David Journal

Category: Scripture Notes

  • Knowing the plan

    —

    by

    David
    in

    The Roman leaders thought it unfortunate that Paul had appealed to Caesar because if he had not they could have released him after determining that he was not guilty of anything serious. Paul could have felt the same way of he had not known (well before he ever appealed to Caesar) that he was called…

  • Trial without charged

    —

    by

    David
    in

    It seems eminently reasonable that the Roman leaders insisted that if they sent a man for judgement they needed to be able to articulate what he was accused of so that a judgement could be made.

  • Who are we to define what is fair or just?

    —

    by

    David
    in ,

    Interesting that Alma is correcting Corianton on thinking that some part of the plan of salvation was unjust. I had thoughts in Sunday School about how we are unqualified as children to define what is fair because we don’t have full knowledge of all the factors. that’s why we have to rely on parents to…

  • Wrestling the truth and going astray

    —

    by

    David
    in

    Alma talks to Corianton who has bought into an idea that the resurrection will bring paradise for everyone. I don’t know that the idea he was believing is any more wrong it dangerous than popular ideas that we see today such as the concept that we can be born into the wrong body. Of course…

  • Paradise and prison

    —

    by

    David
    in

    Between death and the resurrection the souls of men inhabit paradise or prison based upon their righteousness. Those who were righteous are at peace with the lives they led and content to reap the rewards of their choices. They trust that their life after death will be peaceful. On the other hand, those who were…

  • Changing gears

    —

    by

    David
    in

    I imagine it was a challenge for Alma to shift gears from bearing testimony to a son who was obedient and deserving of commendation to having to correct a son who had invited heavenly condemnation by his disobedience.

  • Bearing testimony

    —

    by

    David
    in

    Alma didn’t speak to Shiblon because he needed correcting. He spoke because bearing his testimony to his son (again) was important for strengthening his existing faith. Nobody will ever be so full of faith that they can’t be strengthened by hearing the testimony of someone they trust.

  • Words without authority

    —

    by

    David
    in

    The exorcists who tried to cast out an evil spirit saying “we adjure the by Jesus whom Paul preacheth” said the right kind of words but lacked any authority to invoke the name of Christ. The evil spirit testified as much by acknowledging that he recognized the authority both of Jesus and of Paul. We…

  • Paul like the Sons of Mosiah

    —

    by

    David
    in

    These stories of Paul as a missionary sounds like the stories from the mission of the Sons of Mosiah among the Lamanites.

  • Enlarge the memory

    —

    by

    David
    in

    Alma tells Helaman that the bread plates enlarged the memory of the children of Lehi by preserving a record of their origins. It reminded me of the study reported by the New York Times that children who know the stories of their ancestors are more emotionally stable. We need to find a way to preserve…