2 Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38; Joseph Smith- Matthew. Preparing For The Second Coming

 How can we prepare to meet the Lord in the Second coming? That is the question asked in my studies this week. In reviewing Mark 13, I identified some key words that helped me know what to do to prepare. They are: “take heed”, and “Watch”. So according to what was said after these key words, I was able to form an idea of what to watch for and be prepared. First, in verse 5, we must be careful not to be deceived. From verse 9-13, we learn that even family members will betray each other, and we will be persecuted for our belief in Christ.  Verse 23 lets me know that all things that will happen are foretold so we can watch and be ready as we see the signs, but we will not know the exact time when He will come for nobody knows. Three things we can watch for is: the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, and the stars will fall from heaven.

Some additional truths that are taught in the following references also can prepare us for the Second coming as well. In D &C 87:8,It tells us to “stand ye in Holy places” I have heard this before and have come to learn this to mean that we can turn to the stakes and churches for a refuge from the storms of life and also that we ourselves should stand and keep ourselves Holy since our body is a temple which houses our spirit. In J.S. Matthew 1:32, we read that The “Abomination of Desolation” will happen again. According to the student manual, it says, “All the desolation and waste which attended the former destruction of Jerusalem is but prelude to the coming siege. Titus and his legions slaughtered 1,100,000 Jews, destroyed the temple, and ploughed the city. In the coming reenactment of this ‘abomination of desolation,’ the whole world will be at war, Jerusalem will be the center of the conflict, every modern weapon will be used, and in the midst of the siege the Son of Man shall come, setting his foot upon the mount of Olives and fighting the battle of his saints.” (Zech. 12:1–9.). Then in J.S. Matthew 1:37, it says that those who treasure up His word won’t be deceived and His elect will be gathered from the four corners of the earth. Also, in Matthew 1:46-50, it says that we must be faithful and wise, ready at a moment’s notice for we know not the time when He comes and if we will be watchful, and be ready, we will be blessed. According to D&C 33:17, I gives some instruction of what we need to be doing to be ready, like praying always and keeping “[our] lamps trimmed and burning and oil with [us]” meaning to be faithful and keep our testimonies strong. In D&C 45:56-57, we learn that we need to be wise and receive truth and keep the Holy spirit with us always to guide us, then we will be saved.

After reading and studying about the Second Coming, I know what I need to do to prepare myself and my family. In order for the very elect not to be deceived, we need to have and keep a strong testimony of the truths of Christ and the Gospel as well as stay faithful and live righteously to keep the spirit as a constant companion. Then we will be able to stand in holy places and be ready.

This week I studied the parable of the laborers and about treasures on Earth as opposed to treasures in Heaven. Here is an overview of my studies and what I learned:
 Matthew 19:16-30; 20:1-16 Earthly & Heavenly Rewards

In Matthew 19: 21-22, we read that Jesus told the young man who readily kept all the commandments that in order to inherit Eternal life, I should sell al that he has and follow him. To this, the young man was sad and walked away because he had “great possessions” indicating that he was very rich. In Matthew 6:20-21 we read that we should lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven- and that where our heart is, there will our treasure be also. This indicates where the young man’s heart really was. The Savior went on to say that those who are willing to make sacrifices will receive an hundredfold and inherit eternal life.

One way I can put the Lord first in my life is to make it a priority to pray to him morning and night. Also to ask him to bless me in the day to dedicate myself and my life to being and instrument in His hands and in the night to accept of my labors and sacrifices and forgive me my shortcomings that I may be found worthy to receive eternal life. I can be diligent each day to be ready to make right choices and willing to forsake the things of this world to help others as well.

Here is a chart that shows how we all receive the same reward for our labors in the Kingdom :

Hour Laborers Were Hired	How Much The Man Agreed to Pay	Hours worked	How much they were actually paid
Early morn	1 penny	12 hours	The same as the last
3rd hour	1 penny	9 hours	The same
6th hour	1 penny	6 hours	The same
9th hour	1 penny	3 hours	The same
11th hour	1 penny	1 hr	The same as the first

It doesn’t matter at what point we decide to do our part in the kingdom, just that we do what we are capable of when called upon. It doesn’t matter whether we come into the church at birth or at the end of our life, only that we serve the Lord diligently and willingly when called upon. I do not feel that the rewards of our labors in the Gospel are dependent on the amount of time or energy we have spent, just that we are willing to share in the abounding love and abundance of all our Father has for His children. Do we not want to see all of our brothers and sisters there with us?

So, this week, I find myself once again studying and comparing the miracles performed by Christ. I compared two similar instances where the people were gathered to be healed and taught by the Lord, and they were there so long that it was necessary for them to receive nourishment so the Lord provided a way so they would not have to leave. I realized there was a lesson here for us about how we need to rely on the Lord when we fall short.  

Here is my comparison chart of the separate stories:

	Matthew 14:14-21	Matthew 15:32-38
How many people were present?	5 thousand	4 thousand
What did they need?	“victuals” or food	food
What were they able to offer in an effort to meet the need?	5 Loaves & two fishes	7 Loaves and a few little fish
What words or phrases describe the Savior’s feeling toward the multitudes in their time of need?	Moved with compassion	He had compassion
What words or phrases describe what the Savior was able to provide for the multitudes?	“Looking up to Heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave…” “And they did all eat and were filled”	“gave thanks and brake them, and gave…”     “And they did all eat and were filled…”

In each story, the available food was insufficient to feed the multitude, yet with the help of the Lord, the insufficiency was overcome. In Romans 3:23, we read that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In this way, all human effort is insufficient in receiving the glory of God. According to Ether 12:27, we learn that the Lord helps us overcome this insufficiency  when we come to Him in humility and in our weakness, then He will make our weaknesses strong.

In life, I have found that while we can reach out to others and receive some help and strength in our trial and endeavors, it is not until we come to Christ that we find true healing and strenght to overcome our obstacles.

This week, I am studying Matthew 5-13, Mark 2-5, and Luke 5-8.
I decided to write up a chart showing Christ's miracles and the faith of those who preceeded them.
The day I decided to do this I ended up having five different opportunities to study the scriptures and articles written from General conference concerning topics such as hope as an anchor to the soul, the word of God, Pressing forward and being steadfast, and others that were all related to faith. It gave me hope.

1.        

Unit 1 Choice 2   Matthew 8-9; Mark 2   Miracles Are Evidence of Faith and God’s Power

References                         Miracles of the Lord                                 Who Demonstrated Faith

Matthew 8: 1-4                     Cures a Leper           The Leper who said “… thou canst make me clean”

Matt. 8:5-13              Heals a servant of palsy         The Centurion who says “…Speak the word only”

Matt. 8:14-15          Heals Peter’s Mother-in-law from fever                 The mother-in-law

Matt. 8:16              Cast out spirits and Healed the sick                    The people who came to be healed

Matt. 8: 23-27            He rebuked the winds and sea                            His disciples

Matt. 8:28-34                Cast out devils                                                  Those who were possessed

Matt 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34  Healed a woman from a blood issue  The woman who touched His 

                                                                                                            garment

Matt. 9: 27-31              Caused the blind to see           The blind men who sought Him out to heal them

Mark 2: 1-12   Heals one sick of palsy & in need of forgiveness      the one sick of palsy & those 

                                                                                                            who carried him

                                                                                                                         

2.       It was an interesting day when I did this assignment because I ended up reading from many different passages that had to do with this same topic about faith preceeding the miracle. I am thankful that I have had so many experiences with seeing the result of my faith as I held on and receiving the blessings and rewards of doing so. I think that I needed to be reminded of this principle in a huge way as the things I have had to endure this past year have really taken a toll on me. My diligence in doing the things I know I should has waned and I know my Father is letting me know what I need to do. I am grateful that no matter what happens, my God is bigger than any adversity I face. With Him on my side, all things are possible.  

Hello folks! It's been a while since I have written on my blog, but I signed up for another class on the New Testament so here I am! I guess I am doing this backwards because the last class was about Christ's apostles and their teachings after He is crucified. This class focuses on Christ's teachings and ministry while he was here on the Earth.
So, this is the first week and I studied John 2:1-22. In this chapter, Christ performs his first miracle. I find it interesting that it was at the request of his mother. Also, what I found intriguing is that of all the things or times to choose to perform a miracle, it is to turn water into wine at a wedding. I figured there had to be a message there to teach us of the significance in that.  In reading the student manual through my church, I realized that He must have regarded marriage an important occasion. What impressed me most about what He did though, was that He literally changed one substance into something totally different. That to me, speaks volumes of who He is, and what He is capable of. He has power to change and transform the elements. He truly is the Creator of the world! Knowing and understanding what He just did leads us to realize why He has the power to take us and transform our carnal nature to a righteous state of being. I think there is significance in the fact that he did this with stone vessels which, through Jewish tradition, they retain their purity. Could there be significance in this too as we realize His power to change and purify us?
In John 2:4, Christ addresses His mother as "woman". In our day and age it would have come across as an insult, but back then, according to the study guide, it was a term of endearment from a son with great meaning of honor, love, and respect. I have to say, I had learned this quite a while ago. Somehow, my Husband at the time came across something explaining this. It was significant to us because in the beginning of our marriage, he started calling me woman. My mom hated it -which made him call me that more when he was around her. Then, it just evolved into a term of endearment like any other word- like the overused "babe" which he also called me. When he explained the way Christ used it, the way we perceived its meaning changed for us and it became something special to us that only we understood and enjoyed.
The Savior's actions as He cleanses the Temple are symbolic of what He wants for us. We must keep ourselves holy and cleanse our inner vessels as well. If we are to enter the "House of the Lord" we should shed ourselves of irreverence and worldliness. we need to keep ourselves clean so we can feel the peace He wants to give us instead of the chaos in the world. I have really learned a lot just in this chapter. I plan to work on being more reverent in my home, at church, and teach my children to be more reverent and respectful too.

The theme for this week's reading is "Keep Yourselves In The Love of God" form the Epistle of Jude.It is believed that Jude is the half brother of the Savior. He extends a multiplication of mercy, peace, and love to those he addresses as those preserved in Christ and called-referring to those in Christ's church. How can we multiply these virtues in our lives? I think that for every time one extends these to others, it is extended to that individual and continues to be multiplied as we show mercy, peace, and love to our fellow men. It becomes reciprocal and builds upon itself. The more we are willing to give, the more we receive these blessings. And what does it mean to "content for the faith"? I think it means to stand firm the ground we have of the truths, faith, and knowledge given us from those in authority when those people and situations come into our lives which try and mock us. I liked the example of president Wilford Woodruff when he was young searching for the true faith that He knew in his heart was right:

“I read the New Testament. I learned verse after verse and chapter after chapter. … It taught me the Gospel of life and salvation; it taught me a Gospel of power before the heavens and on the earth. It taught me that the organization of the Church consisted of Prophets, Apostles, Pastors and Teachers. …

“These are the things which I learned, and they made an impression upon me. I believed in them; yet I had never heard them taught by any clergyman or divine upon the earth. … On one occasion I attended one of those great meetings which were sometimes held in Connecticut, at which forty or fifty ministers of various denominations were gathered together. … At this meeting permission was given for anybody to make remarks. I was quite young then. I arose and stepped into the aisle, and I said to that body of ministers: ‘My friends, will you tell me why you don’t contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints? Will you tell me why you don’t contend for that Gospel that Jesus Christ taught, and that His Apostles taught? Why do you not contend for that religion that gives unto you power before God, power to heal the sick, to make the blind to see, the lame to walk, and that gives you the Holy Ghost and those gifts and graces that have been manifest from the creation of the world? …’

“The presiding elder said: ‘My dear young man, you would be a very smart man, and a very useful man in the earth, if you did not believe all those foolish things’” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff [2004], 35–36). President Woodruff later joined "the faith" when he heard it preached by one with authority. 

From Jude 1:6 and Jeremia 1:5, along with the footnotes, we see that the doctrine referred to by the phrase "first estate" means that Heavenly Father knew us before we came to the Earth. It makes reference to a pre-existence. According to the New testament manual for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, "“estate” refers to a person’s rank or position. Because these spirits rebelled against the Father, they lost their standing before God and did not qualify for the privilege of coming to mortality—our second estate.

It appears from the reading that Michael the Archangel contended for the body of Moses. It would seem odd to me for this to occur.But upon further pondering, study and enlightenment, I learned that Moses was translated and Michael was given charge to burry his body properly. Knowing the significance in why Moses was translated is key to understanding why Satan would oppose this. In the New Testament Manual from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it states: "This was necessary so that Moses could appear on the Mount of Transfiguration two thousand years later with his physical body and lay his hands on the heads of Peter, James, and John to give them priesthood keys (see History of the Church, 3:387)".

In Jude 1:14, we learn that Christ will come with tens of thousands of His saints when He comes again. How exciting! It makes me wonder who will be the "saints" that accompany him? 

From studying Jude 1:17, 20-25, I learned that we need to remember the words of Christ spoken by the apostles and listen to the prophet and apostles of our times to keep from being lead astray from false teachers and doctrines in the last days. We must continue to build our faith up relying on the Holy Ghost to guide us and from verse 21, " Keep [our]selves in the love of God..." By doing these things, we can avoid the evils that come from following false teachings.

Well, that about covers this week's lessons on Jude. I hope you find it as interesting and insightful as I have. It has given me renewed strength to "contend for the faith"  and stand strong my ground as I listen to the prophet and apostles for counsel from false teachings.

"The Trial of Our Faith is More Precious Than Gold" I really liked what I studied this week in my New testament class. I studied 1 Peter 1-4.We have all had to suffer a trial at some point in our lives. In fact, I am sure there are many for all of us to endure. Some are harder than others. Some are trivial and fleeting. Then there are the ones that have the potential to shake you to the very core, like divorce, or loss of a child. When these trials come, how do we hold on and not lose our faith? In 1 Peter 2:21-25, we see that Christ is the example for us. He leads the way. In these scriptures, we see that He knows and understands our pain when we are falsely accused because He was free of sin, yet found guilty of false accusations. How much more so should we be free of guile as He was who are not perfect and free of sin?  And how often do we snap back at those who persecute us with a quick tongue and full of angry bitter words that condemn us whereas Christ "when...reviled, reviled not again...". How easy it is for us to threaten when we are threatened, but Christ did no such thing. Instead, he Turned to His Father who "...judgeth righteously". Christ, who atoned for our sins and "by whose stripes we are healed" will bare our suffering with us (1 Peter 4:13).

So why do we need to go through these trials? They are to refine and prepare us to be with God again.  Elder Neil L. Andersen of the quorum of the twelve apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gives some advice on why they are necessary and what we can do to endure them,  “These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son of God and to weaken your resolve to keep your promises to Him. …

“How do you remain ‘steadfast and immovable’ [Alma 1:25] during a trial of faith? You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.

“When faced with a trial of faith—whatever you do, you don’t step away from the Church! Distancing yourself from the kingdom of God during a trial of faith is like leaving the safety of a secure storm cellar just as the tornado comes into view” (“Trial of Your Faith,” Ensign orLiahona, Nov. 2012, 39–40).

I testify of these truths which Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke of for I have gone through more than one of those great trials that had the potential to destroy my faith and trust in the Lord, but I have "doubt[ed my] doubts" (president Dieter F. Uchtdorf) and "[held]fast to what [I] already [new] and [stood] strong until additional knowledge [came]" Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. In the name of my loving Savior, Amen.