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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) A brief history of many noteworthy events leading up to the dedication of the Kirtland Temple.
(03:28) Washings and anointings are introduced to a core group of Saints in Kirtland.
(09:12) Edward Partridge and Joseph Smith are reconciled and share in visionary experiences.
(11:26) The construction of the temple came with great personal sacrifice and tribulation. Did the Saints use their best china in the plaster?
(14:17) The dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple reveals some of the purposes and blessings of temples. Temples connect heaven and earth, the focal point where God manifests holiness to his children. We can take our challenges to the temple and partner with God in resolving them.
(17:18) Temples are a house of God, where he dwells and communes with mankind. Feeling His divine presence is a reminder of our heavenly home.
(22:45) A closer look as to why Sidney Rigdon reads Psalm 96 and 24 at the dedication and how they relate to ancient ideas about temples.
(29:21) The temple is a place of instruction and learning.
(39:14) The temple is a house of protection.
(41:32) The dedicatory prayer ends by Joseph taking his problems to the Lord. He prays for his enemies, the nations of the earth, the redemption of Jerusalem, and for leaders of the Church.
(46:20) An outline of the eventful week after the dedication.
(48:50) Four significant heavenly beings come to the temple and bring keys to gather Israel and seal families: The Savior, Moses, Elias, and Elijah.
(56:43) The coming of Elijah during Passover week was a prophecy thousands of years in the making.

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The post Ep 340 | D&C 109-110, Come Follow Me 2025 (September 29-October 5) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) God has realistic expectations of us. We don’t have to be perfect to be saved.
(07:17) An interpretation of D&C 106.6, bowing to God’s scepter. When we choose to follow the Lord, He gives us all that He has in return.
(14:23) Section 107 is a revelation on the priesthood.
(16:19) Why Melchizedek is the model and designation for which the priesthood is named.
(30:18) The purpose of the priesthood and hierarchy is to bring God’s children home.
(33:35) The patriarchal priesthood is practiced in the home and is not hierarchal. The priesthood offices function as scaffolding to bless and build the family.
(35:27) Calling and election is discussed in these revelations, but the journey matters as much as the destination.
(39:47) Elder McConkie, “if you’re on that path when death comes…you’ll never fall off from it, and, for all practical purposes, your calling and election is made sure”.
(42:19) How Boyd K. Packer’s understanding of Section 107 influenced change in the organization of the Seventy.
(53:30) The Lord allows humans to run the church. The president of the church has the power to decide (D&C 107.79-80).
(54:52) The ascendancy of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1841.
(57:03) The restoration is ongoing. We are part of a living Church that grows and adjusts.
(59:27) The meeting at Adam-ondi-Ahman.
(1:02:13) The Pseudepigraphal Testament of Adam as it relates to the Lord’s comments in D&C 107.53-54. Joseph Smith sits in the tradition of early Christianity and their understanding of Adam’s role among the ancients.

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The post Ep 339 | D&C 106-108, Come Follow Me 2025 (September 22-28) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) Section 102 contains governing principles for councils.
(10:24) An example of a council in Acts 15. Moving forward with unity is important.
(12:37) Modern apostles share their experiences making decisions in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
(14:45) The historical background of Zion’s Camp. Their mission was to reclaim their lands in Jackson County.
(18:13) Missouri Attorney General Robert W. Wells assures the Saints they will be restored to their homes if they send men to help. Governor Dunklin later reverses this decision.
(22:22) How the Zion’s Camp experience can apply in our lives today.
(30:23) Much of the history of Zion’s Camp is from George A. Smith’s journal, who was just 17 at the time.
(33:34) Joseph had a plan to go back in two years and reclaim Zion, but it did not happen. The Saints struggled to follow the Lord’s counsel.
(39:00) Zion’s Camp helped shape powerful leaders – Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff and others.
(40:23) We must finish building Zion today.
(44:23) Three members in Missouri were chastised by Joseph Smith. Even though Joseph corrected these men, his later letters portray his great love for them.
(48:15) The Lord instructs Israel to become great.

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The post Ep 338 | D&C 102-105, Come Follow Me 2025 (September 15-21) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) In July 1833, Missourians mob the Saints. The Lord defines when fighting back is justified.
(03:07) The Book of Mormon teaches that we should be reluctant to go into conflict.
(06:25) Conflict should have righteous motivation: to preserve, defend, and protect.
(10:10) We can’t be guilty of striking back. We won’t have the Lord’s help in conflict if we retaliate.
(19:46) Conflict is justified in times of exigency, an urgent need or demand.
(21:49) The Saints made mistakes which inflamed the conflict in Missouri.
(26:42) We must accept the responsibilities that come with rights.
(41:24) Section 99 is a revelation to John Murdock.
(44:20) In Section 100 Joseph is on his mission to Canada, where key converts are later found.
(45:46) Section 101 emphasizes the need for a watchman on a tower. Prophets and temples will prepare us for what is to come.
(55:12) The violence and suffering continues in 1833. The prophet Joseph details what Zion must do to be safe, including building a temple.
(1:01:14) The end of Section 101 can be read as much more than a call to gather Zions Camp and march to Missouri. It can also be read as the Lord’s call to perfect the Saints.
(1:06:00) The future of Zion is bright. Be still and know that I am God.
(1:11:04) Beautiful promises of the Second Coming of Christ and future Millennial peace.

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The post Ep 337 | D&C 98-101, Come Follow Me 2025 (September 8-14) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) The Kirtland Saints and the Jackson County Saints received the same command to build a temple, but they had different results.
(05:27) The significance of temples was lost due to the Apostasy and misunderstanding of scriptural texts over time.
(07:05) Four days after the revelatory rebuke in D&C 95, George A. Smith, Hyrum Smith, and Reynolds Cahoon haul loads of stone and commence digging trenches for the temple.
(12:01) The other buildings described in Section 94 are not built, but the Saints did finish the Kirtland Temple.
(15:04) The importance of temple work and its peculiar nature as emphasized in D&C 95.4 and Isaiah 28.21. A brief examination of Isaiah 28 in its temple context.
(27:32) We build temples to give us a place to take our most holy desires unto the Lord so that He can pour out His spirit upon us.
(28:55) The dedicatory prayer of King Solomon’s temple and its relevance to our day.
(33:59) The Kirtland Temple is built on part of the Peter French farm.
(37:56) The Latter-day Saints’ opposition to slavery contributed to the political tension in Jackson County, Missouri in the summer of 1833.
(44:40) The Lord offers the Saints a way to escape vengeance by building the temple. He gives a similar message to Hezekiah, King of Judah, who understands the blessings and promises of the temple.
(52:18) Why we build temples.

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The post Ep 336 | D&C 94-97, Come Follow Me 2025 (September 1-7) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) Section 93 answers deep theological questions about the nature of God and His children.
(01:41) One step at a time, grace for grace, we will make it to the Celestial Kingdom. As we improve and grow, the light we receive shows us more we need to do. Divine discontent is meant to motivate, not discourage.
(20:16) Don’t judge others. They may be more faithful to the light they have than we are to the light we have.
(22:21) The reciprocal nature of grace in the Greek charis – χάρις.
(26:17) Some early Christian theologians wrestled with the idea of an embodied God. How can God be everywhere and yet have a body? Our understanding of light and truth helps explain how both are possible.
(29:39) Different translations of John 1.1. The Logos can be understood as participatory.
(35:43) We were with the Father in the pre-earth council.
(37:49) Many trials await the Saints in Missouri in 1833. The timing of this revelation could be a gift of light to help them get through a difficult time.
(40:32) Is man inherently good or evil? Augustine’s view of the depravity of man became orthodoxy, but this section teaches something different.
(43:39) We all miss the mark (hamartia– the word translated as “sin”) and need to keep practicing. Our Heavenly Father is a God of do-overs and second chances. As we make covenants we are born again.
(47:45) Intelligence was not created nor made by God. This part of man has always existed and is independent.
(54:35) Truth is knowledge of things as they really are, as they were, and as they are to come. The Deification of man was taught in the texts of the Bible and understood by the early Christians.
(1:00:43) See people for who they are and what they have the potential to become.
(1:03:32) Bring up your children in light and truth. The Lord rebukes those who need to be more diligent and concerned at home, their primary responsibility.

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The post Ep 335 | D&C 93, Come Follow Me 2025 (August 25-31) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Official Church Statement on the Word of Wisdom

→ Timestamps:
(00:00) The historical background to the Word of Wisdom.
(02:06) The Word of Wisdom as a binding law came in gradually in Church practice.
(07:44) The Word of Wisdom is for us today, in our time.
(09:08) It may be beneficial to not try to give explanations for the Word of Wisdom besides the reason the Lord gives.
(09:48) The President of the Church can state and define the requirements of the Word of Wisdom.
(14:05) Layer 1 is the connection between our physical body and our spiritual nourishment. Food, exercise, sleep, stress, and hormone management are critical aspects of the Word of Wisdom.
(24:31) Layer 2 is a warning against conspiring men in the last days. The Mahan principle is converting human life into property.
(35:59) Commentary on the questionable comma found in D&C 89.13.
(38:30) Section 90 is the further establishment of the First Presidency and their duties.
(40:15) The roots of the word oracle. One of the best ways to weather the storms of the last days is to hold the words of the first presidency in high esteem and not treat them lightly.
(46:16) The meaning of D&C 90.25, let your families be small.
(48:21) Vienna Jaques, a consecrated Saint.
(52:19) The Apocrypha can give light and background to the multifaceted nature of scripture.
(56:04) Hugh Nibley discusses 10 things that apocryphal texts have in common.
(1:03:33) Be a lively member!

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The post Ep 334 | D&C 89-92, Come Follow Me 2025 (August 18-24) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ A Short Video on Silence Before the Second Coming in 3 Nephi 10 and D&C 88

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) The First and Second Comforter.
(04:33) The mosaic pictures of the Savior Jesus Christ.
(07:08) Synonyms for Jesus: light, life, law, and power.
(14:22) Through the power of His resurrection, Jesus is the quickener.
(21:28) Jesus is law. Law gives power and light everywhere in the universe. We are sanctified by obedience to law.
(24:17) Salvation is a gift. The law as a synonym for Jesus.
(26:42) God’s creations obey him. Mankind uses agency and falls short of obedience to God’s law.
(28:15) The earth “rolls upon her wings” in glory and majesty.
(32:37) Jesus cares about the individual. He tarried with the laborers in the field.
(41:00) The Lord gives a great and last promise.
(48:07) The Saints are encouraged to be instructed more perfectly, to seek out the best books, to search wisdom by study and by faith. Secular learning has a place in God’s kingdom.
(53:50) Jesus wants us to warn our neighbors about the change coming to the earth. The Second Coming is described.
(56:31) The history of the world is drenched in blood and warfare. The earth will bear her testimony before the Second Coming with great signs.
(1:01:04) The order of the glorious resurrection. Christ’s people who are alive when He comes will be caught up to meet Him and descend with Him. They who are in their graves will be resurrected to meet Him.
(1:04:13) The 5th trump is the angel proclaiming that “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.”
(1:07:41) The 6th trump is the angel proclaiming the end of Babylon’s reign. Zion is going to take the throne from Babylon.
(1:11:49) The 7th trump is the binding of Satan. The fight is over and the Savior’s Millennial reign will commence.
(1:15:06) The end of the Millennium will bring a time when Satan is loosed for a little season. The final battle between the forces of light and darkness will usher in the time of the celestial earth.
(1:18:33) The Lord calls for the School of the Prophets.

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The post Ep 333 | D&C 88, Come Follow Me 2025 (August 11-17) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) The historical context. The first presidency clarifies the meaning of the “mighty and strong one.”
(04:44) Uzzah’s steadying of the ark and modern applications.
(08:08) David O. McKay’s quote concerning those who try to direct others while lacking authority.
(10:01) Getting your name in the book of the law of God.
(12:00) The parable of the wheat and the tares & Noah blindness.
(33:46) Being descendants of Abraham, lawful heirs according to the flesh, and statements from early church leaders relating to literal descendants.
(41:16) Prophecy that the Civil War is coming.
(43:14) Refuting criticism of the Prophet Joseph Smith: While D&C 87 was not canonized until 1876, it was published and distributed many years before the Civil War.
(46:25) The accuracy of D&C 87.
(50:21) The Nullification Crisis and other historical context to this prophecy in 1832.
(54:00) Joseph Smith sees war being poured out upon all nations causing death and misery of many souls. Wars of the oppressed rising up against who they see as their oppressors.
(57:47) Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin’s approach to D&C 87:4. “Slaves shall rise up against their masters.”
(58:58) Like those in the book of Helaman, we live in an environment where there are wars of the heart.
(1:05:07) Peace is in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Stand in holy places.

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The post Ep 332 | D&C 85-87, Come Follow Me 2025 (August 4-10) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

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→ Timestamps:
(00:00) The historical context of Section 84.
(02:49) The purpose of the priesthood and its attendant blessings.
(10:49) One of the ways we claim the privileges of the priesthood is through the ordinances of the temple.
(23:44) The blessings of the priesthood are for everyone in the world. It is not necessary to hold an office in the priesthood to claim the blessings.
(30:01) Multiple ways to view Mount Zion, the mysteries of God, and Moses’ translation.
(33:49) The danger of neglecting the Book of Mormon.
(36:47) The offering of the Sons of Levi is clarified. A book containing the records of the family of Adam will be presented to God. We work toward getting everyone in the book.
(46:12) Difficulty with the prophecy regarding New York, Albany, and Boston. A deeper examination of this challenging text, with a forthright approach to the weaknesses of each interpretation.
(1:03:53) C.S. Lewis taught that there is great value in the struggle with difficult doctrines.
(1:06:26) We shall rejoice in the success of the Almighty by singing a new song.

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The post Ep 331 | D&C 84, Come Follow Me 2025 (July 28-August 3) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.