Ponderings

As I was sitting in the mother's lounge, nursing my fussy baby, I could hear, through the speakers, someone giving his testimony. He works with the youth. He talked about a versus he came across in the scripture that was cause for reflection. It had to do with God being a jealous God. (I tried to look it up, but I am still working on becoming a Scriptorian.) He went on to describe how they looked up the definition of jealous. There it was: watchful in guarding. Hmm, that definitely sounds like Heavenly Father, watchful in guarding us. Goes to show that there can be more than one definition for any given word, some of which are usually not thought of because of the popularity of one definition over another in the use of the word. Not that you don't know what jealous means, it was used in a different context, in a different time period. We use it now to mean something much more different. That definition is not a good adjective of what we would think our Heavenly Father would be.

On the dictionary note:

The last two nights I have been working on Personal Progress. I read the scriptures, thought about them, and then re-read them taking notes the next night. I broke out the dictionary people...and boy, does it shed light.

Ponder these on the Holy Ghost:

Galatians 5: 22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Fruit - the result or product of
So, the result/product of the Holy Ghost is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance
Against such there is no law - without these products, we would be without law. Nothing to help govern us.

D&C 11: 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;
I know what enlighten means, not the dictionary version. Mine would be something like, "I learned something I didn't know". I was enlightened.
Enlighten - free from ignorance, prejudice - informed
The Holy Ghost can literally free us from the bonds of ignorance, or our preconceived notions (prejudice). We can be informed, in all righteous things, and be filled with joy. What is there not to like about that?


Dust off that dictionary...sometimes those verses take on new meaning (or even gain meaning!) once you read the different definitions and apply them correctly.

A while back I purchased a seminary workbook for the Book of Mormon that I have been using for my own scripture study each day. I feel this book has been a great asset in increasing my understanding of the Book of Mormon, broadening my thoughts on each chapter and the events written about, and allowing me to dig deeper than a surface level intellect on the subject.  

I know that I have felt the Spirit as I have focused on the scriptures and used the tools at my disposal to enrich my study. I am grateful for the knowledge I do have of the gospel, and for the capacity I have to broaden my understanding even more. I am thankful to know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost as a companion and guide in this life. I am thankful to know that I can pray and by given direction from Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.