Read: Ether 4-7
Mark: Ether 6:9
"Sometimes...we get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing than prayer." --President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
"Music is one of the most forceful instruments for governing the mind and spirit of man." --President Boyd K. Packer
To ponder:
in what ways do you use music in your personal worship? How do you use music to help others feel the Lord's influence?
You are Invited!!!
Please join us at my home next Sunday, August 17, at 7:00 p.m. so that we may finish this challenge together! Bring your scriptures and we will read Moroni 10 together! If you like, bring a light snack to share. Please feel free to share this invitation with others who you know are reading with us!
Chapter 4: There is a clear warning here. Contend against the word of the Lord, believe not his words and the words of the disciples and you will pass away even as by fire. When you contend with his servants, you contend with him. When you say they are old and have lost touch you are saying he has lost touch! Does your contentiousness lead people to do good or evil? Are you right or just self-righteous?
ReplyDeleteUnbelief causes us to remain in wickedness. Ignorance and unbelief are shackles. Rend the veil of unbelief from your eyes and his revelations will be yours.
Chapter 5: The Lord prepares for everything - all of our doubts and questions. He knows how skeptical we can be so instead of giving us a single witness he gives us two books & then witnesses of at least one of those books. There are even more books which are hidden up in wait of our faith in the first gifts.
Be cautious when you contend! Do you really know the truth! Or are you holding to an ideal you've had passed onto you? Discover the truth for yourself. Be open to revelations of that which you have yet to know.
Chapter 6: It shows a lot of faith for these people to get into these airtight barges with nothing but two stones for light. They truly trusted in the Lord and he did not fail them. They were in there for almost a year. He directed the winds to move them toward the promised land and they sang praises to him throughout this adventure.
Why do people always demand a king? Especially after proven & trusted leaders warn against it? First sign of trouble! You stop following the suggestions of the Lord's annointed!
Chapter 7 The rule of the people of Jared is like a fad diet - they are healthy and strong then add a bunch of unnecessary stuff like kings & idols & pride all of which make them gain weight - then they start murdering & stealing because they are miserable and some good guy cuts off the evil again - but that only lasts so long because they don't get rid of all the unnecessary things that caused their wickedness to begin with. Or they only omit the bad for a short time. We must remove all evils from our lives and keep them away to stay trim and spiritually healthy!
Well said, Sarah!!!
DeleteI really don't have a lot more to add to what Sarah has already said! So here are just a few more thoughts:
DeleteI love the reminder in Ether 4:12 that the Lord leadeth men to all good. Enough said! :)
I love the faith of the people in the barges; I had no idea they were in the barges and on the water for a total of 344 days! That's a very long time to be in such tight quarters--I cannot even imagine. I love that the brother of Jared sang praises unto the Lord and this continued day and night. Music can have such a calming power upon us.
And, I just had to say: "Oh no!!! They wanted to have a king again!" as I go to Ether 6:22. Where people never learn from the past? Are we like this? Do we repeat the same mistakes over and over again, never learning from our past experiences? I hope not! :)
MUSIC! Yes... Music brings us higher than words alone ever can. It can bring the spirit more swiftly, life our spirits more effectively, and drive out bad feelings quicker than anything else. There's something about music, and especially about the music we personally create and perform, that just transforms us. I know if I were stuck on a barge that was tight like unto a dish that I'd be singing an awful lot!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why anyone would ever want a king. I mean, really. I think people just don't want personal responsibility for their government. I think they're lazy or don't think they know what they want, so they want someone else to depend on (or blame) for their well-being (or misfortune). They had some rough transitions, but I like Ether 7:25 where Shule regains the throne and puts out a law to give power to the prophets. That's awesome! What a great leader he was. I'd like to see something like that happen.
*lift* our spirits... whoops!
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