Elijah & the Widow of Zarephath

The story of Elijah and Widow of Zarephath is perhaps one of the most moving in all of the Old Testament. Beyond the obvious pathos of the plight of the widow, there is a theme which emerges; highlighting an eternal truth. We will see this theme again with the widow and her mite. In both instances the widow is asked to give - or gives freely - of everything that she has. Now in the case of the widow and her mite we don't know the outcome, though we do know that the Lord himself took personal notice of the act which is sufficient to indicate that she did indeed receive her heavenly reward for her earthly sacrifice. With the Widow of Zarephath, we do know the outcome of her faithfulness. You'll remember that Elijah curses the land with a drought, sealing the heavens from rain by the authority of the sealing power of the priesthood (the same power which seals families for time and all eternity in the temples today) because of the wickedness of the people. Elijah goes to Zarephath where he is instructed to ask of the widow to give him to eat and drink, which under normal circumstances would not have been an unusual request under the rules of hospitality at that time, but under circumstances of drought, was incredibly difficult to fulfill if not impossible. The widow, however, does what the prophet asks of her and gives him the last of her meal and oil which she had been saving for herself and her son. She, just like the widow and her mite, gave all that she had. We'll, you'll remember the end of the story, she looks again at her cruise of oil and barrel of meal to find that they are full again and they never empty throughout the duration of the drought. 

     The eternal principle here is clear. It is taught again to Joseph Smith in section 84 of the D&C verses 33-39 in what is known as the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood:

 33 For whoso is ^afaithful unto the obtaining these two ^bpriesthoods of which I have spoken, and the ^cmagnifying their calling, are ^dsanctified by the Spirit unto the ^erenewing of their bodies.

 34 They become the ^asons of Moses and of Aaron and the ^bseed of ^cAbraham, and the church and kingdom, and the ^delect of God.

 35 And also all they who receive this priesthood ^areceive me, saith the Lord;

 36 For he that receiveth my servants ^areceiveth me;

 37 And he that ^areceiveth me receiveth my Father;

 38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s ^akingdom; therefore ^ball that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

 39 And this is according to the ^aoath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.

The message is simple; The Lord will give us all that He has, as we give Him all that we have. When you think of what it is that we truly have compared to that which the Lord has, the greatness and goodness of the plan becomes clear. 

Brethren, I know these things are true.

- Brother Gough

 [Check out this cool video about Elijah and the Widow!]

 

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David & Bathsheba

David was a strong and magnificent king. He was able to do what many had tried and failed to do before him, which was to unite all of Israel under a single ruler. He conquered the Philistines following his youthful defeat of Goliath the giant. He was close to the Lord, compassionate (you will remember how many times he spared Saul's life) and pure in heart, for the Lord looked on his heart and found it to be good. 

Despite David's greatness, he would fall out of favor with the Lord and lose the privilege of building a temple, the House of the Lord, in Israel. How is it that so great a one could fall? It did not happen all at once, nor did it happen by premeditation; rather, it began by David being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We read that David remained home during the season of battle instead of accompanying his troops where he should have been to enjoy the comforts of home life. It was this simple decision which lead to his being on his roof on that night to see Bathsheba. It was the beginning of a series of increasingly bad choices which would lead David to not only lose a son, but also perhaps his exaltation.

We learn two great lessons from David's truly tragic example: 1. Be in the right place at the right time. 2. Just look away. Had David been where he should have been none of his tragic fall would have happened, moreover, had he had the courage to look away once he did find himself in a bad place, he would have spared himself the entire thing. David did neither and we have his example to learn from. 

In life when we find ourselves tempted to be in the wrong place, or doing the wrong thing, remember the cautionary tale of David. It may seem like no big deal, but big things never really happen unless they start out small. And if by chance we are in a bad place at a bad time, have the courage to look away. Sometimes running away is the most courageous act of all, especially when it comes to matters of our eternal virtue and integrity. 

- Bro. Gough

David

The following is an excerpt of a general conference address given by President Hinckley in 1983, it applies to us even more so today:

"I appreciate the large number of boys who make so great an effort to come to these meetings. It is not easy for many of them. We are grateful to you. I should like to say some things particularly to you, and I do so by recounting a portion of a story with which you are already familiar. It is the story of David, the son of Jesse.

As you will recall, the army of Israel under the leadership of King Saul was engaged in a deadly war with the army of the Philistines. One army was poised on one hill, the other on an opposite hill, with a valley in between. Now, the Philistines had among their men a great giant of a man named Goliath of Gath. His height was six cubits and a span. If I have figured correctly, that would put him somewhere in the neighborhood of nine feet tall. What a basketball center he might have made!

Clad in his armor, he came down to the valley and called out to the army of Israel:

“Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

“If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. …

“I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” (1 Sam. 17:8–10.)

When Saul and the army of Israel looked at this giant and heard his chilling challenge, they were frightened because they had no one of their own of such stature.

Now, while all of this was going on, Jesse, David’s father, asked his young son to take some food to his three brothers in the army. When he arrived at the battleground, Goliath came out again, issuing the same challenge, which David heard. There was fear throughout the army of Israel. David, who was no more than a boy, said to the king, (and I paraphrase his language): “King, why are you so afraid of this giant? I will go and fight him.”

Saul replied, “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he [is] a man of war [trained] from his youth.” (1 Sam. 17:33.) David then persuaded Saul to let him try. He told the king of how he had fought with a lion and a bear to save his father’s sheep and concluded by saying that the Lord would deliver him out of the hand of the Philistine. Saul, possibly thinking that one more life lost would not be serious among the great losses they had already sustained, said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with thee.” (1 Sam. 17:37.) Saul then placed armor on David until the boy could scarcely walk. David said unto the king, “I cannot wear this,” and he took the armor off. He then “took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had … and his sling was in his hand.” (1 Sam. 17:40.)

This stripling of a boy, with only a slingshot and five stones and without any armor other than the armor of faith, went down into the valley to face Goliath. “And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. “And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?” And Goliath swore at David, saying, “Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.”

Then David spoke these great words:

“Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. [1 Sam. 17:45]

“This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” (adapted from 1 Sam. 17:42–46.)

That was brave talk for a boy who stood against a nine-foot giant.

In anger Goliath came at him. Then David, running toward the giant, “put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.” (1 Sam. 17:49.)

You know the rest of that story. I would like to bring it down into your own lives. There are Goliaths all around you, hulking giants with evil intent to destroy you. These are not nine-foot-tall men, but they are men and institutions that control attractive but evil things that may challenge and weaken and destroy you. Included in these are beer and other liquors and tobacco. Those who market these products would like to enslave you into their use. There are drugs of various kinds which, I am told, are relatively easy to obtain in many high schools. For those who peddle them, this is a multimillion-dollar industry, a giant web of evil. There is pornography, seductive and interesting and inviting. It has become a giant industry, producing magazines, films, and other materials designed to take your money and lead you toward activities that would destroy you.

The giants who are behind these efforts are formidable and skillful. They have gained vast experience in the war they are carrying on. They would like to ensnare you.

It is almost impossible to entirely avoid exposure to their products. You see these materials on all sides. But you need not fear if you have the slingshot of truth in your hands. You have been counseled and taught and advised. You have the stones of virtue and honor and integrity to use against these enemies who would like to conquer you. Insofar as you are concerned, you can hit them “between the eyes,” to use a figurative expression. You can triumph over them by disciplining yourselves to avoid them. You can say to the whole lot of them as David said to Goliath, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

Victory will be yours. There is not a boy within the sound of my voice who needs to succumb to any of these forces. You hold the priesthood of God. You are a son of God. You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground and hold your place, and you will be triumphant. As the years pass, you will look back with satisfaction upon the battles you have won in your individual lives.

When temptation comes your way, name that boastful, deceitful giant “Goliath!” and do with him as David did to the Philistine of Gath. God bless each of you, I humbly pray."

Samuel

"And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth."

One of the great lessons we learn from the book of  Samuel is that of the faith of a mother. Hannah had been unsuccessful in her efforts to conceive a son and in her desperation turned to the Lord, covenanting to give her son into the service of the Lord should she be given the opportunity to have one. The Lord heard her prayer and granted her a son whom she named Samuel. Hannah was true to her word, and when Samuel was of age, she sent him to serve in the temple under the direction of Eli. Hannah's faith and fidelity to her promise qualified her to become the mother of the man who would become not only a great prophet in Israel, but the prophet who would anoint and consecrate two of the greatest kings of Israel; Saul and David. 

There is great power in prayer and in covenants. As we ask our Father in Heaven for the righteous desires of our hearts, He will hear our prayers, and according to His will answer them. This may seem like a bit of an ambiguous process, having to depend upon the will of the Lord to receive that which we desire, but when we are following the "righteous desires of our hearts" our wills are uniform with the Lord's, we desire the same things He does. The answers will then invariably be yes; though the yes does not always come right away, it does come. 

This is true of the covenants we make at baptism and in the temple, and also true of the other righteous desires we may have in our lives, such as for our families, for our desires to work and provide for ourselves and our families, our desires to receive an education, and finally to have a fullness of joy and return to live with our Heavenly Father once our time on this earth is finished. 

Your Father in Heaven loves you, and is constantly seeking to provide you with those things that you need and those things that He desires for you to have. As you respond by coming unto Him, much as Samuel did when the Lord called, you will find the Lord.

- Brother Gough

A Century of Seminary & Invitation to Friends

For those of you who were unable to attend the seminary centennial yesterday click on the link to the left to check it out. It is amazing to see how seminary has changed the lives of Latter-day Saint youth all over the world for over a century now. You are a part of a great tradition, and a program that has been instituted by our Heavenly Father for you, to help you specifically navigate the challenges of your lives. 

This is an inspired program, one which I know to be true. As you go about inviting your friends to seminary this week, keep the things that are said in this fireside in mind to help you find the motivation, strength, and power to invite your friends with a clear and powerful testimony. Remember, you have the power to change your friend's lives! And finally, always keep in mind that success is in the invitation, your friends have their agency and their own right to make choices for themselves. Because of this some of them will say no. Don't ever let that discourage you, we show our love for them by giving them the opportunity to make a good choice! 

You guys are awesome, happy reading, and go conquer your exams like Gideon did the Midianites! 

- Brother Gough

Ruth

"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."

Ruth is one of the few women in the Old Testament whose story has been preserved to come down to us in modern times. She is an example of loyalty, faith, perseverance and virtue.

Ruth was a Moabite from Moab, her people had at various times been at war with Israel and had even occupied Israel for a brief period. This occupation came to an end with the assassination of the rather portly Egalon. Needless to say, Ruth risked quite a lot by choosing to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. Imagine today being an American and moving to Afghanistan to be with your in-laws. You probably wouldn't be very popular with the people there.  But out of a feeling of loyalty to her husband's mother - who was a widow - she followed her back to Israel so that she would not have to fend for herself.   

Once in Israel Ruth was a faithful and virtuous woman. Boaz praises her for her fidelity when he says:"Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich." In whatever condition of life she found herself, either in wealth or poverty; she did not stray from that which was right. Ruth was in great poverty in Israel. A "gleaner" is someone who is allowed onto a field after it has already been harvested to collect the stray grains that are left behind by the harvesters. In Israel at this time it was a law that widows were allowed on the fields to glean. This is incredibly difficult and back-breaking work, where you are essentially on your hands and knees in the stubble searching for what little grain you can find, and as the story tells us, it usually wasn't very much. 

It was because of this fidelity (and the inspired maneuverings of Naomi) that Boaz finally takes notice of Ruth and marries her. During this process Naomi teaches us an interesting lesson on patience and faith as she instructs Ruth to: "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall:" This is in part due to Naomi's understanding of how men work, but also her acknowledgment of the principles of patience and faith. She and Ruth had done all that they could, and having done so could then wait patiently for the outcome.

None of us (unfortunately) are young women or widows in our class, but we can take away a few lessons from Ruth for our own lives. Many times we lose too much spiritual energy worrying about things that are beyond our control. This is a tool that the adversary uses to distract us from our goals and to lower our self-worth. As we do what is correct, and exercise faith, then many times the correct thing to do is to "sit still".  Joseph Smith put it this way:  "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

Because Ruth was able to do this, she gained the privilege of becoming one of the progenitors of Jesus Christ himself through the line of David.  Brethren, as we exercise faith in our lives and then patience in the Lord, we too will see his hand in the trials and problems we face. Though it may not come all at once or as soon as we would want it to, it always comes on time.

- Brother Gough

The Old Testament

"In the Old Testament course, you learn of the creation and fall of man, the foundation for the temple endowment. You learn what a prophet is. You become familiar with such words as obedience, sacrifice, covenant, Aaronic, Melchizedek, and priesthood. The whole basis for Judaic-Christian law, indeed for Islam, is taught to you.

The “why” of tithes and offerings is explained. You read prophecies of the coming Messiah and of the restoration of the gospel. You see Elijah demonstrate the sealing power and hear Malachi prophesy that Elijah would be sent with the keys of the sealing authority.

In seminary you learn to know the Old Testament. Now almost abandoned by the Christian world, it remains to us a testament of Jesus Christ."

These remarks by President Packer summarize wonderfully the seminary course of Old Testament study. This often overlooked book is essential in our understanding of how our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ have operated throughout the dispensations of this world. It stands as a witness of the great Jehovah, the god of Abraham and Isaac who would come to earth in the Meridian of Time as foreseen by Isaiah to fulfill the letter of the law given to Moses on Sinai and the covenants given to our fathers down from Adam to Enoch, to Noah, Abraham, and Elijah.

As we undertake the second half of the Old Testament with the New Year, I pray that we may recommit to this text, which has been preserved through the millennia to come down to us in our day as a witness of the faith and hope of our fore-bearers; faith that Jesus is the Christ, that He would and did come, and that through Him and by Him we can in a very real sense receive forgiveness of our sins and partake of the joy and happiness that our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

I promise you (Matthew & Carlos) that as you commit to your reading - do it every day - you will not only gain a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ, but you will be shielded from the very real trials of your day-to-day lives and be fortified and strengthened in your commitment to follow the Savior.

- Brother Gough