David Journal

Category: Scripture Notes

  • What is most valuable?

    —

    by

    David
    in

    It is interesting to think that when Lehi left Jerusalem he left large quantities of things that the world values (gold, silver, and precious things) and took just his family and provisions into the wilderness. Later the Lord sent his sons back to sweetie a specific spiritual record and one more family. It got me…

  • Take action

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I notice how similar the word of the Lord was to Lehi here as it was to Nephi when he was given the sealing power after revealing the murder of the chief judge: “blessed art thou for thy faithfulness…thou hast been diligent…now go and do.” Also similar is how they responded: they immediately acted on…

  • First Nephi

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I keep getting reminded that the first book of Nephi was written many years after the events it records took place and that this is the second time Nephi wrote them down. He came into the making of the small plates knowing what would be covered in First Nephi. (Second Nephi is where he begins…

  • The only explanation

    —

    by

    David
    in

    When Elder Holland says that the only viable explanation of the origin of the Book of Mormon is the one Joseph provided we can see what the explanation is in the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith and in Brief Explanation about the Book of Mormon.

  • Following the record

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I wonder if Zoram felt a connection or responsibility for the brass plates. Was that the thing he was most passionate about in his role as keeper of the treasury in the house of Laban? It is entirely possible that he was not a free man in the household of Laban and he might even…

  • The record of my father

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I just realized that what Nephi wrote about Lehi beginning to preach was not based on his own memory but rather on the record that Lehi had kept.

  • Annual instruction

    —

    by

    David
    in

    What was it like for Joseph to wait a year between each interview with Moroni? How often did he leave an interview with instructions of something he needed to do before the next year? Obviously in the final year he was supposed to acquire a secure box to hold the plates before he finally retrieved…

  • The bulk of witnesses

    —

    by

    David
    in

    In a legal case there are star witnesses—those who provide the most compelling testimony—and then all the other witnesses who bear less spectacular testimonies but the consistency of their more pedestrian testimonies serve remove any argument that the testimony of the star witnesses is inconsistent with the broader context of surrounding facts or the overall…

  • Official Declaration i

    —

    by

    David
    in

    On select occasions the First Presidency has published official declarations—often, if not always, with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—although they were rarely called “official declarations.” I am referring to things like The Family: a proclamation to the world, and The Living Christ which I consider as official and doctrinally sound as the 2 official…

  • Commentary

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I have always been wary of relying on commentaries to scripture. A lot of people like them and I see the value in some of them but I want to be extremely careful to separate the source from the commentary. Much of what messed up the Pharisees (besides pride) was developing an intellectual culture that…