From Fasting to Feasting

Continuing where we left off. Verse 6 "And it came to pass that after many days it began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top thereof began to perish." As we go through this allegory, it is important to note that what is wild, or perishes, or is spoken of in a negative way is pointing toward our hearts moving away from God. Verse 7 "And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive-tree, and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to with away, and we will cast them into the fire that they may be burned." First, the master of the vineyard saw it.  In other words, the Lord know us intimately and deeply and personally.  We are not lost from His view or from His knowing.  He eye is ever on us. Isaiah 49:16 - this is what come...

The allegory of the Olive Tree is one of my favorite things in all the world.  Jacob, along with the book of James (who is the mortal brother of the Savior), ties for second place in my scripture hierarchy.  As we go through this allegory (which will be broken down into many parts), I hope to adequately represent why Jacob is one of my favorite prophets. I'm going to just share what I wrote a couple of years ago in my scriptures about these verses as I was studying them.   In order to give the full understanding of the verses in chapter 5, we have to go to chapter 4 and gain perspective a bit.  So follow along, if you wish, as we walk the paths of Jacob's heart. The first few verses of chapter 4 tell us why they have written on these plates and that they rejoice in the very laborious process which is part of this gift they have preserved for us. Then we get into verses 4 and 5. "For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may kn...

In Doctrine and Covenants 11:21 we read: "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea the power of God unto the convincing of men." Why did the Lord say obtain here?  Why not learn?  Why not understand?  Why not study?  Why not ponder?  Why obtain?  What does obtain mean?  To make it your own, yes?  How do you make His word your own?  How do you obtain it? To obtain something you must know it, understand it, be able to replicate the principle in entirely unrelated situations.  It must become yours.  It must be, as Elder Bruce R. McConkie said in his final testimony in General Conference before he died, "In speaking of these wondrous things I shall use my own words, though you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and prophets.  True it is they were first proclaimed by ...

Today I want to share with you the why  behind this path of living.  It is the hardest thing you'll ever do, so to understand why you're doing it is essential. It is also important to build our common foundation so you will understand what I'm saying in future posts. In the parable of the talents, as related to us in the book of Matthew in the New Testament, there are three servants who are each given a sum from their master.  This amount was their responsibility and stewardship.  No one was there to tell them what to do with it or how to use it.  You know how the story goes.  Those with 5 and 2 talents were able to double them into 10 and 4.  The servant who was given 1 talent buried it and returned that which he was given.  The master then called the last an unprofitable servant and said to "cast that unprofitable servant into outer darkness" - which is one of only 9 times the term "outer darkness" is used in the entire Bible and one of only 2...