David Journal

Category: Scripture Notes

  • Setting a foundation

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    The Lord sent a vanguard of trusted servants to establish businesses and begin to acquire property so that the coming saints would have the means to settle in Missouri.

  • The implications of physically gathering

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    The church had unique problems to solve because of the command for them to physically gather to a common place. This necessitated the church coordinating donations, purchased, and disbursement of land and goods.

  • Celestial symmetry

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    It feels like spiritual poetry that the people of Limhi were baptized by Alma just as the original converts who were baptized in the Waters of Mormon from among the people under king Noah. And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God. Mosiah 26:3 Without a believing heart to…

  • Signs come by faith

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    Hear the word of him … Who willeth to take even them whom he will take, and preserveth in life them whom he will preserve; Who buildeth up at his own will and pleasure; and destroyeth when he pleases, and is able to cast the soul down to hell. Behold, I, the Lord, utter my…

  • Trust no man to be a king over you

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    When the people of Alma looked to him to be their ruler he taught them to jealously guard their right to make their own choices by not being ruled by someone else. Alma recognized the danger of turning our decision making over to another person. He knew that even if you have a good person…

  • What was happening in Cincinnati?

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    And in that place (Cincinnati from verse 30) they shall lift up their voices unto God against that people … a people who are well-nigh ripened for destruction. Doctrine & Covenants 61:31 Looking at the history of Cincinnati I wonder if there was something related to slavery and the abolitionist movement that was drawing the…

  • An alternate reality

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    Before the people of Limhi were delivered from bondage the Lord softened the hearts of their enemies after they humbled themselves to ease the burdens from their backs. I suspect that could have happened more quickly if they had humbled themselves before they tried and failed to free themselves through force of arms. Having attached…

  • Unto what were ye ordained?

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    I think it’s valuable, especially when we feel rudderless, to ask what we have been ordained to do. When we understand our role we should focus on that and not try to take over things the Lord has reserved to Himself or ordained others to do. If you behold a spirit manifested that you cannot…

  • Popular sidetracks

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    We can see here how people can get an idea and elevate it to a doctrine. Two clear examples here are celibacy and vegetarianism. Celibacy has a place (outside of marriage) but it should not be pushed as a lifelong aspirational lifestyle. Similarly vegetarianism (and veganism) have some merit from the standpoint of physiological health…

  • The way to preach

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    Let them lift up their voice and declare my word with loud voices, without wrath or doubting.{Proclaim} my word among the congregations of the wicked, not in haste, neither in wrath nor with strife. Doctrine & Covenants 60:7,14 The Lord does not need or want us to become demonstrative or performative or to be anxious…