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Old Testament

Come, Follow Me Week 28 – 2 Kings 2–7

July 4, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

What Should We Make of the Story of Elisha and the Bears and What Is the Significance of the Unusual Symbolism in Elisha’s Healings?

by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

(Originally published August 8, 2018 and August 10, 2018)

Prophet Elisha, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th century. The prophet is often portrayed with an uncovered, bald head. However, such a depiction may be the result of a textual misunderstanding.

Question: One of the most disturbing and incomprehensible accounts in the Old Testament concerns Elisha and the bears who mauled those who jeered at him? What should we make of this strange story? [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 28 – 2 Kings 2–7

Filed Under: Bible, Come Follow Me, Old Testament, Prophets

Come, Follow Me Week 27 – 1 Kings 17–19

June 28, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/FAIR.mp3

Podcast: Download (11.2MB)

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by Matt Crawford

The widow of Zarephath is one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament. Perhaps the greatest reason that this story resonates with me is because the widow is an outsider. She is not a member of the house of Israel—a fact the Savior confirms (see Luke 4:24–30)—and she meets Elijah at the gate of the city. That is, she is physically on the outskirts of this village where she lives. At least symbolically, the location of the widow’s initial contact with Elijah infers that she is marginalized. Yet her belonging came as she did one thing: she obeyed a prophet. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 27 – 1 Kings 17–19

Filed Under: Bible, Come Follow Me, Conversion, Jesus Christ, Old Testament, Podcast, Prophets, Women

Come, Follow Me Week 26 – 2 Samuel 5-7; 11-12; 1 Kings 3; 8; 11

June 20, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

2 Samuel 11: A Presbyterian Reflection

by Carl Trueman

The events described in 2 Samuel 11 are pivotal to the reign of David. His adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah, will have consequences far beyond the royal household and the rest of his reign will be marked by political turmoil driven by rebellions from within his own family.

There are a number of points to observe in the text.  First, it is important to notice how the writer echoes the language of Genesis 3.  As Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was pleasing to the eyes and reached out and took it, so David sees that Bathsheba, one who is forbidden to him because married to another, is beautiful and takes her.  As humanity fell in the garden, so David as king in a sense falls here.  Hence his reign will never be the same again.  And in seeing David’s fall, we learn something of the sinful psychology of our own hearts: sin places me at the center and makes everything else instrumental to my satisfaction, desires, and happiness. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 26 – 2 Samuel 5-7; 11-12; 1 Kings 3; 8; 11

Filed Under: Bible, Chastity, Come Follow Me, Jesus Christ, Marriage, New Testament, Old Testament, Perspective, pornography

Come, Follow Me Week 25 – 1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–18

June 14, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

The Asked King and the Beloved King-to-be: Saul, David, and Ancient Israel’s Rejection of the Lord’s Kingship

by Matthew L. Bowen

The names of ancient Israel’s first two major[1] royal figures, Saul and David, have clear, distinctive meanings. Saul (šāʾûl) means ‘asked’ and David (dāwid or dāwîd) means ‘beloved.’ The Deuteronomistic editor and narrator[2] of the Book of Samuel used the meaning of these names to help tell the story of Israel’s formal rejection of the Lord’s kingship and the eventual rise of the Davidic dynasty in Judah. The meanings of their respective names figure not only into why each man became king, but also why their kingships ran aground and, in their respective ways, failed.

Israel “Asks” for a King (1 Samuel 8) [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 25 – 1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–18

Filed Under: Apostasy, Bible, Book of Mormon, Come Follow Me, Jesus Christ, Languages, Lesson Aids, Old Testament

Come, Follow Me Week 24 – Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3

June 6, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

by BJ Spurlock

                When reading the scriptures, especially as one reads through the Old Testament, it is always helpful to ask the following questions:

  1. Where is Jesus Christ in the text?
  2. Where do we see gospel doctrines & principles that Jesus Christ taught?
  3. Where do we see gospel doctrines & principles that living Prophets are currently teaching?

                Seeing the Savior in the text as he interacts with his covenant children is of utmost importance. Elder Henry B. Eyring (at the time) made the following promise: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 24 – Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3

Filed Under: Bible, Come Follow Me, Conversion, Doctrine, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Old Testament, Prophets, Women, Youth

Come, Follow Me Week 23 – Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16

June 3, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-Elder-Kim-B.-Clark.mp3

Podcast: Download (82.9MB)

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Seek the Lord Jesus Christ

By Elder Kim B. Clark

(An address given at the 2020 FAIR Conference)


I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to you today. I am not only grateful to be with you, but I am grateful for all of you who seek to help people strengthen, or recover, or restore, or establish faith in Jesus Christ, and His marvelous work in our day. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 23 – Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16

Filed Under: Bible, Book of Mormon, Come Follow Me, Conversion, Doctrine, Doctrine and Covenants, FAIR Conference, Jesus Christ, New Testament, Old Testament, Podcast, Prophets, Temples, Testimonies

Come, Follow Me Week 22 – Joshua 1–8; 23–24

May 23, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/RiseUp-Trying-to-Serve-the-Lord-Without-Offending-the-Devil.mp3

Podcast: Download (30.4MB)

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Trying to Serve the Lord Without Offending the Devil

By Nick Galieti

(Originally published on February 11, 2015 as part of our “Rise Up” podcast for youth)

When it comes to living our lives, we have a lot of choices placed before us. We have our choice of schools to attend after high school, or even a choice of career path. Spiritually speaking, we have a choice to make. When viewing the world around him, even Joshua in the Old Testament dealt with this same question. In Joshua 24:14-15 he was speaking prior to his death and reflecting on the different choices that he made in his life when he recorded this often quoted passage: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 22 – Joshua 1–8; 23–24

Filed Under: Anti-Mormon critics, Bible, Book of Mormon, Chastity, Come Follow Me, Conversion, Homosexuality, Jesus Christ, Marriage, New Testament, Nick Galieti, Old Testament, Podcast, Priesthood, Prophets, Temples, Testimonies, Youth

Come, Follow Me Week 21 – Deuteronomy 6-8; 15; 18; 29-30; 34

May 16, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

“Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lord”

by Dr. Jan J. Martin

Deuteronomy.  It is the last book of the Jewish “Torah.” The word Deuteronomy itself may be enough to intimidate all but the most determined and dedicated students of the scriptures. In Hebrew, “eleh ha-devarim,” means “these are the words.”[1] In ancient Greek, “Deuteronómion” means a “copy” or a “repetition” of the law.[2] After diligently wading through the first four books of the Old Testament, the repetitiousness of the fifth book can feel very much like a brutal exercise in intellectual torture because we feel like we’ve read it all before. Why study it again? And if we do study it again, how can we get meaning out of it?  Here are five helpful suggestions. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 21 – Deuteronomy 6-8; 15; 18; 29-30; 34

Filed Under: Bible, Book of Moses, Come Follow Me, Jesus Christ, New Testament, Old Testament, Prophets, Temples

Come, Follow Me Week 20 – Numbers 11-14; 20-24

May 11, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

Rejecting the Living Prophets by Following Future Prophets

by J. Max Wilson

(Adapted from his post at Sixteen Small Stones)

One of the key doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we have living prophets and apostles today who are authorized by God to receive revelations for the Church and for the world. The scriptures are full of stories of how the people of the Church rejected the messages of the living prophets, often justifying themselves by appealing to the words of previous prophets. Even Jesus was rejected by appealing to Moses or Abraham.

As President of the Twelve Apostles, Ezra Taft Benson warned: “Beware of those who would set up the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence.”  [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 20 – Numbers 11-14; 20-24

Filed Under: Come Follow Me, Gender Issues, Homosexuality, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Old Testament, Priesthood, Prophets, Racial Issues, Women

Come, Follow Me Week 19 – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19

May 3, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Brad-Wilcox.mp3

Podcast: Download (54.5MB)

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“Have You Been Saved By Grace?” How Do We Respond?

by Brad Wilcox

(This is from a presentation given at the 2018 FAIR Conference)

Grace, like many English words has multiple meanings. It can mean elegance and beauty. It can mean kindness and courtesy. It can be a title, ‘Your Grace.’ It can be a salutation, “Grace be unto you,” like we read in the in the New Testament, and it can also be a prayer–we’re saying grace. With so many different meanings, no wonder there’s confusion. If we go back to the Hebrew word that was translated as grace, then the word means favor or goodwill given with compassion. No wonder Christians grabbed that word to describe God’s favor, God’s goodwill given with God’s compassion. But Latter-day Saints understand that grace is not just a description of God’s attributes. It is how he engages with us as we strive to attain those very attributes. Listen to what President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 19 – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19

Filed Under: Bible, Come Follow Me, Doctrine, FAIR Conference, Jesus Christ, New Testament, Old Testament, Temples

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