth, forsakes the evil one. Lucifer’s name literally means “a bearer of light,” a son of the morning. The irony is evident considering his lost blessing. Having lost that fresh radiance of an eternal dawn he now consciously seeks to take away light from the children of men.
5. Through our acceptance of the light of Christ we are able to have eternal life. (See John 3:16.)
I Am the Good Shepherd
1. If in times of trial we wander, we need someone wise and concerned to give aid. To those, Jesus said he was the Good Shepherd. Ownership of the flock makes a great deal of difference and this watchman will protect at the very cost of his life. “I … know my sheep,” he promised, “… and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14–15.)
2. Safely returned, we again graze along, not knowing what the loss of our life might have been like.
3. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.” (D&C 78:17–18.)
I Am the Lamb of God
1. From Adam to the atonement of Christ, men were commanded to offer the firstlings of their flocks, that purest lamb without spot or blemish, as a similitude of the sacrifice that God the Father would make of his Firstborn.
2. At Passover Jesus taught his disciples that the blood of the lamb was once again to save them from destruction. Jesus then offered both body and blood for all who washed white their robes in the blood of the Lamb. (See Luke 22:17–20; Ex. 12:2–10; Rev. 7:14.)
3. Before he was born into this mortal world, it was prophesied of him, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” (Isa. 53:7–8.)
I Am the Prince of Peace
1. The promise of this pursuit—seeking truth, following light, building on certainty; in short, living the gospel of Christ—is peace in this world as well as eternal life in the world to come. (D&C 59:23.)
2. Peace is a commodity that is little known to this world. Nations battle against nations, fathers are at war with their sons, conflicts rage within the individual soul. But if we will, the “Sun of righteousness” may rise over such dark scenes “with healing in his wings.” (Mal. 4:2.) Then peace, the only real peace we know, is indeed a reality with man.
3. The Latin term is pax, literally “an agreement.” Agreement with him who has made agreement for us. Only then can the destruction of body and soul cease in victory.
“… Sue for peace, not only to the people that have smitten you, but also to all people.” (D&C 105:38.)
I Am the Stone of Israel
1. Jehovah said to the prophet Isaiah that in building the kingdom of God on earth, a “stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” would be used. (Isa. 28:16.) He was, of course, speaking of himself.
2. Paul used that same imagery in declaring that Jesus was the chief cornerstone, that basic block around which a foundation of apostles and prophets would be laid and onto which the Church of God would be built. (See Eph. 2:20.)
3. Peter noted that builders of lesser vision simply shoved him aside in favor of less substantial material. (See Acts 4:11.)
4. To most he was not a building stone, but rather a mere stumbling block, a huge boulder obstructing the journey toward death. (See 1 Cor. 1:23.)
5. Helaman pleaded with his sons: “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Hel. 5:12.)
6. Everyone will be tempered and tried. The sun will rise on the evil as well as the good, and the rains will descend on the just as well as the unjust. (See Matt. 5:45.) But a life built on a firm foundation will endure.
“Whom say ye that I am?” We say with unshakable certainty, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” We say he lives! and that through him and in him we live to become again begotten sons and daughters unto God. We say this is his true and only church, that his prophets speak today, that his kingdom inexorably rolls forth to fill the whole earth with its magnificence. We say he loves all men and we must love them, too. I know that my Redeemer lives and that is wonderful—wonderful to me.”
-Jeffry R. Holland.
Names of the Lord
We can come to know the Lord by what he says he is. Traditionally, He was identified only through four Hebrew letters represented in our alphabet as; IHVH, JHVH, JHWH, YHVH, YHWH. The life of Christ is a precious jewel that flashes in the flame of the sunlight and blinds our eyes with its rays. The prophets have, in reverence and holy appreciation, sought to speak of it, to praise him for the love and glory he displays. Some of the titles we hear often—Savior, Redeemer, Messiah; others we recognize less well—Dayspring, Ahman, Bishop of our Souls. He is the Mediator, the Advocate, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. He is Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. He is the Holiest of All, the Lion of Judah, the Mighty One of Jacob. He is the Man of Sorrows, the Horn of Salvation. He is Eternal and Everlasting. He is the Son of Man. He is the Bright and Morning Star. The list is only representative of another list that is only representative. What he is goes on forever, flashing in the sun. Including sections from a talk by Jeffry R. Holland found in the September 1974 Issue of the Ensign.
The Most Sacred Name; YHWH
1. Pronounced ee-ahoo`ah or YAHWEH.
2. Translates to “I am”.
3. Transliterates to “I am who/that I am” or Yahweh. Hebrew for YHWH; read from right to left.
4. Yahweh translates roughly to Jehovah.
5. First used in Exodus 3:14 when the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush. It’s obvious that the name had been known to the Israelites before Ex. 3:14 otherwise its value for identifying the Lord would have been useless. Correct identification was crucial to Moses in authenticating his call to the Israelites.
6. How often the name YHWH is used in the KJV of the Bible may not be evident since the translators substituted the title LORD or GOD almost every place it appeared written in Hebrew. This practice shows deference to the reverential feelings of the Jews who never pronounced the name, substituting their word for Lord- Adoni.
7. The name doesn’t appear frequently in the Bible; however Jesus (known as Jehovah in the OT) used it on other occasions to identify himself. In Abr. 1:16, John 8:58 and D&C 29:1, He uses it to identify himself to Abraham, the Jews and Modern Israel respectively.
8. “I am” is the first person singular form of the verb “to be.” Therefore YHWH (which can also be the third person singular would mean “He Is” or “He Exists.” The first or third person of the same verb was used by the Lord in the Hebrew text of the OT, depending upon whether He wanted to emphasize His own or our own perspective.
I am Alpha
1. To John on the Isle of Patmos, the resurrected Jesus announced himself, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending … which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8.)
Alpha=The Beginning=Premortal Existence
2. Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, suggests commencement and inception.
3. “… I was in the beginning with the Father …” he reveals (D&C 93:21), and, as the Firstborn, he stood at the right hand of the Father in the councils of heaven and in the work of creation.
4. It was by our unity with him (as he was one with the Father) that we survived a great conflict between good and evil before this world was created.
5. By the “blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony,” we overcame the opposition of Satan, “that old serpent, called the Devil” (see Rev. 12:7–11), and we saw him cast out into the earth ahead of us.
6. He was “the firstborn of every creature.” (Col. 1:15.)
7. Nothing is so pervasive in our lives, nothing so encompassing and enfolding and upholding, as the Savior of this world and the Redeemer of all men.
I am Omega
1. As Omega, a name taken from the last letter of the Greek alphabet, Christ is the terminus, the end cause as well as the end result of mortal experience.
2. John wrote, “… now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 Jn. 3:2.)
3. As he was in the beginning, so will he be when this world ends.
4. He will come to reign as the Messiah, Lord of lords and King of kings, and we will call him Master.
5. In this finality, which is for the redeemed a beginning, the Lord of this earth will come, in Solomon’s language, as “fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.” (Song 6:10.)
I am Alpha and Omega
1. These letters from the Greek suggest the universal role of Jesus from the beginning of the world to its end.
2. He ought to be Alpha and Omega in the sense of our personal beginning and our individual end—that model by which we shape our journey and the standard by which we measure it at its conclusion.
I am the Great I AM
1. In addition to Jesus’ past and future life is his eternal presence. Christ is not only Alpha and Omega; he is Alpha through Omega—complete, permanent, and unchanged. As well as being before and after us, Christ will be with us.
2. The great challenge of life is usually living in the present moment as God would have us live, not meditating on what we once were or wishing on what we may yet become. Christ can be in that moment for each of us since “all things are present” before him (D&C 38:2) and “time only is measured unto men.” (Alma 40:8.)
3. To Moses, who was faced with the brutal presence of a godless Pharaoh, Jehovah said, “I AM THAT I AM. … Say unto the children of Israel, I AM … this is my name for ever. …” (Ex. 3:14–15.) God has declared himself in the present tense.
4. See also YHWH.
I am the Way
1. A journey from beginning through present to end suggests a path and Jesus said he was “the Way.”
2. To travel here suggests the admission that we will need his merciful assistance for every step of the journey.
3. To know Christ is to know the Way, this particular way is impassable alone.
4. Ultimately, he carries us on his shoulders, rejoicing, because we find the heights are too great and the waters too deep. (See Luke 15:5.)
5. Only strict adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ will see us through. There is “none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12.)
6. He told his disciples, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. …” (John 10:9.) Thus, the place the way leads to is the way itself. “… No man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” Jesus warned. (John 14:6.)
7. Nephi closed his record and his life with the stirring injunction to follow undeviatingly the straight and narrow path once it is, through the grace of God, begun.
“… Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. … My beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way … feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Ne. 31:20–21; 2 Ne. 32:3.)
I Am the Truth
1. In our dispensation the Lord has defined truth as “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” (D&C 93:24.)
2. To his disciples in the meridian of time he said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31–32.)
3. The prescribed method for coming to knowledge and freedom is to “give diligent heed to the words of eternal life” (D&C 84:43).
4. We will be bound and burdened until we know the words of truth and salvation.
5. Learning the word of the Lord and coming to the Word/Lord is almost the same thing. (See D&C 84:45–47; John 1:1–14.)
6. It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance and that the person who has diligently gained more knowledge and intelligence (i.e., truth) in this life will have great advantages in the world to come. (See D&C 131:6; D&C 130:19.)
7. To study the scriptures, to obey the living prophets, to pray and meditate upon the truths of the gospel will lead us to freedom. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7.)
I Am the Light and the Life of the World
1. Hell has been referred to as outer darkness. (See D&C 101:91.) On the other hand, eternal life and the degrees of glory are scripturally described by metaphors of light and vision.
2. When God first looked out upon the earth, it was “without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” The fundamental need was obvious, and he said, “Let there be light.” (Gen. 1:2–3.)
3. Later, Jesus would say, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12.) Christ is, according to our revelations, the light of the sun, the light of the moon, the light of the stars and of the earth. Furthermore, he is the light which “giveth you light, … [which] enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings.” (See D&C 88:7–11.)
4. Light, like truth, forsakes the evil one. Lucifer’s name literally means “a bearer of light,” a son of the morning. The irony is evident considering his lost blessing. Having lost that fresh radiance of an eternal dawn he now consciously seeks to take away light from the children of men.
5. Through our acceptance of the light of Christ we are able to have eternal life. (See John 3:16.)
I Am the Good Shepherd
1. If in times of trial we wander, we need someone wise and concerned to give aid. To those, Jesus said he was the Good Shepherd. Ownership of the flock makes a great deal of difference and this watchman will protect at the very cost of his life. “I … know my sheep,” he promised, “… and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14–15.)
2. Safely returned, we again graze along, not knowing what the loss of our life might have been like.
3. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.” (D&C 78:17–18.)
I Am the Lamb of God
1. From Adam to the atonement of Christ, men were commanded to offer the firstlings of their flocks, that purest lamb without spot or blemish, as a similitude of the sacrifice that God the Father would make of his Firstborn.
2. At Passover Jesus taught his disciples that the blood of the lamb was once again to save them from destruction. Jesus then offered both body and blood for all who washed white their robes in the blood of the Lamb. (See Luke 22:17–20; Ex. 12:2–10; Rev. 7:14.)
3. Before he was born into this mortal world, it was prophesied of him, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” (Isa. 53:7–8.)
I Am the Prince of Peace
1. The promise of this pursuit—seeking truth, following light, building on certainty; in short, living the gospel of Christ—is peace in this world as well as eternal life in the world to come. (D&C 59:23.)
2. Peace is a commodity that is little known to this world. Nations battle against nations, fathers are at war with their sons, conflicts rage within the individual soul. But if we will, the “Sun of righteousness” may rise over such dark scenes “with healing in his wings.” (Mal. 4:2.) Then peace, the only real peace we know, is indeed a reality with man.
3. The Latin term is pax, literally “an agreement.” Agreement with him who has made agreement for us. Only then can the destruction of body and soul cease in victory.
“… Sue for peace, not only to the people that have smitten you, but also to all people.” (D&C 105:38.)
I Am the Stone of Israel
1. Jehovah said to the prophet Isaiah that in building the kingdom of God on earth, a “stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” would be used. (Isa. 28:16.) He was, of course, speaking of himself.
2. Paul used that same imagery in declaring that Jesus was the chief cornerstone, that basic block around which a foundation of apostles and prophets would be laid and onto which the Church of God would be built. (See Eph. 2:20.)
3. Peter noted that builders of lesser vision simply shoved him aside in favor of less substantial material. (See Acts 4:11.)
4. To most he was not a building stone, but rather a mere stumbling block, a huge boulder obstructing the journey toward death. (See 1 Cor. 1:23.)
5. Helaman pleaded with his sons: “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Hel. 5:12.)
6. Everyone will be tempered and tried. The sun will rise on the evil as well as the good, and the rains will descend on the just as well as the unjust. (See Matt. 5:45.) But a life built on a firm foundation will endure.
“Whom say ye that I am?” We say with unshakable certainty, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” We say he lives! and that through him and in him we live to become again begotten sons and daughters unto God. We say this is his true and only church, that his prophets speak today, that his kingdom inexorably rolls forth to fill the whole earth with its magnificence. We say he loves all men and we must love them, too. I know that my Redeemer lives and that is wonderful—wonderful to me.”
-Jeffry R. Holland.
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