Line upon line. What did you learn today?

[marc]

I am going to start this as an experiment. I'll admit that I spend some time reading through some contentious threads and even add my two cents on occasion. But seldom do I emerge from those discussions edified. I am going to use this thread to share what I learn each day and it will likely be something different each time. I hope to share something new that I learned from reading in other posts. If I don't share anything of good report or praiseworthy from other discussions, I will share something from my own personal studies that day. I hope others will do the same so that I am not the only one. We're all passionate about being right. Maybe we can be passionate about being good, too. If you learned something new today, which is gospel related that helped your testimony grow, PLEASE share it here.

p.s. This is also a litmus test. How you react to what you just read is a good indicator of where your heart is. It could be that much needed wake up call. Therefore, let us teach one another by the Spirit.

D&C 50
10 And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand;

11 Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face.

12 Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand.

13 Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained?

14 To preach my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth.

17 Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

18 And if it be by some other way it is not of God.

19 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

20 If it be some other way it is not of God.

21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?

22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.

I look forward to seeing where this goes.

[Juliette]

Everyday I come to realize more and more how strong my testimony is.
I've been to the sacred grove. As I stood there I thought about Joseph and how frightened he must have been. I thought to myself,"
" I would have ran"!! Then I remembered," One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--"This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"
I know with all my heart that Joseph told the truth about what he saw.

[HeirofNumenor]

We're all passionate about being right. Maybe we can be passionate about being good, too.

This was a great reminder...

[marc]

Thanks for sharing, Juliette. I visited the Smith farm and also the grove back in April 2009 and took a bunch of pictures. It was still cold and the trees were bare. While it was a peaceful and spiritual experience for me, I realized the reality that when Joseph went to the grove in the early Spring to pray, it must have looked very much like this. I always pictured the setting with birds singing and bees humming, everything warm and beautiful and green like a Summer day.

[awake]

Thanks for posting those wonderful pictures coach.

Today I learned that the 'desires of our hearts' usually determines our 'understanding'. If we don't want something to be true, then we usually won't be able to 'see' the truth about it. If someone doesn't want to live a certain commandment, then they won't see the truth in it.

Thus why we are judged by the 'desires of our hearts' and our actions. For our desires create our actions.

[Juliette]

Thanks for posting those wonderful pictures coach.

Today I learned that the 'desires of our hearts' usually determines our 'understanding'. If we don't want something to be true, then we usually won't be able to 'see' the truth about it. If someone doesn't want to live a certain commandment, then they won't see the truth in it.

Thus why we are judged by the 'desires of our hearts' and our actions. For our desires create our actions.

I love these threads where the spirit dwells. Thanks Coach for starting it. Great comment awake.

[Deborah000]

Thank you Coach for starting an uplifting thread. I had very little study time, so I am not sure what I learned, but today my stepson is is flying to Utah to serve a mission for his Baptist Church. How weird is that?

[Original_Intent]

I won't go into the details of what I learned as it has been a very educational day for me.

But the highlights were that we wathched "The Ultimate Gift" as a family for FHE and it was full of many good messages, and then for our family scripture study we read 2 Nephi 28 and probably spent a good 15-20 minutes discussing it after reading - what a GREAT chapter full of many important messages.

[MelissaM]

I won't go into the details of what I learned as it has been a very educational day for me.

But the highlights were that we wathched "The Ultimate Gift" as a family for FHE and it was full of many good messages, and then for our family scripture study we read 2 Nephi 28 and probably spent a good 15-20 minutes discussing it after reading - what a GREAT chapter full of many important messages.

One of myt Favorite Chapters.

I learned today from this forum about the Anti Nephi Lehis and what the name refers to. Not after Nephi, Lehi. As in descended from Lehi, but not Nephi. Rejection of the name "Lamanites." I feel like DUH! I should have learned this a long time ago.

[karend77]

***

[dennis]

A line for me is quite a bit, recently I have been concentrating on one word. That word is RECEIVE. I started with D&C 45:57 and memorized it. Then every scripture that has the word receive from the index. Receiveth the truth by the spirit of truth , was one I have not contemplated . thanks for bring it up. In the beginning of our mortality, we Receive our bodies. Receiving includes caring for it. Taking responsibility for the health of my body and receiving knowledge on how to keep it in top physical, mental and spiritual condition, has become a priority. Father wants us to be in peak performance every day. He gives us the things we need to over come illness and become like him spiritually as well as physically. For sure he is not sick. He sent his Son that we might overcome death. As we receive light and truth we are given more light and truth. If we receive the Holy Ghost, the priesthood , the Savior , the Father and all things that the Father gives us , then He receives us. Receive has to be one of the most under rated words in scripture. Pray with all energy of heart that we may receive. All blessings can be received, and a blessing of receiving the truth is not being
Deceived. Which is the word I was studying before RECEIVE. Many receive a telestial glory to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?

[marc]

A line for me is quite a bit, recently I have been concentrating on one word. That word is RECEIVE. I started with D&C 45:57 and memorized it. Then every scripture that has the word receive from the index. Receiveth the truth by the spirit of truth , was one I have not contemplated . thanks for bring it up. In the beginning of our mortality, we Receive our bodies. Receiving includes caring for it. Taking responsibility for the health of my body and receiving knowledge on how to keep it in top physical, mental and spiritual condition, has become a priority. Father wants us to be in peak performance every day. He gives us the things we need to over come illness and become like him spiritually as well as physically. For sure he is not sick. He sent his Son that we might overcome death. As we receive light and truth we are given more light and truth. If we receive the Holy Ghost, the priesthood , the Savior , the Father and all things that the Father gives us , then He receives us. Receive has to be one of the most under rated words in scripture. Pray with all energy of heart that we may receive. All blessings can be received, and a blessing of receiving the truth is not being
Deceived. Which is the word I was studying before RECEIVE. Many receive a telestial glory to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?

Simple, yet profound. Thank you for sharing this!

[HeirofNumenor]

Along that line...when I was a missionary in Japan, I noticed that when ever we would teach a concept such as accept/receive the Gospel/Holy Ghost/scriptures, etc... the Japanese word always used was ukerieru - which means (dictionary-wise) "to take into, receive" - but in reality, it means to internalize - to make a part of you....

I always loved that realization...

[Juliette]

I have learned how powerful Satan is. I also know that without a body, he cannot force us to do anything. It is all within our power to overcome his power. Satan is a coward, and if we stand firm, he will leave.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught,

" The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power.”

In my patriarchal blessing, I was blessed with the power of discernment. This comes through the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I try to obey the commandments and follow the counsel of our living Prophet. In this, there is safety and peace! :ymhug:

[marc]

I am learning just how much the Lord wanted us to come unto Him and receive Him as our Second Comforter since Adam. The more I read the scriptures like Jacob 5, 3 Nephi 11, first 3 chapters in Ether, and other events, stories and allegories, the more it rings true. The Israelites did not want this, though, and became so hardened that the Melchizedek Priesthood was taken from them and they were left with performances to do and given the Law of Moses. The first five books of the bible were written by Moses and when he wrote First Moses (Genesis), he wrote the creation of Adam and Eve as an allegory. The truth of the literal creation was taken away as it was taken away from the early saints (I'm not sure if Joseph Smith was ever allowed to teach it) because the saints became more interested in a masonic way of life rather than build their temple in Nauvoo in the prescribed amount of time to meet the Lord and so Joseph Smith gave the saints an endowment to reflect this. I believe Moses had done the same, hence the reason we have the book of Genesis and the story of the creation in its current form. I'm still sorting through all this in my studies and research. So was the earth created literally in seven days as we know it? Was Eve literally created from a rib? Did Satan really appear to Eve as a snake? I've always had my doubts about this so apparently people way back then were just as skeptical and unwilling to obtain their calling and election as they are today. The more I reconstruct this history, the more light I shed on this subject and just how much our Savior wishes to embrace us, the greater my desire becomes to being diligent in keeping all his commandments and being worthy to enter his presence.

D&C 93

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;