And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Isaiah 8:17


If you are looking for messages about the Europe Area Humanitarian Mission, go to http://stayinginfrankfurt.blogspot.de/

If you are looking for Old Testament Videos, go to
http://salemzion.org/new/index.php/resources/adult-institute-old-testament/



Tuesday, December 13, 2011

12 Days of Christmas



Last year, with the help of my daughter, Karen, I wrote 12 posts on my other blog, one for each of the 12 Days of Christmas.  Some of what I teach in my annual "Christmas in the Old Testament" lesson is summarized there.  There are also some great pictures, YouTube videos and cut and color activities for children for each day.


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Personal Power vs Position Power


In reading about Melchizedek in Alma 13 this last week in class, we read:
" 18 But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to theaholy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent;. . ."
I suggested (quoting from Bro. Robert Norman) that Melchizedek influenced his people through the power of his personal righteousness rather than by virtue of his position.

I found the same story on a Jewish website :
There was once a boy who wanted to be king. At first he bullied and yelled. He instilled fear into the hearts of all those around him, and got everyone to do what he wanted. But the moment that the king went away, no one followed his orders or obeyed his rules. The boy, now king, realized that obtaining power through fear doesn’t work in the long run. He decided to try a different way. He treated everyone with respect and kindness. He was sincere, giving, caring and kindhearted. They honored him and performed his will. Even away from his presence, they continued to follow his orders and obeyed his laws.


This same article also said that "one must first approach each situation from the right side, the side of chesed [HB for mercy], and then it can be approached with the left [the side of din, or judgment]. We start with chesed and end with chesed."

This is saying the same thing as D&C 121


39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
 40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
 41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
 42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
 43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

You can read the rest of the article here.

[The mosaic of Melchizedek meeting Abraham with bread and wine is from Santa Maria Maggiadore.]

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Christmas in the Book of Isaiah: Prophecy Fulfilled


For the South Jordan Stake class only (11 AM Thursday, Dec 15): your Christmas lesson will look at imagery in Isaiah which is used in the traditional telling of the Christmas story.  Below is a list of verses I will refer to.  You might want to print out this list to make note taking easier.  (the painting is by J Kirk Richards)

Here is a list of the verses without my comments. They are written the way you  do it in research papers, with a . instead of a : [that saves having to shift :) ]

1.3
6.1-3
7.14
9.6-7
10.27
11.1-2
12.4-6
13.14
13.15-18
14.7-8
41.19-20
55.12-13
40.1-3
26.3-5
61.1,2,5
19.1
43.10-11
44.8
35.4
41.27
42.10-13
44.23
49.13
18.1-2,7
41.1-6
45.14-15
49.6-7
54.4-8
62.5
49.1-3,5
66.7-13
48.10
44.1-2,5-6
46.3-5
49.21
54.5
63.16
64.8
65.9
60.1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,14,13,22
(you need to know Hebrew for verse 22)
54.13 (age 12)

Friday, December 2, 2011

Christmas in the Old Testament



Next week we will have a special Christmas Lesson at each building : this is a special, stand-alone class. Feel free to bring friends : there is no charge.

1. Tuesday evening, December 13
Springville Hobble Creek Stake
6:30-8:00 PM
Canyon Chapel
1965 East Canyon Road, Springville UT 84663.

NEW! This will be our first class at this new location in downtown Salt Lake: come and see what you think.
2. Wednesday morning, December 14
Salt Lake Ensign Stake
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Ensign Stake Center
135 A Street, Salt Lake City, Utah

3. Wednesday evening, December 14
Salt Lake Sugar House
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Salt Lake Sugar House Stake Center
1681 South 11th East (17th South at 11th East), Salt Lake City.

4. Thursday morning, December 15
Sandy Utah Granite South Stake
9:00-10:30a.m.
Sandy Utah Granite South Stake Center
2126 Gyrfalcon Drive (10000 South), Sandy, Utah 84092

5. Thursday mid-morning, December 15
South Jordan Stake
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
South Jordan Stake Center
2450 W 10400 S. (South Jordan Parkway) South Jordan, Utah 84095.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Winter Classes


It's time to make your plans for our 2012 classes.
I am excited to announce a new class starting. It is right downtown near the Church Office Building and used to be taught by Lee Donaldson.

The NEW CLASS starting on Wednesday mornings in the Ensign Stake Center will begin at the beginning of Genesis with the creation and Adam and Eve, repeating what the other 4 classes studied in 2011.

NEW! 1. Salt Lake Ensign Stake
Wednesday mornings, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
January 25–April 18, 2012 (Class will not be held on April 4.)
Ensign Stake Center
135 A Street, Salt Lake City, Utah
Register online at ce.byu.edu/re/ or at the door.


The four already existing classes will all be continuing our study of Genesis : Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and the Exodus.

2. Springville Hobble Creek Stake
Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:00 PM
January 24 - April 17, 2012 (Class will not be held on April 3.)
Canyon Chapel
1965 East Canyon Road, Springville UT 84663.
Register at the door.

3.Salt Lake Sugar House
Wednesday Evening, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
January 25–April 18, 2012 (Class will not be held on April 4.)
Salt Lake Sugar House Stake Center
1681 South 11th East (17th South at 11th East), Salt Lake City.
Register at the door.

4. Sandy Utah Granite South Stake
Thursday morning, 9:00-10:30a.m.
January 26–April 19, 2012 (Class will not be held on April 5.)
Sandy Utah Granite South Stake Center
2126 Gyrfalcon Drive (10000 South), Sandy, Utah 84092
Register at the door.

5. South Jordan : Thursday mid-morning, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
January 26–April 19, 2012 (Class will not be held on April 5.)
South Jordan Stake Center
2450 W 10400 S. (South Jordan Parkway) South Jordan, Utah 84095.
Register online at ce.byu.edu/re/ or at the door.


If you sign up for ONE class, you are welcome to attend ANY class (or ALL of them if you want to) at no additional cost.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Seals and Bows


In class last week we talked about being "sealed" in the covenant. I passed around a book with images of ancient seals - often cut into stone - from the British Museum. Here are some of those images.




I also pointed out that the 'rainbow' - sign of the covenant with Noah - is actually the weapon BOW. Here are images from cylinder seals and ancient Assyrian, Egyptian, Hittite and Greek carvings showing the King in his chariot with his bow. In virtually all of these images, the king is said to be the son of god.













And, finally, here is information on seals from the website thesealmaker.com :




One of the earliest examples of Seal Engraving has been found in the form of Babylonian cylinder seals which were engraved around 3200BC. The seals were cut into a wide variety of hard stones using wheels in very much the same way that stones are engraved today. The seals were used as personal imprint signatures or symbols of officials and important families for edicts and contractual agreements. The seal was pressed and rolled into the inscribed clay tablets to produce an easily recognisable impression. Since each seal had been uniquely engraved it was virtually impossible to forge. The use of the seals spread throughout Mesopotamia, Egypt and Asia.
In the reign of Edward III, figures of every kind, architectural, heraldic and other devices were introduced into seals. The use of seals in England became general within a few years of the Norman Conquest, and early in the 12th century they were universally adopted for the purpose of authenticating documents. Signet rings were made either by engraving the design on gems, agates and other hard stones, or by cutting into the metal of the ring. Larger seals, desk seals etc., were engraved on gold, silver, brass or steel. The seal was pressed into coloured wax, the wax impression was then attached to the document, but not stamped directly on to it.
Early heralds adopted the use of seals and due to their tremendous detail we are able to follow the history of heraldry with accuracy. The Royalty of England had the various Royal Arms as a seal. Each subsequent monarch changed their Royal Arms and doing so changed their seal.
Every seal is hand cut, preserving the unique quality of the completed article.
After a seal was cut into a ring, the seal engraver made many wax impressions which were given to the owner of the seal along with the signet ring. The owner then distributed the waxes among family, friends and officials, so that when an important document was sent the recipient could check the unbroken seal against the wax impression to ensure that the document was genuine. After the death of the owner of the seal, the signet ring used to produce the seal was cracked to prevent further use.
neil@thesealmaker.com
thesealmaker.com

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

No Classes Next Week

So sorry.
After our classes this week, I am off to Missouri to meet my new granddaughter, Amelia Jane, who decided to come 5 weeks earlier than expected.
So, NO CLASSES on NOVEMBER 1 (Springville), NOVEMBER 2 (Sugar House), or NOVEMBER 3 (Sandy and South Jordan).
Please call your friends and share this information with them!
Thanks.
See you next month.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

My favorite internet read in a long time

Who says Mormons aren't Christians?

By Dean Obeidallah, Special to CNN
updated 11:19 AM EST, Wed October 12, 2011
The Rev. Robert Jeffress of the Texas megachurch First Baptist Dallas called the Mormon faith a
The Rev. Robert Jeffress of the Texas megachurch First Baptist Dallas called the Mormon faith a "cult."
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rev. Robert Jeffress recently called Mormonism "a cult"
  • Jeffress has a long history of hateful proclamations, Obeidallah says
  • Many Mormons are caring, compassionate people, Obeidallah says
  • Obeidallah: Isn't compassion what Christianity is supposed to be about?

Editor's note: Dean Obeidallah is an award-winning comedian who has appeared on TV shows such as Comedy Central's "Axis of Evil" special, ABC's "The View," CNN's "What the Week" and HLN's "The Joy Behar Show." He is executive producer of the annual New York Arab-American Comedy Festival and the Amman Stand Up Comedy Festival. Follow him on Twitter.

(CNN) -- The Rev. Robert Jeffress, a leading evangelical minister,claimed last Friday that Mormons are not Christians. Jeffress went on to declare that Mormonism is "a cult," meaning it's not a "real" religion, and he implored his followers to reject Mitt Romney, a Mormon, as a candidate for president because as Jeffress sees it: "As Christians, we have the duty to prefer and select Christians as our leaders."

Jeffress is infamous for his past "Christian" comments such as: Jews, gays, Muslims and Mormons are all going to hell; Islamencourages pedophilia; and that gays should be banned from the military because 70% of the gay population has AIDS.

At the time of Jeffress' comments about Mormons, I happened to be in Utah, the state with the largest percentage of Mormons in the nation. I'm not Mormon, meaning I'm not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And prior to this trip, I had met only a few members of the LDS Church.

I was in Salt Lake City because I'm performing as part of a stand-up comedy tour called "The Muslims Are Coming," featuring American-Muslim comedians performing free comedy shows across the country as a way, we hope, to counter misinformation and build bridges with our fellow Americans.

There we were -- Muslims and Mormons -- bonding on some level because we were both the subject of attacks from people on the far right. Earlier in this presidential campaign it was our time, withHerman Cain essentially arguing for discrimination against American Muslims simply because of our faith. Now the voices of hate had turned their focus to Mormons.

Over the last four days I have spent a great deal of time with members of the LDS Church. I'm not saying that I'm an expert on their teachings and, to be honest, I had some apprehension about Mormons because the LDS Church had publicly funded opposition to marriage equality in California, which I disagree with because I oppose discrimination against any American.

But I can now say without hesitation that the LDS Church members we met represented the best of Christianity. They were truly caring and compassionate people.

And perhaps it's overly simplistic to define an entire religion by the few hundred we met, but let's be honest: many define religions, races and ethnicities by a few of their worst examples. I prefer instead to define minority groups by their best examples.

While it probably doesn't matter to a person like Jeffress, the LDS members we met proudly consider themselves Christians. After all, the full name of their religion is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." If your religion has the words "Jesus Christ" in its name, it's kind of a tip off that Christ's teachings are important to you.

In contrast to the hate spewed by Jeffress, we found that the Mormons we met truly represent the Christian ideal of loving your neighbor. One of the best examples we found of a true Christian was Andrew Kosorok, a proud member of the LDS Church and a talented glassmaker who created an awe-inspiring glass exhibit called "99 Most Beautiful Names: A Sculptural Presentation of the Names of God from the Quran." Kosorok had sacrificed hundreds of hours of time from his family and friends and spent more than $7,000 of his own money to create this exhibit.

Why did Kosorok do this? Because he believed that fostering understanding and countering negative misconceptions about another faith -- in this case Islam -- was part of his duty as a Christian.

This passage from the New Testament is often cited as one that articulates Jesus' philosophy: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

In comparing the hate-filled language of Jeffress with the words and good deeds of the Mormons we met, it is clear to me who is best following the teachings of Jesus Christ and truly deserves to be called a Christian.

Please go vote for FAIR LDS podcasts: they are great!

THE FAIR JOURNAL SPECIAL EDITION October 2011
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research
----------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a SPECIAL EDITION of the FAIR Journal. We are sending out this
special edition to notify you of something that cannot wait until the
next FAIR Journal is readied and sent out--it will be too late by that
point.

The People's Choice Podcast Awards, better known simply as the Podcast
Awards, are an annual set of awards given to the best podcasts as
voted on by listeners. This year, 1,441,712 listeners nominated 2,698
shows. Ten shows were chosen as nominees in each of 22 different
categories.

Our Mormon FAIR-Cast, which is located at www.fairblog.org, has been
nominated to receive a Podcast Award in the "Religion Inspiration"
category. We consider this nomination a great honor.


How We Were Nominated
------------------------------
Nominations were open for 15 days in September. Podcasts that received
votes were reviewed by a 22-member committee that took a variety of
factors into account. The total number of votes a podcast received
accounted for only 40% of the grading, with the quality of the
website's design (15%), quality of sound (15%), quality of deliverance
and show format (10%), and relevance of content (20%) also being
considered.


What We Would Like You To Do
------------------------------
Final voting for the awards began today, October 12th, and will end on
October 27th at 11:59pm HST. Each person (verified by IP address) may
vote ONCE EACH DAY during the 15 days that voting is open. In other
words, a single person can cast 15 votes if he or she votes once each
day.

Please support the Mormon FAIR-Cast by casting your vote at this
address:

http://www.podcastawards.com

Remember, you can vote once each day for the 15 days voting is open,
and voting only takes a moment.

To vote, go to the podcastawards.com and find the Mormon FAIR-Cast
entry. It is listed under the Religion Inspiration category, which is
near the bottom of the page on the right. It is the third category up
from the bottom. Click on the Mormon FAIR-Cast entry. Then scroll down
and enter your name and email address. Click on the button that
describes you best (Listener, Podcaster, or Both.) For most of you
that will be "Listener." Then click on the submit button on the right.

Please spread the word by telling your friends. Even if we don't win
the voting, we hope this will raise awareness of the great resources
we have. If we do win, it is even better. You can post a link with
instructions on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus. Remind your friends
to vote each day, and thank you for your continued support of FAIR.

-Allen Wyatt
FAIR, VP Operations

Friday, September 30, 2011

The Intertestamental Period

In class as we drew Margot Butler's Timeline into the Chronology section of the Bible Dictionary, I mentioned a book covering the time between the Old and the New Testaments : the Intertestamental period. These are both versions of that book. The newer one, "The Lost 500 Years", has more pictures, but the text of the two books is very much the same. Both are written by S. Kent Brown and Richard N Holzapfel.















Here is the official blurb from Amazon.com:


"You’ve studied the Old Testament. You’ve studied the New Testament. But what do you know about the nearly five hundred years of history between those sacred books? Now, in The Lost 500 Years (a special illustrated edition of the book formerly titled Between the Testaments), Kent Brown and Richard Holzapfel illuminate this little-understood but vital era. The book discusses the Dead Sea Scrolls; the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha; key political, religious, and cultural groups mentioned in the New Testament; Jewish feasts and festivals; Jewish law; and the hope for a Messiah. Understanding this watershed period of history will set the stage for you to fully appreciate the events and teachings of the New Testament!"

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011 Fall Review


I recommend that all students go back and reread all of the posts on this blog from February 2011 as a review of what I taught this week in class.



All of the handouts are there in pdf form for you to download.



Tuesday, September 20, 2011

"Sacred Geometry" : Lectures and Workshop in Springville

From their website:

"If you ever took a class on geometry, you might wonder what was so sacred about it. It’s just a lot of angles and equations–or is it? Without even know it, everyone speaks the language of geometry. Geometry, ‘geo’ meaning world, and ‘metre’, meaning measure, can be construed as the measure of the earth. But it is much more.

Sacred Geometry entices the mathematician, the artist, the architect, the musician, the physician and the common man. It encompasses numbers, shapes, sounds, colors, and everything growing. It gives the explanation for purpose, function and the endless potential of man on the earth. And that’s only the beginning.

All over the world sacred space is filled with all things geometrical. The human body is a lifelong study of proportional relationships to PHI. And books continue to be churned out to explain what has seemed like the unexplainable. But not any longer.

The answers are available today. For the first time in this millennium, answers to questions centuries old are here for those who are truly seeking. Connections to lighthouses, whether they be temples or the human body will be explored and explained. Distinct spiritual connections with science and the universe will be unfolded. Join us for this illuminating event and come understand secrets known by Da Vinci, Euclid, Abraham, and Joseph.

October, 14, 3-5 Free hands on workshop using compass and right angle. Pre-registration is required. Contact yvonne@thehomeuniversity.com to save a seat. Free panel discussion from 6 – 9 P.M.

October, 15 8 – 5 P.M. Lectures featuring Wulf Barsch, Dr. C. Lance Harding, Garth Norman, Val Brinkerhoff and Yvonne Bent.

Seating is limited. Don’t wait to reserve yourself a place at this once in a lifetime event.

Tickets are $45.00 at Tix.com

Questions? call 510 685-8288."

aboutsacredgeometry.com/

Monday, September 12, 2011

New Fall Classes

I will be teaching classes at 5 locations this fall. Perhaps one of the new ones will fit your schedule better.

1. Springville : Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:00 PM, beginning September 20th.
Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
1965 East Canyon Road, Springville UT 84663.
Register at the door.

2. Sandy : Thursday morning, 9:00-10:30 AM, beginning September 22nd.
Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
Sandy Utah Granite South Stake Center
2126 Gyrfalcon Drive (10000 South), Sandy, Utah 84092
Register at the door

3. South Jordan : Thursday mid-morning, 11:00-12:30 AM, beginning September 22nd.
Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
2450 W 10400 S. (South Jordan Parkway) South Jordan, Utah 84095.
Register thru BYU Cont. Ed

NEW 4. Sugarhouse : Wednesday Evening, 7:00 pm to 8:30 PM, starting September 21st.
Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
Salt Lake Sugar House Stake Center
1681 South 11th East (17th South at 11th East), Salt Lake City.
Register at the door.

The topic appears to be the same, but the Springville and South Jordan classes are already a full semester into the Old Testament. I will be starting at the beginning of Genesis in the Sandy and Sugarhouse classes but teaching a more condensed version. All 4 adult classes should be on the same subject during the same week by Thanksgiving (at least, that is the plan). So, if you missed some of the early classes last year, you are welcome to come to one of the new locations. Or, come for a review. If you are registered for ANY one class, you can come to any you want.

NEW 5. Orem Institute at UVU : for Young Single Adults only :Thursday Evening, 7:00 PM.
Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
Register online.

Email me or comment on this post if you have any questions.


Monday, June 13, 2011

Symposium Honoring Richard L Bushman on Saturday


SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Mormonism in Cultural Contexts will be a symposium on June 18 in honor of Richard Lyman Bushman's 80th birthday.

The symposium will be at the Springville Museum of Art in Springville. Bushman is one of the general editors on the Joseph Smith Papers Project.

Terryl L. Givens, a professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond, will be the opening plenary session speaker. Claudia Bushman is scheduled to speak at the luncheon. Philip L. Barlow, the Leonard J. Arrington professor of Mormon history and culture at Utah State University, and Richard Bushman will speak at the concluding plenary session.

Five other concurrent sessions with four classes for each session are planned. The symposium runs 8 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. and is free.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Dates and Addresses for Fall Classes


1. Springville : Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:00 PM, beginning September 20th.
Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
1965 East Canyon Road, Springville UT 84663.
Register at the door.

2. Sandy : Thursday morning, 9:00-10:30 AM, beginning September 22nd.
Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
Sandy Utah Granite South Stake Center
2126 Gyrfalcon Drive (10000 South), Sandy, Utah 84092
Register thru BYU Cont. Ed

3. South Jordan : Thursday mid-morning, 11:00-12:30 AM, beginning September 22nd. Finding Christ in the Old Testament.
2450 W 10400 S. (South Jordan Parkway) South Jordan, Utah 84095.
Register thru BYU Cont. Ed


Sunday, May 29, 2011

Current Plans for Fall Classes


I currently have 4 classes scheduled for the 2011 fall semester, starting the THIRD week of September.

1. Springville : Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:00 PM. Finding Christ in the Old Testament. 1965 East Canyon Road, Springville UT 84663.

2. Sandy : Thursday morning, 9:00-10:30 AM. Finding Christ in the Old Testament. (no address yet, but check the BYU Continuing Ed website in early July for details and to register.)

3. South Jordan : Thursday mid-morning, 11:00-12:30 AM. Finding Christ in the Old Testament. 2450 W 10400 S. (South Jordan Parkway) South Jordan, Utah 84095. Register thru BYU Cont. Ed

All of these OT classes will begin where we left off in May, in Genesis 5.

4. Orem University Institute at UVU : for students and YSA only. Thursday evening, 7:00-8:30 PM. Doctrine and Covenants (324). Room 186. Register online.

If you live in Salt Lake City and want a class near the city center or by the University of Utah, then contact me by commenting on this blogpost. Wednesday evening is still available.

(The awesome painting in this post is from J Kirk Richards. )

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Books Worth Buying



















I am often asked where I learn what I teach and what books I would recommend. I have two I would suggest for people who like my teaching style. Both are by Mark A Shields, a lawyer living in Mesa, AZ. The books are Your Endowment and Gospel Symbols: Finding the Creator in His Creations. Both are published by Cedar Fort. Mark has a website where you can order his books.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Springville Area Single Adult Cluster Fireside




I will be speaking on Sunday, May 29th, at 7:00 pm at the chapel on 400 N. 400 E. Springville, Utah at a Single Adult Fireside. The topic will be Adam and Eve, the temple and the plan of salvation.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Reminders of Symposia



The Expound Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 14 in the Provo Public Library. The all-day event is free, but please 'register' at their website so they will set up enough chairs.




The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) is
pleased to announce the Thirteenth Annual Mormon Apologetics
Conference, August 4-5, 2011, and for a limited time you can
register at the discounted Early Bird price.

A lot of interesting papers, videos and podcasts are available on their website, YouTube and blog.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Last Class for Spring 2011

Tuesday, May 3 will be the last class for the Springville Institute class.

Thurday, May 5 will be the last class for the South Jordan class.

BOTH classes will begin again in the fall. We will begin with the City of Enoch and then talk about Noah, Melchizedek and Abraham. Covenants will be our major focus.

Tuesday, September 13 will be the first class for the Springville Institute group. Class is held from 6:30-8 Tuesday evenings at the Canyon Chapel (1965 East Canyon Road, Springville UT 84663). Registration will be done in class.

Thurday, September 15 will be the first class for the South Jordan group, which meets mid-day from 11 to 12:30 at the stake center at 2450 W 10400 S. (South Jordan Parkway) South Jordan, Utah 84095. You will be able to register for this class online at the BYU Religious Enrichment Programs website.

Some other days and times are being considered for fall. I will publish information on any additional classes here.

Leaving, Cleaving and Being One



Here is a good article from the Ensign on this subject.

Dress and Keep the Garden



Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden and was commanded "to dress (aved) it and to keep (shomer) it" (Gen 2:15).


These same Hebrew words are used by the LORD in Deuteronomy 10 :12-13 : "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve (aved) the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep (shomer) the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"



There is a definite temple connection with these two words : avodah (from aved) is the Hebrew word for worship, service, or temple work (see Numbers 7:5); the Cherubim keep (shomer) the way back to the Tree and we have to keep (shomer) the commandments to be allowed past them back into the temple.

Jeffery Bradshaw has written about this in an article entitled "The Temple Work of Adam and Eve."