Daily Scripture Study

In Joshua 1:8 we read, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” In the verse, the Lord counsels Joshua to meditate upon the law, or in other words to study the scriptures.

In modern times, Latter-day prophets counsel us to study the scriptures every day, both individually and with our families. When we study the scriptures we develop a better understanding of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Studying the scriptures gives us strength to over come our challenges, and provides protection against temptation. When we faithfully studying the scriptures, we are blessed. President Ezra Taft Benson said the following: “Studying and searching the scriptures is not a burden laid upon [Saints] by the Lord, but a marvelous blessing and opportunity. The Lord was not promising Joshua material wealth and fame, but that life would prosper in righteousness and that he would have success in that which matters most in life, mainly the quest to find true joy.” What a beautiful promise!

One of the biggest blessings I feel that I receive from studying my scriptures is spiritual protection. When I read my scriptures on a daily basis, I am protected from temptation and from the evils that surround me. In reading my scriptures I am protecting my spirit from sin, and from being lead away by the false teachings of the world. 

Our spirits need to be spiritually fed on a regular basis in order for us to receive this protection from the world. So many blessings can come into our lives if we will commit ourselves to regularly studying the word of the Lord. The following is a beautiful video narrated by Elder D. Todd Christofferson that talks about our spiritual need for sustenance.

Prayer, Revelation, and Supporting Church Leaders

This week in my personal scripture study, I read in the book of Numbers. I was particularly struck by Numbers chapter 11, in which Moses approached the Lord in prayer about his struggle in leading the Church and the children of Israel on his own. The Lord answered Moses’ prayer by commanding him to bring seventy Israelite men to come unto Him and the Lord’s Spirit came upon them and they prophesied.

This simple story taught me a couple different lessons. The first is the power of prayer. The Lord is concerned about our needs and wants to help and bless us if we will just reach out to Him. Elder Richard G. Scott said, “Prayer is a supernal gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul. Think of it: the absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with Him as our Father.” What a powerful message!

The second lesson I learned from this story is that the Lord blesses us with gifts, such a revelation, to help carry out the work of His Church here on the earth. In the Doctrine and Covenants we learn that the Lord continues to guide the Church through revelation to latter-day prophets. Prophets are the only people that can receive revelation for the Church as a whole, but they are not the only people who can receive revelation. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “Only the president of the Church receives revelation to guide the entire Church. Only the stake president receives revelation for the special guidance of the stake. The person who receives revelation for the ward is the bishop. For a family, it is the priesthood leadership of the family. Leaders receive revelation for their own stewardships. Individuals can receive revelation to guide their own lives.” Moses received revelation from the Lord to choose seventy elders to help him bear the burden of leading the Church. Individuals receive revelation in today’s day and age to help lead and guide the Church as well, according to the Lord’s will.

The final lesson that I learned from this story comes from Numbers chapter 12. In this chapter, certain individuals became prideful and viewed themselves as being better than those who had been called to preside over them. This story teaches the importance of sustaining and supporting our Church leaders. The Lord calls prophets and apostles, through inspiration, to lead His Church. The Lord has given these leaders the authority to call others to serve in the Church. Remembering that all callings come from the Lord can help individuals resist becoming prideful, and be willing to subject to the priesthood leaders God has chosen to preside over us.