Scripture Study - Delight/Pleasure

 2/1/24 – Delight/Pleasure

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Ps. 40:8) … my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God. (2 Nephi 9:49) … For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them,… my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. (2 Nephi 4:15-16) And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. (Enos 1:27)

Hearken and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me; … (D&C 41:1) … hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye (take within yourselves) that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, … (Isa. 55:2-3) … he (God) delighteth in mercy. (Micah 7:18) … the prayer of the upright is his (the Lord’s) delight. (Prov. 12:22) The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear (reverence) him, in those that hope in his mercy. (Ps. 147:11) Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. (Ps. 35:27) For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads. (D&C 25:12)

For thus saith the Lord – I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear (reverence) me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. (D&C 76:5-7) Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. … seek ye to bring forth the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:32, 31, 34)

 

Insights: It’s pretty straight forward. If we find pleasure in learning about and doing the will of God, He will in return find pleasure in blessing us – in this life and throughout the eternities. I have always loved the simplicity of an “If – Then” situation. It takes all the work out of the mental process; “if” you do this, “then” you will receive this. It’s the easiest of situations to make decisions in. We already know the outcome and we can decide which end result we want and then follow that path.

There are some magnificent promises here for those that set aside their own agenda for the Lord’s will – mansions in heaven, mercy from this life, answers to all those things you’ve always wanted to know. How could anyone think that Heavenly Father is anything but loving and wanting the absolute best for His children after reading these passages?

Scripture Study - Glad/Gladness

 1/31/24 – Glad/Gladness

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: … (Prov. 10:28) The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory. (Ps. 64:10) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him (Christ): … (Rev. 19:7) Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. (Ps. 100:2) … as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Rom. 10:15)

Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; … (D&C 128:19) Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom. (D&C 29:5) For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. (Isa. 51:3, 11)

 

Insights: I think about the movie Polyanna and how she taught the minister about the “Glad” verses in the scriptures – which changed him completely. The Lord wants us to be happy and has provided His Gospel so that we have the insight of eternity allowing us to find joy and gladness in this often times dark world.

I remember as a young girl having chores to do in the home. Mom would turn it into a game with singing. Somehow, the chores we dreaded became less challenging when our mindset shifted and we looked upon the work as something fun and exciting. The same thing was shown in the movie Mary Poppins with the cleaning of the nursery and the taking of the medicine. “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!” It truly comes down to where we allow our minds to take us. If we look at what we have to do with one of excitement at the prospect, it is so much easier. But when we allow negative thoughts and anger or frustration to take hold, what may have already been an unpleasant task becomes nearly unbearable.

The power of our minds is incredible. You have the ability to control where your mind goes and how it affects your whole experience. Grab onto hope, and allow joy and gladness to have free reign, and this life will be so much more pleasant!

Scripture Study - Cheer/Cheerful

 1/30/24 – Cheer/Cheerful

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (Matt. 14:27) A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Prov. 15:13) A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Prov. 17:22) … Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. (Matt. 9:2)

Having the gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, …he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Rom. 12:6, 8) Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours. (D&C 78:17-18) Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; … (D&C 68:6) … in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves – to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. (2 Nephi 10:23) And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you; (D&C 61:36) … yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. (Mosiah 24:15) Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. (D&C 123:17)

Insights: I have a hanging in my living room that says “It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.” I believe the Lord was trying to teach this in these passages. We are told over and over again to be of good cheer, and to be not afraid. The Lord has prepared a way for us to get through those trials that come and once we do, the blessings will be greater than we could ever imagine. Without a cheerful heart, all that we go through will be worse because our spirit is already broken. The old saying that every cloud has a silver lining is true. Our greatest priority is to look for and find that silver lining and that will be what gives us the cheerful heart. (We will find what we look for, so look for the good!)

I love that the Lord promises that we will not have to traverse these hard times alone; he will be right there with us, helping us through. As a girl, I was introduced to the poem “Footprints in the Sand” where it sank deep into my heart that even when I feel like I am alone, I am not.

One night a man dreamed a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.

 For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.

 When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:

“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you the most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied:

“My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” (Mary Stevenson)

May you find the good even when submerged in the hard, and may you recognize the hand of the Lord in your life – holding you, guiding you, and loving you!

Scripture Study - Whole/Wholly

 1/29/24 – Whole/Wholly

And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out. (2 Nephi 25:29) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand. (Eph. 6:11)

… Jesus … saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mark 2:17) … Jesus turned him about and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. (Matt. 9:22)

The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single (dedicated), thy whole body shall be full of light. (3 Nephi 13:22) And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. (D&C 88:67)

And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved. (Omni 1:26)

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. (Ps. 119:2) Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting (progress) may be manifest in all. (1 Tim. 4:15) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thes. 5:23)

Insights: When contemplating on the word “whole” I can’t help but think that it is another form of the words “complete,” “finished,” and “total.” These are each all-encompassing ending words, meaning that there is nothing that comes after. This is the final answer we give on who and what we are and have become in this life. When looking at it like this, I recognize that the decisions made in this life are very simple. Do we believe in God? If we believe in God, do we love Him? These are yes or no questions. If we believe in God and love Him, then we show that love by following Him. It is just that simple. This ultimate question and answer colors all that we choose to do in each day.

I was recently in a jury selection room and the same question was asked of all 60 individuals. The question was whether you felt that the purpose of a prison sentence was to punish, detain (keep from further harm happening), or rehabilitation of the individual. I was torn on my answer but we were only allowed to give a single response. As I sat listening to the answers given by others, I realized that I needed to look upon the question as I would imagine my Heavenly Father desires when we, His beloved children, make mistakes and what His ultimate goal for each of His children is. He wants us to be complete or whole. He doesn’t find joy in bringing us pain because we made a mistake; the last thing He wants for us is to heap even more weight upon our shoulders, crippling us from making the turn back to Him. He doesn’t pre-judge us – that there is no future hope because of a mistake made. He has ultimate hope in our ability to choose to change and return to Him, even when we don’t share that same hope in ourselves. He only wants to help us along the path to peace and joy. He wants to show us how to choose wisely and live a life that allows us to progress freely and become the most complete or finished version of His child. He wants to give us guidelines that will protect us from the worst of the worst in life.

I recall a presentation I gave in college where I compared laws and their purpose to the handrail of a skyscraper balcony. The rail isn’t there to block our view or to force us to comply to someone’s grand scheme of control. The rail is there to protect us. It gives us safety without force. We can still look out while standing at the rail and have the whole view; and if we choose, we can climb over that rail and ignore the safety provided. It is completely in our hands what to do with the protection provided. So too are the commandments of God. He isn’t trying to force dominion over us, just as that is not the goal of any good parent. He only wants to provide the best opportunities for the greatest rewards possible.

I must admit, I wasn’t expecting my study to go quite in this direction when I originally placed these passages within the pages of this year’s study schedule. I am infinitely grateful that my Heavenly Father loves me, has hope for me, and doesn’t ever give up on me; because I fail myself all the time by making mistakes, losing hope in my abilities, and internally berating myself. I need to remember and be more like Him in being gracious and loving to myself and to others who are going through challenging life experiences. One of my favorite quotes I came across years ago says, “Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world that it was crooked.” Take care of yourself, and then quietly share that same love with others.

Scripture Study - Gather/Gathering

 1/26/24 – Gather/Gathering

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Eph. 1:10) … how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. (3 Nephi 10:6) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather unto barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (Matt. 6:26) He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isa. 40:11)

And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. (Mark 13:27) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father… Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. (Matt. 13:41-43, 47-48)

Behold, it is my will, that all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places; (D&C 101:22) For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matt. 18:20)

Insights: I find it interesting that in the majority of the passages I studied, it is the Lord that is gathering. He is gathering all of His children from every part of the earth and beyond. He gathers them to protect them and provide for them. He gathers them to lead them Home. Although the Lord gathers His children, only the righteous can remain in His presence. Those that have chosen a different path than His, will not be able to remain with Him. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt. 6:24)

We too must gather – together to strengthen ourselves in our devotion to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Perhaps most importantly in our gathering together is the promise that where we are gathered in Christ’s name, He will be there with us. What a wonderful promise!