An Insight From My Personal Scripture Study #4

In Doctrine and Covenants section 6, a two edged sword is talked about in verse 2. "...sharper than a two-edged sword..." An insight I gained from that is that it can cut through the falsehood of those who do unrighteous things, and it can cut to the soul of an individual with the gospel. It can brighten the soul of that individual with the gospel, light and love of Heavenly Father.

An Insight From My Personal Scripture Study #3

"Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward." -Doctrine and Covenants 6:33

In connection with Doctrine and Covenants 6:10, I know that God has given me gifts that enable me to be a better and more strong husband and father every day. It says, "Behold thou hast a gift, and blessed art thou because of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above---".

An Insight From My Personal Scripture Study #2

I just wanted to share a scripture for this insight.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:7

"...and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich."

An Insight From My Personal Scripture Study

As I was finishing Doctrine & Covenants 5 today, I read verses 34 through 35.

"Yea, for this cause I have said: Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee..."

I wrote this in my study journal.

"The above scripture reminds me of what God always tells me. He tells me to be patient. I don't need to know how things are going to work out or why things are happening right now. When the time is right, He will tell and/or show me."

If y'all want to leave a comment about your feelings on this scripture, please feel free to do so.

Choice 4: 1 John 1–3. That Ye May Have Fellowship with Us and with God

John’s desire for us in 1 John 1:1-4 is that we join the apostles in the Gospel and believe in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father with them. He then tells us that he wrote about that so that our “joy may be full”. The following scriptures teach about how we can come to know God better and have greater joy and fellowship with God:

1 John 1:8-10	We need to admit that we have sinned and not deny it. If we do that, then Christ will forgive our sins and cleanse us. If we deny it, “his word” will not be in us.
1 John 2:3-6	We need to keep God’s commandments. If we keep His word, we will have the love of God with us and we’ll know that we are in God. In addition to knowing that we are in God, we must walk as He and Christ walk.
1 John 2:9-11; 3:11-19	In order to have the love of God with us, we must love our fellow brothers and sisters and not hate them. We need to show that love through actions and truth. If we do that, we will be in Him.
1 John 2:15-17	We need to not love the world. If we love the world, God’s love isn’t in us, and the pleasures we find in the world will surely pass away. If we do the will of the Father, that will will abide forever.
1 John 2:20-21, 27	Christ has anointed us and teaches us all things. What He teaches us are truths and not lies.
1 John 3:4-6	Sin is the transgression of the law. In Christ there is no sin, so therefore whoever fully abides in Him does not sin. If we sin, we do not fully know Him.

One of my favorite scriptures from the list above are 1 John 2:9-11 and 3:11-19. It is essential for us to love our fellow brothers and sisters in order to have greater joy and fellowship with God. There are a few ways that I can better implement this principle in my life. One of the ways is by giving more selfless service to others. By doing that, I know that I will gain a greater love for those others and grow closer to God. Another way would be that of listening to others more intently when they are entrusting me with personal feelings, etc. I want to keep that trust strong. These are just a couple of ways that I know I can implement this principle better in my life.

Choice 1: James 1. “Be Ye Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only”

• What words or phrases encourage you to look for direction from God?

A. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” (v. 5-6); “For let not the man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” (v. 7); “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (v. 19); “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (v. 21); “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (v. 22); “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (v. 23-24); “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (v. 25); “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart this man’s religion is vain.” (v. 26)

• How did James further define the phrase to “ask in faith”?

A. James further defines that phrase by saying that someone who doesn’t have the faith “is like a wave of the sea”. That wave is moved about in the ocean everywhere is not stable and strong against the wind.

• How do Matthew 6:24 and 1 Kings 18:21 add to your understanding of James 1:8?

A. When you connect those three verses, I would find a connection through the principle of being in the world or in God…being double-minded. Matthew 6:24 teaches that have to serve only one of those. We can’t serve both. Serving both would make us unstable.

• From James 1:13-15, 19-27, make an outline of how we can better live the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A. We need to avoid sin.We need to remember that God cannot tempt us with sin. We need to avoid the lusts in our lives. Lusts can lead us to sin. We need to bridle our tongues and watch what we say. We need to making hearing and listening to others a priority. At the same time, though, we need to not only hear and listen but also do what we hear and listen to. When we hear and not do, we forget what kind of man we are. Lastly, in order to practice a pure and undefiled religion, we need help those that are needy…the fatherless and the widows. We need to be there to comfort them in their afflictions.

• Give a few modern examples of how you have recently seen individuals exemplify James 1:22.

A. My first example is that of a couple of people at Wal-Mart on Thursday night who were doers of things they were most likely taught in the past. They helped me through small acts of service amidst all the chaos. My second example is that of the faithfulness of members in my ward in doing their home teaching. The last example I will share is that of a father spending a little time with his family when he can easily ignore his family for that little time and do schoolwork.

 

In the institute student manual commentary for James 1:5-6, “If Any of You Lack Wisdom” (p. 409), Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave various reasons of why those verses have “had a greater impact … upon mankind than any other” scripture. They are:

-“the opening of the heavens in modern times” and

-it has an impact on every person who is, has, or will investigate the Church and the gospel