I subscribe (free) to Book of Mormon Central, which has daily inspiring thoughts, and helps in following "Come Follow Me". Today I want to share with you their message for today, October 12th, Columbus Day. I know I have done a blog on Columbus, you can access under "Labels".
First I want to show a picture I took yesterday after Church. I saw this beautiful Sunflower growing between two pieces of cement on an overpass leading to the freeway! I think it shows resiliency, tenacity, and an ability to blossom even under difficult circumstances. We need to be like this! I'll be gone a week, but will do a blog next week about Chapter 3, in Matthew chapters 5 to 7.
Book of Mormon Central via aweber.com |
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Paralee, Structure your personal scripture study by following a multimedia, day by day plan. Each day's assignment includes the required scripture passages from the Come Follow Me curriculum, as well as suggestions for additional resources to bring context and understanding to your study. Download the ScripturePlus app to integrate this Reading Plan into your personal scripture study and track your progress. 3 Nephi 20:16–19 quotes from Micah 5:8–9 and 4:12–13, especially to show that all “gain” would be consecrated unto the Lord (20:19). What Micah (and Isaiah) meant by “the remnant of Jacob” (Micah 5:8; 3 Nephi 20:16 see also Isaiah 10:21–22) remains obscure, but Jesus quotes Micah here after saying that there will be many “remnants” scattered abroad (20:13–14). One remnant of Israel (or Jacob) in particular “will return” unto the Lord and it will be a great sign when “these things” will come forth “unto them” (21:4).
Then, in 3 Nephi 20:22–25, Jesus went on to teach about the covenant that had been made with Jacob regarding the land (20:22) and also the covenant made with Abraham (20:25, 27) regarding the blessing of all the kindreds of the earth through his seed. It is interesting that he lists these two patriarchs in the reverse order from our normal expectations. We often talk about the covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but here it is first the covenant of Jacob, and then Abraham. In Leviticus 26:42, the Holy of Holies of the book of Leviticus, the Lord likewise promises, in reserve order, “Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember.” I think we have here in the Book of Mormon a credible and appropriate reference here back to the holiest spot of the book of Leviticus, which is the holiest of all places in the Old Testament.
Both there and here, God promises many things, but above all he promises that he will fulfill all his promises and will never forget his people, so long as they will “confess their iniquity” and “accept of the punishment of their iniquity” so that “I might be their God,” and I will never forget them (Leviticus 26:40–42, 45) and that “the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 21:1).
Jesus Christ spoke of his life and atonement as fulfillments of ancient prophecy. During his visit to the Americas, he quoted several Old Testament passages, all of which the children of Lehi apparently knew, to show how he fulfilled prophecy—and to explain to them their role as children of the covenant. For example, Jesus identified Lehi's descendants as those who, in the last days, will go among the Gentiles "as a lion among the beasts of the forest" (Micah 5:8–9; 3 Nephi 20:16–17). In this chart the Old Testament passages quoted by Jesus are listed in the left column, with corresponding Book of Mormon references listed on the right-hand side. |
On his second day among the Nephites, Jesus quoted extensively from Micah and Isaiah, so much so that nearly half of the verses recorded from Jesus’ speech are quotations. Jesus chose verses that taught specifically of God’s covenants with his people. When read in light of covenants, these quotations, and the speech as a whole, make more sense and become easier to apply to people today. Christ likely used Isaiah’s and Micah’s teachings to help us see that not only was his appearance in the Americas a fulfillment of prophecy, but so too is our latter-day covenantal work. "And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."
3 Nephi 20:25 Below are several new videos by Book of Mormon Central, discussing parts of this week's Come Follow Me lesson. Since they are applicable to the entire lesson, they will be attached to each Daily Reading Plan e-mail this week. |
How did the Savior teach the people using the words of Isaiah? |
What were the covenants the Savior wanted us to remember? | We can receive help from our ancestors! |
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