Beneath the Wraps

          I started watching clips of the Bible Project when I was teaching Valiants in primary.   I never shared the illustrations with the class though I am fascinated by the short videos.   The book of Judges ( here ) is referred to as disturbing – which it is – as we explore in this week’s reading of “Come Follow Me”.   As we are limited on time and to spare all the gore (and there is A LOT of it) it has been suggested to study only certain scriptures (which still contain gore, stupidity, arrogance, violence, murders, and so forth) https://meetinggodinthemargin.com/2017/06/02/first- reading-of-judges-11-12-jephthah-his-daughter/         Chapter one gives us the account of the land of the twelve tribes – a recap if you will.   Where mortal corruption and child sacrifice is acceptable.   Chapter two gives the account of the cycle that each generation experiences starting with sin, oppression, repentance, deliverance...

“Forty – A Period of Testing The number  forty  is mentioned 157 times in Scripture. The number  forty  symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation.” – Scriptures Revealed The article then goes on to remind us that Moses was in the desert for 40 years.   He had gone to Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights.   He was still there receiving God’s law while the children of Isreal lost their faith and built a golden calf. For 40 days and 40 nights the Ark floated around in the water before there was sign of land. For 40 days Jesus fasted before his ministry began. This site has a whole list of the symbolisms of the number 40. More than Roland had mentioned when he asked me if I thought this COVID thing would last only 40 days.   It has now been 40 days since the students spent their final day for this school year.   It’s been 42 since the church announced no more meetings.   And not everybody was quarantined on the...

             When it was announced that church meetings would be cut back to only two hours on Sunday so that the third hour could be spend with families, neither Jenna nor I believed it would last.   It has been left up to each family or individual to study the "Come Follow Me" program to prepare for the following Sunday.   I could hear Jenna's moans - wishing that would happen but predicting that it would not.                 Like many New Year's Resolutions, there is diligence within the first month, perhaps a couple, but then we start to taper off from what we started and had every intention of keeping.   Jenna and I have been pretty good about going over the manual first thing when we get home.   She stops me and asks lots of questions or rewords the message (or scripture) according to her own understanding.   During the ...

I don’t know how old I was when I was introduced to the parallels between the ancient prophets and Jesus – and how there have been so many symbolisms throughout their life.   For example:   Pharaoh's orders to slay the male children (Moses) and Herod’s orders to slay male children (Jesus) Noah and his family in the ark for 40 days and nights as Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights   Joseph’s brothers (Judah in particular) selling him to the Ismaelites for twenty pieces of silver as Judas Iscariot had betrayed “selling” Jesus for silver pieces. Or Jonah having been inside a whale’s belly for 3 days before he was spit out or Jesus having been inside a tomb before the stone rolled away As well as countless others.   As I searched for scriptural references, I found these three links ( Moses , Joseph , Joseph Smith ) that go into a lot more detail than what I have here.   As the last speaker in our sacrament meeting yesterday related the account of...