Exodus Chapter 35

At this point in Exodus, I believe the Israelites are still encamped at Mount Sinai. Moses received instruction and commandments for the children of Israel, while speaking with the Lord in the Mount. They showed they were not able or willing to keep their covenants faithfully, by turing to ways of idolatry while Moses was not with them. After Moses pleaded on their behalf, the Lord covenanted with them again and gave them the lesser law to follow. The instructions for the building of a tabernacle have also been received. The book continues as follows:

1 And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them.
2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

Moses told the host of Israel, that they were to keep the Sabbath day holy and free from work. Any defilement of this holy day, was worthy of death according to the Lord. We are not told that we will be put to death for this today, but any breaking of the sabbath causes the spirit to withdraw from us and we have the greater risk of the death of our spirit, meaning separation from God eternally.

4 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying,
5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,
6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
7 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,
8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
10 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded;
11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,
12 The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering,
13 The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,
14 The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,
15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,
16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
17 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,
18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
19 The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.

The Israelites are commanded to make a willing offering to the Lord, for the building of the tabernacle (see Exodus 25-30 for their instructions on the building of the tabernacle). Their offering was to be of the finest materials, such as gold, silver, fine linens, woods, precious stones, and so on. Then they were told that all who were willing, should give sacrifice of the time and talents to help in the building of the tabernacle. There would be a need for building the tabernacle itself, as well as all those things which they had been commanded should go inside it. We are also expected to make a willing sacrifice today. This is the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. As saints in these latter-days, we should willing come to the Lord with humility and a desire to change our hearts to follow the will of the Lord. When we willing give this sacrifice, the Lord can guide us through the promptings of the spirit. Only then, are we able to truly do our part to further the work of the Lord.

20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.
23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, brought them.
24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord’s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.
27 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;
28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

The people left, and when the willing returned, they offered service and their material goods for the building. I love that it says that all whose hearts were stirred up came to do this. Those who were open and willing to let the spirit influence them, did as they were instructed. True and worthy sacrifices take the influence of the spirit of God. I also love that it tells us that men and women came, because it is so great to see the influence of righteous women along with the men. We accomplish greater work, when we serve the Lord together. The women even took the time to spin threads of all types that were needed. I learn from this, that the people did more then just return with what they already had available, but that they went home and used their skills and talents to prepare gifts for the Lord.

I love to hear the stories of those in these last days, who have given all their precious things for building meeting houses and temples. Today, we rarely hear of that kind of sacrifice. I can’t help but feel that a house to the Lord would mean so much more to the people if they were required to give of their own belongings to accomplish it. I know that our tithes and offerings today, go towards building and maintaining our houses of worship, but there seems to be less of a connection directly to it this way. The closest I can understand this feeling, is from an experience that my husband had, which I shared in. When we lived in southern California, my husband helped to edit the photo of our temple president. That photograph was then put on canvas and hung inside the office of the temple. It was one which could be seen from one of the common areas in the temple, and every time we walked passed it, I felt that a part of our family was there everyday. It put a smile on my face every time I saw or thought of it. I can imagine that giving all their fine things and using their talents to create beautiful things, would have given the Israelites a personal and strong connection with the tabernacle. I think this would have drawn them closer to the Lord and his will for them. What a beautiful blessing this would have been for the children of Israel.

30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

The callings from the Lord were extended, which we learn about in the previous instruction given to Moses. Bezaleel was called to work specifically in building the things of the tabernacle and to teach others his craft. Aholiab was also called to craft those things needed for the tabernacle.

When I think of what this I learn from this chapter, I am reminded that the prophet today needs us. Our prophet has received a calling and a mission from the Lord. He has specific things he is inspired to do. Even being the great man he is, he cannot do it alone. The prophet needs us to sustain him. One of the greatest ways we can do this, is to answer our own call. When we are asked to serve, even in the smallest of ways in our own wards and homes, we help him to do his work. Giving of our time, talents, and energy, along with tithes and offerings, are ways that we can help the prophet to further the work. Moses had been commanded to build the tabernacle, but only with the support of the Israelites was he able to follow and fulfill that commandment.

Notes on Patience – Remembrance of Affliction

Patience is something that is tested in my life every day, as I am sure it is for most of us. I thought that perhaps it would be a good idea for me to begin a study that was a bit more in depth so that I could know how to gain a self-mastery that I do not have right now. I hope that my readers will enjoy following this series of posts on patience and that it may help someone else out there, as much as it has helped me. To see more posts, check out Notes on Patience

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; (Exodus 3:7)

And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. (Acts 7:10)

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. (Alma 26:27)

Having a remembrance of those who have gone before is so important in life. There are many who have been made to suffer, such as the children of Israel in Egypt, Joseph of Egypt who had been sold by his brothers, Job, the people of Alma before they arrived in Zarahemla (see Mosiah 24), the sons of Mosiah as they went out to preach the word of God to the Lamanites, or most importantly the Savior of the world. When discussing Job, President Thomas S. Monson said this:

Job was a “perfect and upright” man who “feared God, and eschewed evil.” Pious in his conduct, prosperous in his fortune, Job was to face a test which could have destroyed anyone. Shorn of his possessions, scorned by his friends, afflicted by his suffering, shattered by the loss of his family, he was urged to “curse God, and die.” He resisted this temptation and declared from the depths of his noble soul, “Behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.” “I know that my redeemer liveth.”

Job became a model of unlimited patience. To this day we refer to those who are long-suffering as having the patience of Job. He provides an example for us to follow. (They Marked the Path to Follow)

Job is just one of the many examples for us.

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. (Alma 7:11)

And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men. (1 Nephi 19:9)

My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. (Moroni 9:25)

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin discussed the great and perfect example of the Savior once, when he said the following:

The Lord, Jesus Christ, is our perfect example of patience. Though absolutely unyielding in adherence to the truth, he exemplified patience repeatedly during his mortal ministry. He was patient with his disciples, including the Twelve, despite their lack of faith and their slowness to recognize and understand his divine mission. He was patient with the multitudes as they pressed about him, with the woman taken in sin, with those who sought his healing power, and with little children. Finally, he remained patient through the sufferings of his mock trials and his crucifixion. (Patience, A Key to Happiness)

I do not have any of these kinds of physical bondage or affliction to live with, and I am grateful for that. I see that I should be able to be more patient in my own trials so that I can love more and be a better person.

Exodus Chapter 34

Moses and the children of Israel were encamped at the base of Mount Sinai. Moses had received the law of God while speaking with the Lord in the mount. Meanwhile, the Israelites had taken to idolatry since they did not know if and when Moses would return to lead them. When he was commanded to go down to them, he found them and broke the first tablets of stone which the Lord had written His law upon. Moses purged the Israelites of the rebellious, and raised the tabernacle outside of the camp. There, Moses spoke again with the Lord and the people witnessed it. Moses was commanded to lead the people, and so he asked the Lord to show him the way. The book of Exodus continues:

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

The Joseph Smith Translation of verses 1 and 2 read as follows:

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them.
2 But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage. Therefore do as I have commanded thee, and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me, in the top of the mount.

Moses was commanded to make two new tablets for the law of God to be written upon. From the Joseph Smith Translation, we learn that the Lord told Moses he would not allow his priesthood to stay with them. I believe that we read eventually, that the Melchizedek priesthood did not remain with the Israelites once Moses was no longer with them. The Lord also told Moses that the law given to the Israelites, would be one of carnal commandment. He could not remain in their presence because of their iniquities, so they would not be able to perform higher ordinances with the Lord. Moses was also told to return alone into the mount.

4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Moses did as he was commanded and the Lord was there with him. I’m not sure what the significance is of the Lord proclaiming the name of the Lord, but is sounds like it was of great significance. It mentions some of the great and godly attributes of the Lord. The Lord is merciful, gracious, long-suffering, full of goodness, perfect in truth, forgiving, and just. It is so good that we are told here, that the Lord is forgiving, but will not clear the “guilty”. The Joseph Smith Translation, says that the word is not guilty, but rebellious. I think this makes more sense according to the gospel as I understand it. We can all be guilty of those things we do wrong, but the Lord will only clear those who know that what they do is wrong. We can be guilty and yet not understand that we are doing wrong. Those who unknowingly do wrong, will be shown mercy for their lack of knowledge. It is those who openly rebel against the truth they know, who will not be cleared from that iniquity.

Moses quickly bowed and worshipped the Lord. He asked the Lord to be forgiving of the sin of the Israelites and to be with them. Moses asked the Lord to make these people an inheritance of the Lord. I wonder if I would live my life differently if I thought of myself as belonging to the Lord, more often. Those who covenant with Him and live faithful, are His inheritance. He desires to have us return to Him, all of us. I hope to be sanctified and purified through His atonement, so that I can be a part of His inheritance.

10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

The Lord promises to do many marvels or miracles, among the Israelites. These miracles included the driving out of other nations from the land of their inheritance, the they would obey the commandments. He commanded Moses that they were not to make any covenants with others who lived in the land, so they would not become trapped by those nations. Instead, they were to destroy those things of idolatry that others had placed in the land. The land had been sanctified by the Lord for His people. Moses was reminded of the commandment not to worship idols and false gods as the Israelites had recently done. In verse 14, it says the Lord’s name is Jealous, but the Joseph Smith Translation of this says Jehovah. He is a jealous God. Not in the sense that we think of jealous today, but rather, He is a sensitive God and putting false gods above Him, is offensive. To covenant with other nations, was to separate themselves from the Lord. In no doubt, it would lead them away from their covenants with God and they would loose truth and light.

18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

Moses is reminded again, of the law to participate in the feast of unleavened bread and to make holy sacrifices and offerings to the Lord. Also, the firstling and firstborn were to be sanctified and consecrated to the Lord.

21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

Again, they are told to work for six days and take a day of rest on the seventh day, the sabbath day. They were told to rest, even in harvest. I am sure that the idea of letting a day go by, when the fields are ready to harvest, would be difficult for a farmer, but the Lord would bless those who kept this commandment at all times of the year.

22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

They were commanded to have the feast of weeks, when the harvest was to be gathered and to feast at the end of harvest.

23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel.
24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year.
25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
27 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
28 And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Once again, they are commanded to have the men dedicated themselves to the Lord, three times in the year. For the Lord’s side of this covenant, he would removed all other nations from before the Israelites. The Lord blesses those who keep His commandments. We can be blessed with peace from our enemies, if we follow the commandments as well. In Proverbs 16:7 we read, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” I think the key to this, is that we will be blessed with a perspective, that all will be right when we do what is right and leave those things that are out of our control, up to God. Moses is told again of how to participate in the passover feast. And all these things were to be written as a record of the covenant of the Israelites with the Lord. We are told here, that Moses was there with the Lord in fasting, for forty days and forty nights. I have heard recently, that when this phrase was said (forty days or forty days and forty nights), it meant a long while, not specifically forty days. I think that this makes sense and that Moses was gone to receive instruction for many days and nights, it doesn’t matter if it was actually for forty days and nights. The new tablets contained the law of Moses and the ten commandments.

29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Moses returned to the people with the two new tablets of the Lord’s law and covenant. Moses’ face was shining, but he did not know that it was. We read and hear of this happening as part of being transfigured before the Lord. It seems like, those who are transfigured, take upon themselves a certain portion of the glory of the Lord, so that they can live through the experience. Because of this radiance, the people were afraid to get near Moses. Moses called the leaders to him and after he spoke to them, all the Israelites came closer. Moses told them the commandments of the Lord and while he delivered this message from the Lord, he veiled his face since his face was shining. When he spoke with the Lord, Moses unveiled his face.

This chapter teaches me just how important it was for the children of Israel to have the law of Moses and the commandments. There were not committed to memory, for Moses to teach and pass down in hopes that the generations would know them. They were recorded in stone. They were written by the hand of the Lord, to be kept sacred by the priests. On these second plates, the Lord removed those things that were sacred regarding the priesthood and certain covenants they had been given. Instead they were left with the carnal commandments or what we sometimes call, the lesser law. They would only have the strict laws regarding their mortal desires and appetites, which needed to be controlled or stopped. The Israelites needed these statutes, to keep them in line with what God wanted for them. They still had their agency, which I believe would lead them to a level of apostasy and eventually the sacrifice of the Savior. The Savior brought with him a higher law, which we have today. We have been given commandments and direction to follow, so that we can safely return to our Father in Heaven as well. We hear them often, because they are so sacred and important to the salvation of mankind. I am glad that we have the commandments to follow today. I know that if we follow them to the best of our ability and understanding, repenting when necessary, we will be blessed to find ourselves with all the blessings that God has promised to the faithful.

Exodus Chapter 33

Moses spent many days in Mount Sinai receiving instruction from the Lord and was commanded to lead the children of Israel to the promised land. The Israelites had been purged of the rebellious and were called to repentance by Moses for their idolatrous ways. The book of Exodus continues as follows:

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

They were promised to be led to the promise land by an angel of the Lord. This was the land of their inheritance, as promised by God to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were also promised that others would be driven out of their land. God could not dwell in their midst, because they were stiff-necked people and He could not dwell with their unwillingness to turn to the Him. If he came to them, they would be consumed.

4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

The people mourned for the loss of the Lord in their midst. The Lord commanded that they put off their ornaments. I think this means that they were not to adorn themselves or to wear their shoes or head coverings, but I am not sure. Moses built the tabernacle outside of the camp and those who were seeking the Lord, went to the tabernacle. The people watched Moses go into the tabernacle. The Lord visited Moses at the tabernacle, in the cloudy pillar. The people witnessed this and worshipped the Lord. Then, Moses talked with the Lord face to face and went back into the Israelite camp. Meanwhile, Joshua remained in the tabernacle.

12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Moses asked the Lord to show him the way, meaning God’s way, to lead the people and the way to know the Lord and find grace with Him. He talks of the Lord knowing him by name. This is such an important little gem of the gospel. The Lord knows us personally. He has spoken to the prophets as an intimate friend and father. He can speak to us the same way, through His spirit. He does know each of us. He knows the desires of our hearts. Moses knew that if the Lord knew his heart, He would know that Moses desired to have His presence with him and his people. The Lord told Moses that He would be with him. I think the rest he speaks of in verse 14, is the peace of heart and mind, to know all will be well. Moses asked the Lord how they would know if they were doing what was right, unless the Lord was with them.

The Lord favored Moses and showed His glory, but not his face, so that Moses would not die from seeing the Lord. The Joseph Smith Translation of verse 20 reads, “And he said unto Moses, Thou canst not see my face at this time, lest mine anger be kindled against thee also, and I destroy thee, and thy people; for there shall no man among them see me at this time, and live, for they are exceeding sinful. And no sinful man hath at any time, neither shall there be any sinful man at any time, that shall see my face and live.” Because the natural state of man was a sinful state, no mortal man could see the Lord in this life without being changed to a glorified state themselves. Also, there are additional words for verse 23 in the Joseph Smith Translation, which read, “seen, as at other times; for I am angry with my people Israel.” In Moses 1:11 we read, “But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.” Moses saw the Lord, because he was transfigured or changed to be able to see Him. However, because of the great sins of the Israelites, Moses was not to see the face of the Lord at this time.

I love that in verse 13, Moses recognizes that the people were God’s. Moses was their leader, but he recognized that all these people were God’s and not his own. Often times, when man is given a portion of power, he begins to misuse it. Some seek for power, for the purpose of doing what they want to do and making others do for them whatever they desire. I’m guessing that even though the Israelites were a covenant people, some probably looked to Moses more than the Lord. It took greater faith to see the work of the Lord, where it seemed the power was coming from Moses. He was a great man, but without the power of God, he was nothing. He was indeed a humble man, who trusted in God to show him the way. He was a man who desired to do the work of the Lord, and this should be an example to us of how we should live as well.

Moses knew that he could not lead these people without the guidance of the Lord. I think the world would be in a much better place, if more people could see that God is in every detail of our lives. People do great things because they are inspired by God, not because man is great on his own. At times, I find myself moving along with life and I forget just how much God is helping me with. Then, I fall into difficult times and it is then that I see just how much I must rely on God to have peace and joy. It is great to have reminders in the scriptures and from our church leaders, that we are not alone. The Lord is there to guide us in both good and bad times. He is there and is actively helping us become better people. We need to council with the Lord and follow the path he has for us, just as Moses did in these verses.

Notes on Patience – More Out of Life

Patience is something that is tested in my life every day, as I am sure it is for most of us. I thought that perhaps it would be a good idea for me to begin a study that was a bit more in depth so that I could know how to gain a self-mastery that I do not have right now. I hope that my readers will enjoy following this series of posts on patience and that it may help someone else out there, as much as it has helped me. To see more posts, check out Notes on Patience

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

God has shown me that I have a weakness in being patience. However, I know that if I can humbly recognize this weakness, and still continue to move forward with faith in the Lord, He can help me to be stronger still. The Lord has the power to mold me into the patient person that I long to be. Patience can be the strength of my faith. Elder Neal L. Maxwell said, “Clearly, without patience, we will learn less in life. We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less. Ironically, rush and more usually mean less.” My life will be more, if I can have greater patience. (see Patience)

Exodus Chapter 32

For the previous several chapters of Exodus, Moses has been receiving instruction and commandments from the Lord for forty days and nights. Meanwhile, the Israelites have been waiting for him in their encampment around the base of Mount Sinai. They had just made covenants with the Lord, so it was basically thousands of new converts to the church awaiting word from their righteous leader. The book continues as follows:

1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

The people did not know what had happened to Moses, who had led them from Egypt. They were floundering and did not know how to properly worship. They came to Aaron, who was now the acting religious leader. These people were coming from living in Egypt, where they worshipped many gods and had many false idols built. In fact, the Israelites had been the ones made to build all these idols and this was what they knew. Aaron told them to bring their gold to him, and he built a golden calf and an altar. Then, they made an offering to the Lord as they feasted. They worshipped a false God, which was against the commandments given to them by God. It is very common for those who are converts and have not rooted themselves in the gospel, to return to their old ways. This is why it is so very important for new members of the gospel, to immerse themselves in the gospel and to have righteous leaders and friends to help them find their way.

7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

The Joseph Smith Translation of verse 14 reads, “And the Lord said unto Moses, If they will repent of the evil which they have done, I will spare them, and turn away my fierce wrath; but, behold, thou shalt execute judgment upon all that will not repent of this evil this day. Therefore, see thou do this thing that I have commanded thee, or I will execute all that which I had thought to do unto my people.”

The Lord told Moses what was happening and commanded him to return to them. The Lord was full of righteous anger towards the Israelites, for they had broken the commandment to worship the only true and living God. Moses pleaded with the Lord in their behalf, so that the world would not see those who were saved by the Lord so quickly destroyed by Him. Instead, he pleaded that the Lord turn away His wrath so that the promised blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), would be fulfilled. No nation would be able to say that the Lord could not fulfill his promises to the children of Israel. Moses wanted the Israelites to have the chance to repent.

I know that we are not perfect people. We live in a world full of sin, and are quick to forget the Lord. It is so easy to let life get in the way of our faith. I wonder if our modern prophets are also pleading with God for the sins of the world today. I cannot imagine anything less, because I can feel their love for us and I know they often plead with the members to return to Christ and avoid the things of the world.

15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

Moses left the mount and returned to the people with the two stone tablets from the Lord. On the tablets were the commandments, or the law of Moses. Joshua, who had remained near Moses, told him there was loud noise, a riot, in the encampment. It was the sound of loud singing.

19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

When Moses came close to the camp, he saw them worshipping the golden calf. Then, Moses got angry and break the stone tablets. He burned the golden calf, ground the remnants and then scattered them in the water that came from the mountain, where the Israelites got their water. Moses asked Aaron what they did to cause him to lead them in worshipping false gods, and Aaron told him what happened. Aaron told Moses that he knew the people were set on mischief. I think that this may mean, he knew the people would turn to worldly ways if they did not have a witness in front of their eyes. Without Moses there to lead them with the power of God, they were unwilling to stay strong in the faith. They had shown this many times already. They had not become a converted people of faith, but were depending on the miracles they could see instead. Part of the test of this life, is whether or not we will follow commandments in faith and hope of the blessings to come, or if we will rely on the world we can see. It is natural to trust in man, because there is evidence of what will be. If we can find the courage to trust in the Lord, we will be blessed far beyond anything we could have in this life.

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)
26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

Aaron had not kept their wrongs secret, but they were all out in the open. Moses called to the people, that whoever wanted to be on the Lord’s side, should join him. The Levites joined Moses and prepared to fight against those who rebelled, as God had commanded. They killed 3,000 men in the fight, in order to bring the blessings of God back to the people. I think that part of the reason for this, may have been to keep corruption out of the camp of Israel. If even one of the rebellious had been left alone, more rebellion would have followed from gathering more to his side.

30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

Moses told those remaining, that they had sinned against the Lord. He also told them that he would try to atone for their sins, I think meaning he would plead for them to the Lord. Moses returned to the Lord and pleaded for the people to be forgiven, or put the blame on him. The Lord told Moses that those who did wrong, would be blotted out. Today, those of the LDS faith believe that we will only be held accountable for our own sins (see Article of Faith 1:2). Those who had sinned and would not repent, would be removed from the people of the Lord. The Lord then commanded Moses to lead the people as he had been commanded before and an angel would lead the way. The Lord would revisit them and their sin later, and at this time the people were plagued for their sin against the Lord.

There is a great lesson in this for us today. The ten commandments given to the Israelites are still commandments today. We are not to worship any false gods, or practice any form of idolatry. However, there are many things that people worship today. Anything that we hold in higher esteem than the Lord, is an idol. This could be money, clothing, a home, a car, people, power, knowledge, and so on. If we worship false gods, of any form, we no longer worship the Lord with all our soul. Instead, these things will draw us away from the Lord and the eternal blessings He has promised us. We may not loose our mortal lives to idolatry, as many of the Israelites did, but we will loose our eternal lives to it. It would be good for us to take inventory of our lives and do away with anything that has become an idol. This is not easy and can be quite painful. I have done this in my life recently and it was a difficult thing that I could not do alone. I found that the only way to do this, was with the help of my Savior. Many hours of prayer, study and pondering later, I feel more devoted to the Lord and consequently I have had greater joy in my life.

Exodus Chapter 31

At this point in the book of Exodus, the Lord has given instruction, or commandments, to Moses regarding the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness. This was to be their mobile temple, where sacred ordinances and covenants would be made and performed to the Lord. Priests had been called to serve in the temple, who were Aaron and his sons. The instruction to Moses continues as follows:

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
6 And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;
7 The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,
8 And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,
9 And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,
10 And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,
11 And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

A man named Bezaleel, had been given gifts or talents by the Lord, which would be useful for the building of the tabernacle. He was good in the art of metals and woods, which were needed for the structure of the tabernacle, as well as the things which would furnish it. Also, a man named Aholiab would be able to help. The Lord tells Moses that all those who have received gifts of the Lord, in wisdom, would be able to help him with building the tabernacle. I love that we learn how men from different tribes would be able to help build the temple and make the sacred clothing, showing that the work was to be shared among them and that the Lord had blessed many with the ability to make beautiful things and give service to build this wonderful witness of their devotion to the Lord.

We learned about gifts of the spirit in Sunday School this week. In 1 Corinthians 12 we read the following:

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Gifts of the spirit and talents are given to all who are worthy of the spirit and as a body of faithful people in the church, we are given these gifts to help all progress and further the work of the Lord. The children of Israel were no exception to this. They were given many gifts, to bless all with a beautiful tabernacle where they could worship and serve the Lord. When first given a calling from the Lord, I look at how unqualified I am to perform in it, and yet when I look back after moving on, I can see how the Lord has always blessed me with some gift to be able to do that work. I may never have that gift again, but for that time I am just what the Lord needs because of the person he helps me to be.

12 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Again, the Lord commands the Israelites to keep the Sabbath day holy. The sabbath was provided to sanctify the people of the Lord. It was so important, that those who did not keep it holy, were to be put to death. Even worse, the Lord promises that those who break the sabbath, would be cut off from his people leading to an even greater death of the spirit. The Lord establishes the Sabbath as a day of rest, free from the common labor of the rest of the week. The keeping of the Sabbath, was a covenant with the Lord. We are reminded here, that our weekly Sabbath is as the seventh day in the creation, when the Lord rested from his labors. I love that it says that the Lord was refreshed, because one of the greatest things for me about the Sabbath, is that I feel refreshed and renewed for my week ahead. The strength that comes from keeping the Sabbath day holy, is a blessing I cannot do without in my life.

The more I study the scriptures, the more I am noticing just how often we are reminded to keep the Sabbath day holy. This is clearly an important commandment and covenant with the Lord. I think that part of the reason for its repetition, is that this is one of the easiest ways for Satan to slip his way into our hearts. People fall away from the gospel so quickly by just creating one simple habit on the Sabbath that is not in line with what God would have us do. Then it becomes increasingly easier to add more to the Sabbath and before we know it, we are no longer attending church, renewing our covenants, or worshipping the Lord at all. The Sabbath can quickly become a day of recreation instead of a day of rest unto the Lord. As followers of the Lord, we cannot afford to rationalize things that cause us to break this commandment. Whatever our circumstances may be, we need to follow the guidance of the spirit and learn for ourselves how we can keep this day, a holy day of rest.

18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Then the Lord gave Moses the stone tablets which are so often portrayed in representation of the ten commandments from the Lord. On these tablets, the Lord wrote His words for the Israelites. We do not have the two tablets of stone to look at as a reminder, but we do have the law of God from the scriptures which we can reference often. Today, we are to keep these commandments written in our hearts rather than on tablets. In 2 Corinthians 3:3 we read, “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” If we have the commandments symbolically written in our hearts, we will live them day to day and they will become part of our personal character. Then, we will become like God as we draw nearer to Him.