No Pictures?

Sorry guys! I checked the policy and I am not allowed to post pictures on a public blog like this. There are privacy and safety concerns with it. Anyway, I will show you the pictures I take in class sometime, but I can't post them here. :-(

Have a great day!

Don't forget to see things with spiritual eyes.

- Brother Winkler

Moses 6

Moses 6:8 Book of Remembrance

 “Please follow the counsel you have been given in the past and maintain your personal journals. Those who keep a book of remembrance are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives. Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity.”

 President Spencer W. Kimball, Listen to the Prophets, Ensign (CR), May 1978, p.76

Moses 6:59. Water, Blood, and Spirit

 Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “Two births are essential to salvation. Man cannot be saved without birth into mortality, nor can he return to his heavenly home without a birth into the realm of the Spirit. . . . The elements present in a mortal birth and in a spiritual birth are the same. They are water, blood, and spirit. Thus every mortal birth is a heaven-given reminder to prepare for the second birth. 

“In every mortal birth the child is immersed in water in the mother’s womb. At the appointed time the spirit enters the body, and blood always flows in the veins of the new person. Otherwise, without each of these, there is no life, no birth, no mortality.   

“In every birth into the kingdom of heaven, the newborn babe in Christ is immersed in water, he receives the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and the blood of Christ cleanses him from all sin. Otherwise, without each of these, there is no Spirit-birth, no newness of life, no hope of eternal life. . . .

(A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 288 89).

Moses 6:60. Justification

To be justified is to be made just, or free from guilt and sin. 

The Holy Ghost is the member of the Godhead whose power

 acts as a cleansing agent that removes guilt and sin from 

our lives (see 2 Nephi 31:17). President Joseph Fielding 

Smith said: “Through the shedding of the blood of Christ, we 

are cleansed and sanctified; and we are justified, through 

the Spirit of God” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:324–25).

Moses 6:60. Sanctification 

To be sanctified is to be holy and worthy of eternal life and immortal glory (see Moroni 10:32–33). Through His perfect Atonement, Jesus Christ shed His blood and made it possible for all who have faith and repent to be sanctified (see Mosiah 3:11, 18; Alma 34:10–16). Thus, we are ransomed and made holy by the blood of Christ.

 

Moses 5

MOSES 5:22–39

Moses 5:22–39 contains the Lord’s warning to Cain concerning the consequences of his choices. Read the Lord’s warning in verse 23. You may want to mark the word if wherever it appears in this verse.
Based on what you have learned from verse 23, discuss how you might complete the following principle, and write your answer in the space provided:
If we hearken to the Lord’s warnings, then _____________________________________________.
Discuss the following question:
• How do the Lord’s warnings demonstrate His love for us?
Read Moses 5:26, looking for how Cain responded to the Lord’s warning. Then discuss the following question:
• Why do you think it was a mistake for Cain to respond to the Lord’s warning in this way?
After rejecting the Lord’s warning, Cain continued to listen to Satan. Read Moses 5:29–31, looking for what Satan offered Cain and how Cain responded to this offer.
You may want to mark the following phrases in your scriptures: “that thy father may not know it” (Moses 5:29) and “all these things were done in secret” (Moses 5:30).
Discuss the following questions:
• What did Satan offer Cain?
• How did Cain respond to Satan’s offer?
• Why do you think Satan’s promise to keep Cain’s sins secret appealed to Cain?
• How does the Lord’s way of dealing with sin in Doctrine and Covenants 58:43 differ from Satan’s way in
Moses 5:30?
Moses 5:32–37 explains that Cain murdered his brother Abel and that the Lord held Cain accountable for his actions. Read Moses 5:38–39, looking for Cain’s response to the Lord.
In your scriptures, you may want to mark the following phrase in Cain’s response in verse 39: “these things are not hid from the Lord.”
In the following space, write a principle we can learn from Moses 5:39 about the consequences of hearkening to Satan’s temptations: __________________________________________________________________.

Moses 3-4

"When we realize, as one person (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin) put it , that we're not human beings having a spiritual experience, we're spiritual beings having a human experience, we come to understand where our main emphasis should be and on whom we are reliant."

                        (Pres. Monson BYU Devotional Tues Nov. 1, 2011)

    The patterns used by God in creating the earth

are instructive in helping us understand how to

make prayer meaningful. In the third chapter of the book of Moses we learn that all things were created spiritually before they were naturally upon the

earth. (Moses 3:4–5).

We learn from these verses that the spiritual

creation preceded the temporal creation. In a similar way, meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day—and precedes the temporal

creation or the actual execution of the day. Just as the temporal creation was linked to and a continuation of the spiritual creation, so meaningful morning and evening prayers are linked to and are a continuation of each other. Elder Bednar (Oct. Conf. 2008)

“the story of the rib, of course

is figurative”

(“The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood,” Ensign, Mar. 1976, 71).

“The rib, coming as it does from the 

side, seems to denote partnership. 

The rib signifies …a lateral relationship

 as partners, to work and to live,

 side by side” (“Lessons from Eve,” Ensign, Nov.1987, 87).

 “Two compelling doctrinal reasons help us to understand why eternal marriage is essential to the Father’s plan.

 

Reason 1: 

 The natures of male and female spirits complete and

perfect each other, and therefore men and women are

 intended to Progress together toward exaltation.

“… For divine purposes, male and female spirits are different, distinctive, and complementary.”

… The unique combination of spiritual, physical, mental, 

and emotional capacities of both males and females 

were needed to implement the plan of happiness.

 Alone, neither the man nor the woman could fulfill the purposes of  his or her creation.

“… Because of their distinctive temperaments and capacities, males and females each bring to a marriage

relationship unique perspectives and experiences.

 The man and the woman contribute differently but equally to a oneness and a unity that can be achieved 

in no other way. The man completes and perfects the 

woman and the woman completes and perfects the 

man as they learn from and mutually strengthen and 

bless each other.

 ‘Neither is the man without the woman, neither the 

woman without the man, in the Lord’

  (1 Corinthians 11:11; italics added).

 

“Reason 2:

By divine design, both a man and a

woman are needed to bring children into mortality

and to provide the best setting for the rearing and

nurturing of children. …

“A home with a loving and loyal husband and wife

is the supreme setting in which children can be

reared in love and righteousness and in which the

spiritual and physical needs of children can be met.

“Just as the unique characteristics of both

males and females contribute to the

completeness of a marriage relationship, so

those same characteristics are vital to the

rearing, nurturing, and teaching of children”

Elder Bednar - (“Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan,” Ensign, June 2006, 82–84;).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of  the Twelve Apostles explained:“The Father’s plan … offered a genuine

opportunity for his spirit children to achieve what he desired for them

—immortality and eternal life. …

“In his proposed modification, Lucifer [only] 

pretended to seek the same outcome.

[In contrast to Jesus Christ (the premortal

Beloved Son, who sought to further the work 

and glory of the Father), Lucifer sought to obtain

 the Father’s power for himself]

”(The Lord’s Way [1991], 

viii; the bracketed text is taken from the footnote on the cited page).

Two truths concerning Satan that are important

for us to remember:

    “Number one, Satan, or Lucifer, or the father of lies…

is real, the very personification of evil. His motives are in

every  case malicious, and he convulses at the

appearance of redeeming light, at the very thought

of truth.

    Number two, he is eternally opposed to the love of God,

the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the work of peace

and salvation. He will fight against these whenever and 

wherever he can. He knows he will be defeated and cast

out in the end, but he is determined to take down with 

him as many others as he possibly can”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (“We Are All Enlisted,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov.2011, 44).

 

“To the first man and woman on earth, the Lord said,

‘Be fruitful, and multiply’

 (Moses 2:28; see also Gen. 1:28; Abr. 4:28).

This commandment was first in 

sequence and first in importance.

It was essential that God’s spirit

children have mortal birth and an

opportunity to progress toward

eternal life”

(“The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 72).

Elder Oaks

Moses 2-3

“Grand as it is, planet Earth is part of something even grander—that great plan of God. Simply summarized, the earth was created that families might be.” - Elder Nelson

¨The injunction from God to “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8) has been in force throughout human history. There is power in keeping the Sabbath day holy. I testify that God lives, that we are his children, that he loves us, and that he gives us commandments so he can bless us as we keep them and thereby have joy. As we keep the Sabbath day holy he will bless us, and we will achieve a quiet power for good as individuals, as families, and as nations, that we cannot obtain in any other way. (The Power of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, John H. Groberg Of the First Quorum of the Seventy)

Moses 1

Moses 1:2, 9–11. Why Could Moses Endure the Presence of God?

Moses was able to endure God’s presence because “the glory of God was upon Moses” (Moses 1:2); he was transfigured (see v. 11; see also D&C 67:10–12).

 Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:

“Transfiguration is a special change in appearance and nature which is wrought upon a person or thing by the power of God. This divine transformation is from a lower to a higher state; it results in a more exalted, impressive, and glorious condition. . . . “By the power of the Holy Ghost many prophets have been transfigured so as to stand in the presence of God and view the visions of eternity” (Mormon Doctrine, 2^nd ed. [1966], 803).

Moses 1:2 Joseph Fielding Smith: "All revelation since the fall has come through Jesus Christ, who is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. … He is the God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel; the one who led that nation out of Egyptian bondage, and who gave and fulfilled the Law of Moses. The Father has never dealt with man directly and personally since the fall, and he has never appeared except to introduce and bear record of the Son" (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 1:27)

Moses 1:4–6. Moses Was a Son of God

All people on earth are spirit children of God, our Heavenly Father. In a 1909 discourse titled “The Origin of Man,” the First Presidency wrote:

“Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of an earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so the undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable, by experience through ages and aeons, of evolving into a God”

(Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, 81; see also Acts 17:27–28; Hebrews 12:9; Marion G. Romney, Learning for the Eternities, George J. Romney, comp. [1977], 31–32).

Moses 1:6. “There Is No God beside Me”

The phrase “there is no God beside me” should not be interpreted to mean that mankind does not have the eternal potential to become like God. In a 1912 discourse on Moses 1:6, the First Presidency gave the historical context to help us understand this phrase:

“Moses was reared in an atmosphere of idolatry. There were numerous deities [gods] among the Egyptians. In commencing the work which the Lord said he had for Moses to do, it was necessary to center his mind and faith upon God the Eternal Father as the only Being to worship. . . .

“. . . The sole object of worship, God the Eternal Father, stands supreme and alone, and it is in the name of the Only Begotten that we thus approach Him, as Christ taught always” (“Only One God to Worship,” Improvement Era,

Apr. 1912, 484–85).

Moses 1:6. “All Things Are Present with Me”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained: “God does not live in the dimension of time as do we. 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”

(Things As They Really Are [1978], 29; see also Alma 40:8; D&C 130:4–7).

Moses 1:6. God’s foreknowledge of all things does not hinder or limit our freedom to choose good or evil.

 Elder James E. Talmage wrote: “Many people have been led to regard this foreknowledge of God as a predestination whereby souls are designated for glory or condemnation even before their birth in the flesh, 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”

(The Articles of Faith, 12th ed., [1924], 191).

Moses 1:35–39. Jesus Christ Redeemed All of God’s Creations

Elder Marion G. Romney, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught:

“Jesus Christ, in the sense of being its Creator and Redeemer, is the Lord of the whole universe. Except for his mortal ministry accomplished on this earth, his service and relationship to other worlds and their inhabitants are the same as his service and relationship to this earth and its inhabitants. . . .

“. . . In short, Jesus Christ, through whom God created the universe, was chosen to put into operation throughout the universe Elohim’s great plan ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’—the gospel of Jesus Christ—the only way whereby man can obtain eternal life” (“Jesus Christ: Lord of the Universe,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1968, 46, 48; see also D&C 76:19–24).

Moses 1:39. Immortality and Eternal Life

President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“Immortality and eternal life are two separate things, one distinct from the other. Every man shall receive immortality, whether he be good, bad, or indifferent, for the resurrection from the dead shall come to all.

“Eternal life is something in addition. None shall receive eternal life save it be those who keep the commandments of the Lord and are entitled thus to enter into his presence. . . .That is eternal life, to dwell in the presence of the Father and receive exaltation from him” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:4–5).

Moses 1:39. The Unselfishness of God

After quoting Moses 1:39, President Marion G. Romney, who was a counselor in the First Presidency, said: “Hence, we see the complete unselfishness of our Father in Heaven. His whole work and glory is to bring eternal life and happiness to his children. Should not our whole purpose in this life, therefore, be made up of righteous service one to another? If not, how can we ever hope to be as he is?”

(in Conference Report, Oct. 1981, 132; or Ensign, Nov. 1981, 93).