Here is the video promised. You only need to watch the last one, Patterns of light 3, but if you watch the other 2 you can get additional points for your team. After each video, write down the answers for the questions listed and bring your paper to class. For each section that you answer correctly, you will earn 10 points for your team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkOVbT2oxnI Part 1 1. What is the one word that Elder Bednar uses to describe light? 2. What does the light chase? 3. What is light associated with? 4. What is another word for the Light of Christ? 5. What increases the light of christ that is within us? Part 2 1. What can the Holy Ghost bring back to you? 2. Where does everything that invites us to do good come from? 3. Baptized members receive the gift that will invite what? Part 3 1. Which pattern of receiving revelation is more rare than common? 2. Which pattern of receiving revelation is more common than rare? 3. Describe how a cloudy or foggy day is like personal revelation. 4. What is one of Christ's names? 5. What happens when we reject Christ's teachings?
Here is the entry as promised. Sometimes (often) in class I am not able cover all of the material that I would like to. When I come across something really interesting and/or important, I will post an entry in my blog. I hope that you take the time to read or watch what I have posted so that you can get the most out of our class experience. As an added incentive to read, your team will receive 10 points if you share with me any tidbit of information that impressed you from the following quotes.
Sister Colvin
Joseph Smith—History 1:59–62. Translated by the gift and power of God
Some
have asked: Do we have details about how the Book of Mormon was
translated? Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
gave the following answer:
“Many
who read the Book of Mormon understandably desire to know more about
its coming forth, including the actual process of translation. This was
certainly so with faithful and loyal Hyrum Smith. Upon inquiring, Hyrum
was told by the Prophet Joseph that ‘it was not intended to tell the
world all the particulars of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon’ and
that ‘it was not expedient for him to relate these things’ (History of the Church, 1:220). Thus what we do know about the actual coming forth of the Book of Mormon is adequate, but it is not comprehensive. …
“Whatever
the details of the process, it required Joseph’s intense, personal
efforts along with the aid of the revelatory instruments. The process
may have varied as Joseph’s capabilities grew, involving the Urim and
Thummim but perhaps with less reliance upon such instrumentalities in
the Prophet’s later work of translation. Elder Orson Pratt of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles said Joseph Smith told him that he used the Urim
and Thummim when he was inexperienced at translation but that later he
did not need it, which was the case in Joseph’s translation of many
verses of the Bible (see Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, 11 Aug. 1874, 498–99). …
“Why
do we not have more disclosure concerning the process of translation of
the Book of Mormon? Perhaps the full process was not disclosed because
we would not be ready to understand it, even if given. Perhaps, too, the
Lord wanted to leave the Book of Mormon in the realm of faith, though
it is drenched with intrinsic evidence. After all, Christ instructed
Mormon, who was reviewing the Savior’s own teachings among the Nephites,
not to record all of them on the plates because ‘I will try the faith
of my people’ (3 Ne. 26:11).
Perhaps the details of translation are withheld also because we are
intended to immerse ourselves in the substance of the book rather than
becoming unduly concerned with the process by which we received it” (“By the Gift and Power of God,” Ensign, Jan. 1997, 39, 41).
Although
we do not know all the details about how the Book of Mormon was
translated, we do know it was translated “by the gift and power of God” (D&C 135:3) and that the portion that was translated is true (see D&C 17:6).
Joseph Smith—History 1:59–62. “By means of the Urim and Thummim I translated”
The
Urim and Thummim was “an instrument prepared of God to assist man in
obtaining revelation from the Lord and in translating languages” (Bible
Dictionary, “Urim and Thummim”).
Joseph Smith used the Urim and Thummim to aid in the translation of the
Book of Mormon. In addition to the Urim and Thummim, the Prophet used a
seer stone in the translation process.
Elder
Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said the following
about the translation process and Joseph Smith’s use of the Urim and
Thummim and the seer stone:
“The
Prophet Joseph alone knew the full process, and he was deliberately
reluctant to describe details. We take passing notice of the words of
David Whitmer, Joseph Knight, and Martin Harris, who were observers, not
translators. David Whitmer indicated that as the Prophet used the
divine instrumentalities provided to help him, ‘the hieroglyphics would
appear, and also the translation in the English language … in bright
luminous letters.’ Then Joseph would read the words to Oliver (quoted in
James H. Hart, “About the Book of Mormon,” Deseret Evening News,
25 Mar. 1884, 2). Martin Harris related of the seer stone: ‘Sentences
would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin’ (quoted
in Edward Stevenson, “One of the Three Witnesses: Incidents in the Life
of Martin Harris,” Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star,
6 Feb. 1882, 86–87). Joseph Knight made similar observations (see Dean
Jessee, “Joseph Knight’s Recollection of Early Mormon History,” BYU Studies 17 [Autumn 1976]: 35).
“Oliver
Cowdery is reported to have testified in court that the Urim and
Thummim enabled Joseph ‘to read in English, the reformed Egyptian
characters, which were engraved on the plates’ (“Mormonites,” Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate,
9 Apr. 1831). If these reports are accurate, they suggest a process
indicative of God’s having given Joseph ‘sight and power to translate’
(D&C 3:12).
“If
by means of these divine instrumentalities the Prophet was seeing
ancient words rendered in English and then dictating, he was not
necessarily and constantly scrutinizing the characters on the plates—the
usual translation process of going back and forth between pondering an
ancient text and providing a modern rendering.
“The revelatory process apparently did not require the Prophet to become expert in the ancient language. …
“Whatever
the details of the process, it required Joseph’s intense, personal
efforts along with the aid of the revelatory instruments. The process
may have varied as Joseph’s capabilities grew, involving the Urim and
Thummim but perhaps with less reliance upon such instrumentalities in
the Prophet’s later work of translation. Elder Orson Pratt of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles said Joseph Smith told him that he used the Urim
and Thummim when he was inexperienced at translation but that later he
did not need it, which was the case in Joseph’s translation of many
verses of the Bible (see Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, 11 Aug. 1874, 498–99)” (“By the Gift and Power of God,” Ensign, Jan. 1997, 39).
For an additional 10 points for your team, watch the following video which will introduce you to tomorrow's lesson and share something from the video with me tomorrow.
This week in seminary we will be studying the Joseph Smith History. Please read the history in preparation for class discussion. Below is a link to a video that summarizes the history.
There are many excellent video productions that go along with our class this year. Unfortunately, we do not have time to watch all of them in class. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to watch these videos. They rarely last longer than 10 minutes. You may earn a makeup day credit by watching this video and presenting a written outline of the content to me. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-07-001-overview-of-church-history?lang=eng
I am so happy to be back with my class. 21 22 (as of 9/10/2014) beautiful people really brighten my day!
I am very excited about seminary this year because I have a fantastic class of young men and women. It is true that I say this every year for the past four years, but it is also true that every year I am amazed by the spiritual depth and desire that my students demonstrate. Thank you for bringing/coming to seminary and sharing your testimony with ours. I consider it a privilege and a blessing to serve as a seminary teacher.
As many of you have probably heard by now, there are a few new requirements for your student to achieve in order to receive credit for seminary. I don’t want anyone to worry about these requirements because they should be easily achieved if there is a desire to attend class. Here they are:
1. 75% attendance for each semester. (This used to be 80%) 2. Pass with 75% on the assessment given twice a year. This is a course specific assessment. 3. Complete the reading of the book of study for the year. This year is Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith History 4. Receive an ecclesiastical endorsement. This will come through the bishops of the ward that you attend.
