Thots I don't want to forget

 when Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were in the fiery furnace, the king saw a 4th person and said He looked like the Lord. 

God usually doesn't take us out of our trials. Our trials are given to us to help us grow and to learn lessons. However, God is ALWAYS in our fiery furnace with us if we let Him!

We shouldn't pray to have our burdens taken away; we have burdens to help us become stronger. 

We should pray that the burden or weight of our problems, the pain, suffering and misery caused by the burden will be lifted.

Mists of Darkness

 In the Book of Mormon, in 1 Nephi 8, it talks about the Rod of Iron that Lehi saw in his vision:

19 And I beheld a ^arod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

20 And I also beheld a ^astrait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a ^bworld.

21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were ^apressing forward, that they might obtain the ^bpath which led unto the tree by which I stood.

22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.

23 And it came to pass that there arose a ^amist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were ^blost.

24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, ^aclinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the ^bfruit of the tree.

I've read that many times, but never thought about the mist of darkness before. Our Bishop Duran, spoke of it and brought out the point that there was a mist of darkness for everyone. Just because we are faithful and clinging to the rod of iron, that doesn't mean we won't have mists of darkness in our lives. We all have to pass through them at some time. Life cannot be without challenges, and they have to be hard enough challenges to test whether we WILL cling to the rod of iron even when it is very hard to continue and we can't see where we're going.

Everyone is tested but everyone can have the rod of iron to cling to!

Moses and the 10 Commandments

 A review of the resurrection: resurrected beings are flesh and bones - no blood. The only way for a person with blood to be in God's presence is to be transfigured, which is temporary. When we are resurrected we will be quickened by the spirit. We will be able to eat.

We wanted to come to earth to have bodies because without them we couldn't have a fulness of joy.

Laurel Lawrence's class 4/21/22

Only Jesus could be the one to break the bands of death because he was half mortal meaning he could die, and half immortal, meaning he could resurrect.

Every living thing will resurrect - all plants, animals, and even the earth. The next mass resurrection will be the 2nd coming. All those who resurrect will be celestial level people. The first to resurrect this 2nd time will be Joseph Smith. Each priesthood leader, after resurrecting, will help to resurrect others. It is a priesthood ordinance, that will be done one by one. If you are alive when the morning of the first resurrection begins, you will live until you are 100 years old, then be quickened/changed to a resurrected being.

The terrestrial beings will be resurrected slowly after the 1st resurrection finishes. The Telestial beings will be resurrected at the end of the millennium, after they have paid for their own sins.

Who will raise the babies of the wicked? Righteous families.

Back to the story of Moses

Laurel talked about where the Children of Israel fought the people of ???, where did they suddenly get weapons? Then I started coughing and missed the explanation, but it had something to do with them washing up on the shore from another war somewhere.

The first tablets that Moses brought down had a higher law. After he came down and saw people dancing naked in front of the golden calf, and broke them. He melted down the golden calf and poured the gold into the river and made the people drink it.

the next time God gave the lower law - the law of Moses. Moses was deeply disappointed in the people. He had seen the City of Enoch in a dream and really hoped for his people to become like that eventually. In the 2nd coming, the righteous will be called up and descend with the City of Enoch. This will be a dream come true for Moses.

When he went up the 2nd time, he was up 40 days. He was transfigured and physically sustained by the Spirit. Aaron and others 72 others went up with him to see the face of God, but many gave up and went back down the mountain. Aaron and some others stayed and waited.

The 10 commandments were only the beginning. The law of Moses was like a bike with training wheels to teach the people to trust and obey God. 

Moses had all those who had been dancing naked killed. Those who remained were much more humble and receptive and ready to be obedient. Moses commanded them to build a temple. 

They had jewelry and riches from the Egyptians to put in the temple. the fabrics used were royal blue, scarlet red, and royal purple. Red stands for mortal man, blue is a symbol of heaven, and purple is a symbol of royalty. Harold B Lee said to "Be True to the Royal within you".

The people were grateful to have a temple. There were master builders among them because they had done that in Egypt. The Lord said, to fill the temple with His Spirit.

President Nelson is intamitely involved in eery detail of the building of our temples. In SLC there is a Holy of Holies where only the prophet can enter, just like Moses' temple.

You have to hold the priesthood to go to the Celestial room. It should be considered God's living room.

The glory of the Lord was in the temple. They gave Aaron and his sons the lesser priesthood. The Levitical priesthood was held by the whole tribe of Levi. the sons of Aaron were priests, like the office of Priest now. The Levites were like our Deacons and Teachers now.

The Ark of the Covenant held the rod of Aaron, a pot of Manna, and other things. 

This is an actual mini-replica of the Temple and grounds someone gave to Laurel.

These are the colors of the fabrics in the temple.

Laurel's notes:

"Be loyal to the royal within you."
HAROLD B. LEE
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
BYU Speeches September 11, 1973

Modern day prophets have compared the "Celestial Room" in our temples to God's living room; where we can feel His Spirit and communicate with Him in a special way.

The duties of the Levites were more like the duties of deacons and teachers today. but the descendants of Aaron were called "priests". They could baptize and bless the offerings of sacrifice that people brought to the altars.

Questions to review what we know about the resurrection:

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION:

1.     WHEN WE ARE RESURRECTED, WILL WE HAVE FLESH AND BONES? YES (Luke 24:39)

2.     WHEN WE ARE RESURRECTED, WILL WE HAVE BLOOD IN OUR VEINS? NO  (WHAT WILL WE HAVE INSTEAD?)  - LIGHT OR SPIRIT (D&C 88:28)

3.     CAN RESURRECTED BEINGS EAT? YES.  JESUS DEMONSTRATED THIS WHEN HE ATE HONEYCOMB AND FISH WITH HIS APOSTLES.

4.     WHEN WE WERE SPIRITS BEFORE WE CAME HERE, WHY DID WE WANT TO HAVE BODIES? WE WANTED TO HAVE JOY. (THIS EXPERIENCE IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH A PHYSICAL BODY.)   SEE 2 NE. 2:25

5.     HOW CAN WE EXPERIENCE A FULLNESS OF JOY? BY RECEIVING A RESURRECTED, CELESTIAL BODY.  D&C 93:33-34

6.     WHY WAS JESUS THE ONLY PERSON WHO COULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE AND THEN TAKE IT UP AGAIN? HE WAS HALF MORTAL AND HALF IMMORTAL. (HIS MOTHER MARY WAS MORTAL.  HIS FATHER WAS A RESURRECTED BEING – ELOHIM.)

7.     COULD ANYONE KILL JESUS AGAINST HIS WILL?  (“NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN MYSELF.”-John 10:18)

8.     WILL ALL MEN, NO MATTER HOW WICKED, EVENTUALLY BE RESURRECTED? YES. “AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, EVEN SO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE.” (1 COR. 15:22)

9.      WHAT OTHER LIVING THINGS WILL BE RESURRECTED? ALL LIVING THINGS – ALL PLANTS AND ANIMALS. (D&C 29:24)

10. WILL THE EARTH BE RESURRECTED? YES.  WHAT WILL THE EARTH BECOME AFTER SHE IS RESURRECTED? THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM, THE HOME OF THE RIGHTEOUS. (D&C 88:17-20)

11. ONCE A PERSON HAS BEEN RESURRECTED, HE WILL KNOW WHICH KINGDOM HE IS GOING TO.  HOW WILL HE KNOW – EVEN BEFORE THE FINAL JUDGEMENT? BY HOW MUCH LIGHT IS IN HIS SPIRIT (SECTION 88)

12. WHO ELSE BESIDES JESUS WAS RESURRECTED ON THE FIRST EASTER? ALL THOSE WHO DIED BEFORE CHRIST WHO WERE WORTHY OF CELESTIAL GLORY. (SEE D&C 133:54,55 FOR SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.)

13. WHEN IS THE NEXT TIME THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL BE RESURRECTED? AT THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS. (D&C 88:97)

14. WHO WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON RESURRECTED WHEN JESUS COMES AGAIN? JOSEPH SMITH (DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG)

15. IF YOU ARE STILL ALIVE WHEN JESUS COMES AGAIN, WHEN WILL YOU BE RESURRECTED? WHEN YOU TURN 100. (SEE D&C 101:29-31 AND ISAIAH 65:20)

16. WHEN WILL THE PEOPLE GOING TO THE TERRESTRIAL KINGDOM BE RESURRECTED? RIGHT AFTER THE CELESTIAL SPIRITS ARE RESURRECTED – AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIUM. (D&C 88:99)

17.WHEN WILL THE PEOPLE GOING TO THE TELESTIAL KINGDOM BE RESURRECTED? NOT UNTIL THE END OF THE MILLENNIUM

18.WHAT WILL THEY BE DOING WHILE THEY WAIT TO BE RESURRECTED?  THEY WILL REMAIN IN SPIRIT HELL WHERE THEY MUST PAY FOR THEIR OWN SINS TO SATISFY JUSTICE. (SEE D&C 88:100,101, AND D&C 19:15-20)

19. MANY HAVE DIED AS BABIES OR YOUNG CHILDREN.  WHAT WILL THEY LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY ARE RESURRECTED? JOSEPH SMITH SAID THEY WILL BE RAISED UP IN THE SAME STATE (THE SAME AGE) IN WHICH THEY WERE LAID DOWN.  

20. WILL CHILDREN AND BABIES WHO ARE RESURRECTED WHEN CHRIST COMES HAVE A CHANCE TO GROW UP DURING THE MILLENNIUM? YES. WHO WILL RAISE THEM? THEIR PARENTS IF THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS.  (OR OTHER RIGHTEOUS PARENTS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO RAISE THEM.)

21.WILL ANYONE BE RESURRECTED WITH A DEFORMITY? NO

22. WHY ARE RESURRECTED BODIES CALLED “INCORRUPTIBLE” BODIES? THEY PRODUCE NO WASTE PRODUCTS.  (NO SWEAT, NO STOOL, NO MUCUS).

23. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN APPEARANCE BETWEEN CELESTIAL, TERRESTRIAL AND TELESTIAL RESURRECTED BODIES? THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT OR GLORY THAT THEY GIVE OFF.

24. IS RESURRECTION A PRIESTHOOD ORDINANCE LIKE BAPTISM? YES.  WE ARE RESURRECTED ONE BY ONE BY SOMEONE IN AUTHORITY.

25. WE CAN’T TAKE ANY MATERIAL THINGS WITH US WHEN WE ARE RESURRECTED.  WHAT IS THE ONE THING WE CAN TAKE WITH US? WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED.  SEE D&C 130:18.

 

Jamie Hansen 2/17/22

Jaime had a friend who volunteered with the Lion’s Club Junior who approached Jamie one year to see if she could bring 15 high school students to the vineyard to help pick grapes just so they could know service. Of course he said they could. It was such a good experience for them and the lady was so impressed with how the vineyard works that the next year she asked if she could bring her minister and people from her congregation. While the pastor was there, he asked Jamie a LOT of questions about Church welfare. Jamie explained all about how all of the grapes are made into raisins and sent all over the world to help people in need whether members or not. He told how all the people there are volunteers and that the raisins are processed at the Church expense to be given out. The pastor asked, “then how do you make any profit?” Jamie said, it is not for profit – it is all charity. The pastor was silent and looking at the ground for a long time, then said, “I have to reassess my faith. You people are not what they told us. You are not evil. I felt the spirit here. People are singing and laughing and having a good time while they work tirelessly for free to produce something to benefit people worldwide in and out of your church.”  He said that 7 or 8 times they had anti-Mormon sermons in their church and lessons on how to thwart the missionaries, etc. He began to take the missionary discussions, then was suddenly transferred to another area and Jaime never heard from him again.

Jamie’s great grandfather joined the Church in the 1840’s. He was baptized in a hole that had been chipped in the ice. He said he didn’t feel the cold at all – he was so filled with the Spirit.

He came to the United States in a ship that endured a 3-week storm. The Dad and 3 siblings died on the ship. They landed in New Orleans and took a paddle boat up the Mississippi to get to Nauvoo. The mother was sick and grieving the death of her husband, so one brother went alone to Utah. He walked the whole way by helping other families and they would feed him. In Utah he became a mule skinner.

One ancestor, Marie Jensen was converted as a young girl so her parents kicked her out. She went home to see all of her clothing and effects on the front porch. She and an older lady crossed the plains together. They got stuck in one area in the winter and couldn’t make it all the way to Utah. Jamie’s grandfather was sent to rescue them and before they got back to Utah, they were engaged. All of Jamie’s ancestors who went to Utah as early pioneers were sent to other areas to settle them. This couple was sent to help build the Mesa, Arizona temple. They lived in a dugout for two years.

When Wilford Woodruff was sent to England on a mission, he was serving in ??? then sent to ??? by the Lord even though he had a lot of people to teach where he was. When he went there, he found a whole congregation ready to be baptized who had prayed for someone to come who taught what they believed from the Bible. Two of the families of the 600 converts were Jamie’s ancestors.

In the movie 17 Miracles, Jamie’s great grandmother, Rowleys and Fosters were in the Willie-Martin handcart company.

When one ancestor was living in Manti or somewhere they had been called to settle, the stake president went to him with 2 spinsters (they were in their early 20’s but considered spinsters) who married Jamie’s ancestor.

One ancestor, Norman, helped broker a deal and treaty with the Indians to stop the fighting and stop them from attacking and stealing from the Mormons. One brother gathered some men to go talk to the Indians and they were taking gifts to give them and Norman got an impression on his own to go talk to the Indians at the same time. He joined them and spoke for them. He offered food – he had taken some fresh bread and BUTTER, which the Indians had never tasted and gave it to the chief. The Indians loved the bread. Norman told them they could have all the bread they wanted and butter, plus meat and other things whenever they wanted if they stopped attacking the Mormons. There was peace with the Indians ever after that.

Jamie’s grandpa had been sent to Nevada to settle it. One day they had a busload of kids they were taking somewhere. There was a gorge with a lot of water and very green where robbers hung out and always attacked travelers. He was driving the bus when a tire blew and the bus rolled off a cliff. It landed on the side where the door was, and they managed to get all the kids out a window. But before he got out, he heard someone moaning. He found 2 girls. One had an arm out a window that was now pinned under the bus. The other had been thrown out of the bus and was now under it.

He prayed for strength beyond his own and pulled a fence post out of the ground (Jamie talked about how impossible this is – that once a fencepost is set, even strong equipment can’t pull it out), but he did it with brute strength with the help of the Lord. Then he lifted the bus while the boys shoved the post underneath it to use as a lever to lift the bus off the girl’s arm. As soon as they got it high enough, she got her arm out. Then they had to lift it more to get the girl out.

The bus had broken most of the bones in her body and scraped off part of her face and skull with the hair. He gave her a priesthood blessing and was impressed to tell her she would grow to be a beautiful mother in Zion. The story is in the Ensign, My Lifeline was Prayer. Their Bishop was one of the few around there who had a car and was prompted to get in it and go. That’s how he found them. They put her in his car to take to the hospital. At the same time, her father had been on a cattle drive and felt prompted to leave it to go to where the bus was. He got there just in time to get in the car with his daughter. He told his horse to go home, which it did.

They went to a town to find a doctor but he was gone, so a dentist volunteered to stitch up her face and head. Later when she got to a hospital, they were amazed at how well it had been done. She had a broken back, multiple cracks in her skull, broken ribs, and arm, etc. The doctors at the hospital said she would be paralyzed from the waist down and would never walk again but sent her home with instructions on physical therapy to do.  It was a year before she was able to crawl and she had almost no scars on her face. She raised lots of children. Jamie said whenever he tells this story to the youth he impresses on them how his uncle had to have been worthy as a priesthood holder to be able to give that blessing without any preparation.

When Jamie was 4 years old his family lived in Chowchilla. During harvest time at the vineyard in Fresno, his father would get them up before sunrise, drive to Fresno and they would pick grapes from before sunup until after sundown. They would go every Saturday and on Labor Day. It was about a  45 minute drive. They lived in a small branch who had 8 rows assigned to them. The Hansen family had 3 rows assigned just to them and when they would finish their 3 rows, they had to help other people until all the work was done. (most wards now have only 3 rows assigned to them and have a hard time getting that much done.) His father taught him the value of hard work, or sacrifice, and of service to others.

His father used to visit an inactive family who wouldn’t even let them in. He visited them 7 years before they let them in the door. Eventually all the kids were baptized. The Dad became the ward mission leader. That family sent Jamie money every month while he was on his mission. It was always a different amount but was always exactly the amount that Jamie needed at that time for something and always at the exact time he needed it.

Jamie’s great uncle was a prisoner of war in Japan. He had horrible atrocities done to him that left him in such bad shape physically that he resolved to never marry because he didn’t want to subject any woman to seeing him. So instead he went on missions all his life. As soon as he got back from one he would go to another. After the war he was sent on a mission to Japan. While there, he saw one of the guards from when he had been a prisoner. This guard had always been kind to him and had snuck food and water to him and his friend. That guard had joined the church!

In the end, he served lots of missions. He served 3 missions to Japan and one to the Japanese in Hawaii.

When Jamie was in college, he and his wife were looking for a place to live. One family had a house that they needed someone to house-sit, so they got to live there for free while in school. When they went there, there was a Japanese man who met them at the house to let them in. When he met them, and asked Jamie’s name, he asked if he was related to someone, and it turned out it was Jamie’s uncle. He said that Jamie’s uncle had converted him in Japan.

Jamie’s uncle always went to Oakland to attend the temple (Fresno temple hadn’t been built yet). It is 2 ½ hours away. At the beginning of one session, the officiator made a comment – “we never do this, but I have to mention that this was the 100^th session for this man in this temple” – that was Jamie’s uncle.

He ended with his testimony that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ and that the Church is led by prophets of God.

Abraham Covenant

From Don’t Miss This

Abraham 2:8

I know the end from the beginning, my hand shall be over thee – means that God’s hand is over my life – protecting, guiding it, make a great nation; 

I will bless you above measure - there isn't a ruler big enough; 

I will make name great; you will be a blessing to your family and your family will bless many people

Abraham was made great so he could help other people

All promises are for Abraham and Sarah – all blessings are for women as well as men; I  will bless her ( Sarah) and she will have a son. Sarah is half of covenant relationship

Women will be blessed, be multiplied, women are a crucial part of God’s Kingdom; fullness of blessings come as a couple, in family

blessed with Priesthood – access to Gospel ordinances and covenants

Posterity like stars – only Heavenly parents have that many children – it is code for Exaltation, becoming Gods

Property – {Promised Land) is code for Celestial Kingdom

Find in app, long document of all blessings in daily section

All those are in the next life, but we also have blessings during our journey. They begin with baptism and we have blessings from them throughout our lives.

The promise given to Abraham was to become something, not to receive something. Promise is to become exalted, not to receive exaltation.

That’s why it is so important to live the covenant life because we are becoming exalted every step of the way.

We’re not earning an outcome; we are actually becoming exalted here. We are to enjoy exaltation along the way; enjoy the blessings we are receiving as we become exalted through our life.

With every covenant relationship, there are two parts – what God gives us and what are to do – how we are to live; how we walk the path. This is what it looks like to be in partnership with God.

Responsibilities 2:6, 9, 11 – cone out of the world

 

Follow Him

The blessings have specific fulfillment in mortality but point us to the eternal blessings of exaltation

Bless Abraham and bless all families through him

Our covenant is to live to bless other people

REST of the Lord means presence of the Lord

 

Talking scripture

Bless them that bless thee – Gen. 12.1-5.

“I will put upon thee my name” – Abr. 1.18.

“Through thy ministry my name shall be known…” – Abr. 1.19.

“I will put upon thee my Priesthood.” – Abr. 1.18.

“My power shall be over thee.” – Abr. 1.18.

I will make thy name great! – Abr. 2.9.

Your seed will have the Priesthood and “this ministry”… - Abr. 2.9.

 

Ab 1:16

I will hear you

I will take you; He will deliver us

I will take you

I will place you in a strange land

 

Promises

Abraham 1:18

Lead thee by thy hand

I will put upon thee my name

Preservation and protection (My hand shall be over thee)

I will protect you so you can do something for me

Even the Priesthood of thy father; I promise you every Priesthood blessing.

My power shall be over thee – power, protection, preservation, Power, Priesthood.

Given a special place – Canaan; we are given a physical place and a spiritual place when we inherit Zion. God has preserved a place for us in the Celestial Kingdom

Posterity – seed without number, into eternities.

Our responsibilities

But –

Thru thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever – we in charge of making sure people know about God.

 2. V6 go out to where the world is to share God’s name – be in the world to help people know God. Be kind, generous, etc.

Make my name known

3. Ab 2:9 In their hands bless peoples with Priesthood and temple

4. 2:11 – shall all the families of the earth be blessed with the gospel, salvation, eternal life. Make name knows so they take advantage of blessings of Priesthood, obtain gospel and attain eternal life; make families eternal because they know who God is.

Scripture Gems:

Promise: Receive land for everlasting possession

make of thee a great nation; make thy name great; you will be a blessing to thy seed

multiply thy seed

Promise of Godhood

Bless posterity

Responsibilities:

we are to minister to all nations of the earth

magnify the priesthood

Preach the gospel

Laurel Lawrence class February 10, 2022 Abraham

 Idol worship was a huge abomination because it was part of an orgy. Immorality is addictive just like drugs.

Abram was born 2000 BC.

Where we got Abraham's writings: Michael Chandler's uncle was an explorer and found a lot of artifacts. When he died, he willed some of them to Michael. Michael had no idea what to do with all them and had no interest or use for them. He heard about Joseph Smith and that he could translate ancient writings, so he traveled to Kirtland to see Joseph.

Joseph found away to buy them. 

Jehovah saved Abram from sacrifice under his father's hand. He was promised the land of Canaan.

Family of Abram"

Terah - Abram's father

Nehor - Abram's brother

Haran - Abram's brother who died and left 3 children who Terah took to raise

Sarah, Milcah, and Lot - children of Haran.

Abram helped his father care for Haran's children. He married Sarah, and took the others and his father with him as they traveled to different places in search of land where they could grow food.

They went to Ur which is now Iraq.

Hartman Rector said, "You can tell what a man worships by what he does on Sunday." 

We receive Abram's blessings through temple ordinances.

Abraham was resurrected with Jesus and entered into exaltation.

In those days they renewed their covenants with sacrifice of an animal. Now we take the Sacrament. Which is easier? It is so easy for us now!!!

In Ur there was still a famine, so they went to Egypt. Abram learned Egyptian. He had a vision where he saw the stars and had the Urim and Thummim, so he learned astronomy. He learned about other solar systems and that Kolob was God's first creation and the closest to God's dwelling.

In Egypt, Pharaoh took Sarah to wife, but valued Abram because taught them all about the afterlife, astronomy, physics, and solar systems. This is where they got all their traditions of preparing a dead person for the afterlife.

While Abram was there, Pharaoh and all of his household became impotent. He realized it was a curse for taking Sarah and kicked them out. But he gave them lots of money and gifts. One of the gifts was Hagar, his daughter, to be Abraham's 2nd wife.

To remember the dispensations, learn Adam Eats Nuts and Melons and Jam:

Adam - Adam

Eats - Enoch

Nuts - Noah

And - Abraham

Melons - Melquizedek

And - Apostles (Christ's time)

Jam - Joseph Smith

In Abram's account of the panoramic vision, he reports the creation differently than Moses or Exodos. He calls the days TIMES, and calls the spirits in heaven INTELLIGENCES, instead of saying God created things, he says God ORGANIZED.

When God covenanted with Abram,  Abram's name was changed to Abraham, meaning father of a multitude. Sarai was changed to Sarah meaning Princess.

Abraham was such a good person we are commanded to "go and do the works of Abraham."

Laurel's class January 27 2022 - Noah

Noah:

When Enoch's city was lifted off the earth, his son Methuselah was left behind to continue a righteous line on the earth. He lived 969 years and died the year of the flood.

Four years after Enoch left, Methuselah's son, Lamec had Noah. His grandfather, Methuselah gave him the priesthood when he was 10 years old. Methuselah prophesied that all generations would be blessed through Noah.

Those who were converted or still righteous before the flood were called up to join Enoch's city.

Noah probably had many children and grandchildren. Shem, Ham and Japeth were born when Noah was around 300 years old. The others were either lifted up with Enoch or destroyed in the flood. There were several granddaughters who married outside the covenant and gave up their birthright.

Shem, Ham and Japeth (Japeth was actually the oldest) were righteous. They and Noah preached repentance for 120 years until the flood. God gives people plenty of time to repent - a whole generation.

At the time of the flood the whole earth was filled with violence - murder, torture, eating human flesh, sexual assault, etc. The violence against each other was the worst sin. God could not let more spirits be born into such a violent society.

God did not command Noah to gather the animals. He was told that 2 of each kind would come to the ark - Gen 6:20.

Noah had to have food for the animals and dispose of their waste - some experts think the animals were put in a state of hibernation.

The rain for the flood was symbolic of God weeping for the wicked people. Nothing makes God more sad, but the devil laughed and his angels rejoiced to see the flood because the people died in their sins without repenting.

The rainbow is a symbol from God that he will never again destroy His children by flood. The LGBTQ community took the rainbow as their symbol. Satan always takes God's sacred symbols and turns them to something else for his purposes.

Jesus was 23 centuries after the flood and the ark was still on mount Ararat. Every culture has an ark in their history. 

Noah and family were in the ark 7 days before the rain began. We need to follow the prophets while they are warning (120 years) not after they quit warning.