I just finished reading the Book of Mormon again! YAY! Now that I am finished I decided to shift gears in my personal study and am studying by topic...specifically Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant, as well as the twelve tribes of Israel and the gathering thereof.
I know what you're thinking (especially if you're my wife). It seems as if I woke up one day and decided to just tackle the entire world right?? Yes it is a lot, but I am taking it one step at a time. First I am starting with Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant. Eventually I will transition to the tribes of Israel and their gathering.
This is all in response to something in my patriarchal blessing which speaks about studying these topics throughout my life. So, I decided to start doing so! To begin, I found a few talks on LDS.org that I printed off and have started reading/studying:
"The Abrahamic Covenant" - S. Michael Wilcox (Ensign - January 1998)
"Israel's Other Tribes" - Vern G. Swanson (Ensign - January 1982)
"The Other Tribes: Which Are They?" - John A. Tvedtnes (Ensign - January 1982)
"The Book of Mormon, the Gathering of Israel, and the Second Coming" - Elder Russell M. Nelson (Ensign - July 2014)
I found the first three talks a while ago and just found the fourth one today. I thought it was quite interesting that just as I began studying these topics that Elder Neson's talk would pop up on the home page of LDS.org! It was meant to be!
I began my study by reading the first talk from Wilcox and found something that really stuck out to me. He says the following:
I know what you're thinking (especially if you're my wife). It seems as if I woke up one day and decided to just tackle the entire world right?? Yes it is a lot, but I am taking it one step at a time. First I am starting with Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant. Eventually I will transition to the tribes of Israel and their gathering.
This is all in response to something in my patriarchal blessing which speaks about studying these topics throughout my life. So, I decided to start doing so! To begin, I found a few talks on LDS.org that I printed off and have started reading/studying:
"The Abrahamic Covenant" - S. Michael Wilcox (Ensign - January 1998)
"Israel's Other Tribes" - Vern G. Swanson (Ensign - January 1982)
"The Other Tribes: Which Are They?" - John A. Tvedtnes (Ensign - January 1982)
"The Book of Mormon, the Gathering of Israel, and the Second Coming" - Elder Russell M. Nelson (Ensign - July 2014)
I found the first three talks a while ago and just found the fourth one today. I thought it was quite interesting that just as I began studying these topics that Elder Neson's talk would pop up on the home page of LDS.org! It was meant to be!
I began my study by reading the first talk from Wilcox and found something that really stuck out to me. He says the following:
"...through the Abrahamic covenant, the Lord has a message for all of us...I promise you the blessings of the priesthood that lead to exaltation with eternal increase, but in exchangeyou must take my gospel to every family in every nation in all the world so that they, too, can receive the same blessings of the priesthood." (Underlining added for emphasis)
I have always thought of the Abrahamic Covenant as being a promise of eternal increase if we are baptized, sealed in the temple, and keep the commandments. However, this really put things into perspective! While eternal marriage is definitely a huge part of the equation, it's not all of it.
We are here to assist Heavenly Father in "...bring[ing] to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). That means missionary work! As such, we are all "...called to the work...and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might...bringeth salvation to his soul..." (D&C 4:3-4). It is by spreading the gospel to all the land and being an example of the gospel through making and keeping covenants and living the commandments, that we fulfill our part of the Abrahamic Covenant and receive the promises of eternal increase.
And to think, I just barely started studying this topic!
WHO'S EXCITED?!?!
(The answer is: ME)
We are here to assist Heavenly Father in "...bring[ing] to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). That means missionary work! As such, we are all "...called to the work...and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might...bringeth salvation to his soul..." (D&C 4:3-4). It is by spreading the gospel to all the land and being an example of the gospel through making and keeping covenants and living the commandments, that we fulfill our part of the Abrahamic Covenant and receive the promises of eternal increase.
And to think, I just barely started studying this topic!
WHO'S EXCITED?!?!
(The answer is: ME)