service

The New FARMS – Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture

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Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture

Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture. (Click on graphic to go to MormonInterpreter.com)

I have been through quite a range of emotions the last few weeks. I’ve felt utter despair, grief, and sorrow, as well as bitterness, confusion, and great disappointment. Through it all I’ve been blessed with comfort from our Heavenly Father beyond measure, and by experiences too sacred to share. It’s been a roller coaster of a time with everything that has happened at the Maxwell Institute. I make no bones about it—FARMS had an immense impact on my life, most particularly as it relates to my testimony and faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Recently one of our dear readers asked me what so inspired me about Hugh Nibley, what so captivated me emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually about his scholarship and writings? Here was my response:

[Read more…]

Access the Scriptures via SMS Text or Instant Message

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DearScriptures.com

DearScriptures.com

I’m always looking for better ways of accessing, searching, and reading the scriptures.  They are truly the words of eternal life.  Whenever I hear of a new way of encountering the scriptures, I check it out.  DearScriptures.com is an online version of the scriptures that now allows you to text message (SMS) or instant message (IM) scripture references to it, or search for scriptures, and it will reply with the references and/or text of the scripture(s). It includes other great features as well, such as searching hymns and retrieving hymn lyrics.  And it’s all free! [Read more…]

Hezekiah Reopens the Temple by T. C. Ducdale

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Hezekiah Reopens the Temple, by T. C. Ducdale. From the Ensign, March 1982, 81 (inside back cover)

Hezekiah Reopens the Temple, by T. C. Ducdale. From the Ensign, March 1982, 81 (inside back cover)

A friend of mine passed along this intriguing painting found in the Ensign of March 1982 (pg. 81, inside back cover).  It is entitled “Hezediah Reopens the Temple” by T. C. Ducdale.

It depicts the scene from 2 Chronicles 29 when King Hezekiah gathered together the Levites, told them to sanctify themselves, and commissioned them to cleanse the temple and restore it, and remove all idolatry from it.  When this was done, a celebration occurred in which burnt offerings were made on the altar, and different instruments were given to the Levites to make song and praise to the Lord.  All rejoiced.  The Levites are wearing the sacred garments prescribed to them for service in the temple (Ex. 28:39-40).  The High Priest also wore these same garments on the Day of Atonement, when he made an offering in the Holy of Holies (Lev. 16:4).

Service on Earth & Worship of God

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Planet Earth

The account of the garden of Eden in Genesis is a very interesting story indeed.  We learn much about the experiences of our first parents and their interactions with God.  It was a very intimate relationship, one in which God walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden (Gen. 3:8).

When Adam was first placed in the garden of Eden, he was given a charge to take care of it:

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Gen. 2:15)

The Hebrew word for “dress” is avad, which means to work, labor or serve.  Closely related is the word avodah, which means service.  Even at this early date man was given a stewardship over the earth, and to take good care of it, even while it was still paradisaical! When Adam and Eve transgressed the law of God and fell they were sent from the garden into the dreary world, but with the same charge of stewardship:  [Read more…]

Which is Greater – The Temple or Service to the Poor?

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Mormon Helping Hands is a priesthood-directed Church program for providing community service and disaster relief to those in need.A member of another faith asked me the following question:

In the [LDS] service that I attended, the speaker said that service to the Temple is the most important service that we can provide.  Is this opinion common across members of the LDS church?  Why is service to the Temple held in higher regard than, say, service to the poor?

This is how I replied:  [Read more…]