I'm writing this post in response to an assignment from President Williams, the Elders's Quorum president in my ward. He asked our quorum for a different volunteer each day this week to share insights from their personal scripture study. I accepted the challenge for today. My experience will be posted on our quorum blog, The Shepherd's Watch, along with experiences from other quorum members throughout the week.
I wasn't sure what to study. Usually when I study the scriptures I either read slightly ahead of where my family happens to be studying The Book of Mormon or I study something I've been asked to read by a priesthood leader. This afternoon I decided to go with the first approach and read 2 Nephi 16 which is roughly the same as Isaiah 6.
I was struck by one verse in particular which has perplexed me in the past. 2 Nephi 16:10:
Right away I felt inspired to reread Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants. I had read through it quickly the other day because Elder Uchtdorf had told us to in the last General Conference and I wanted to be able to study it with Braeden. I hadn't written anything down in my scripture journal, but I remember being impressed by the link between obedience and receiving personal revelation. Different portions of the revelation stood out to me tonight.
Reading Doctrine and Covenants 121:12 caused me to pause.
Perhaps this condition of spiritual blindness is not the product of God hedging up the way, but the consequence of wicked choices by those who will not see and will not hear. Perhaps "their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn" that true sight can only come through righteous obedience to God's commandments. (121:35-36) Forced to confront the "burning rays of the rising sun", they cannot stand the light. (121:11) In short, they find themselves unable to see or hear or understand because they are "children of disobedience". (121:17) Their pride fails them.
In contrast, those who are stripped of pride and clothe themselves in charity through diligent obedience to the commandments and the righteous use of priesthood authority find that they can stand with confidence in the presence of God. (121:45) Instead of having their way hedged up, they enjoy the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and their everlasting reward will flow to them continuously. (121:46)
While the "prospects [of the wicked] melt away as the hoar frost" (121:11), the righteous are promised that "the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven" (121:45).
There were other thoughts that came to me as well. I began to see parallels between Section 121 and the story of the prodigal son's return as recorded in Luke 15. There were echos of Section 84 and Section 107 as well. I've tried to write down as many of these in my scripture journal as I can and I'll return to them in coming days.
I don't think I uncovered anything in my study that hasn't been preached a thousand times from pulpits across the Church. But many of the impressions that came to me were new to me. I don't believe they would have come if I hadn't sought the Lord's direction in what I should study, if I hadn't already been reading the Book of Mormon regularly with my family and if I hadn't been paying attention to and pondering the New Testament lessons in Sunday School.
It's a further testimony to me that God will bless us when we approach him in prayer, study his word and follow his servants.
I wasn't sure what to study. Usually when I study the scriptures I either read slightly ahead of where my family happens to be studying The Book of Mormon or I study something I've been asked to read by a priesthood leader. This afternoon I decided to go with the first approach and read 2 Nephi 16 which is roughly the same as Isaiah 6.
I was struck by one verse in particular which has perplexed me in the past. 2 Nephi 16:10:
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes—lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed.It seems to me a strange thing that the Lord would want to prevent a people from being converted and healed. I was going to study this scripture further, but I had the feeling that I was studying the wrong thing. I glanced over my scripture journal for some help, but no inspiration came to me. I decided that I should pray for guidance. I waited for everyone to go to bed, knelt in prayer and asked the Lord to help me know what I should study.
Right away I felt inspired to reread Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants. I had read through it quickly the other day because Elder Uchtdorf had told us to in the last General Conference and I wanted to be able to study it with Braeden. I hadn't written anything down in my scripture journal, but I remember being impressed by the link between obedience and receiving personal revelation. Different portions of the revelation stood out to me tonight.
Reading Doctrine and Covenants 121:12 caused me to pause.
God hath set his hand and seal to change the times and seasons, and to blind their minds, that they may not understand his marvelous workings; that he may prove them also and take them in their own craftiness;Immediately, I sensed the connection with the scripture from Isaiah. Why is it that the Lord would stop up the ears of some people and prevent them from seeing and understanding? I returned to Isaiah and read again, this time paying more attention to verse nine where Isaiah is commanded to say, "Hear ye indeed, and they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not."
Perhaps this condition of spiritual blindness is not the product of God hedging up the way, but the consequence of wicked choices by those who will not see and will not hear. Perhaps "their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn" that true sight can only come through righteous obedience to God's commandments. (121:35-36) Forced to confront the "burning rays of the rising sun", they cannot stand the light. (121:11) In short, they find themselves unable to see or hear or understand because they are "children of disobedience". (121:17) Their pride fails them.
In contrast, those who are stripped of pride and clothe themselves in charity through diligent obedience to the commandments and the righteous use of priesthood authority find that they can stand with confidence in the presence of God. (121:45) Instead of having their way hedged up, they enjoy the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and their everlasting reward will flow to them continuously. (121:46)
While the "prospects [of the wicked] melt away as the hoar frost" (121:11), the righteous are promised that "the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven" (121:45).
There were other thoughts that came to me as well. I began to see parallels between Section 121 and the story of the prodigal son's return as recorded in Luke 15. There were echos of Section 84 and Section 107 as well. I've tried to write down as many of these in my scripture journal as I can and I'll return to them in coming days.
I don't think I uncovered anything in my study that hasn't been preached a thousand times from pulpits across the Church. But many of the impressions that came to me were new to me. I don't believe they would have come if I hadn't sought the Lord's direction in what I should study, if I hadn't already been reading the Book of Mormon regularly with my family and if I hadn't been paying attention to and pondering the New Testament lessons in Sunday School.
It's a further testimony to me that God will bless us when we approach him in prayer, study his word and follow his servants.
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