Accompanying Commentary on LDS Scriptures - tripmine (top e book reader txt) 📗

or a wonder.” -> i.e. new church building or Holy Ghost

3. Nephi 2:1,2

The people got used to those signs and miracles and began to be less and less astonished by there occurrence. They even started to rationalize them. => Signs don’t produce Faith but reward it!

3. Nephi 6:14

TRUE FAITH: Don’t depart, be firm, steadfast and immovable and willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.

3. Nephi 18:32

“…for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.”
Nobody is to be cast out because we think they never change or are a hopeless case, but we can make a difference how soon they come with “full purpose of heart.”

3. Nephi 27:12

“For their works do follow them”
Our works are part of the cause/ consequence system. So, either will the “Father show forth his own works in it” (verse 10) or “[we will] have joy in [our] works for a reason” and then the true character of our works will reveal itself (verse 11).

3. Nephi 27:27

“Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”

3. Nephi 29:1

A prophecy within the Book of Mormon was to be fulfilled over 1900 years later, even over 100 years after it was translated into English.

3. Nephi 29:8

This must have been a true admonition to all the german LDS during the times of war and the holocaust.


Mormon

Mormon 8:22

“For the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled.”

Mormon 8:39,40

You cannot adorn yourself with lifeless things, but with your help for the living. Your countenance and spiritual appearance will change accordingly. On the other hand, if those people’s blood will be upon your head that would look pretty ugly.

Mormon 9:7-9

Those who change the gospel in doctrine, practise or organization by alteration or the false assumption of discontinuation do not understand their scriptures nor God. Not even the Interlude of the Law of Moses was a real change but only the mercy of God to help the beginners and to challenge the advanced.

Mormon 9:31

Mormon and Moroni show true character and strength by admitting and recording their own and their people’s weaknesses for the intent that we may learn and be more wise than they have been.


Ether

Ether 12

Since my last conversation with a born again Christian and the good ol’ argument about faith and works, this chapter stuck especially out to me.
I wished I would have given him this chapter as a reading assignment, since it is so much connected with acting principles and the improvement of our character. And it shows also another point which is quite interesting to note for everybody that believes that simply confessing to and recognizing Jesus as our Saviour is all there is to it: Namely, all those things that Christ taught which were practical principles would have been in vain. Since it does not matter if you work towards your salvation, what good does it you if you study the good deeds of our Lord?
Salvation is a free gift but like the parable of the talents we might loose what is given to us if we do not apply what we learned from the master teacher’s examples.


Moroni

Moroni 7:3-4

We ought to be the “peaceable followers of Christ” which characteristic will be recognized by our “peaceable walk with the children of men.”

Moroni 7:5-9

Without the “real intent” good works profit us nothing, it is not counted unto us for righteousness and God receives none of such.

Moroni 7:13

“That which is of God inviteth and anticeth to do good CONTINUALLY.”
We need to think things to the end in order to find out whether they are inspired from God.

Moroni 7:19

“Search diligently in the light of Christ.” To look at things in a different light meaning a different perspective or approach. If we want to be a child of Christ we should familiarize ourselves with Christ’s perspective to be better able to recognize the Light of Christ in ourselves.

Moroni 7:28

Another good demonstration of the true principle of faith: Christ claims all those who have faith because those “who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing” and he knows that their intention is correct (-> verses 5-10) because of their faith in him.

Moroni 7:30

An interesting additional precondition to faith in order to have the privilege of ministering angels is worded as “a firm mind in every form of godliness” which might be consisting i.e. of self-discipline and education.

Moroni 7:43-44

Another interesting fact to born again Christianity is the explicit need of charity after he confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ. If that is not the case and this person, whatever religion he might belong to, starts to persecute others --> he is nothing!


Doctrine and Covenants - Pearl of Great Price

DnC 50:23-24

I wonder how there literally exists a “dark side” and a “light side.” Again, light is an enabling and dynamic power, enlarging the faculties and capacities of those who are willing to receive God and continue in obedience to him.

DnC 76

In commenting on DnC 76 Joseph Smith wrote: [those revelations] are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that every honest man is constrained to exclaim: “It came from God.” (History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. 252-253)

DnC 88:11,12

Light of Christ: gives us light, enlightens and quickens our understanding, it proceeds forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space, it gives life, governs as law and is the Power of God.

DnC 88:15

Soul of man = Spirit + Body

DnC 88:19

to receive celestial Glory: we must be able to live up to the celestial law and to fill the measure of our creation.

DnC 88:34

“That which is governed by law is also preserved by law.”

DnC 88:40

conditions of celestial kingdom: intelligence, wisdom, truth, love, light, virtue, mercy and justice.

DnC 88:42-44

the Order of God in the universe = one year!?

DnC 88:67

“That body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.”

DnC 88:124

“… cease to find fault one with another…” something I encountered quite often on my mission in the Scottish Saints.

DnC 88:87-116

Prophecies concerning the signs and events of the second coming. Interesting is that there will be another war between Michael and Lucifer, a second “War in Heaven.” (v. 112,113)

DnC 88:117:141

Things pertaining to the Solemn Assembly (former School of the Prophets). Point of interest: Salutation, washing of feet and partaking of bread and wine by president of the church, girded according to the pattern in John 13.

DnC 93:24

TRUTH = Knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.  So, the full truth is only through revelation available, because we cannot know about the future in any other way.

DnC 93:28

By keeping his commandments we will receive truth and light, grace by grace.

DnC 93:29

Men, Intelligence or the Light of Truth were in the beginning with God. They (intelligences) were “not created or made, neither indeed can be.”

DnC 93:30

Truth and intelligence are independent. If those were not able to act for themselves, there would be no existence. (DnC 93:33

Elements and Spirit inseparable connected. Elements are eternal.

Conclusion => INTELLIGENCE
Consists of Knowledge and Agency
Truth and Light
Wisdom and Power

DnC 93:39

“Intellignce is lost through disobedience, hardening of hearts and clinging to false doctrine.” (Encyclopaedia of Mormonism --> INTELLIGENCE)

DnC 107:99

“Mind your own business!” Focus on your own stewardship and do not interfere with anybody else’s!

DnC 108:7,8

The Lord is always willing to forgive us, so we are always indebted to him. The least we can do is to “strengthen [our] brethren in all [our] conversations, in all [our] prayers, in all [our] exhortations, and in all [our] doings.” And even greater will be our reward.

DnC 121:9

This is not just a great promise from the Lord to Joseph Smith but a great description of friendship in general. Every time we meet again with our friends our hearts fill with joy and warmth while remembering the times we stood by each others side.


Others

King Follet Discourse (KFD) – Eborn books 1998

...a sermon given by the Prophet Joseph Smith at a Conference held near the Temple, in Nauvoo, April 6, 1844. Held shortly after the funeral service of Elder King Follett it is considered a speech in his honor.

“I do not calculate or intend to please your ears with superfluity of words or oratory, or with much learning; but I calculate to edify you with the simple truths of heaven.” (p. 4)

KFD p. 5

“If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.” – The KFD is probably the “loftiest sphere” to get to know “the only true God.”

KFD p. 7

Somebody who would not have been able to relate and solve this subject in all clarity is not a prophet of God! He would be “like the rest of the world – a false teacher, be hailed as a friend, and no man would seek [his] life.” Because of ignorance of this important knowledge everybody else (so called men of God) could stay neutral.

KFD p. 8

What does God look like?
“…if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form.”
-> Philippians 3:20,21

KFD p. 8ff

„God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!“

p. 9

“God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see.”

p. 9

“… know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us.”

At this point Elder B. H. Roberts refers to Lorenzo Snow in his notes:
“As man now is, God once was;
As God now is, man may become.”

For a better understanding of the matter of God’s origin and men’s potential Joseph Smith points out the mediator. Jesus Christ’s deification.
The footnotes go over a few examples of renowned personalities of the Christian world, who indicate Christ’s Humanity and eventually Divinity was a progress achieved by His perfection. With the request for us to “Be born again” “Be ye perfect” and statements like “Ye are the sons of God” and “My Father and your Father, my God and your God” it becomes obvious that by following His example we are able to “attain the appropriate altitude” because “the divinity of all other noble and saintly souls [besides Jesus’], in so far as they, too, have been inflamed by a spark of Deity – in so far as they, too, can be recognized as manifestations of the Devine.”

KFD p. 9

“The scriptures inform us that Jesus said, “As the Father hath power to himself, even so hath the Son power – to do what? Why, what the Father did… - in a manner to lay down his body and take it up again” (as the father did).

John 5:19 “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things so ever he (the Father) doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”

KFD p. 10

“… you have got to learn how