Category: Scripture Study

Three Steps of Repentance

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel teaches a profound doctrine with respect to repentance. “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.” (Ezek. 33:15.)

Here we have three steps in repentance:

  1. Restore the pledge
  2. Commit to change
  3. Forsake the sin

Notice the phrase ‘restore the pledge.’ What pledge? Each makes pledges to our Father in heaven. Some have been made here on earth, baptism, confirmation, temple ordinances, and the sacrament. All of us made pledges before we were born.

What is Repentance?

Elder Burton explains repentance by going to the Old Testament. The OT was written in Hebrew and the word for repentance is shube. The meaning of the word is ‘to turn away’ or ‘to change.’

We are commanded to preach repentance. If you consider the meaning of shube, then we are commanded to preach the concept of living differently, to turn away from sin or to change the way we live.

When the Bishop exhorts us to repent, he is suggesting we change or turn away from harmful habits and turn unto the Lord.

What Repentance is Not

Perhaps an understanding of what repentance is not would help us gain clarity on this 1st principle of the gospel.

Repentance is not:

  • Suffering
  • Punishment
  • Confession
  • Remorse
  • Sorrow

These feelings may accompany repentance, but they are not repentance.

Quoting Elder Burton: “As a General Authority, I have prepared information for the First Presidency to use in considering applications to readmit repentant transgressors into the Church and to restore priesthood and temple blessings. Many times a Bishop will write, I feel he has suffered enough!” Elder Burton continues,

“But suffering is not repentance.”

 

Why is Repentance so negative?

Why does repentance seem so negative?

According to Elder Theodore M. Burton the most basic principles of the gospel can be those least understood. A basic and fundamental principle of the gospel is repentance (Ensign, August 1988. The Meaning Of Repentance).

In and out of the church repentance carries a negative meaning. When an ecclesiastical leader stands before his congregation and exhorts the members to repent, as a general rule they do not feel comfortable, at peace, or spiritually motivated about his call to repentance.

Why?

Melchizedek Power vs. Man’s Force

The Power of the Melchizedek Priesthood is unlike anything found within the world of man. Man uses force to accomplish his secular and base desires. God uses power.

Power allows all people their agency; force removes agency.

Power allows all people to say no; force forbids dissent.

Power edifies, satisfies, glorifies, and brightens; force tears down, is insatiable, isolates, and darkens.

God swore an oath unto Enoch that “everyone ordained after this order (Melchizedek) and calling should have POWER by faith to…”

  • Break mountains
  • Divide the seas
  • Dry up waters
  • Turn them out of their course

Faith vs. Knowledge – con’t

Which comes first, faith or knowledge?

Is faith a vague uncertain hope in something that, with proper attention grows into knowledge? Or is faith something that grows based on a foundation of knowledge?

Faith, as I understand it, carries two levels of commitment and two levels of knowledge. The first level is that of action. You exercise your faith that you may receive an answer, direction, confirmation, clarity, or greater knowledge. In order to exercise said faith, it must be based on something.

The Alpha and Omega of Faith

The first principle of the Gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. How simple a statement, yet how profound a doctrine.

According the Joseph Smith we define faith as “the first princple in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness. Faith…is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things; by it they exist, by it they are upheld, by it they are changed, or by it they remain, agreeable to the will of God.” (Lectures on Faith 1:1, 22-24)

> Hormones = < Brains???

Last week I taught a Sunday School class of 16 and 17-year olds. The night before they attended Mormon Prom. My wife thinks that piece of evidence is important. There were five students, three boys and two girls. The topic was not difficult or deep but the questions required thinking. The girls were offended at the end of class while the boys enjoyed it.

When is the best time for a War in the Book of Mormon?

Last night during a gospel discussion on how to effectively study the scriptures, we were following the 5 steps and we came across an interesting question.

The 5 Steps to effective scripture study are:

  1. What’s going on
  2. Wonder Why: ask questions
  3. Find Patterns
  4. Types of the Savior
  5. Apply Yourself

We commenced our study in Alma 56 and became interested in the dates. This is the story of the Stripling Warrior’s first battle. We noticed that the story starts off in the 30 year of the reign of the Judges. That doesn’t mean much to me, so I usually use the footnote to position the story on B.C. or A.D. time. This story commences in 62 B.C.

Teaching and holding the students accountable

Teaching:

The act of showing love by holding the student accountable for growth

What does it mean to hold someone accountable? Have you ever held someone accountable for what they want? Some years ago my son Stuart asked me to help him prepare for a mission. One of the things he asked me to help him with was cleanliness, or should I say, lack thereof.

During the initial weeks of his preparation, he heard a repeated question: “Stuart is your room up to missionary standards?” He never argued with me from that point on. Having a clean room was something he wanted. He gave me permission to hold him accountable for serving a mission and a clean room was a stepping-stone along the way.

Lot and Abraham: a contrast in priorities

Here is a letter I sent to Stuart who is serving as a missionary in the Spain, Malaga mission.

Dear Elder Himmer,

My greatest insight for today was during the 3rd hour at church. I was asked to teach a short lesson on avoiding temptation. So I studied the story of Abraham and Lot.

If you’ll remember, Lot and Abraham divided their wealth and Lot took the more fertile lands and Abraham was content with what was left over.

Reason and Logic

I was studying this morning and came across an article written by Dallin H. Oaks in 1993.  Within the article is found the following paragraph.

“God invites us to reason with Him, but I find it significant that the reasoning to which God invites us is tied to spiritual realities and maturity rather than to scholarly findings or credentials.  Three times in modern revelation the Lord has spoken of reasoning with his people.

1.    D&C 45:10, 15
2.    D&C 50:10-12
3.    D&C 61:13;
**    See also Isaiah 1:18

The Science of Scripture Study

The Middoni Principle
&
The Science of Scripture Study

Here is an excerpt from Ammon’s missionary journal; in particular the conversion stories of King Lamoni and his father King Laman. At the end of the stories are 5 steps that greatly enhance the study process. The brethren have exhorted us to move from a reading church to a studying church. These steps are instrumental in helping to position your mind so the scriptures come alive. As James Ferrill notes in his new book: “The Holy Secret,” studying the scriptures should be a dialogue and not a monologue. The 5 steps cited are also taken from his book.