New Testament Lesson 2: My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord

Have you ever prayed for something in your life and never received it or had to wait way beyond what you expected, to receive it? Have you possibly given up praying for something thinking maybe it was not the Lord's will, only to be given it at a time when you least expected it?

How did you feel after such a long time, having not received it? Did it test your patience, your faith? Did you begin to question God? What scriptural examples can we recall of such events - Lehi and family and promised land. Moses, let my people go. Joseph in Liberty Jail? Today we will study another example of patience and faith being tested, with Zacharias and Elisabeth.

Have you ever received a calling that you felt overwhelmed by or that you felt was way beyond your capacity? Did you say no? Did you accept it but with reservation and doubts? How did you respond? If you accepted it, how did you do? What scriptural examples can we recall of such events? Abraham and Isaac, Samuel in the temple, Joseph Smith? Today we will study how two young teenagers, Mary and Joseph, responded to possibly the most overwhelming calls of all.

The annunciations of Luke 1 are a story of two impossible births. A birth to a couple too old and beyond hope of new life. And a birth to a couple not yet wed.
Could it be this story also sends a message to the Jews and the Gentiles.
The Jews were the old covenant that were losing faith in ever seeing their promised Messiah and while religiously obeying their duties no longer believed maybe as resolutely in the spoken words of the prophets.
The Gentiles were not part of the promises and covenants and had no right to be expecting a Messiah and yet through their faithfulness and obedience became highly favoured of the Lord and eligible for the new covenant.
As you study this lesson, consider the symbolism that Luke may have been pointing to in the beginning of his testimony.

Zacharias
Luke 1:5-10
Elizabeth was beyond the years of child-bearing, both her and her husband Zacharias were righteous temple workers. Zacharias off fulfilling his duties at the temple. His duty is to burn the incense in the temple while the people prayed without. The incense was symbolic of prayers ascending to heaven. The Bible Dictionary teaches us that,

"Live coals were brought from the brazen altar of burnt offering and placed on the golden altar of incense; then the priest entered alone into the Holy Place, carrying in a censer the incense, which he cast on the fire. Then bowing reverently toward the Holy of Holies, he returned to the congregation, who were praying outside and pronounced the blessing in Numbers 6:24-26"

This was what Zacharias was doing when Gabriel appeared to him.

Luke 1:11-13

"Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; AND thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son"

It is commonly interpreted that the angel Gabriel is answering a prayer that Zacharias has prayed for years and had built up to in this seminal moment of personal prayer in the temple before the veil but all the evidence, including Zacharias' doubting reply, is that the angel Gabriel was indicating the temple prayer on behalf of the people was heard, Zacharias' prayer of a righteous life was answered and that it was his life's deepest desire that was answered as opposed to any specific faithful prayer he was offering in that specific temple trip. How symbolic though that it is at the altar of incense by the veil that the Lord sets in motion the events that would ultimately answer the prayers of the people and the deep desires of this righteous servant and his wife. Why would the Lord choose this setting and this time to make this announcement? What does this teach us of the manner of prayer, the power of prayer, the purpose of prayer?

v.13-17
What a great blessing! As you read the blessing pronounced by Gabriel regarding the unborn John, what stands out to you? For me, one of the amazing parts of this blessing is that Zacharias is told his son will be "filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb". Was this a gift given to him prior to baptism or just an abundance of the Spirit? I find it a fascinating blessing. What was the purpose or point of such a blessing?

v18-19
he's righteous, he's prayed for it many times before in his life, it is probably the one thing he desires most in his life and he's in the temple speaking to an angel and he asks "How will I know this is actually true!?" You might say he was dumbfounded? and so Gabriel(Noah) says "Are you kidding me? I am Gabriel, an angel sent from God's presence to answer your prayers with this good news here in the temple in front of the veil before the holy of holies and you dont believe me? You want a sign? OK sure, your sign will be becoming dumb until these prophecies are fulfilled.

v.23-24
For all his questioning, you cant fault his dedication - he heads home AFTER his duty is done and then Elisabeth conceives.

Mary
Luke 1:26-56

In the 6th month of Elisabeth' pregnancy, Gabriel visits a young virgin called Mary - you know Gabriel must be loving this role of announcing special births when compared to his mortal ministry where he had to watch so many people die. And now he announces the births of those set to bring about their salvation. God is good. Why do you think Gabriel was selected to be this messenger? What symbolism do we see here in comparison or in conjunction with his mortal ministry as Noah where he was asked to herald the world into a new era?

v28-29 she was troubled and "cast in her mind" what this greeting meant. Mary is also the one we are told later who at her son's birth and all the events surrounding it, "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). This appears to be a very thoughtful and careful young woman.

What blessing does Gabriel pronounce regarding Jesus prior to his birth? Luke 1:31-33. That would be very overwhelming for a young woman (similar to the calling of Samuel in the temple or Joseph in the grove of trees). Her response again shows a very studious mind. Her reply is not a doubting reply but the reply of one who wants to understand and learn. How will it happen? I am a virgin and already espoused to Joseph.

v.35 For those of like mind to Mary the answer is fairly straightforward - "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee". I still don't know what exactly that means but the conclusion is very clear, "therefore [thy son] shall be called the Son of God".

v.38 Mary is espoused to another man, this certainly means divorce and quite likely death according to the laws and how these events will be interpreted by those around her and yet her response to this is one of humble acceptance.

"Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word"

Mary offers full submission to and complete acceptance of this calling no matter the effects on her personal life. How can Mary's example help us to make better choices in fulfilling our callings in life?

39-55 can you imagine this scene - not only two mothers announcing their news but wow what news!
must have been very exciting and emotional
Note too that even in womb John was filled with the Holy Ghost. One of the roles of the Holy Ghost is to testify of Christ. Is it any wonder the unborn baby John therefore reacts in the presence of his Saviour? That must have been an amazing experience for Elisabeth.
What does it mean "my soul doth magnify the Lord?" How can we magnify the Lord?

Mary stays with them about 3 months but leaves before John is born. But now consider. She left Joseph for 3 months right at the time of conception and during that first trimester. Why?

Joseph
Matthew 1:19 he had respect for her and not going to have her stoned or publicly mocked but he was going to quietly divorce her. This must have been a very trying time in their relationship. It must have been tough for Mary and for Joseph for different reasons.
v.20 I wonder at what stage this happened? Was it after Mary returned? the text suggests it was. Certainly Joseph didn't rashly react. He was thinking on these things for a while. Jesus obviously had earthly parents who were slow to wrath and pondered and prayed.

They too are told to give the child a specific name Y'shua or in Greek (Jesus) means to save.
Joseph's reaction to his angelic visit? Obedience without question and total respect for Mary. This must have been a hard calling for Joseph. To be the adoptive father of the Son of God. To accept a child that is not yours. Yet he responded to the call.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said:

“All the spirits of men, while yet in the Eternal Presence, developed aptitudes, talents, capacities, and abilities of every sort, kind, and degree. During the long expanse of life which then was, an infinite variety of talents and abilities came into being. As the ages rolled, no two spirits remained alike. Mozart became a musician; Einstein centered his interest in mathematics; Michelangelo turned his attention to painting. . . . Abraham and Moses and all of the prophets sought and obtained the talent for spirituality. . . .
“. . . When we pass from preexistence to mortality, we bring with us the traits and talents there developed. True, we forget what went before because we are here being tested, but the capacities and abilities that then were ours are yet resident within us. Mozart is still a musician; Einstein retains his mathematical abilities; Michelangelo his artistic talent; Abraham, Moses, and the prophets their spiritual talents and abilities. . . . And all men with their infinitely varied talents and personalities pick up the course of progression where they left it off when they left the heavenly realms.”

We all have the ability to perform our callings in life. We may have forgotten certain abilities and talents we had previously developed but the Lord our God has not. He knows us, he knows our capabilities and our strengths. It is for this reason many if not all of us were given callings in this life, duties to perform while here.
Like Zacharias and Elisabeth we must do our duty. Like Mary we must be humble and submissive. Like Joseph we must be quick to obey. We must ponder and pray.
If we do people will look at us and our lives and they will see the Lord in us. We will reflect His light. Our souls will magnify the Lord
Are we living the lives we were called to live?

Old Testament Lesson 6: Noah...Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House

Matthew 24:37-38 "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" 

This week's lesson is intended to show how God in his mercy, just as in the days of Noah, gives mankind as much time as possible to repent. It is also intended to show that God gives instructions to the righteous that if followed will provide the righteous Saints sanctuary from the ever-increasing waves of wickedness in the world.
Vaughn J Featherstone in his talk "Holiness to the Lord" said,

"The season of the world before us will be like no other in the history of mankind. Satan has and will unleash every evil, every scheme, every blatant vile perversion ever known to man in any generation. Just as this dispensation is the fullness of times, so it is also the dispensation of the fullness of evil. We and our wives and husbands, our children, and our members must find safety. There is no safety in the world; wealth cannot provide it, enforcement agencies cannot assure it, membership alone in this Church will not guarantee it."

Introduction and recap:
In our last study we learned of Enoch. Enoch and his city were so righteous that they were removed from the earth and taken into heaven. However Enoch's son, Methuselah, was not taken. Why was Methuselah left behind? Moses 8:1-2.
As part of the covenant the Lord made with Enoch, He promised Enoch that his seed would run through Noah's line and thus his seed would be preserved. And so Methuselah needed to remain on earth to produce and raise that seed. Now, as it was, his son Lamech already was born so why do you think it was important for Methuselah to stay behind still? How did his presence help fulfill the covenant? I wonder if he was there to be a guiding influence in the life of his grandson or whether as the "youngest" in the family line with the office of high priest he was needed so as to be able to ordain Noah to that office? Either way it must have been a somewhat lonely task I would imagine after seeing the faithful city of Zion and all your strength and friendships removed. Imagine seeing your local ward or stake being translated and you are left to yourself on earth, just you and your family. Would you be strong enough to resist the evils of the world and guide your family? How strong would you need to be? What a great man Methuselah must have been.

Now to give you an idea of the timeline - according to Genesis 5.
When Adam died aged 930 yrs old
his son Seth was 800 yrs old
his grandson Enos was 695 yrs old
his great grandson Cainan was 605 yrs old
his great great grandson Mahalaleel was 535 yrs old
his great great great grandson Jared was 470 yrs old
his great great great great grandson Enoch was 308 yrs old (just 122yrs before Enoch and Zion were taken from the earth)
his great great great great great grandson Methuselah was 243 yrs old (Methuselah lived to be 969 yrs old and was 365 yrs old when his dad Enoch and Zion were taken from the earth)
his great great great great great great grandson Lamech was 56 yrs old (was 178 when Enoch and Zion were taken from the earth and 182 when Noah was born)
Noah was born just 4 years after the city of Enoch was taken from the earth and 126 years after Adam died and was likely part of the first or second generation not to have personally known father Adam or be ordained by him (see list of ordinations Doctrine and Covenants 107:41-57).

It must have been a quite fascinating age to live in among all of those great patriarchs at one time. There is an interesting quote by the Jewish historian Josephus concerning the longevity of the prophets back then. He states,

"Let no one, upon comparing the lives of the ancients with our lives, and with the few years which we now live, think that what we have said of them is false;...for those ancients were beloved of God...and because their food was then fitter for the promulgation of life...and besides, God afforded them a longer time of life on account of their virtue and the good use they made of it in astronomical and geometrical discoveries...Now I have for witnesses to what I have said all those that have written Antiquities...that the ancients lived a thousand years"

Whatever the reason for their longevity, many records do bear witness of their longevity.
Be that as it may, essentially 1099 yrs passed between creation and Noah as recorded in the bible.

What had been accomplished in that first 1000 years? Mankind had multiplied as commanded and started to divide as is the eternal order of things to create opposites thus creating choice and therefore growth. Establishment of a righteous people v establishment of a wicked people. But in taking Zion into heaven the balance on earth had shifted towards wickedness. 

Noah:
What do we know about Noah before the flood?

• Noah was ordained to the priesthood at just 10 yrs of age by Methuselah who had been ordained to the priesthood by Adam when he (Methuselah was 100 yrs old). What does this suggest about Noah?
• Noah's name means Rest or Comfort (see Moses 8:9; Genesis 5:29) What does this suggest about how Methuselah and Lamech had found the work since Zion had left the earth?
• Noah and his sons were called the sons of God as they hearkened unto God and were given His Holy Priesthood (Moses 8:13,19).
• Noah was almost killed by giants but the Lord protected him and saved him by his power (Moses 8:18) Who were these giants?
• Noah was considered a just man and perfect in his generation and walked with God and found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Moses 8:27) What does it mean to be perfect in his generation? Are there different perfections for different generations? I think this maybe the second definition of perfection. He wasn't perfect as in without sin for all man sins. But he was perfect as in complete, whole, or with integrity throughout his whole life.
• Noah became a preacher of righteousness, preaching the gospel of faith in the Christ to come, repentance of sins, baptism by immersion and reception of the Holy Ghost (Moses 8:16, 23-24)
• Noah holds the keys to a dispensation and stands next to Adam in authority (see LDS BD Noah). As Adam symbolizes newborn man, so Noah symbolizes reborn man. Nicodemus asked Christ how it was possible that man could be born a second time despite having it right there in the scriptures. If Nicodemus had looked closer at his scriptures what Christ taught him should have made a lot of sense. Mankind was reborn through Noah and in that sense Noah is very much a type of Christ.
• Noah is also known as the angel Gabriel, who visited Daniel, Mary, and Zacharias.

The World:
What was going on in the world as Noah preached? 

• Others claimed to be priesthood holders and claimed to be sons of God but did not listen to God and were thus became known as sons of men. How did they try to justify themselves? (Moses 8:21) "We got married, we multiplied, our kids are big and strong - see! we are righteous!" "BUT they hearkened not unto the words of Noah". How might we be in danger of being like these people?
• Daughters of God also marrying unrighteous men.
• The wickedness of men had become great. Every man lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually. (see Moses 8:14-15, 20-22)
• The earth was corrupt and filled with violence (Moses 8:28) 

How is today's world similar?  How close do you think we are to the times spoken of in Matthew and Luke when it will be as in the times of Noah?

What ultimatum did the Lord give, (remembering he has been laboring with these people since the time of Enoch)? Moses 8:17 God gives the people another 120 years to repent. How merciful is the Lord? Genesis 7:6 also indicates that the Lord only gave the 120 year ultimatum after he had already given them 484 years previously, to repent (since Enoch and Zion were taken from the earth).
There had been wickedness on the earth before. Why was this so different that the entire earth needed to be flooded and all life killed? What do you think was the last straw for God? The scriptures are too general for us to tell but certainly a theme was that God and the prophets were no longer listened to, the world had become a world of violence, and man chose evil over good continually. Even the children of the righteous were turning to evil it seems. Did you notice who made it into the ark? Genesis 7:13 Where were Noah's grandchildren or his other children?

Lessons of The Ark:
Noah is commanded to build an ark to save his immediate family and other life on earth.  President Spencer W. Kimball explained that when Noah built the ark, 

 “there was no evidence of rain and flood. … His warnings were considered irrational. … How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual! But time ran out. The ark was finished. The floods came. The disobedient and rebellious were drowned. The miracle of the ark followed the faith manifested in its building”

What commandments have we been given that might appear foolish to others?
President Ezra Taft Benson said,

“The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah”

How many of us have a years supply food storage for the whole family?

What can we learn from the instructions Noah receives in building the ark? Genesis 6:13-16 

• The ark was sealed within and covered without with pitch. The Hebrew word for this pitch was "kopher" which literally means covering. What do we have today that seals us and completely covers us and if used fully can prevent us from being engulfed in the waters of wickedness? The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides that sealing and covering effect in our lives.
• The ark was given three levels/stories symbolic of Solomon's temple that had three rooms representing the three kingdoms, or the three degrees of glory.
• The ark is one of only 3 structures in the Bible that the Lord gives precise measurements for its construction - ark, ark of the covenant, Solomon's temple. All of these were places of sanctuary and peace and holiness. It seems the Lord is asking us to be very careful and very precise. One leak, one entry point for the water could sink the whole boat. (Consider the Titanic - supposedly unsinkable and yet there was a weakness. Are our lives, our homes more like the Titanic or the Ark?)

It is clear we are meant to view Noah's ark as a type of temple and a type of the Atonement. In that light it is interesting to note that Elder Vaughn J Featherstone said

"Endowed faithful members of the Church who keep all their covenants including the sacred coverings will be safe as [if they were] protected behind temple walls. The covenants and ordinances are filled with faith as a living fire. "

he continued by saying

"Before the Savior comes the world will darken. There will come a time when even the elect will begin to lose hope if they do not come to the temples. The world will be so filled with evil that the righteous will only feel secure through their faith in Christ and within the temple walls. I believe the Saints will come to the temples not only to do vicarious work but to find a God-given haven of peace. The true and faithful Latter-day Saints will long to bring their children to our temples for safety's sake."

What are we doing to become more temple-attending people/families/individuals? How does the temple and the covenants and ordinances within, strengthen us and cover us against the world? How can we make our homes more water tight?

The Flood:
Genesis 7;
v.6 Noah is 600 yrs old
v.10 It begins on the 17th day of the second month of his 600th year
v.11 source of flooding: "fountains of the great deep broken up", "windows of heaven were opened"
v.12 rain is upon earth for 40 days and nights
v24; 8:3 waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days
Genesis 8
v.4 ark rests on mountains of Ararat on 17th day of seventh month
v.5 tops of mountains seen on the 1st day of the tenth month
v.13 waters dried up face of the ground dried on 1st day of first month of his 601st year
v.14 earth dried 27th day of second month of 601st year.

We know God to be a God of Love. Yet here a whole world is wiped out, slaughtered. How does this measure up to the God of Love that we all know and identify with?
President John Taylor gave this insight,

"I will go back to show you how the Lord operates. He destroyed a whole world at one time save a few...And why? This people were not only very wicked themselves, but having the power to propagate their species, they transmitted their unrighteous natures and desires to their children, and brought them up to indulge in their own wicked practices. And the spirits that dwelt in the eternal worlds knew this...And supposing ourselves to be of the number of unborn spirits, would it not be fair to presume that we would appeal to the Lord, crying...'Is it just that we who are now pure should take of such bodies?'"

It is contrary to the plan to allow us to come into a world where it is so wicked that there is essentially a lack of choice. It would have been unfair to the unborn spirits to send them into that environment and ask them to choose good when there was no good to choose from. Thus we see it was in fact an act of mercy and love and justice and it was vital to the plan of salvation.

Noah's family Ark experience is an entire year! Why did they wait so long to leave the ark? Why did they wait another month after they saw the surface of the earth was dry, for the earth to be completely dry?

What did Noah do after he left the ark? JST Genesis 9:4-6 made sacrifices, gave thanks, rejoiced.

Was it a global flood? Many Christians are now suggesting this was a localized flood (as there is very little scientific evidence of a global flood) but based on the spiritual symbolism of baptism by immersion I remain of the disposition that this was indeed a flood that covered the entire earth.
Elder Mark E Peterson said,

"The flood had a far greater purpose than to merely to wipe out Noah's neighbours. God baptized the earth. He would not baptize a portion of it any more than we would be satisfied with a partial immersion if we were baptizing some person"

President Fielding Smith said,

"...this earth was born in water. Before the land appeared the whole sphere was covered with water. [Then, with the flood of Noah, it was born again]."

However rather than getting hung up on the physical aspects of the flood I believe it is far more important for us to learn from and focus on the spiritual lessons of the flood.

The Rainbow Covenant:
Genesis 6:18 "with thee will I establish my covenant" What is His covenant? It is his "everlasting covenant" - the same covenant he made with all the prophets, with Adam and with Enoch and later with Abraham and that we know now as the Abrahamic covenant. It would appear that the rainbow may also have been a symbol of this covenant before Noah.
What did this covenant include? Moses 7:50-52, 62-63; JST Genesis 9:21-25
With Enoch:

• Enoch's seed/posterity would be preserved through Noah
• Remnant of Enoch's seed should always be found among all nations
• The city of Zion will return to the earth when men keep all the commandments
• Earth might never more be covered by the floods.

With Noah:

• Remnant of Noah's seed should always be found among all nations
• The city of Zion shall look downwards and be reunited with the righteous on the earth
• There will never be a flood to destroy the earth again

The rainbow was established as the symbol/token of this covenant.
Covenants are two-way binding agreements. There is no doubt that Enoch and Noah's part in this covenant included keeping the commandments. The two main commandments the Lord reminded Noah of immediately after the flood was not to kill and to be fruitful and multiply. Why is God so insistent on us multiplying, to the point that he commands it? Having seed is one of the great blessings of mortality AND eternity. It is the central unit not only of mortal society but immortal society also. And those that are unable to have seed in this life, if they remain faithful to the commandments will have seed in the eternities.
One of the great blessings of this covenant was also based around Enoch and Noah's posterity/seed. When you look at the animals brought onto the ark the message there too is not just about survival but also multiplying each species They were brought in two by two, male and female obviously with the plan not for individual survival but to preserve and propagate the species. It would appear that much of the Lord's plan revolves around the need to multiply and have seed, and families, and that this rainbow was as much a token of that as it was a reminder that there would be no such flood again. How clever of Satan then to distort that token in today's world to stand for a lifestyle that is in direct conflict with that eternal commandment to multiply and have seed.

The Lord also makes it clear that the rainbow placed between the heavens and the earth would be a symbol for those righteous on earth looking upwards and for those in the heavens looking downwards. See JST Genesis 9:21-23; Moses 7:62-64. This is going to be a glorious  and very emotional reunion. All of this is part of the great Rainbow Covenant the Lord made with Enoch and Noah and is available to all flesh.

Interestingly, Joseph Smith referred to this token. He records that he inquired of the Lord concerning his coming and was told by the Lord,

"...in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come;...but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant."

So keep looking out for those rainbows!

Tower of Babel:
Genesis 11:1-9

By Genesis 11 it seems this great covenant symbolized by the rainbow in the sky was not enough to satisfy the people and instead of waiting on the Lords time they took it upon themselves to make the reunion between heaven and earth happen there and then. The very fact that they attempt to build a city and a tower of bricks and slime (yuk!) to reach heaven or possibly the city of Zion shows that they had decided against following the true way to heaven. They wanted a shortcut. They were unwilling to follow the true way. Jesus Christ is the true way. They could not wait for Christ. They had no faith in Christ but rather had only their own pride and vain ambitions to become as God. (cf John 14:6)
Once again we see Satan's handiwork. If he cannot convince people they are nothing if worthless mere mortals he will instead flatter their pride and convince them they can overthrow God.

If nothing else the story of the flood and the ark teaches us that the way to become AS God is not found in shortcuts. There is no smooth easy path. It comes through testing, through time, through preparation, through faith, through biding the floods of life within our own spiritual arks whether they be our own souls, our homes or the great temples of the latter-days.
The times are fast approaching where we find ourselves living "as in the days of Noah". Our world is consumed with violence, and multiplication of the species has been replaced with gratification of the species, in many perverse ways. The world no longer hearkens unto the voice of God or His prophets. The time is close and at hand. We would be advised to ponder the story of Noah closely for his life can be a great example of how to save our own families in the coming days.

Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 38 "In Mine Own Way"

"So there's this huge flood one day, and an entire town looks like it's going to be swallowed.
One man is sitting on the roof with the water lapping around his ankles when the emergency services come along in a boat and tell him to jump on board.
To which he says "Nah, it's ok, God will Provide"
So about an hour later they're zooming past in the boat again and they notice the man's still there, only the water's up to his waist, almost at the top of the roof.. "Quick" they say, get in the boat, it's going to get worst before it gets better.
"Nah, don't worry - God will Provide"
An hour after that a rescue helicopter flies over the area and notices the man, who must be standing on the peak of the roof now, with only his head and shoulders out of the water. "GRAB THE ROPE!" they cry "IT'S YOUR ONLY HOPE!"
"Don't worry" he replies calmly "God will provide."
So he gets drowned of course. And he goes to heaven, and is a little ticked off with Heavenly Father for drowning him like that, and expresses his concern saying "I had FAITH, I BELIEVED in you - and still you didn't help me"
"HELP YOU?!" God replies "What MORE did you want - I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"

While this is an amusing story it speaks to the theme of the lesson today. Christians are often at loggerheads on the topics of faith and works. Some even see the two principles as a dichotomy. As Latter-Day Saints we believe that they should and do co-exist but getting the right balance is really a key to surviving the floods of life that we face.

Noah was saved because he understood and followed the Lord's way.

Another man who faced a pretty severe flood and called on God and had a boat as a means of escape was Noah. As I prepared this lesson my mind has been drawn to his story a lot. And his life gives us a much better example than the man in our first story, of how to couple faith with works.

As we go through this lesson and you consider all the obstacles you encounter in fulfilling the Lord's way ponder on Noah: "a just man and perfect in his generations" he nevertheless reached a point where he and his family were the only righteous people on the earth. Talk about facing constant temptation alone.! That requires immense personal spiritual strength. How easy would it be to give in to the neighbours mocking and taunting your weird habits and lifestyle and the world condemning your "out-of-touch-with-modern-times" morality! Anyone complaining about living a little too far from their chapel or their temple? Then add on top of that a failed mission - not one convert in 120 years! Any missionaries struggling out there today? Wow! This man's testimony must have been incredible. So keep Noah in mind as we go through the lesson today.

IF YE ARE PREPARED:

Read Doctrine and Covenants 38:29-30
The Saints are pretty nervous and maybe scared and are asking the Lord why they have to leave their homes and farms and crops in New York and travel 300 miles to Ohio (wait till they see the rest of the travel itinerary!) and in reply the Lord gives them this wonderful sermon, essentially saying it might not make sense to you but trust me - it's for your good.

What elements of faith and works (trusting in the Lord's way and self-reliance) do we see in these verses? 
Some thoughts as you ponder that question:
Notice the Lord heard their prayers. Not prayer but plural...prayerS. As Oliver Cowdery declared in the footnotes of Joseph Smith History, "the Lord...is ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble". And as Nephi asked his brothers "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"(1 Nephi 15:7-8).
Consider also these questions: what does it mean to "treasure up wisdom"? Whose is the voice that "shakes the earth" and whose voice is louder? It reminds me of a loving Father who does not want to shout at His children. Instead he whispers and shakes the earth around us to get our attention without actually harming us. But if we do not listen to those quiet feelings and promptings and changes around us then the loud wickedness of men will scream in our lives and could well do harm. Which voice do you prefer to live with?
Did you see the formula the Lord gave them in these verses for be prepared for life's floods? Look again!

PRAYER + TREASURE UP WISDOM + LISTEN TO THE LORD"S VOICE = YE ARE PREPARED 

"And if ye are prepared - ye shall not fear!"
Notice how these are all actions we must undertake - but with a heavy reliance on the Lord for each item. (cf 2 Nephi 25:24 "...it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do")


IN MINE OWN WAY:

Read Doctrine and Covenants 104:13-18
3 years on from the first scripture we read and the Saints are surviving in different ways. Some are richer, some are poorer. It must have been an exciting and a tough time or as Charles Dickens may have put it,"it was the best of times and it was the worst of times".

What did the Lord teach us here?
Some thoughts as you ponder that question:
Who is the Lord going to make accountable for and a steward over earthly blessings? EVERYONE. Even the poorest of the poor has been given certain earthly blessings that they are a steward over and will be accountable for. Why do we need to be accountable for our blessings? At Christmas, could you imagine if people came back and asked what you did with the presents they gave you. Have you used them? Do you still have them? How often do you use it? I imagine for some of us it could be an awkward conversation. So, why does the Lord want to have this conversation with us?
v.15 His purpose is to provide for us all – (maybe this brings up thoughts of cf Matt 6:25-33) but then he adds a caveat…
v.16 "BUT it must needs be done in MINE OWN WAY"
What is that way?
What does that mean – poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low? Seems nice for the poor but odd and unfair for the rich – what is the Lord teaching us here? Why does he do it this way? To accommodate our agency and to teach us to love with the pure love of Christ. That really is the crux of it all.
v.17 Earth is full and there is enough to spare.
“I prepared all things..," (Would you expect any less of God - do you think He fears? NO, because he is prepared) "...and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves"(WOW! After all that preparation He then throws us and our agency in the mix. That is a tremendous amount of trust in us)
V18 so why are there people born poor and some born rich? I think it was based on the agency of man. So many bad decisions have led to a world totally out of balance with some areas in utter poverty and famine and others in wealth and abundance. (Contrast that with the city of Enoch "...and there was no poor among them")

There is enough to go around but some sit in their abundance and will not share but instead waste or throw away what they have (this reminds me of the parable of the talents)
Now read this – a news article on global food supplies just printed in September 2013

“The United Nations says there are more than 900 million hungry people in the world, and yet a new report from the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) finds nearly a third of the world's food supply—over 1.3 billion tons—goes to waste each year.

The U.N. report finds North Americans are some of the worst offenders, wasting on average more than 600 pounds of food per person each year. Globally, it’s a costly problem, too: Excluding seafood, the price tag for the wasted food amounts to $750 billion.”                                             

And what does the Lord say about this to those that have an abundance or are rich?
Doctrine and Covenants 56:16 Powerful! Do you want to be left saying "the harvest is over, the summer is ended and my soul is not saved!"

And what does the Lord say to the poor?
Doctrine and Covenants 56:17-18 Do you want to be considered as one of those that "will not labour with your own hands". These are principles you want to learn and then teach your children.

The Church has instituted a welfare program founded on these principles. The following statement from the First Presidency of the day emphasizes the purposes of the Church welfare program:

“Our primary purpose was to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 3).

So how can we apply this to our temporal and spiritual lives?

The Church Handbook of Instructions explains: “To become self-reliant in resource management, Church members should pay tithes and offerings, avoid unnecessary debt, save for the future, and satisfy all of their promised obligations. Members also should use their resources, including their time, frugally and avoid wasting them”

It seems a pretty clear instruction on how to stay temporally self-reliant. I would consider this the "treasure up wisdom" part of the formula. If you add prayer and listening to and following the Lord's voice then you should be prepared for any financial problems and avoid a lot of the fear and stress others who do not follow these instructions encounter.
How about spiritually? Well just look at the same instructions but with a spiritual eye. Do you see it? Debt being sin, saving becomes building testimony, paying tithing is saying your prayers, reading your scriptures, promised obligations are fulfilling our priesthood and church membership responsibilities.

Let's conclude by going back to Noah. He cried repentance for 120 years to his people and yet they did not heed the warnings or prepare. In life, we may all face smaller floods such as a real basement flood (as some of our neighbours did a year ago) or a metaphorical basement flood as my family did this summer when I lost my job. The question is will you be prepared or will you sit on your rooftop waiting for the Lord to bale you out. I wasn’t prepared financially but luckily I was prepared a little better spiritually. I and many others prayed, I looked for jobs and submitted resumes every day, I worked hard previously at a good education, I followed the prompting to apply for a position and an industry I had never worked in before. The Lord in his loving way provided a way for us this time, because I didn't just sit around waiting...but financially it was tough because we were not prepared. At some point we must become self-reliant, prepared and faithful like Noah– whether rich or poor, spiritually or temporally – will your soul be saved because you trusted and followed in God’s way or will you find that eventually the harvest is past, the summer is ended and your soul is not saved?

*If you want to study deeper into Noah's back story and why the Lord allows man his agency and in so doing creates such a disparity between rich and poor and good and wicked on earth then study the book of Moses 7:19-52. It is a wonderful discourse on how much the Lord loves us but due to our agency requires us to love (v33 is key love one another). 
**(interesting pop quiz question – why did Methuselah end up living so long on the earth and not be taken up with the City of Zion and his dad Enoch? See 8:1-3)