Journal of Hydrologic Considerations in Burro Wrangling Christopher's blog 2007-02-05T08:55:35-07:00 Chris http://www.et.byu.edu/~geoscms/weblog/index.php smemoe@byu.edu tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling Pivot Copyright (c) 2007, Authors of Journal of Hydrologic Considerations in Burro Wrangling Old Testament Notes, Part 6 2007-01-07T21:32:00-07:00 2007-01-07T21:32:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.33 This is the final installment of my Old Testament notes. In this section, I talk about my experiences reading scriptures from the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi. There were some great prophecies and important lessons I have learned from reading these scriptures.
2 Kings 21-25; 2 Chronicles 33; Jeremiah 26; 36

This reading assignment was filled with several years of kings, history, and prophecy. The first king was Manasseh, who seems to have been evil according to the book of 2 Kings, but according to the 2 Chronicles 33, Manasseh repented after he was taken captive into Babylon by the Assyrians. Upon his return to Jerusalem, he tried to destroy much of the idol worship he had started and which was still going on there in Jerusalem, and appears to have been somewhat successful in his efforts. His son, Amon, seems to have followed wicked ways at first just as his father did. However, he was killed by his servants after two years as king. Then, Amon’s son Josiah reigned in righteousness. Despite Josiah’s righteousness, Judah was still conquered by Egypt and Josiah’s sons were still wicked. During much of this time, Jeremiah the prophet was prophesying of the impending destruction of Jerusalem.

There are several lessons to learn from this reading. First, no matter what trials are brought upon us, we must follow the word of the Lord and be courageous just as Jeremiah was. Even when Jeremiah was brought before the rulers in Jerusalem who had the power to kill him (Jeremiah 26), he called those rulers to repentance. Jeremiah was a person who was fearless in everything he did. Second, righteous leaders can help a civilization, and normally, righteousness will help us avoid serious trouble in our lives. However, even though Josiah was considered one of the most faithful kings and was a loyal supporter of Jehovah, he still was troubled by his sons who did wickedly and he was eventually defeated and killed by Necho, the king of Egypt. Finally, probably the most important lesson we can learn from these readings is to not worship false gods. We need to keep our eyes single to the Lord and try to do His will instead of serving the “gods” of the day.


Jeremiah 1-4; 7; 10-11; 14; 16; 29; Lamentations 1; 5

These scriptures seem to repeat much of the same messages and prophecies of Jeremiah over and over again, but apparently, the people of Judah were not willing to listen to Jeremiah and turn from their wicked ways. In Jeremiah 1-4, we learn of the call of Jeremiah and of the Lord’s call for Judah to repent of their idolatry and to obey the Lord. The call of Jeremiah has a message for all of us in it. In this call (Jeremiah 1), we learn that the Lord knew Jeremiah before he was born: “before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (v. 5). Jeremiah’s calling as a prophet to preach “repent or be destroyed” to the people of Jerusalem required an unusual amount of courage. Jeremiah did not receive any benefits from his calling, and his calling seemed to bring only heartache to himself and those close to him. This calling was surely not something he would have desired for himself. But still, Jeremiah filled his calling, serving the Lord and preaching his words until his dying day. All of us, especially those of us in the Church, are also foreordained to certain callings in this life. If we are worthy and live up to our potential, we will discover what these callings are. The callings given to us may not be highly desirable to us, but it is our responsibility to live up to our potential and to figure out what our calling is and to fill that calling to the best of our ability. Joseph Smith was a latter-day prophet who had a specific calling. And he, like Jeremiah, was courageous and never let up in fulfilling his calling. Joseph’s calling was surely not something he would have wanted for himself. Though he was cast into prison as Jeremiah was, he continued to fulfill his calling to his dying day at an early age. We must also be courageous as Jeremiah was as we discover and fulfill our own callings. We must never give up on ourselves or the Lord in all the things we are called to do. If we are courageous in fulfilling our callings, we will receive our reward after this life.


Jeremiah 14; 20; 30-31; 37-39; 41-44

These chapters discussed the constant rejection of Jeremiah’s prophecies by the people of Judah. One thing that impresses me throughout the book of Jeremiah is his persistence in proclaiming the Lord’s word through all his trials. Jeremiah was put in the “stocks” (Ch. 20), he was put in prison (Ch. 37), and he is cast into a “miry dungeon”, where he sinks into the mire (Ch. 38) for a period that seems to span several days. Despite all these experiences, he continued to prophesy the words that he had been asked to prophesy by the Lord…that Judah would be carried captive into Babylon and that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Later, after Jerusalem was destroyed, he warned the remnant of the people left in Judah to stay in Judah rather than to flee into Egypt. However, the people did not heed Jeremiah’s words and they fled into Egypt, where Jeremiah continued to admonish them to put away their worship of other gods and to worship Jehovah. We can all learn from Jeremiah’s persistence and determination in fulfilling his mission to the end of his life.

One of my favorite sections in this reading assignment was a prophecy given by Jeremiah in chapters 30-31 of the last days, the second coming, and the millennial reign of the Savior. In Jeremiah 31:31, Jeremiah prophesies that the Lord will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. This new covenant will not be the same as the covenant made with Israel when they were led out of the land of Egypt (the Law of Moses). Instead, the Lord will make a new covenant that will not be written on stone tablets, but rather in our hearts (v. 33). “After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33, italics added). I believe each of us make this new covenant with the Lord when we accept the restored Gospel and participate in its ordinances. Instead of obeying a law governed by outward ordinances and written on stone tablets, obeying the new and everlasting covenant of the restored Gospel involves a deep relationship with the Lord that permeates everything we do…our thoughts, feelings, and actions. If we are true to the Gospel, this new covenant will be written on our hearts.


Daniel 1-12

Daniel seems to have been a great character in the history of the people of Judah. As Joseph of Egypt, he was carried away captive into a foreign land at a young age. There, Daniel interpreted dreams, as Joseph did, that revealed future events. Because of the gifts given to Daniel by the Lord, he comes into favor with the kings of Babylon and Persia and he is made a ruler in these kingdoms, just as Joseph was made a ruler in Egypt. Daniel’s prophesies concern the return of the Jews to the land of Israel, the conditions of the kingdoms of the earth from his time to the latter days, the second coming of the Savior, and the resurrection. This is a great book with many detailed prophecies that would take much effort to study in great detail.

As stated in the bible dictionary, the Book of Daniel teaches the importance of being true to God at all costs and demonstrates the blessings of the Lord on those who are true. This same theme was found in the story of Joseph, who was also true to the Lord at all costs in the land of Egypt. In chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol and are angrily cast by him into a fiery furnace. The furnace is so hot that some who cast them into the furnace are consumed by the flames, but Daniel’s three friends are saved from the furnace. Daniel and his three friends show courage in Daniel 1 when they refuse to eat Nebuchadnezzar’s food, which does not meet the Lord’s standards. And Daniel refuses to bow down to Darius, the king of Persia, but instead prays to the Lord three times a day from his house. For this, he is cast into the Lion’s den, where the Lord protects him from the Lions. From these and other stories in the book of Daniel, we learn that as we are faithful to the Lord’s teachings, he will bless, protect, and deliver us. This is a theme that runs throughout the scriptures, especially the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. I think one of the main themes in the Book of Mormon (and this theme is repeated in the Book of Daniel) is stated in 1 Nephi 1:20, which says, “the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”


Ezekiel 1-4; 8; 11; 14; 16; 33

This reading assignment began with the calling of Ezekiel and continued with some of Ezekiel’s initial prophecies. One thing that strikes me in reading these chapters is the various ways that Ezekiel chooses to restate the same prophecy over and over again. For example, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel restates time after time that Jerusalem and its people will be destroyed because they will not repent of their wicked ways. He also acts out the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in various parts of this reading.

Nevertheless, though Jerusalem will be destroyed, Ezekiel encourages the people several times by telling them that if they repent and continue in righteousness, their own souls will be saved (Ezekiel 18:21-23, 33:11). Elsewhere, those who have already turned from their wicked ways are called upon by Ezekiel to warn the people who are wicked so they, too, can be saved (Ezekiel 3, 33). For those who have been warned and who do not warn others, the “blood” (sins) of others who do not repent may be required at their hands. This reiterates how important it is to try to share what we know about the Gospel with our friends and family members who may not know what they’re missing. There is still hope for those of the house of Israel who did not repent in Ezekiel’s day (or for those who do not repent today). The Lord promises that He will give the people of the house of Israel “one heart…and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-20). This reiterates that the Lord has made a covenant with His people and He will do what He can to help us return to Him and keep our part of the covenant. Though I myself often have a “stony” heart where nothing is likely to grow, through repentance, the Lord will purify my heart and change it from stone to flesh…something that is living that the Lord can touch to accomplish His own will for me in my life.


Ezekiel 18; 34; 37-40; 47-48

The reading in these chapters began by discussing how every person will be punished/rewarded according to his own actions in this life and not according to anybody’s actions around them, including their parent’s or children’s actions. In chapter 34, I read about how the shepherds of Israel have not fulfilled their responsibility and how they will be replaced by another shepherd, a descendant of David (the Good Shepherd = Jesus in John 10). Then, we learned about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the word of God, the restoration of Israel, the battle of Armageddon, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its temple. This reading covers a wide range of subjects and prophecies.

One of my favorite portions of this reading was in Ezekiel 34, which discusses the condition of those who accept the Gospel and turn their lives over to the Lord: “I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God (v. 15)”. However, I think my favorite passages are those concerning the latter days and the time preceding the second coming of the Lord. These prophecies have always been exciting to me. I love the vision Ezekiel relates of the valley of bones at the beginning of chapter 37. In this vision, Ezekiel sees a valley of bones that rise up and are resurrected so that they are living again. I have thought much about this vision as I have read this vision. First, the people come to life and are gathered to Israel as they hear the word of the Lord. As we hear and read the word of the Lord and follow the commandments, we are also gathered and we enter into the Lord’s rest. All will be resurrected as this passage of scripture relates, but those who hear and heed the word of the Lord will be gathered to Him and to their own “promised land”. After this vision, Ezekiel 37 then relates how this gathering will take place…through the coming forth of the “sticks”, or books, of Judah (the Bible) and Joseph (the Book of Mormon and other scriptures that will yet come forth). As these scriptures come forth, the word of the Lord will be proclaimed and read, Israel will be gathered, and the second coming and all of the events surrounding it will draw near. Ezekiel saw all of these things in his visions, and we are seeing these things happen today as the Gospel is preached throughout the earth.


Ezra 1-6

The main focus of this reading was the return of some of the Jews from captivity and the process of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Much of what is written in these chapters seemed to be of historical importance more than anything else, though I tried to find some lessons in these chapters. The first lesson I discovered was the importance of temples in the Law of Moses. One of the first things the Jews did after they returned to Jerusalem was to begin construction of the temple, and especially to build an altar where they could offer sacrifices. Just as temples were important in the Law of Moses, they are also an important part of the restored Gospel today as a place where we can make covenants and offer our broken hearts and contrite spirits as a sacrifice. The second lesson I discovered is that when the prophets Haggai and Zachariah prophesied, people began to think more about the temple. They then acted upon their thoughts and continued construction of the temple despite difficulties that might come to them from surrounding nations if they continued constructing the temple. In this case, possibly since the Jews in Jerusalem were righteous and followed the prophets’ counsel, they were blessed with a renewed decree from King Darius to continue construction of the temple, promising punishment of anybody who interfered in the temple construction. As the righteous followers of Jehovah in Babylon (such as Daniel) continued to follow the counsel of the prophets and the Lord, the Lord delivered them from bondage and helped them to return to their promised land of Canaan. This concept is repeated over and over again throughout the Old Testament as well as the Book of Mormon. In fact, it can be thought of as a theme throughout the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. 1 Nephi 1:20 states this theme as follows: “I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”


Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 1-4; 9-14

The books of Haggai and Zechariah contain many rich prophecies about the future of the people of Judah, about the completion and renewal of the temple in Jerusalem, and about the first and second coming of the Savior. As an introduction and exhortation to the people of Jerusalem, Haggai encourages the people of Judah to “consider their ways”. We often hear this phrase, to “consider our ways”, in our day, and perhaps it is as important to consider our ways in our day as it was for the people of Judah to consider their ways in Haggai’s day. The reason Haggai told the people to consider their ways was because they were concerned about earning money, getting food, and clothing and housing themselves, but they had not begun reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem. In our day, we should consider our ways as well, just as Elder Perry has said. We focus on the same things…earning a large salary, wearing clothes that are in style, and living in big, expensive houses, when we should be focusing our efforts on more spiritual things such as temple worship, fulfilling our callings in the Church, and doing missionary work. According to the scriptures, the primary reason Judah was brought into captivity and Jerusalem was destroyed was because they did not heed the prophets and they worshiped worldly gods and idols rather than worshiping the Lord. In our day, we may be caught up in worldly pursuits rather than spiritual pursuits. I often fall into the trap on concerning myself with worldly things. It is important that we have a place to live and that we provide the necessities of life for ourselves and our families. However, these things can take over our lives. Ideally, we would do as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow” (Matthew 6:33-34). As we put the kingdom of God first, we will be delivered from the problems that trouble us and, in many cases, we will be blessed beyond measure in this world. The people of Judah decided to complete the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and they received great prophecies from Haggai for choosing to do this. We, too, will receive blessings from the Lord as we make the kingdom of God a priority in our lives.


Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 1-8; 10; 13

These readings discuss the return of Ezra and Nehemiah from exile to Jerusalem in 458 and 445 BC, respectively. Ezra and Nehemiah’s work focuses on teaching the people the Law of Moses and encouraging the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem (sometimes using unique methods) to live the various aspects of this law. One of my favorite passages of scripture is the account given of the reading of the Law of Moses to the people of Jerusalem by Ezra and their submissive attitude to the will of the Lord in Nehemiah 8 and 10. This was one of my favorite readings because it reminds me of the sermon given by King Benjamin in the first chapters of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. I love the words that King Benjamin shared with us and the humility of the people after hearing the words of King Benjamin. In the same way, as the people in Ezra’s time heard the words of the Law of Moses and kept the feast of Tabernacles, they were brought to humility by the word of the Lord and wanted to obey the Lord’s commandments.

This reading focuses on four reforms associated with the Law of Moses and put in place by the work of Ezra and Nehemiah. First, the practice of usury was eliminated. Second, when Nehemiah was appointed governor, he reduced the unacceptably high taxes set by previous governors. Third, Nehemiah and Ezra encouraged strict observance of the Sabbath day and Nehemiah put restrictions in place that encouraged observance of the Sabbath. Finally, Nehemiah encouraged people to marry in the covenant rather than to marry those who were not a part of the house of Israel in foreign nations. These reforms show us that even though the people were humbled by the word of God preached by Ezra, they were still slow to remember him, and had to be reminded continually to keep the word of God through meetings on the Sabbath day and through special religious holidays such as the feast of Tabernacles.


Malachi 1-4

There were many great prophecies in this reading assignment, especially concerning the latter days—which are our days. One prophecy that caught my imagination was the prophecy relating to the Lord in Malachi 3:2-3, which says, “he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap…he shall purify the sons of Levi…that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” I wondered about what this would be like…to have a temple where blood sacrifices are once again offered in the temple prophesied of by Ezekiel by people holding the Aaronic Priesthood. I wonder what will bring these sacrifices about and what will be the condition of the world at that time. Of course, I have heard this prophecy before, but have never really had a chance to ponder about this prophecy as I have when reading this last part of the Old Testament.

The second thing that has come to my mind was the second coming of Elijah in the latter days (before the “great and dreadful day of the Lord”) and the importance of Elijah’s mission. Elijah, Elias (maybe Abraham or a prophet in Abraham’s time…I need to study up on Elias), Moses, and the Savior came to restore keys to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836. The purpose of Elijah’s coming was to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers” (D&C 110:15), which is better rendered as “plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers” (JS-H 1:39). We are told that “the fathers” in this prophecy are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (D&C 27:10). This means that one of the purposes of the mission of mission of Elijah was to bring the remembrance of the Abrahamic Covenant to our hearts so that we may do our part in fulfilling out part of that covenant. The four things included in that covenant were the promise of 1—numerous posterity, 2—a promised land in Israel or the Americas, 3—the ordinances and blessings of the gospel, and 4—bringing the gospel to others, which includes temple and missionary work and church service. The theme of the Abrahamic covenant permeates through the Old Testament, and Elijah’s mission was to bring us to a remembrance of this covenant so that we may do our part to bring the prophecies and promises associated with the Abrahamic Covenant to pass in our day. Part of the mission of Elijah was to restore the sealing power, which is related to temple work, but it was also to help us remember the Abrahamic covenant and our blessings and responsibilities associated with that covenant as children of the covenant. ]]> cmsadmin Old Testament Notes, Part 5 2006-11-15T22:22:00-07:00 2006-11-15T22:22:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.32 Here are some more Old Testament notes relating to scriptures from the books of 2 Kings, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, and Isaiah.
2 Kings 2-12

This reading had some fairly grisly stories, but it also had some amazing miracles. I was disturbed by the stories of the youth being “torn” by the bears after Elisha’s cursing. The story of Jehu’s anointing as the new king, and then his rampage and destruction of Jezebel, the priests of Baal, and the household of Ahab was somewhat disturbing as well. I am not sure what to learn from these episodes. However, I am sure there are lessons to be learned such as the importance of respecting the prophet’s words and the importance of keeping your eye single to the glory of God rather than going after other gods.

There were also amazing miracles shown in these passages of scripture, such as Elisha parting the Jordan River on his way back from the translation of Elijah. Elisha’s miracles seem to resemble other miracles we have read about before in the Old Testament, and some miracles in the New Testament. For example, Elisha’s miracle associated with the feeding of the sons of the prophets in Gilgal reminded me of the experience during the Savior’s ministry of him feeding the 5000. His miracle of giving the multiplying the widow’s oil and of healing the son of a Shunammite woman reminded me of Elijah’s miracles. His purification of the water in Jericho reminded me of miracles performed by Moses during his ministry.

The miracle associated with healing Naaman seemed to teach us certain lessons. One lesson I learned from this miracle is that we must follow the words of the Lord, no matter how small or insignificant it seems. If we do follow the Lord’s word, blessings should follow. Gehazi, Naaman’s servant, who followed Naaman after the miracle was performed to accept Naaman’s gifts, was cursed with leprosy because he went against the word of the Lord. Hopefully, I can do better in obeying the small things the Lord commands.


2 Kings 14:23-29; Hosea 1-6; 11; 13-14

These scriptures in Hosea, written during the reign of Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom, are obviously well-thought-out passages. In them, Hosea compares Israel to an adulterous woman who, in this case, seeks after other gods instead of other men. Gomer, Hosea’s wife, is called a “wife of whoredoms” and their children are compared to Israel. Their names, Lo-ruhamah (not having obtained mercy) and Lo-ammi (not my people) describe the consequences that Israel has brought upon themselves for following after other gods. If we compare these names with the names the Lord gives to Israel earlier in the Old Testament, we see that these names are exactly the opposite. Many times in Hosea, the Lord speaks of Israel as “backsliding”, committing whoredoms and worshipping other gods. Because Israel has done this, they went from being the Lord’s people who were worthy of His mercy to people who were no longer worthy of the mercy of the Lord.

However, there is a sense of hope in all the prophecies of Hosea. He promises that if Israel and Judah will return to the Lord, He will save them and Israel will be His people once again. Because of the Lord’s mercy, He will still give them another chance despite all their wickedness.

I believe that these scriptures apply to us today as well as ancient Israel. No matter what we do, the Lord will forgive us as we repent and turn to Him with all our hearts. As we do this, we will become a part of the family Israel and will be the Lord’s people. The message in Hosea 13:4 is true: There is no savior beside the Lord—no other with His capacity to save us from bondage and sin.


Amos 1-9

Before reading Amos in detail, I always thought of Amos 3:7 when I think of Amos: “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets”. This was a scripture that I shared with our investigators many times when I served as an LDS missionary. This scripture was used to discuss the pivotal role of prophets in knowing what the Lord’s will is for His people. However, after this recent reading of Amos, I have found many rich prophecies which have already been fulfilled and have yet to be fulfilled. I have also found many scriptures which apply to me in my life.

One scripture I found was Amos 6:1, 4, which says: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock”. This scripture certainly applies to us today, and I feel that it especially applies to me. It is so easy to become “at ease in Zion”. With all the technological and economic advancements, we are blessed with a greater abundance than any generation that has gone before us. I feel that I have been especially blessed in my life. However, these blessings can make us complacent in our circumstances. Those who are blessed may tend to ignore the poor, become prideful, and ultimately ignore the Lord. Amos’ message was that the people in the Northern kingdom had fallen into the problem of pride and ignoring the Lord, and I sometimes feel like I tend to ignore the Lord in my own life. In many ways, it is up to us to always remember the Lord and to humble ourselves before him each day. In our day, the only way for the house of Israel (us) to be the powerful people the Lord wants us to be is for us to turn our lives over to the Lord and serve Him instead of serving other “gods”.

Amos 5:6, 8, and 15 have good advice. These scriptures remind us to “Seek the Lord and ye shall live”. This scripture goes along with Amos 6:1. We must always be seeking the Lord, constantly striving to be better so we do not fall into the folly of complacency and ease.

Finally, Amos 9:11-15 reminds us of the gathering of Israel, which has already begun with the restoration of the Gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. We need to remember the covenant the Lord has made to Abraham and do our part in gathering Israel. Those who are members of the Church (including me) are of the house of Israel and the prophecies and blessings pronounced in Amos apply to us and are for our day.


Jonah 1-4

The book of Jonah has always contained an interesting appeal to me. The idea of a prophet finding refuge in the belly of a whale or big fish after being cast into the sea holds a certain appeal to me. Jonah had been running from the Lord after being commanded to preach to the wicked city of Nineveh. His ship mates cast him into the sea as a last resort to prevent the ship from sinking after his mates realized that the sea’s fury was caused by the Lord’s indignation upon Jonah and the only way to still the sea was to throw Jonah into it.

After reading the book of Jonah again, I have gained a new appreciation for this book. I feel like this book is a story that demonstrates the mercy of God and His willingness to forgive those who return to him. Chapter two has some superb poetry as Jonah prays to be released from the belly of the whale. Jonah 2:6 says, “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God”. This passage reminds me of the mercy of the Lord and of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. Though our sins may want to make us hide under whatever we can find (“the bottoms of mountains”, as Jonah says), the Savior has made it possible for us to be rescued from corruption and sin as we repent of our sins and return to Him. I know this is possible and I’m grateful for the Savior’s atoning sacrifice in our behalf…something we could not do for ourselves. And just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days before he was “vomited upon the dry land’, the Savior rose from the dead on the third day. Jonah’s experience with the whale was both a type of Christ and a type of our lives because we, like Jonah, fall short of perfection and can only return to the Lord through repentance, the Savior’s atonement, and doing the Lord’s will.


2 Kings 15; 2 Kings 17:1-18:12

This section of scripture reading is primarily about the kings in the Northern Kingdom and in Judah over a period of several years. The primary ruler in Judah during this time was Uzziah, who reigned during the reign of several kings (Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, and Menahem) in Israel (the Northern Kingdom). There appeared to be lots of political turmoil in Israel during this time, with several of the kings being murdered so other kings could come into power. At the root of all this political turmoil, as was stated by the writers of 2 Kings, was the fact that these kings “departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat”. The primary problem with Jeroboam was that he set up the golden calves and additional, unauthorized places of worship in Dan and Bethel. The people began to practice a form of idol worship after these unauthorized places of worship were constructed and eventually the unauthorized practices of worshipping Jehovah led to other forms of worship, including worshiping other gods.

Two things came to my mind as I was doing the reading for this lesson. The first thing I thought of was that the Lord was very long-suffering to the people of the Northern Kingdom. Jeroboam began the practice of idol worship when he built his shrines and golden calves in Dan and Bethel. For 200 years, the people of Israel worshiped at these shrines and worshipped other gods despite the warnings of the prophets. The Lord suffered long with these people and sent them many warnings, but finally they were scattered so the promises of the Abrahamic covenant could come to future generations. The second thing I thought of as I was reading the lesson was that, in our day, the Lord suffers long with us even though we always continue to make the same little mistakes. Maybe our mistakes are not huge, but every day we might be a little dishonest or a little less charitable than we should be. The root of most of these problems is that we, many times, worship other “gods” (such as money, fame, or social acceptance) instead of trying to keep our eye single to His glory and doing what the Lord would have us do. We, as modern day Israel, are the Lord’s covenant people and we are build to serve the Lord just as the people in ancient Israel. I, personally, need to try to do a better job at focusing on the Lord’s will instead of focusing on the will of other “gods”.


2 Kings 16; 18-20; Isaiah 6-8

These scriptures covered a large amount of history, and continued in the theme of the importance of trusting in the Lord to fight our battles for us. According to the scriptures, King Hezekiah of Judah was a king who trusted in the Lord. During King Hezekiah’s reign, he “did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves” (2 Kings 18:3-4). When he was surrounded by the Assyrian armies, he sought the Lord’s help at the temple. Isaiah promised Hezekiah help, and this help miraculously comes when an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 soldiers in the Assyrian camp. Later, after the Assyrian King Sennacherib returned to Nineveh following the destruction of his army, he was killed while worshipping the god Nisroch (2 Kings 19:35-37). From this experience, I learn the importance of putting my trust in the Lord rather than relying upon the “arm of flesh”. If we put our trust in the Lord, He will fight our battles for us and deliver us from bondage. Nevertheless, we are sometimes brought into bondage to test us or purify us from sin. During these times, if we put our trust in the Lord, He will make our burdens light as he did with Alma the Elder and his people in the land of Helam. In Mosiah 24:15, we learn what happened as the people of Alma trusted in the Lord: “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” From this, we see how the Lord strengthens his people, even though they are in dire circumstances with little hope of deliverance. The Lord wants us to be, and He will make us, a powerful people.

We can compare the attitude of Hezekiah and Alma and their people with the attitude of King Ahaz (2 Kings 16) of Judah, who, instead of trusting in the Lord, entered into a pact with Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. In contrast to trusting in the Lord, Ahaz trusted in the arm of flesh as he “sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me”. It is my hope that I can trust in the Lord and do his will (like Alma or Hezekiah) rather than trusting in the arm of flesh (like Ahaz).


Isaiah 1-5; 9; 11-14

I have never considered myself a great Isaiah scholar. Actually, I have never even come very close to understanding the meaning behind many of Isaiah’s writings and prophecies until now. For the most part, I have skimmed over the words of Isaiah, only gleaning a superficial understanding of some of the major, obvious prophetic themes in the book. However, I have decided that Isaiah is an excellent book that can be easily understood with knowledge of the events surrounding Isaiah’s day and some simple keys to understanding Isaiah, like the ones given by Bruce R. McConkie in the packet reading.

I like it that Isaiah dwells on the history and destiny of the House of Israel and on the ministry of the Messiah. This book was written for us and for our day, though its words are timeless, in a sense, and are applicable to people of any time. The prophecies of the restoration and of the destiny of the house of Israel are very important to us. We, as members of the Church, are either literally or spiritually members of the house of Israel (or both). And since we are living in the latter days, and many of Isaiah’s prophecies were of Israel in the latter days, his prophecies are directed to us and show us what our destiny (and the destiny of Christ’s Church) will be.

I like the concept in Isaiah 1:10-20 that obedience is greater than sacrifice. This is in response to the disobedience and the subsequent destruction and scattering of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), but it also applies to us. We may give much, pay our tithing, etc. But if we are not obedient…if we still have our “idols” that keep us from properly worshipping on the Sabbath or that keep us from giving all that we have and are to the Lord, any sacrifices we give will not help us when we face the Lord at the Judgment day. However, if we do all that we can to serve and love the Lord, Isaiah says in 1:18, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” This theme of the sin/destruction and eventual salvation of Israel (and perhaps all of us) seems to occur throughout the entire book of Isaiah. These contrasting themes are what make the book so dramatic and what draws us to the book since the book seems to parallel events in our lives and gives us hope for a brighter future as we obey and follow the Lord. I love Isaiah 40:30-31, which summarizes much of what Isaiah has to say: “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”


Isaiah 40; 52; 53; 55; 58; 61; 63

These passages of scripture focus on the first and second coming of the Savior. Chapter 40 tells us to prepare the way of the Lord. This chapter reminds us of John the Baptist’s mission to prepare the world for the coming of the Savior. It also reminds us to prepare for the Lord’s return—for His second coming. I have often thought of the Lord’s second coming…that it will come at some point and that I need to be ready and waiting for that day. We can be ready for that day if we put our trust in the Lord… “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles” (40:31). As I read this promise, I think of the great power that can come to us, and that will come to us in the day of the Lord’s coming, as we “wait upon” the Lord and try to serve him with all our hearts.

Isaiah’s message in these chapters seems to be that if we do the Lord’s will, we will be a powerful people…at the Lord’s second coming, and even before, those on the Lord’s side will triumph over all those who do not follow the Lord. One example of this theme is Isaiah’s words on fasting in Isaiah 58. In this chapter, Isaiah tells us of the importance of fasting for the right reasons, and that we are to help those who are needy as we fast. If we do this, we are promised that our “righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am” (v. 8-9). We can gain much strength from the Lord in fasting, and I have frequently felt this strength as I have fasted for specific purposes in my life and for others.

Isaiah’s messages of the forthcoming Savior’s atonement are some of the most descriptive in the Old Testament. I love Isaiah 53, which focuses on the Savior’s atonement in some detail. This atonement was important for all of us; there would be no hope for us without the atonement. But with it, we can one day return to Heavenly Father and become like Him. Isaiah 64:8 says, “Thou are our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter.” The Savior is our father in the sense that we can take upon us His name and that we are as dust without Him. Those who covenant with the Savior to follow Him and continually obey Him are his seed (see Mosiah 15:10-14). It is my hope that I may always remember the Savior and strive to be one of His seed. ]]> cmsadmin Dumb Bike Accidents, Epic October Bike Rides, and an Oktoberfest Extravaganza 2006-10-20T20:41:00-07:00 2006-10-20T20:41:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.31 I have not written to this blog for a while, though I was planning on doing a little write-up on my Labor Day adventure on Labor Day. That day, my goal was to circumvent Cascade Mountain east of Orem. The goal was to run, hike, and bike a big loop around the mountain all in one morning. I began the day early in the morning by dropping my bike off at the bottom of Rock Canyon and driving around the mountain to the “Big Springs Park” up South Fork Canyon. I then proceeded to run up the Big Springs trail, past the springs, and proceeded up to the Cascade saddle.
I could not run much after hitting the springs since the trail quickly became steep and rocky. As I proceeded up to the Cascade saddle in the early morning, I saw a horse and a tent set up in a high alpine meadow below the saddle. I made it to the top, found the trail down into Rock Canyon, and ran down to the Rock Canyon Campground and then to the bottom of Rock Canyon. There, had a little Kashi and water for breakfast and mounted my bike with plenty of energy to make the easy ride back to my car up South Fork Canyon. So as I began to pull out of the parking lot, I think my brain must have gone blank for a second as I was going around a turn. My bike went off the road, the front tire hit a rock, and my front bike fork broke, sending me careening head first into another large rock immediately in front of me. My helmet hit the rock and I lied there for a few moments, breathless and dazed, as a few people from the parking lot came to see what all the noise was about. A man asked me if I was OK and I remember just looking at him, unable to speak for about a minute since I had the wind knocked out of me. Finally, I was able to get up, and the same man offered me a ride back to my house, where I decided I was done biking for the day and caught a ride with my roommate back to my car in South Fork Canyon later in the day. Luckily, my bike was still under warranty and the new fork was only $80, so expensive damages to my bike were avoided. Miraculously, my injuries included only a few small scrapes and bruises and a knee that hurt for a few weeks. My bike and I quickly recovered from these injuries and all systems are “go” once again.

I have been on three bike rides in the last few days (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 12-14). With beautiful and relatively warm weather, I felt a great need to get out and hit the bike trails. Thursday night, I rode up to a trail near my house that I have wanted to take for a while. This is a new trail that branches to the left off the Bonneville Shoreline trail as the trail heads up Provo Canyon past the Orem water tanks and treatment facility. I rode this trail up to the top of a large hill north of Orem to catch some good views of Utah valley and Mt. Timpanogos. At this point, I wanted to explore more, but it was getting quite dark, so I decided to head downhill and back to my house.

Friday night, Mitch and I went on the South Fork “Big Springs” trail up the South Fork of Provo Canyon. Riding this trail was a great time as always.

On Saturday morning, I wanted to go exploring some more around the place I had ridden on Thursday night. I knew there was a trail that veered to the right (#051) as you go up Dry Canyon just east of Lindon. So I rode my bike up to the Dry Canyon trail and headed up Dry Canyon on my bike. I decided that Dry Canyon is not the easiest trail to try to bike up. There are definitely a few spots as you ride up this canyon where a person has to dismount their bike and walk a short distance. However, I made it to trail #051 and took the right fork on this trail off the Dry Canyon trail. From here the trail heads Southwest up the side of a hill and heads toward the top of the Bonneville Shoreline foothills. The trail veers southward and has ups and downs, but I think most of the trail can be ridden without dismounting. I could tell that the trail had been used heavily by horses. I continued up this trail until it came to a ridge. At the ridge, the trail went up and down along the top of the ridge and came to a fork. I took a left at the fork, did a little bit of up and down, and decided to turn around and go back to the fork in the trail. I continued down the right fork a short distance and came to a location where trails went in three directions at an “altar” of rocks. Here, trails #051 and #033 (the Great Western trail) merged and I continued down the Great Western trail to the Bonneville Shoreline trail (road) above Canyon Glen Park in Provo Canyon. I rode down to the Park and cruised home on the Provo River Parkway. This ride was definitely an adventure, but I think I will try starting in Provo Canyon and coming down Dry Canyon next time rather than going the way I went. There were several steep climbs that were difficult to manage on a bike, and I think there are fewer steep climbs coming from the Provo Canyon area.

Saturday night, two of my roommates and I went to the “Oktoberfest” party at University Villa. Laura and Wendy from the foreign language department had invited my roommates and me there. I had planned on playing my accordion there, but I’m not sure that anybody would have heard it, so I decided not to play. This was a real hoot, and they had lots of Root Beer, frankfurters, and polkas.

CMS ]]> cmsadmin Old Testament Notes, Part 4 2006-10-08T13:34:00-07:00 2006-10-08T13:34:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.30 Here are some more Old Testament notes relating to scriptures from the books of 1 Kings, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job.
1 Kings 1-4, 9-11

These chapters discuss the process of Solomon becoming king of Israel, and then the great things that happen during his reign. Chapter 11 discusses some of the wrong choices that Solomon makes during his reign and some of the consequences. One part of the reading that impressed me was David’s charge to Solomon in 1 Kings 2, and then the continuation of this charge, which was more of a blessing, as proclaimed in Psalms 72. In David’s blessing, he counsels Solomon to “walk in [the Lord’s] ways” and to “keep…his commandments” (1 Kings 2:3). If Solomon does these things, he will prosper. In Psalms, specific blessings are pronounced upon Solomon, including that he will “judge with righteousness” (v. 2), he will “have dominion…from sea to sea” (v. 8), he will “save the souls of the needy” (v. 13), he will be “given of the gold of Sheba” (v. 15), “all nations shall call him blessed” (v. 17), and the whole earth would be “filled with his glory” (v. 19). Though Solomon was sometimes imperfect, these blessings and prophecies were fulfilled during the remainder of Solomon’s reign (see 1 Kings 3-11).

One thing I learned from this reading was that King Solomon’s reign pointed to Christ, though Solomon was imperfect. Just as Solomon was righteous and wise in his judgments of the people, Christ is also just, merciful, and wise in his judgments of us. All of us will eventually be judged by Christ, and we will all bow before him, just as people from all parts of the earth came to Solomon and bowed before him. Many times, the Lord seems to teach us lessons in the Old Testament through imperfect people, and the Lord also brings to pass great righteousness such as temple building through imperfect people. I guess the greatest lesson I can learn from this reading is that if Solomon was blessed in so many ways despite all his imperfections, I can also be blessed in this life and in the next life despite all my imperfections as I submit my will to the will of the Lord.


1 Kings 6-8; 2 Chronicles 5-7

As I was reading these scriptures, I was impressed with the “great things” the Lord had done for the people of Israel during the building and dedication of the Temple of Solomon. The whole story behind the building of Israel’s Temple is one of deliverance and triumph. Israel was in bondage in Egypt, but they were delivered, built a portable tabernacle, and finally built the Temple of Solomon where they could worship the Lord. This temple was definitely a structure that would help the Israelites remember the blessings the Lord had brought to Israel. The same theme exists in the book of Mormon. As the Lord’s people are righteous, “the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Nephi 1:20). This is a major theme throughout the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. Indeed, it is a major theme through all the experiences of the people of the house of Israel, which includes us. As we of the house of Israel are righteous, the Lord strengthens us and makes us mighty to “the power of deliverance”. In the Book of Mormon, there are several times when the Lord does great things for the Nephites as they are righteous. 2 Nephi 1:1 says, “And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem”. The angel, speaking to Alma the Younger in Mosiah 27:16 says, “Now I say unto thee: Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them”. The Lord also did great things in delivering Israel out of Egypt, restoring them to the land of Canaan, and allowing them to build the temple of Solomon. In the same way, in our day, the Lord will make us mighty even unto the power of deliverance…we can overcome any trials as we put our trust in the Lord and live his Gospel.

At the blessing of the temple, Solomon promised great blessings upon Israel if they would continue to live the commandments. They had been delivered from bondage, and would continue to be delivered if they remained worthy. Unfortunately, however, Israel did not remain worthy…their temple was destroyed and they were brought into bondage once again. The same happened to the Nephite civilization. Hopefully, in our day, we will always remember the great things the Lord has done for us and we will be kept from bondage as we attend the temple frequently and live the commandments.


Song of Solomon 1; Proverbs 1, 2, 6; Ecclesiastics 1-3, 12

The idea that struck me about the reading for today was how often our trust in the Lord and our fear (worship/obedience) of Him is related to the process of us finding wisdom. I think the scripture that brought it all together was the passage in the Book of Mormon toward the end of King Benjamin’s sermon in which the people have fallen to the earth because of their fear of the Lord. If we humble ourselves before the Lord and view ourselves in our “worthless and fallen state” as the people of King Benjamin, we will begin to gain a vision of the “goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (v. 6). As we gain a vision of His goodness and wisdom, we will become partakers of this wisdom, we will become closer to Him, and we will come to know a little of the things that He knows while we are here. Of course, all of this is dependent on our constant humility and submission to His will.

This reminds me of a talk Elder Bednar (then president of BYU-Idaho) gave here at BYU a few years ago. In this talk, he discussed how the Gospel helped bad men to become good and how it helped good men become better. Proverbs 2 (as well as King Benjamin) explains how we can move from bad to good and how we can gain wisdom as we do so. We need to eschew evil and “walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous” (v. 20). As we do this and as we are good an upright, we will “remain in the land”, but the “wicked shall be cut off from the earth”. We have the Lord’s promise and blessing as we are righteous, but if we are wicked, we have no promise. After we have become righteous, Proverbs 3 discusses how we can move from a good person to a better person. We need to “trust in the Lord” with all our hearts, and in all our ways “acknowledge Him” (v. 5-6). As we obey the Lord’s commandments in whatever He commands, he will direct our paths and guide our lives. We need to become as little children, “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19) As we go through this process of becoming as a little child before the Father, we will receive all that He has. I know that I have a long way to go before I become as a little child, but I try to move closer to this goal every day.


Job 1-11, 19, 38-42; Proverbs 8

This reading assignment told the story of Job and of the afflictions which he suffered. Though Job lost everything, he remained faithful to the Lord and eventually everything was restored to him and more. What can we learn from the experience of Job? I think Hebrews 12:6 tells us one of the things that we can learn from Job’s experiences: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” If we suffer afflictions, it is not necessarily because of our iniquities. There are many righteous people who suffer many things, and they become better people through their experiences.

One scriptural account that always comes to mind when I think of the story of Job is the words of the Lord to Joseph Smith while he is suffering in Liberty Jail. Joseph and the saints have gone through many years of hardship, and he was in this dark, small, and confined prison for several cold winter months. Joseph prays for help from the Lord, and receives the following answer (D&C 121:7-10): “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands. Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.” Then, in D&C 122:7-8, the Lord tells Joseph further: “if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?” These passages reiterate the lessons we learn in Job and in Hebrews 12—that the Lord will give us trials in our lives since we need to learn to become like him, often through suffering and trials, but if we endure these trials well, we will become better and stronger people and will be purified through our afflictions. Hopefully, I can do better in enduring my afflictions and think of them as things that the Lord gives to me to help me become a better person as one of His sons.


1 Kings 11:26-40; 1 Kings 12-15; Proverbs 15-16

The first thing that came to mind after reading this lesson was the talk that Elder Wirthlin gave in the October 2005 General Conference called “Journey to Higher Ground”. I think this talk is what motivated me to learn more about the Old Testament in the first place as Elder Wirthlin talked about Jeroboam and Rehoboam, two kings I never really knew about. But after reading this lesson, I gained a better understanding of the story of these two kings and of the message Elder Wirthlin was trying to get across. In Elder Wirthlin’s talk, he discussed the importance of putting our trust in the Lord and of not relying on the arm of flesh. Elder Wirthlin explains that, as we put our trust in the Lord, we journey to higher ground. He discusses how Solomon puts his trust in the Lord at first, but later abandons the Lord and follows the lusts of his heart. Because of this, Ahijah the prophet prophesies that the Israel will be rent from Solomon’s family and that the kingdom would be divided, with ten tribes going to Jeroboam. Jeroboam is apparently righteous when this prophecy is given, but later turns from the Lord and sets up idol worship in his kingdom. After idol worship is set up, Ahijah gives another prophecy to Jeroboam that his entire family will be destroyed, and this prophecy is later fulfilled. The whole point of Elder Wirthlin’s talk is that we must turn from our wicked ways and repent. If we have already turned from our wicked ways, we must continue to strive to be humble and to be better each day. We can “trust in our own strength, or we can journey to higher ground and come unto Christ”, as Elder Wirthlin says. The scriptures are full of people who turn from the Lord and put their trust in the arm of flesh (such as Solomon, Rehoboam, and Jeroboam), but they are also full of people who turn to the Lord and come unto Christ. Some of these people include both Alma the Elder and Younger, the people of the City of Enoch, Paul, and Captain Moroni. These people all turned to the Lord and remained humble and faithful to him all their days. I hope I can remember to put my trust in the Lord and always remember Him instead of putting my trust in the arm of flesh as Rehoboam and Jeroboam did.


1 Kings 16-19, 21-22; 2 Kings 1:1 - 2:15; Proverbs 31

This reading discussed the kings of the northern kingdom, especially Ahab and his wife Jezebel and their dealings with the people of Israel. The prophets Elijah and Elisha were also introduced in this reading. From the very beginning, we can see that Elijah is a prophet with great power given him from Jehovah. He seals the heavens so no rain comes on the land of Israel for a few years, and then he is miraculously fed by the widow of Zarephath. He then heals the widow’s son. The story that most impressed me from today’s reading was the experience of Elijah’s visit to Sinai. Elijah flees to Sinai in fasting and prayer as he is pursued by Jezebel from the Northern kingdom of Israel. After Elijah flees to Sinai, seeking the Lord, there are many wonders that occur, including a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire. But the word Lord was not in any of these wonders. After all these marvelous happenings, Elijah listens and hears the word of the Lord in a still, small voice.

I can learn two things from Elijah’s experience. First, I learned that we need to listen carefully to hear what the Lord is trying to tell us. There are many “noises” in this world, and we occasionally need to shut out these noises and try to listen to the Lord’s still, small voice and hear what he is telling us. Second, I learned how we can be better in tune with the Lord…Elijah fasted and prayed forty days and nights as he went to Sinai, and this put him in a humble spirit so he would be receptive to the word of the Lord. We are always more receptive to the Lord as we approach Him with a humble spirit. This does not mean that we have to fast for forty days and nights with our important questions, but we know that fasting and humility definitely helps as we go to the Lord and seek His counsel. One final thing we can learn from Elijah was that he lacked any sort of fear in hearkening to the word and will or the Lord. He told king Ahab what would happen to him and he confronted the priests of Baal without fear, among the many other things he did. ]]> cmsadmin The Wasatch Crest: an Epic Trail 2006-08-24T22:27:00-07:00 2006-08-24T22:27:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.29 The Wasatch Crest trail is truly Epic. Some friends introduced me to this trail five years ago, and I have had to go back every year since. I have been riding this trail or a trail close to it at least once, and sometimes twice a year for the past five years. This trail involves very little climbing except "Puke Hill" at the beginning, and continues on for ten miles of the most spectacular scenery and fastest, most fun riding you can ever imagine. The trail takes you along the top of the Wasatch mountains for much of the ride, with views of Park City and the Canyons ski areas to the East and Big Cottonwood Canyon with Brighton and Solitude ski areas to the west. The rest of the trail takes you down into Mill Creek Canyon east of Salt Lake, where you ride through a pristine, wet coniferous forest to the road. After you hit the road, you can hop onto the "Pipeline Trail" for some gnarly desert canyon scenery and fun. One day, I want to start EARLY in the morning at the bottom of Mill Creek Canyon, ride to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, and take the Wasatch Crest trail back down to the bottom of Mill Creek Canyon. That would be a long ride of 40 miles, but it would be AWESOME. The bottom line is that I love this trail. It is the best mountain biking trail in Northern Utah. Mill Creek Canyon is only opened on even days, so I am on the lookout for a good even day to go each year. Saturday, August 26, 2006 will be the day this year. My friends and I will be dropping a car off at the bottom of Mill Creek, then driving up to the top of Big Cottonwood and riding the trail. It will be a blast and I am really looking forward to it. If you can't go on an even day, there are a few good trails in Big Cottonwood Canyon. You can even do much of the Wasatch Crest trail...you just can't drop down into Mill Creek Canyon on odd days. Wasatch Crest trail is truly Epic. Some friends introduced me to this trail five years ago, and I have had to go back every year since. I have been riding this trail or a trail close to it at least once, and sometimes twice a year for the past five years. This trail involves very little climbing except "Puke Hill" at the beginning, and continues on for ten miles of the most spectacular scenery and fastest, most fun riding you can ever imagine. The trail takes you along the top of the Wasatch mountains for much of the ride, with views of Park City and the Canyons ski areas to the East and Big Cottonwood Canyon with Brighton and Solitude ski areas to the west. The rest of the trail takes you down into Mill Creek Canyon east of Salt Lake, where you ride through a pristine, wet coniferous forest to the road. After you hit the road, you can hop onto the "Pipeline Trail" for some gnarly desert canyon scenery and fun. One day, I want to start EARLY in the morning at the bottom of Mill Creek Canyon, ride to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, and take the Wasatch Crest trail back down to the bottom of Mill Creek Canyon. That would be a long ride of 40 miles, but it would be AWESOME. The bottom line is that I love this trail. It is the best mountain biking trail in Northern Utah.

Mill Creek Canyon is only opened on even days, so I am on the lookout for a good even day to go each year. Saturday, August 26, 2006 will be the day this year. My friends and I will be dropping a car off at the bottom of Mill Creek, then driving up to the top of Big Cottonwood and riding the trail. It will be a blast and I am really looking forward to it. If you can't go on an even day, there are a few good trails in Big Cottonwood Canyon. You can even do much of the Wasatch Crest trail...you just can't drop down into Mill Creek Canyon on odd days. ]]> cmsadmin Increase the Gas Tax 2006-07-15T15:49:00-07:00 2006-07-15T15:49:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.28 During this time of record-high gas prices, you might think that increasing gas taxes is the last thing we would want to do. Rather than increase gas taxes, you might say, we should decrease or repeal federal, state, and local gas taxes. There are many arguments for decreasing gas taxes. Some say that a decrease in taxes and a subsequent lowering of gas price will improve our economy by making it cheaper to transport goods. Others say that the lower prices induced by a gas tax decrease will result in increased wages as employers have additional income to give to their employees. Some say that a decrease in gas taxes will result in both of the above conditions and create an economic boom. However, poor evidence exists for all the arguments to decrease gas taxes. On the other hand, there is substantial evidence that increasing federal, state, and possibly local taxes will improve our way of life.

How can an increase in the price of gasoline possibly help the current situation in the US?


First, it is a fact that when something costs more, people buy less of it. I am sure that we all drive less today than we did a couple years ago when gas was less than two dollars a gallon. We try to consolidate our trips and we avoid unnecessary trips. We carpool when we can. Some may even have bought more fuel efficient cars or moved closer to their work and/or school. The result of higher gas prices has been less congestion on our roads, fewer accidents, and less pollution (1). There are, admittedly, still problems in these areas. These problems can be corrected even more, while raising government revenue (which, by the way, should correspond with a reduction in other types of taxes) by increasing gas taxes. In the short and long run, people will find more efficient methods of transportation and companies will find more efficient means of transporting goods and services. The result will be the development of newer, more efficient means of transportation, the reduction of sprawling urban development, and possibly the discovery and development of new energy sources or new modes of transportation besides the inefficient internal combustion engine, which has been used for over 100 years.

Who should increase the gas tax and by how much?


Gas taxes can be divided into two categories. The first category is the standard sales tax. The second category is an excise tax. These taxes are all included in the price you pay at the pump. The standard sales tax is a percentage of the gas price, and thus is a variable tax that depends on the price. An excise tax is usually a fixed amount per gallon of gasoline. Typically, both states and the federal government charge an excise tax. This tax has not kept pace with recent increases in gas prices. In fact, the last time the federal excise tax was increased was 1993 (2). In 1993, gas was less than a dollar a gallon in many places, while now it averages around three dollars or more per gallon. State excise taxes vary, but some states have elected to increase their excise tax rates, while most have not. States are uniquely qualified to analyze their own transportation needs and to respond to these needs by increases in gas taxes. It is definitely time to raise the federal excise gas tax by a factor of at least two to correspond with the associated increase in the price of gas.

What should be done with the extra gas tax revenue?


There are many alternatives for using the additional revenues created by an increase in the federal excise tax on gas. Without a doubt, these funds should be earmarked for transportation-related projects and research in the transportation sector. It is possible that some income tax or sales tax revenue is subsidizing transportation-related projects. These government inefficiencies should be eliminated, and a corresponding decrease in income or sales tax rates needs to be put into action. The best scenario would be to increase gas taxes, transfer the excess money to transportation-related programs being funded by income or other types of taxes, and to reduce income taxes accordingly. Of course, it is always a good idea to streamline government spending as much as possible. Increased gas taxes will give people incentives to use less gas, and the government will have incentives to please their constituents by earmarking more money for public transportation projects and transportation-related research. These incentives can only result in a positive long-run economic impact.

In sum, it is time to increase the federal excise tax on gasoline, and it may be time for states to follow suit. This increase in gas taxes will provide for better transportation projects, future transportation breakthroughs, a positive economic impact, less congestion, and a cleaner environment.

(1) Mankiw, N. Gregory (2004). Principles of Economics, Third Edition.
(2) see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A172-2004Apr9.html ]]> cmsadmin Epic. 2006-07-04T15:21:00-07:00 2006-07-04T15:21:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.27 On Saturday and this morning, since I had extra time, I decided to go on some "Epic" bike trips. This post describes these bike trips. Both trips began at my house in Orem.
The first bike trip was on Saturday. This bike trip took me to the top of Squaw Peak/Hobble Creek road, and then down into Rock Canyon, through the Rock Canyon Campground, down to the bottom of Rock Canyon, and then through the Edgemont neighborhood in Provo and back to my house. I have included an overview map below:



As you can see, this bike trip is about 20 miles. It involves an elevation gain of about 2500 feet from the Provo River and is long and rocky in some places. I would rate this trip as relatively strenuous (though I would say it is not quite as difficult as the Alpine Loop Road in terms of required cardiovascular and muscular endurance--this trip is about 35 miles and has an elevation gain of about 3100 feet). I love this ride. There are some better rides, but this ride is very scenic and is close to my house. I have tried to do it at least once, and maybe twice each year for the last 8 years or so. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate this ride a 7. There is a long uphill section and there are some rocky areas, but there are also some sweet downhill sections and there is beautiful scenery. The ride takes about 2 1/2 hours if you go at a moderate pace and don't rest for too long.

If you want to do this bike trip, it is best to start early in the morning (6-7) any time after the middle of June (the Squaw Peak Road has snowdrifts in some places until early June). Starting early in the morning will help you avoid traffic and the temperature will be cool at this time. Drive or ride to the mouth of Provo Canyon. There is a parking lot there. Park your car and head up the Provo River Parkway trail toward Mt. Timpanogos and Canyon View Parks. You will cross an old railroad bridge, then Canyon View Park will be on your right and Mt. Timpanogos Park will be on your left. Immediately after Mt. Timpanogos Park, cross the bridge on your right out to Hwy. 189 and ride on the highway for about 1/2 mile. You will see the Squaw Peak Road to your right. Take it and begin the long haul up this road. After about 1/2-1 hour of low-gear cranking, you will come to a fork in the road. Taking a right at this fork will take you to the popular "Squaw Peak" parking lot (it's not really the top of Squaw Peak...it's just a parking area on the Squaw Peak Road). You don't want to go this way...take my word for it. Take a left at the fork. You will pass the Hope Campground and the road will become a dirt road. After the road becomes dirt, it begins to level out (though there is still a fair incline) and the riding becomes easier. After another 2 miles, you will reach the top of the road. It's all downhill from here. Put your bike in high gear and begin cruising down the road. After cruising for a mile, the road will fork towards the bottom of the hill. Take the right fork toward Rock Canyon Campground, go past a gate, and you will be in the campground (the Rock Canyon Campground is now closed). You can basically go any way you want through the campground as long as you're going downhill. Rumble through the campground and find the Rock Canyon trail at the bottom and begin heading down it. This is a fairly steep, rocky trail, but it is a blast! Just rumble down the trail toward Provo. There will be a couple of forks in the trail, but as long as you're flowing with the river (going downhill), you will be fine. At the base of Rock Canyon, you will pass a gate and a water chlorination building, and then you will pass through Rock Canyon Park and onto a road. Once on this road, you can return to Provo Canyon any way you want. I recommend taking a right at Iriquois/Temple View Drive, then taking a left at the Park, heading down hill to Timpview Drive, and taking a right on Timpview Drive. Take a left after Timpview High School (3650 North) and then a right on Canyon Road. On Canyon Road, you will pass by some barns and horse pastures. It is a really pretty ride. This road will take you back to the base of Provo Canyon and the Provo River Parkway trail.

The second epic bike trip was today, the 4th of July. What better way to spend the 4th of July than to spend some time in the great American outdoors and then spend some time writing about your adventure on the Internet? This was my plan of action today. I also wanted to enjoy reading some more from my current book, 1776, by the now-famous historian David McCullough. I love to learn about American History, especially the Revolutionary War period.

This bike trip actually took me to two separate mountain biking locations. The first location was actually a branch off the Bonneville Shoreline Trail along an old water pipeline road and down to Canyon Glen Park in Provo Canyon. The second location was the famous "South Fork Trail", which is more appropriately called the "Big Springs Trail" in South Fork Canyon.

Here is an overview picture of the entire route:



Once again, you can see that this trip has a total distance of about 25 miles. The trip incurs a total elevation gain/drop of about 2000 feet, so it is not for the faint-hearted. There are some smooth, sweet downhill sections and some mildly difficult uphill sections on this ride. Over 1/2 of this ride is some kind of pavement...either a road or the Provo River Parkway. This is a great ride that I have never done before, and I've glad I did it. I would give this ride an 8 rating on a 1 to 10 scale. Not the greatest ride, but it's hard to find a much better ride. The ride takes about 3 hours at a moderate pace.

The best place to begin this ride is at the mouth of Provo Canyon or at some parking lot near the Orem Cemetery. You will definitely want to do this ride early in the morning before the sun comes up, because it gets very hot during the day. If you are starting at Provo Canyon, head west on 800 North in Orem from the Provo Canyon parking lot. At 1100 East or any of the roads before 800 East, head North and find your way over to 800 East. Taking the roads adjacent to the golf course over to 1200 North, then to 800 East seems to be a good bike route from Provo Canyon. Head North on 800 East, past a soccer field and the Orem Cemetery on the right. Immediately after the cemetery, there is a paved road with no name and a sign indicating access to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Head up this steep road. Toward the top of the paved area, you will pass some water tanks on the right and a water treatment facility. Before reaching the parking lot, head east through a gate and up the gravel road or on the trail adjacent to this road. There are many trails leading off to random places branching off this road, but you will want to stay on the main road for about 2 miles. The road will go up several hundred feet, topping off at a point overlooking the canyon to the South and Cascade mountain to the East. Stay on the road. It will take you through some gulleys and will be relatively flat with a couple of ups and downs for a couple of miles. After two miles, there will be a gate in the road. Branch off to the left of the road after going around the gate and start the downhill descent into Canyon Glen Park in Provo Canyon. This is a great downhill singletrack ride, despite a few rocks. It's pretty windy here in the morning, but it feels like you're riding on top of the world as you ride down into the canyon. If you keep going downhill after getting on this trail, you should find your way to the Provo Parkway trail and Canyon Glen Park.



Hop on the Provo Parkway trail and head east on the trail past Nunn's Park, Bridal Veil Falls, and Vivian Park.



At Vivian Park, the trail ends. At this point, head Southeast up the South Fork Canyon road, passing South Fork park and some pretty farms and ranches. After about 3 miles of riding on this road, you will see a park on your right called "Big Springs Park", sponsored by Provo Parks and Recreation.



The beginning of the Big Springs trail is located at the top of this park. There are several trails in this area, but I will describe the one I feel is the best and the fastest. Pass through the park and the parking lot at the top and head up the fire road. You will stay on this road for about two miles, passing a large meadow on your right and passing through a small campsite with a drinking fountain and some outhouses. After the campsite, you will cross a bridge on the creek and go uphill for about 100 yards. Here, you can either go straight or take a the singletrack trail to your left. This is the beginning of the downhill. At this point, you will pass through some large ferns, quaking aspens, and some bridges over an area called "Big Springs". Pass through the springs and stay on this trail for maybe 1/4 mile until there is a fork in the trail. Take a left at the fork. This will take you downhill and over a bridge to the main fire road. Cross the road to the singletrack on the other side and continue your descent to the bottom. You will end up at the parking lot at Big Springs Park.



At this point, take the road and the Provo Canyon Parkway back to your car at the bottom of Provo Canyon.

Those are my most recent "Epic" bike trips. I hope you enjoyed reading.

CMS ]]> cmsadmin Weekly Happenings 2006-06-27T22:52:00-07:00 2006-06-27T22:52:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.26 I returned home from Maryland late last Wednesday night. My brother was kind enough to pick me up from the airport. This entry will outline some of the happenings in my life during the past week.
On Thursday, I returned to work. I answered my emails and fixed a few of the problems we had Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the training course in Prince George's County, Maryland. I spent the vast majority of the day debugging WMS and getting the Prince George's County tools in good working order. On Friday, I worked on getting WMS compiling to run in native 64-bit mode and I began the slow process of getting all the 32-bit DLL's working with the 64-bit version of WMS. This project will take several weeks, possibly months.

On Friday night, I helped Jeff Baldwin in my ward with his new computer. Brother Baldwin is our Sunday School President, and I teach Sunday School. He and his wife have a nice home and are very nice to me. I had helped him order a new Dell computer a few weeks ago and he received the computer while I was gone to Maryland. My younger brother Lance, who is living with me right now, was able to help Brother Baldwin get the computer set up, but there remained some work to be done after I got back. So I helped him finish setting up his computer with some speakers, a USB hub, and some program installations and uninstalls on Friday night. The Baldwins had some friends with them at their home, and they were kind enough to invite me to dinner on Friday. We had shrimp, salad, and croissant rolls. It was all very good. I am grateful for their hospitality and to have them as friends.

On Saturday, I exercised, got ready, and drove my brother Lance to school (he has school on Saturdays for his California bar review course). I then came home and did my usual Saturday tasks, including laundry and going to Costco to get food. I stopped in at the multi-stake single adult conference here in Orem. It was an interesting conference, but I felt a little out of place there, as I do at all the single adult activities. The minimum age for these activities is 31, and there is no maximum age (there are many senior citizens who attend these conferences...I am sure they feel much more comfortable being there than I do!).

On Saturday night, Lance and I drove up to Salt Lake with some guys from work to have a little "tailgate party" and to watch a Real Salt Lake soccer game. Real Salt Lake played the New England Revolution. It was an interesting and educational experience as it was my first time at a major league soccer game; However, after attending, I realize why MLS is not yet ready for the big time in the US. The final score: 0-0. No scoring whatsoever in the game, and the final result was a tie. I thought that was lots of work and effort just to see a game that ended in a tie! And during the entire game, groups of people were banging bongo drums, blowing horns, shouting in megaphones, and ringing cow bells. Not that none of this happens at football, basketball, or baseball games, but I will tell you now that the people making these noises continued their noises through the entire 90-95 minutes the game was in session. They continued without taking a rest, providing the spectators no respite from their obnoxious noises. If this is what happens to the mental capacity of die-hard soccer fans, I don't think I want a part of it. Don't get me wrong, it was not all bad. It's just nice to see some scoring and to be entertained with some good soccer if I'm traveling to Salt Lake and spending gas and money to see a game. The positives about the game: The weather was great, we had good friends there, and we had good food before the game.

On Sunday, I taught Sunday School and finished my home teaching. After Church, my brother Loren and his family came down to visit my home and to eat dinner with us. Loren's wife Kara provided bread and cake. My roommate Bryan provided pork. I provided rice and vegetables. The dinner was great, and my little niece Arianna and I had a great time doing 1-2-3's, airplane rides, and playing hide-and-go-seek.

Yesterday, I worked on helping the new student employees for much of the day. Then, I went to work a little on 64-bit and worked on it a little today. Last night, my brother Lance and I went on a walk up Bridal Veil Falls and climbed to the bottom of it. The trail was a little treacherous in some places, but it was mostly stable. Today, I fixed a few bugs with one of our new employees this morning and worked on the 64-bit version of WMS and our HY8 project in the afternoon.

We had a priesthood meeting tonight. Two newly-called missionaries, a high councilman, and our entire stake presidency spoke. The meeting was great, but there was a smell from the gym floor refinishing at the church and I'm sure I lost half of my brain cells from this smell. During the meeting, I realized I need to try my hardest to stay closer to the Spirit and to respond to the Lord's call when I am guided by the Spirit to do something. Attending the temple and daily prayer and scripture study are essential to a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father. Recently, I have been thinking that I need to set better goals in my life that bring me closer to Jesus and will help me obtain my eternal goal. I then need to strive to accomplish these goals.

That is all I can think of now. ]]> cmsadmin More Old Testament Notes, Part 3 2006-06-04T22:16:00-07:00 2006-06-04T22:16:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.21 Here are some more Old Testament notes relating to scriptures from the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Psalms, and Samuel.
Joshua 1-8; 18:1-7; 23-24 (1-24); Judges 1; 1 Nephi 17:26-35

These chapters discuss the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and the armies of Israel. As they are righteous and follow the Lord’s commandments, they are delivered from their enemies. As I read the scriptures in this section of reading, I felt a sense of strength as Israel initially went into the land of Canaan and camps at Gilgal, preparing to make their attack on Jericho. They follow the Lord’s commandments with exactness and conquer Jericho. Initially, Joshua and Israel attempt to root out all evil from their camp, as attested by their stoning and burning of Achan (who stole some goods from Jericho before it was burned) and his family at the valley of Achor. But later, as the possessions of land obtained by Israel becomes more numerous, we see that some of the Canaanites are spared and not “utterly destroyed” as the Lord commands. There were many examples from the latter part of the book of Joshua where the Canaanites or other inhabitants are left in the land and serve as slaves or tributaries to Israel. Eventually, Israel intermarries with them, Israel begins to worship their pagan gods, they forget Jehovah, and turn to wickedness. From the teachings in these chapters, I have learned to some extent how important it is to follow the word of the Lord with as much exactness as possible. Israel did not follow the word of the Lord with exactness and it got them into trouble. The final injunction of Joshua was to “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Joshua then told Israel that they would be cursed if they worship other gods. This was an important message for Israel that should have been heeded. It is also an important message for us in our day. We need to focus our efforts on the Lord and his work instead of worldly “gods”.


Judges 2-8, 11 (2-12)

This series of chapters covered the beginning of the time period of the “Judges”, who were military leaders rather than political leaders as in the Book of Mormon. There were three stories that really caught my attention in these chapters.

The first story that caught my attention was the story of Deborah and Barak, who jointly delivered Israel from the threats of the Canaanites. The Canaanites had been persecuting Israel and were in need of help from the Canaanite armies. The Canaanite captain, Sisera, was a great nuisance to Israel. But the Lord is able to help Deborah and Barak conquer Sisera and the Canaanite armies and Sisera is killed by a woman (Jael) as he rests in her tent.

The second story in this section of scripture is of Gideon conquering the Midianites. There seem to be some similarities between the call of Gideon and the call of Moses (described in Exodus). An angel tells Gideon that he is to deliver Israel out of bondage to the Midianites, but Gideon expresses his doubts to the angel, similar to the manner that Moses expressed his doubts to the Lord as he was called to deliver Israel from bondage in Egypt. Nevertheless, Gideon is courageous, destroys the altar of Baal, and conquers the Midianites by following the word of the Lord with exactness. Instead of using the entire army of Israel, he follows the Lord’s instruction to bring a small number of men to the valley where the Midianite army is encamped and bring them to confusion. The Midianite army is confused and fight among themselves, and then Israel’s armies pursues and conquers them.

The final story in this section of scripture is of Jepthah and his calling to be the leader of Israel and subsequent destruction of the Ammonites. The memorable part of this story was that he made a vow with the Lord that he would sacrifice (as a burnt offering) whatever comes out of his house when he returns from his battle with the Ammonites. His only child, a daughter, was the first to appear, so he was forced to keep his vow and offer her as a burnt offering.

During the times of each of the above Judges, we learn that Israel was righteous and worshipped Jehovah to some measure. But after the Judges died, we learn that Israel turned again to their wickedness and idol worship. When this happened, their surrounding enemies brought Israel into bondage. From this cycle of destruction and deliverance, we learn how important it is to be consistent in following the Lord and keeping His commandments. The message in Helaman 12:3 is a primary theme in these initial chapters in the book of Judges: “And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.”


Judges 13-16; 18 (13-21); Ruth 1-4

These scriptures first discuss the story of Samson, a mighty warrior who killed thousands of Philistines. This is an interesting story, but Samson seems to be somebody who wavers in the ways of the Lord. I think if Samson were more consistent in keeping the commandments of the Lord and in fulfilling his Nazarite vow, he could have received great blessings from the Lord. Even with his wrong choices, he still killed thousands of Philistines and “Judged” Israel for 20 years (Judges 15:20). But his downfall seems to be his weakness of wandering after women. He is enticed by Delilah and finally he tells her the secrets of his great strength from the Lord. After doing this, he is taken by the Philistines, blinded, put into prison, and brought before the Philistines, destroying himself and 3000 leaders among the Philistines. I guess you would say that he went out with a bang. From this story, I think we can learn the importance of keeping our vows/covenants with the Lord. As we keep our covenants, he blesses us, sustains us, and protects us. If we do not keep our covenants, we “have no promise” (D&C 82:10).

In fact, the book of Judges seems to be filled with people who set up their own ways of worship and are less inclined to follow the Lord. Later in the book, we learn of Micah setting up a false priesthood in his household, and then we learn of the Danites stealing Micah’s priest and his symbols of worship and adopting their own form of worship (contrary to the ways of Jehovah).

Ruth is a tender story that brings less distress to my mind than the stories in the book of Judges. I love how this story shows that somebody who is not of the house of Israel can become converted to the worship of Jehovah and receive many blessings from the hand of Jehovah. Ruth stayed with and supported her mother-in-law Naomi and was blessed with a husband (Boaz) and a great posterity (David, Solomon, and eventually Jesus) because of her righteousness. This does not mean that we will always receive great blessings because of righteousness, but life will definitely be much easier as we choose to “serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15)


Psalms 1-3; 8; 19-22

This is our first assignment to read from the book of Psalms. This reading assignment feels much different than anything we have read up to this point. There is something about poetry that puts me to sleep, and as I was reading these Psalms, it was no exception. I suppose part of the problem of falling asleep was due to the fact that I was reading this assignment very early in the morning. But since I could not stay awake after reading even a single verse, I decided to go to the Church’s web site and listen to the Psalms while I read them. This helped me stay awake and the reading assignment went much more quickly. I think it is important to be able to hear these psalms spoken rather than just reading them in your mind. The language in the Psalms is meant to be read aloud or sung as a hymn.

It was interesting to learn about the different forms of Hebrew poetry used in the scriptures, and every verse in the psaltery seems to use some form of parallelism, either internal or external. Knowing about the different styles of parallelism helps me to better understand some of the scriptures and prophesies in the psaltery.

By far, my favorite chapter in this reading assignment was Psalms 22. I love the wording of this psalm as it describes the atonement of the Savior. The first half of this psalm seems to be the Savior talking about himself as it says, “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him” (Psalms 22:7-8). Then, in verses 16 and 18, we learn that they pierce His hands and feet, and they part His garments among them and cast lots, all of which was fulfilled in the New Testament (see Matt 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, and John 19:24).


1 Samuel 1-11; Psalms 23

These chapters in the book of Samuel discuss the birth and calling of Samuel and his initial activities as a Judge and a Prophet in Israel. I don't think I have ever read this section of the Old Testament straight through, and as I was reading these chapters, I was amazed at the interesting stories contained in them and at the abundance of lessons to be learned. I found myself looking forward to every chapter in the readings, wondering what happened next and wondering about all the details of my reading. I learned about Hannah's prayer for a son at the tabernacle and of the birth of Samuel. From this story, I learned of the importance of faith and reliance on the Lord, and that her special offering to the Lord of her first son was a sacrifice that may have helped her wishes of posterity come to pass. Then, in 1 Samuel 3, we learn of the Lord's call to Samuel to be a prophet. The Lord calls him at night, and after the third time, Samuel finally recognizes the voice as the Lord's instead of Eli's voice. In a way, this is similar to Moses' call when he did not recognize the voice of the Lord at first at the burning bush. We continue to learn how wickedness brings the wrath of the Lord as the Philistines capture the Ark and are smitten with plagues and as Eli and his sons are slain for their disobedience to the Lord's commandments. We learn of the importance of respecting sacred things as many Israelites look into the Ark and are slain by the Lord. Then, in the later part of the reading, we learn of Saul, who has been a righteous person from his youth. The story catches up with Saul as he is looking for his father's donkeys and it relates his faithfulness in searching for these donkeys. Samuel and Saul exhort Israel to righteousness, and just as Moses delivers Israel from Egypt, Samuel and Saul and Israel are victorious over the Ammonites because of their righteousness. Though Samuel is reluctant to anoint a king, Saul is anointed to be the king by the Lord. From these chapters, I remember that the Lord is bound when we do what he says, but when we do not do as he says, we have no promise (D&C 82:10). We are also reminded that "the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance" (1 Nephi 1:20).


1 Samuel 12-13; 15-20; 24; 28; 31 (12-31); Psalms 24

These chapters seem to center around the fall of Saul and the rise of David to power. Saul's fall begins with seemingly small ways of disobeying the Lord, including offering a burnt offering in an incorrect manner and destroying the Amalekites, but keeping some animals to himself to offer as sacrifices. Because of these seemingly small offences, Samuel rejects Saul's kingship and foretells David's coming kingship as he says, "The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou" (1 Sam 15:28). At this same time, Samuel also relates the famous passage, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam 15:22). Later, Samuel anoints David as the king, picking him from among all his brothers, some of who seem to be somewhat jealous of David. Chapter 16 has some important and well-known verses as we learn that "the Lord looketh upon the heart" (verse 7). Saul takes David into his household as a harpist and at first Saul is kind to him. But then as David defeats Goliath and as David leads Israel to victory against the Philistines, Saul becomes jealous of David. At this point, jealousy seems to overcome Saul, he loses the Spirit of the Lord, and he seeks to kill David. From this, I learn the importance of being very careful not to let jealousy enter into my heart. It can only bring despair and possibly destruction as it did with Saul. David continues his righteous path as he is hunted by Saul and later spares Saul's life (2 times). We learn that David is a kind and loving man, even forgiving those who intend to kill him. He makes an oath to Jonathan, Saul's son, and he loves Jonathan as himself, following the teachings of the law of Moses and the teaching reiterated by Christ that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Up to this point, David is a great example and has done everything perfectly. Saul is actually David's Father-in-law at this point, and I can just imagine the tension in this family. I think that Saul eventually loses some of his jealousy as David spares his life twice, and toward the end of the reading, the word of the Lord is fulfilled as Saul and three of his sons die in battle and David becomes king.


2 Samuel 1-2; 5-7; 11-12 (1-12); Psalms 45, 96, 100, 106

While reading these chapters, I learned about David’s ascension as king of Judah and then of all Israel and of his establishing the capital in Jerusalem. I then read about David’s great sin when he lied with Bath-sheba and attempts to cover his sin by arranging for her husband Uriah’s death in battle. Finally, I read about the prophecies of Nathan, the death of David and Bathsheba’s son, and the birth of their son Samuel. In the readings of the Psalms, I read some prophecies of the Messiah and some psalms of praise. The psalm that stood out in my mind was Psalm 106, which recounts Israel’s murmurings in the wilderness on their way to Canaan and prophesies of the scattering and slaying of Israel.

One thing I learned from reading these chapters is the importance of continued work and effort, goal setting, and striving. I learned that the eternal consequence of David’s idleness was much worse than anything he went through as he struggled to gain his kingdom, to unite Israel, and to conquer surrounding lands. When he was working hard and trying to accomplish his foreordained mission, he felt good about himself, received revelations, and lived by the Spirit. But when he became idle and “tarried still at Jerusalem” (2 Sam. 11:1), his thoughts began to wander and he lusted after and sinned with Bathsheba. He then tried to cover his sin by bringing Bathsheba’s husband Uriah home. When this failed, he had Uriah killed in an attempt to cover his sins, which sealed David’s fate. The result was that he has fallen from his exaltation (D&C 132:39). Though David attempted to cover his sins, they will still known to the Lord (and to Nathan), who gave David the parable of the ewe lamb, which relates a rich man plundering a poor man’s only ewe lamb that was beloved by the poor man. Nathan said, “Thou art the man” (2 Sam. 12:7).

This whole story reminds me of the scripture in D&C 121:37, which says, “That [the rights of the priesthood] may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.” This precisely describes David, who was anointed by Samuel and likely had the priesthood, but as soon as he began to disobey the commandments and then to cover his sins, he lost any authority that he had.


2 Samuel 13; 15-16; 18-20; 23:1-7 (13-24); Psalms 122, 127, 146-150

The chapters in 2 Samuel in these readings give the account of various rebellions in Israel in which David’s kingship was threatened. The first war was with David’s son, Absalom. The second was with Amasa. As I was reading these chapters, I am reminded that the word of the Lord is always fulfilled in its own way. In the previous readings, the Lord spoke to David through the prophet Nathan and explained how the Lord was angry with him through the parable of the ewe lamb (2 Samuel 12). Nathan also explained some specific prophecies that would come to pass relating to David’s household, and many of these prophecies came to pass in 2 Samuel 16.

As I was reading these chapters, I could see that David’s attitude had changed from one of hope and optimism to one of sorrow and indifference. It seems as if the much of David’s life was filled with conflict or famine. David’s rise to kingship was filled with conflict as well as the decline of his life after committing adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah killed. In between all the wars were perhaps times of peace, but these were not related in the books of Samuel. We need to live righteously to keep our optimistic, hopeful outlook.

I have often thought and have been saddened by David’s fall from exaltation. I wondered at how somebody who had everything a person could want and who had fought so many battles, as David did, could do what he did and lose his chance for repentance. David appeared to be faithful for the rest of his life, often offering sacrifices and speaking the word of the Lord through poetry and prose, but these things that he did caused him to lose his chance. I am still not sure I am reconciled with this whole idea. However, I can try to be valiant and always on guard for temptations that come my way so the same fate does not happen to me. ]]> cmsadmin More Old Testament Notes, Part 2 2006-06-04T22:06:00-07:00 2006-06-04T22:06:00-07:00 tag:journalofhydrologicconsiderationsinburrowrangling,2007:JournalofHydrologicConsiderationsinBurroWrangling.20 Here are some more Old Testament notes relating to scriptures from the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Exodus 1-8; 11-12 (1-12); D&C 84:6

These chapters tell us of how the Lord raised Moses to deliver Israel from their Egyptian bondage, and how that deliverance came about. Three lessons stood out to me as I read these chapters. The first lesson was the stubbornness and lack of faith of both the Egyptians and the children of Israel. For example, when Moses first talks to Moses at the burning bush, Moses expresses his lack of faith in himself and in his abilities. The Lord gives Moses signs and a spokesman to make up for his abilities. We have to forgive Moses, however, since he was raised in Pharaoh’s household and was not really familiar with the Lord’s ways. For the Egyptians, it takes nine plagues and finally the deaths of all their firstborn sons and beasts to obey the word of the Lord. They then pursue Israel and finally are put to death.

The second lesson from these chapters was the abundance of signs given to both the Egyptians and the children of Israel. The Lord was long-suffering toward both Israel and Egypt. He gave Pharaoh nine warnings (plagues) to let Israel go free until he was forced to the drastic measure of taking the firstborn sons from Egypt.

The final lesson was the persistence and long suffering of the Lord in saving the children of Israel and in keeping His covenants with them. I am certain that Moses and the children of Israel did as much as they could and did the best they knew how with the knowledge they had. However, after they had done everything they could, the Lord made up the rest. The Lord finally delivers Israel from their Egyptian bondage on the night of the Passover. I often think of the Passover and of how the Lord delivered Israel. Much of the house of Israel had lost their faith that Moses could deliver them, as evidenced in Exodus 6. I think Moses even struggled to hold onto his faith. But in the end, the Lord made up the difference. I often struggle in my faith that the Lord will deliver me from my own personal trials. I am sure that I cannot be delivered without the Lord’s help. But I know that the Lord will help me, and that He will prepare a way for me to accomplish what He requires and to deliver me from whatever personal bondage I may be in. The Lord wants us to do all that we can do, and then He will make up the rest.


Exodus 13-19; D&C 84:20-23

This discusses the exodus of Moses and Israel from Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and their wandering in the wilderness. Israel continues to show stubbornness despite their deliverance and the Lord’s abundant blessings upon them. I am impressed with the Lord’s mercy to the children of Israel and his ability to deliver people from bondage. This is similar to the deliverance of Laban and the Brass Plates into Nephi’s hand described in 1 Nephi 4. In fact, Nephi uses the account of Israel crossing the Red Sea to convince his brethren that they can do all things through the strength of the Lord. 1 Nephi 4:2-3 says,

Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.



As members of the Church, we are of the house of Israel. The Lord will deliver us in whatever afflictions we are suffering in our day, just as He delivered Moses and the children of Israel from Egypt and Nephi and his brethren from Laban and helped Nephi obtain the brass plates.

The Lord made promises to Israel (i.e., the Abrahamic Covenant). Among these promises were that Israel would have posterity and that they would inherit the land of Canaan, the “Promised Land”. The Lord provided a way for Israel to escape from the Egyptians and to eventually reach and live in the Promised Land. He will also provide a way for us to reach our own “Promised Land” (Eternal Life, and all the other blessings the Lord has in store for us).

There are many lessons we can learn from the story of the Exodus. However, one other teaching in that story of that is important to me is associated with the time Israel was led to the Red Sea and was pursued by the Egyptians. Elder Holland talked about this chapter (Exodus 14) in his famous talk “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence” (Ensign, March 2000, p. 7). In his talk, Elder Holland is speaking about how to get revelation, in particular when the revelation is most likely to come. Of this story Elder Holland says the following:

Most Latter-day Saints know the formula for revelation given in section 9 of the Doctrine and Covenants—the verses about studying it out in your mind and the Lord promising to confirm or deny. What most of us don’t read in conjunction with this is the section which precedes it: section 8.

In that revelation the Lord has said, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.” I love the combination there of both mind and heart. God will teach us in a reasonable way and in a revelatory way—mind and heart combined—by the Holy Ghost. “Now, behold,” He continues, “this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.”

Why would the Lord use the example of crossing the Red Sea as the classic example of “the spirit of revelation”? Why didn’t He use the First Vision? Or the example from the book of Moses we just used? Or the vision of the brother of Jared? Well, He could have used any of these, but He didn’t. Here He had another purpose in mind.

Usually we think of revelation as a downpour of information. But this is too narrow a concept of revelation. May I suggest how section 8 broadens our understanding, particularly in light of these “fights of affliction” we have been discussing.

First of all, revelation almost always comes in response to a question, usually an urgent question—not always, but usually. In that sense it does provide information, but it is urgently needed information, special information. Moses’ challenge was how to get himself and the children of Israel out of this horrible predicament they were in. There were chariots behind them, sand dunes on every side, and a lot of water immediately ahead. He needed information to know what to do, but it wasn’t a casual thing he was asking. In this case it was literally a matter of life and death.

You will need information too, but in matters of great consequence it is not likely to come unless you want it urgently, faithfully, humbly. Moroni calls it seeking “with real intent.” If you can seek that way and stay in that mode, not much that the adversary can counter with will dissuade you from a righteous path. You can hang on, whatever the assault and affliction, because you have paid the price for real conviction.

Like Moses in that vision, there may come after the fact some competing doubts and confusion, but it will pale when you measure it against the real thing. Remember the real thing. Remember how urgently you have needed help in earlier times and you got it. The Red Sea will open to the honest seeker of revelation. The adversary has power to hedge up the way, to marshal Pharaoh’s forces and dog our escape right to the water’s edge, but he can’t produce the real thing. He cannot conquer if we will it otherwise. Exerting all our powers, the light will again come, the darkness will again retreat, the safety will be sure. That is lesson number one about crossing the Red Sea by the spirit of revelation.



I love this talk by Elder Holland, and I love this story of Moses and the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea. There is more to be said, but I have already put down too much and I am running out of time. So I will end here for now.


Exodus 20-21; 24; 32-34; (20-24, 32-34); Deuteronomy 4-5; D&C 84:23-27

Two ideas come to my mind from reading these chapters. First, Moses is patient with Israel just as Christ is patient with us. Moses acts as a mediator between the Lord and Israel at the end of Exodus 32 so they are not destroyed for worshipping the golden calf. In this way, Moses is a type of Christ. All the promises of exaltation and their inheritance of the promised land as a part of the Abrahamic covenant are still possible for Israel if they live the “new” law given to them, which is the law of “carnal commandments” or the law of Moses. They had lost their opportunity to the Melchizedek priesthood, but they were still given the rights of the Aaronic priesthood and the Melchizedek priesthood was had among the prophets of their time.

Second, even though the Law of Moses was a lesser blessing than was available to Israel had they been righteous, they still had all the opportunities and blessings of the Gospel available to them. The difference between the Law of Moses and the Gospel was that the Law of Moses was based on outward ordinances instead of inward devotion. For some reason, Israel was not ready to live an “inward” law. This law of outward ordinances helped Israel think more of the importance of inward devotion and brought them to Christ. As we learn from latter-day, Book of Mormon, and New Testament revelation, all the parts of the Law of Moses were designed to bring souls to Christ and help people receive exaltation. By obedience to the outward ordinances, they drew closer to Christ. Many of the ordinances of the Gospel today are also outward ordinances that bring us to Christ.


Exodus 25-31; 35; 40; (25-40)

I learned several new things from reading these scriptures and the commentary associated with these scriptures. First, I learned that Moses was diligent in following the Lord’s commandments with exactness and that Israel had repented of their “golden calf” episode. Exodus 40:16 says, “Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.” The tabernacle was erected exactly according to the specifications of the Lord, and we learn that Israel gave freely of their possessions to build the tabernacle, to the point that too much was given and Moses had to tell everybody to stop bringing materials for building the tabernacle. Events similar to this occurred in our day at the building of the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples. The Latter-day Saints had forfeited the land of Zion in Jackson County, Missouri (because of unrighteousness), but the Lord still promised a temple. The same degree of sacrifice was made for the building of the Kirtland temple, and a similar outpouring of the Spirit as in Moses’ day occurred.

Second, everything about the Law of Moses points to Christ, and everything about the tabernacle of Moses’ day contains parallels to the temples of our day and to the Gospel. The “Mountain of the Lord’s house” is the temple, where we learn of the word of the Lord and how to return to him. In Moses’ day, the temple contained three separate sections, just as temples of our day contain three separate rooms (the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial rooms). Each section has symbols which point us to Christ, the first being the altar of sacrifice and the laver (baptism and cleansing), the second containing candles (light of Christ), incense (prayers of righteous), and 12 loaves of bread (the nourishment of the twelve tribes of Israel), and the Holy of Holies containing the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat, which signifies that through the mercy of Christ, we can be forgiven from breaking the law. The garments of the Aaronic priesthood, and everything about the Law of