David Journal

Category: Scripture Notes

  • The through line

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I’m seeing the theme of Aaronic priesthood responsibility. The Aaronic priesthood holds the keys of the ministering of angels and of the gospel of repentance; the office of their (angels) ministry is to call men to repentance and do the work of the covenants of the Father; priests and teachers were ordained to preach “repentance…

  • Apostolic Ordination

    —

    by

    David
    in

    Somehow I had thought about the words in Moroni 2 that Christ spoke to His disciples as something He said to the group like an explanation of the power He would give them. I realize today that it was something He said to each of them as He set them apart for the ministry. In…

  • Wandering alone

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I wonder if Moroni was constantly on the move and kept the minimum resources with him necessary to write or if he would set up a secluded base of operations and stayed in one place so long as he could remain undetected. Either case would have been a hard way to live.

  • The final message

    —

    by

    David
    in

    The last message Moroni put in writing was to echo the words of his father regarding faith, hope, and charity and draw the connecting line between the lack of those virtues and the destruction that he witnessed among his people. He sees the district possibility of that happening again in the last days before everything…

  • Different ways of administration

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I’ve never really thought about this phrase from Moroni: “there are different ways that these gifts are administered.” I had written it off as a way of saying that the various gifts were different but that’s really not it. It means that there are different avenues for the gifts to be bestowed. The gift of…

  • Mindless brutes

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I wonder what Ether did for the 4 years while the two armies were gathering. In some ways those might have been the most peaceful years of his life. Can imagine that during these years of gathering the two armies were anything but gentle in recruiting—both armies probably killed anyone they concluded was not persuadable…

  • Benchmarks of depravity

    —

    by

    David
    in

    One benchmark of how broken their society was is that people had to keep their weapons physically in their grasp less they get taken or lost. Another benchmark is the fact that Coriantumr appearing to be dead likely saved the lives (at least temporarily) of thousands or even tens of thousands of people because Shiz…

  • Every man with his band

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I wonder if it was frustrating for Ether to see so much about a future that not even a remnant of his people would experience. On the other hand, maybe it was comforting to know that God had such wonderful things in store in contrast to what Ether was witnessing each day. It is ready…

  • What is our strength? What is our weakness?

    —

    by

    David
    in

    Moroni indicates that the Nephites were powerful speakers and that makes me think that people can have collective strengths and weaknesses. What are our collective strengths and weaknesses today? Is it possible that the pursuit of social justice is a strength? Is it possible that critical thinking and focus are collective weaknesses?

  • The last high point

    —

    by

    David
    in

    Com followed in the footsteps of his ninth great grandfather in fighting to regain the kingdom that has been maintained through his ancestral line and then doing good after obtaining it. The difference was that he was not followed by at least three generations of righteous descendants. His own son faced multiple rebellions and was…