Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Jubilee

Tuesday night Bible Study Guide
Elder Dennis Trudgen
Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Jubilee
Question: “When they found the Dead Sea Scrolls the Book of Jubilee was in there. The Dead Sea Scrolls are important in the sense of backing the King James Version but yet this one of the
banned books and still was with the Dead Sea Scrolls being a part of the book.”
In Addition, I received a couple of follow up questions relevant to our question of the week: “Didn't Mary also write a gospel?” And, “Is it any accident that the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in close proximity of time to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. In the book of Ether we are promised the more would come forth when we are able to receive it. Ether 1:109 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will shew unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. also in the book of Mormon we find Mormon 4:14 And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. …Do you think the Dead Sea Scrolls could be the greater things?”
pseud·e·pig·ra·pha
1. Spurious writings, especially writings falsely attributed to biblical characters or times.
2. A body of texts written between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200 and spuriously ascribed to various prophets and kings of Hebrew Scriptures.
ca•non•i•cal (kəˈnɒn ɪ kəl) adj. Also,ca•non′ic.
1. pertaining to, established by, or conforming to a canon or canons.
2. included in the canon of the Bible.
3. authorized; recognized; accepted.
I Nephi 6 : 5 3 And I did read many things unto them, which were written in the book of Moses; 4 But that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer, wherefore, I
did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; 5 For I did liken all scriptures unto us that it might be for our profit and learning. 6 Wherefore, I spake unto them, saying, Hear ye the words of the prophet,
II Nephi 3 : 29 28 And upon these, I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass: 29 For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children. 30 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
Alma 10 : 17 Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.
Alma 17 : 32 And these plates of brass which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the
beginning.
Helaman 5 : 126 And angels did appear unto men, wise men, and did declare unto them glad tidings of great joy; thus in this year the scriptures began to be fulfilled.
III Nephi 11 : 29 And he saith, These scriptures which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you, for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations.
John 7 : 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
John 10 : 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
John 19 : 36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
II Timothy 3 : 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
II Peter 1 : 21 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
II Samuel 23 : 2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at Khirbet Qumran in what was then British Mandate Palestine, and since 1947 known as the West Bank. They were found on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name. The texts are written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean, mostly on parchment but with some written on papyrus and bronze.[2] The manuscripts have been dated to various ranges between 408 BCE and 318 CE.[3] Bronze coins found on the site form a series beginning with John Hyrcanus (135-104 BCE) and continuing until the First Jewish-Roman War (66–73 CE).
The scrolls have traditionally been identified with the ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes, although some recent interpretations have challenged this association and argue that the
scrolls were penned by priests in Jerusalem, Zadokites, or other unknown Jewish groups.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are divided into three groups; copies of texts from the Hebrew Bible, which comprise roughly 40% of the identified scrolls, texts from the Second Temple Period like the Book of Enoch, Jubilees, the Book of Tobit, the Wisdom of Sirach, Psalms 152–155, etc., that ultimately were not canonized in the Hebrew Bible, which comprise roughly 30% of the identified scrolls, and sectarian manuscripts (previously unknown documents that shed light on the rules and beliefs of a particular group or groups within greater Judaism) like the Community Rule, the War Scroll, the Pesher on Habakkuk and the The Rule of the Blessing, which comprise roughly 30% of the identified scrolls.
Apocrypha writings above Book of Tobit, Wisdom of Sirach, Psalms 152-155
“The presence of 'apocryphal' psalms such as the Prayer of Manasseh, and the Psalms of Solomon, which were considered inspired by many Jews around the turn of the era, along with the
presence of apocryphal psalms in 11QPsa indicate the distinction between canonical and apocryphal psalms had not been clarified before the advent of Christianity." (The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2, p. 610)”
The word 'Apocrypha' comes from the Greek root word Apokruphos meaning 'hidden'. It was generally accepted to include writings whose origins is doubtful (spurious) or known to be false and heretical. It was not until 1880 that the American Bible Society voted to remove the "Apocrypha" Books from the King James Version. Five years later, the Anglican Church officially removed the
Apocrypha from their English printings of the KJV by the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Book of Tobit
"If the Devil, or an evil spirit troubles anyone, they can be driven away by making a smoke of the heart, liver, and gall of a fish...and the Devil will smell it, and flee away, and never come again anymore." Tobit 6:5-8.
Tobit 12:9 states that “alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin.” There are also historical errors as well to deal with. For example, Tobit claims to have been living when Jeroboam revolted (circa 931 B.C.) and still living when Assyria conquered Israel (circa 722 B.C.). He would have had to have lived over 200 years to see both events. (Tobit 1:3-5; 14:11).
Wisdom of Sirach
“Sirach is accepted as part of the Christian biblical canon by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican,[4] and most Oriental Orthodox but not by most Protestants.”
Water will quench a flaming fire; and alms maketh an atonement for sin”. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 3:3, 30
Sirach 12:4-7 advices, “Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner. Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly; hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him...give unto the good, and help not the sinner.”
Gospel of Mary
The Gospel of Mary is a collection of writings attributed to Jesus as told through and for Mary of Magdala. As with most Gospels, it is unlikely she wrote it herself; it is more likely that followers of her Church wrote it. John D. Crossan has stated in Jesus, a Revolutionary Biography that there is sufficient evidence to accept that there was a church that was in Mary's name and that it is likely Mary was the leader and preacher. Karen King, in The Gospel of Mary of Magdala goes into depth not only on the Church, but its theology.
The confrontation of Mary with Peter, a scenario also found in The Gospel of Thomas, Pistis Sophia, and The Gospel of the Egyptians, reflects some of the tensions in second-century Christianity. Peter and Andrew represent orthodox positions that deny the validity of esoteric revelation and reject the authority of women to teach. The Gospel of Mary attacks both of these positions head-on through its portrayal of Mary Magdalene. She is the Savior's beloved, possessed of knowledge and teaching superior to that of the public apostolic tradition. Her superiority is based on vision and private revelation and is demonstrated in her capacity to strengthen the wavering disciples and turn them toward the Good.
Book of Jubilees
“The Book of Jubilees sometimes called Lesser Genesis (Leptogenesis), is an ancient Jewish religious work, considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Jubilees is considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as Jews in Ethiopia, where it is known as the Book of Division (Ge'ez: Mets'hafe Kufale)…. Jubilees covers much of the same ground as Genesis, but often with additional detail... Jubilees covers much of the same ground as Genesis, but often with additional detail, and addressing Moses in the second person as the entire history of creation, and of Israel up to that point, is recounted in divisions of 49 years each, or "Jubilees". The elapsed time from the creation, up to Moses receiving the scriptures upon Sinai during the Exodus, is calculated as fifty Jubilees, less the 40 years still to be spent wandering in the desert before entering Canaan — or 2,410 years.
Four classes of angels are mentioned: angels of the presence, angels of sanctifications, guardian angels over individuals, and angels presiding over the phenomena of nature. Enoch was the first
man initiated by the angels in the art of writing, and wrote down, accordingly, all the secrets of astronomy, of chronology, and of the world's epochs. As regards demonology, the writer's position is largely that of the deuterocanonical writings from both New and Old Testament times.
The Book of Jubilees narrates the genesis of angels on the first day of Creation and the story of how a group of fallen angels mated with mortal females, giving rise to a race of giants known as
the Nephilim. The Ethiopian version states that the "angels" were in fact the disobedient offspring of Seth (Deqiqa Set), while the "mortal females" were daughters of Cain.[13] This is also the view held by Simeon bar Yochai, Clementine literature, Sextus Julius Africanus, Ephrem the Syrian, Augustine of Hippo, and John Chrysostom among many other early authorities. Their hybrid children, the Nephilim in existence during the time of Noah, were wiped out by the great flood. However, Jubilees also states that God granted ten percent of the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim to try to lead mankind astray after the flood.
Jubilees makes an incestuous reference regarding the son of Adam and Eve, Cain and his wife. In chapter iv (1-12) (Cain and Abel), it mentions that Cain took his sister Awan to be his wife and Enoch was their child. Also, it mentions that Seth (another son of Adam and Eve) married his sister Azura. Contains the story of Genesis pretty much chapter by chapter but curiously, mentions Israel often some 2500 years before their existence. No mention of the
Melchizedek that Hebrews says was the High Priest. It also talks about the feast days and holy of holies before the birth of Israel. It also does not have the latter day prophecies found in Gen 49 or the story of the angel guarding the Tree of Life. DLT)
According to this book, Hebrew is the language of Heaven, and was originally spoken by all creatures in the Garden, animals and man, however the animals lost their power of speech when Adam and Eve were expelled. Some time following the Deluge, the earth is apportioned into three divisions for the three sons of Noah, and his sixteen grandsons. After the destruction of the tower of Babel, their families were scattered to their respective allotments, and Hebrew
was forgotten, until Abraham was taught it by the angels.
Jubilees also contains a few scattered allusions to the Messianic kingdom. RH Charles in 1913 wrote: "This kingdom was to be ruled over by a Messiah sprung, not from Levi — that is, from the Maccabean family — as some of his contemporaries expected — but from Judah. This kingdom would be gradually realized on earth, and the transformation of physical nature would go hand in hand with the ethical transformation of man until there was a new heaven and a new earth. Thus, finally, all sin and pain would disappear and men would live to the age of 1,000 years in happiness and peace, and after death enjoy a blessed immortality in the spirit world."[3] ^ a b c The Book of Jubilees (Int., tr.), from "The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament", by R. H. Charles. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913
It was well known to Early Christians, as evidenced by the writings of Epiphanius, Justin Martyr, Origen, Diodorus of Tarsus, Isidore of Alexandria, Isidore of Seville, Eutychius of Alexandria, John Malalas, George Syncellus, and George Kedrenos. It was so thoroughly suppressed in the 4th century that no complete Hebrew, Greek or Latin version has survived. There is conjecture among western biblical scholars that Jubilees may be a rework of material found in the canonical books of Genesis and Exodus The Book of Jubilees claims to present "the history of the division of the days of the Law, of the events of the years, the year-weeks, and the jubilees of the world" as revealed to Moses (in addition to the Torah or "Instruction") by Angels while he was on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights.[2] The chronology given in Jubilees is based on multiples of seven; the jubilees are periods of 49 years, seven 'year-weeks', into which all of time has been divided. According to
the author of Jubilees, all proper customs that mankind should follow are determined by God's decree.
Until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), the only surviving manuscripts of Jubilees were four complete Ge'ez texts dating to the 15th and 16th centuries,… Between 1947 and 1956, approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew.
Dating: The dating of Jubilees has been somewhat problematic for biblical scholars. While the oldest extant copies of Jubilees can be assigned on the basis of the handwriting to about 100 BC, there is much evidence to suggest Jubilees was written prior to this date. For example, the author of Jubilees seems to be aware of 1 Enoch's "Book of Dreams"; of which, the oldest extant copy (DSS-13 4Q208) has been carbon dated to ca. 200 BC. Generally agree the book was written (135-105 B.C)…And yet, many scholars continue to subscribe to Robert Henry Charles's view that Jubilees could not have been written before the events of 1 Maccabees, due to perceived cryptic references within the text. As a result, general reference works such as the Oxford Annotated Bible and the Mercer Bible Dictionary conclude the work can be dated to 160–150 BC.” From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ether 1:109, Mormon 4:14: Do you think the Dead Sea Scrolls could be the greater things?
Daniel 12 : 4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
III Nephi 12 : 3 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things, then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. 4. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. 5 Behold I was about to write them all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the
Lord forbid it, saying, I will try the faith of my people; therefore I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord….(See also Ether 1:90-114; 1 Nephi 3:190-191; 2 Nephi 12 : 72 (Book of Lost tribes), Alma 17 : 32-34 (Plates of Brass)

Is it ok to feed off other preachers outside the Church of Christ

Sermon Topic 4/3/13 From Conference Elder Mike Bevaart God is LOVE
To start, Mike posed the off-topic question of whether or not it is ok to feed off other preachers outside the Church of Christ
Luke 15:1-3 … the publicans (tax collectors) and sinners drew near to Jesus to hear him … and those Pharisees murmured that Jesus was fellowshipping with these sinners, and how could He be a holy man? (see also Luke 5:27-30, the calling of Levi [Matthew], where the scribes and Pharisees also murmured) (the name “Pharisee” comes from the Hebrew word for “separation” … these people, after the Babylonian captivity, kept themselves separate from sin and from violation of the Law of Moses, but by Jesus’ time their faith had degenerated into a system of ritual and works msl)
Jesus answered their accusation with two short illustrations, then one long one…..
Luke 15:11=32, the parable of the prodigal son ... Mike began this passage with the phrase “walk, don’t run!” … have we heard this command in our lives? We didn’t understand as kids, now we do; it’s a matter of safety, and DECORUM.
In this parable, we are introduced to an interesting concept – the Father who RUNS (and in Jewish decorum, the man DID NOT do that msl)
How many young people today are planning to leave their parents—for the wrong reasons.
The son was brazen, asking for his inheritance before his father’s death … he intended a permanent separation.
Mike showed a picture of the “bad side” of Toronto and asked, How many young people leave their families, determined to “make it big”, and wind up in riotous living on the bad side of town, til the money runs out
The prodigal son wound up in a piggery … not the place for a Jewish guy, probably not among the Jewish people.
Mike related his days as a youth, working on a pig farm, shoveling eeeeewwww … he had meals and privileges. The problem in the story of the prodigal was not so much that he was working in a piggery, with the smell, the flies, the eeeewwwww, the hard work … it was that this particular young man had hit ROCK BOTTOM. The pigs were better off than he was; they were still being fed and he was starving.
If and when we turn our back on God, we don’t consider how it affects Him … it’s all about what I want … me me me … Mike realized during Christmas time that he missed his home and family.
Mike showed a picture of an outdoor chair, and related it to the idea of God watching for his prodigal child. The chair in the picture is empty … the father had spotted his son and RUN to meet him. It all comes down to this:
GOD LOVES TO SAVE SINNERS
There is no mention of Jesus in the parable, He is the one telling the story, knowing what is to come – the Father who runs to His prodigal children had to turn His back on His perfect Son.
We cannot measure the depth of God’s love. How many returnees would get an “i told you so” lecture from their parents … that’s not God’s way. The son in the parable not only got ran to, which was out of order, but he got hugs, kisses, a ring, new clothes, and a celebration.
Have you ever entered a season of riotous living … have you ever come to yourself and said “i was better off at home”. What is the definition of riotous living? –just look to the two Books.
If we violate God’s commandments for order in life, that’s riotous living. We can take our whole heritage in God and spend it in 15 minutes.
The parable isn’t really about a Jewish boy who ended up with pigs … it’s about those of us who have left, and came back, and found that He ran to us.
Re-study the parable, substituting ourselves … then we can begin to get a clue of the depth of God’s love for us.
Are any of us identifying with the older son? Be honest….. The older son is a Pharisee, thru and thru. Study his statement … “That should have been MY party”, in effect.
One son goes into the house because of mercy, the other refuses because of his own righteousness
Matthew 5:20 (Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount) For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Are you involved with riotous living? --hesitant to ask God? STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. They tell you what to do. RUN to the Father, He is waiting for you.

My Foundation, Who I Am

Sermon Topic 4/2/13 from Conference … Elder (now Apostle) Jeff Oldham … My Foundation, Who I Am
The most important things in life … Faith, Hope, and Charity; and being a prayer warrior
Alma 5:23 Now the Spirit knoweth ALL THINGS….
Ether 5:27 … fools mock, but they shall mourn
How are we doing in our lives? It’s not about what we do, it’s HOW we do it. We must have PASSION … can you hear HIS voice?
Moroni 10:29-30 … it is by His GRACE that we are made perfect in Christ
Isaiah 41:10 … Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness ( see also 40:31 msl)
Brother Jeff touched upon the game of curling, in which one player slides a heavy stone toward a goal, while other players call out guidance … God is calling to us with guidance; do we hear His voice calling to us?

We should truly appreciate the places to worship that God has blessed us with

Sermon 4/1/13, from Conference … Apostle Placido Koyoc Matu
We should truly appreciate the places to worship that God has blessed us with. Not many people in the world have a place to worship; and not everyone can hear the Restored Gospel. God CHOSE us … we are here for His purpose … He has a purpose for our lives.
People are hungry for the Truth … it is our responsibility to speak the Truth (with love, Eph. 4:15 msl)
We believe many things and have many opinions in our lives, that we find out that they are not Truth.
Matt. 24:14 This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to all the nations, then shall the end come … we are living in this time, we have the responsibility … we have the Truth.
In 1830 a complete Restoration happened … and a complete restoration has happened to us in our hearts. The Gospel is the absolute unquestionable Truth (so important to remember, and hold fast to, in a day when people proclaim that there is no absolute truth msl)
The Church is having blessings in Mexico. More people want to know about the Church of Christ, and are coming uninvited. When God touches a person’s heart, wonderful things happen!
Mark 1:14 … Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Now we have that responsibility … not just the Ministry but all the members … not just by going to church but by how we live our lives.
We need to take advantage of the technology we have available to us to make a difference in the world. Are we ready to help those who come in to us? We pray for church growth … but that brings more responsibility. Are we using the social media to praise our God?
It’s not easy, but we need to make decisions in our lives continually, to work for God
Mark 10:13 Young children were brought to Jesus … Jesus took advantage of ANY opportunity He had. This life is short, we need to work while there is time (I think there’s a hymn about that…. msl) God has a plan, and directs our lives, and He is NEVER wrong.
Ephesians 1:13 In whom (Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of Truth … ye were SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise. “Gospel” in Spanish is also “promise” … We can have all kinds of material things in this world, but if we don’t have salvation, what good does having possessions do? If we are sealed, we cannot go away.
It is good to see the young people in the Church … some of us are getting older. It is also good to see the perseverance of our older ones.
Many people are not content with their lives … they always want MORE … we have something that satisfies completely. I (Placido) was not satisfied, even in church, until I accepted God in my heart.
When we have the pure love of God, there is no contention.
Three things to think on: the WORDS OF TRUTH; the SALVATION of your soul; and the SEAL on us … God knows where each one of us is.
We need to be united as a team, every day … we come to church to train and be educated. We should not be nervous about a test if we have studied!
Ephesians 6:15 … your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace … when you open your heart to the true Gospel, you have true peace and true joy. You can serve with peace, and be united.
Peopld need to follow us, because we know where to go … we can show them the Way.
Phillipians 1:27 … your CONVERSATION. (the Greek word translated “conversation” here does not just mean your talk … it means your whole way of living msl) We have one Spirit, with one mind, of faith in the Gospel.
It’s easy to put your faith in a person … we must teach people to put their faith in Christ. The first thing we teach in new missions is TO PRAY, because it changes their lives.
STAND FAST in one Spirit, to the end of our lives (Moroni 8:3 msl) Placido’s father, Apostle Placido Koyoc Yam, said at the end of his life “I’m a happy man”. It’s a blessing when we are firm to the end.
1 Nephi 3:19 … the fulness of the Gospel … He chose America to establish the Gospel; we have received the BEST gift from God.
3 Nephi 9:69 … the fulness of the Gospel preached unto the children of Joseph … are WE prepared to be a witness? Are we praying that people will believe us? We are valuable when we are united … like an army
HEAR the instruction of God, every day. There is no time to lose … we need to make good decisions in our lives.
Revelation 14:6 … the angel with the everlasting Gospel to preach

The Lord’s Day … What Is It?

Sermon Topic Resurrection Sunday 3/31/13 The Lord’s Day … What Is It? Elder Dennis Trudgen
Hymns: #417, Thanksgiving Prayer; #56, Up From The Grave He Arose
Some have commented: Every day is the Lord’s day!
Why do we meet on Sunday to worship? … some denominations consider worshiping on the pagan day of the Sun (1st day of the week) to be the mark of the beast mentioned in Revelation 13:16-17. There is no direct Scriptural command to the New Testament Church to worship on a particular day of the week.
Romans 14:4-6, 10 … One man holds a particular day of the week as holy, another man regards every day the same … each one should be fully persuaded in his own mind. If one regards a certain day of the week as holy, let him do that unto God; and if another regards all days of the week the same, let him do that unto God. We must not judge another person, because everyone stands before God to be judged. We also should not cause a brother or sister to stumble in their walk with the Lord.
The Jews the early New Testament Church met on the 7th day, as was customary and commanded by God (Exodus 31:13-17, the Shabbat [Sabbath] on the 7th day of the week is a sign between God and Israel FOREVER msl), and the Church also met on the Lord’s day.
Revelation 1:10 … I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day … the Apostle John, in exile on the island of Patmos, introducing the narrative of the vision he was given
In most old-world pagan cultures, the days of the week were named for their idol gods. In the Spanish language, though, the 7th and 1st days are called “Sabado” (Shabbat) and “Domingo” (the Lord’s Day)
The Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) both occurred on the 1st day of the week … in fact, all events on God’s calendar take place on specific holy days; like the giving of the plates to Joseph Smith on Rosh HaShanah.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 … discussing the Corinthian Church taking up a collection for the Church in Jerusalem … Paul states as a matter of fact that the Church was coming together on the first day of the week.
From the early Church writers … Didache, circa 100 AD, mentioned the Lord’s Day
Ignatius, 2nd century AD, stated that the Church was no longer observing the Shabbat
Justin Martyr, circa 160 AD, praised the Lord’s Day as both the 1st day of Creation and as the day Jesus rose from the dead
The early Church disagreed on specific points of observance, but always PEACEABLY … for example, Polycarp (a disciple of the Apostle John) and Anicetus had a disagreement between them about the days of the week but were united as brothers in the faith. If anger is allowed in, that’s where demons also enter in, and you are no longer with Christ.
Theophilus, circa 180 AD … the Eastern Church kept the Passover on the 14th day from the new moon, while the Western Church kept the Sunday after the Jew’s Passover for their celebration of the Resurrection (today is 5 days after the Passover )
Tertullian and Commodius, early 200’s AD … still observing the celebration in the first month
Dionysius, circa 260 AD … mentioned that there was a debate in the Church about when the fasting and mourning ended and the celebration and feast began … his advice was, when you start your celebration, start it with JOY.
Anatolia, circa 270 AD … the celebration should be on Sunday … on that day, stop mourning and start rejoicing.
Malchius … mentions Paschal (Hebrew “Pesach”, the Passover) festival, and tells us to sing praises.
Apostles’ Constitution, 390 AD (after Constantine’s conversion) The celebration is to be observed exactly, on Sunday.
Ether 3:11 … Jared and his whole party, on the sea during that long voyage, never ceased to sing praises to the Creator.
This is a day to praise our God!
The service continued with specials, including a song by Brother Chris Moran with his guitar, and a lovely rendition of “Jesus Loves Me” by the little ones of the Bradley Local, with piano accompaniment, and closed with the Hymn Great And Marvelous

Keeping Ourselves from Anger and Bitterness

Skype Bible Study, Tuesday 3/26/13 Elder Dennis Trudgen Keeping Ourselves from Anger and Bitterness
Question: “How can we keep from becoming angry and bitter when someone offends us, or sins against us, and there is no reconciliation due to differences of opinion?”
In an attempt to answer this question, I would like to take the opportunity to first lay the groundwork, for the group, on the seriousness of one “becoming angry and bitter.” Some believe that anger is allowed if he/she is defending God’s principals, the gospel or the church. They call this “righteous anger”. Secondly, let us consider scriptures that guide us on “how to keep from becoming angry and bitter when someone offends us, or sins against us,”
Anger- Strong's H3707 - ka`ac 1) to be angry, be vexed, be indignant, be wroth, be grieved, provoke to anger and wrath
Anger- Strong's G3709 - orgē 2) movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any violent emotion, but esp. anger 3) anger, wrath, indignation , AV — wrath 31, anger 3, vengeance 1, indignation 1
Anger- Strong's G3710 – orgizō 1) to provoke, to arouse to anger 2) to be provoked to anger, be angry, be wroth
Wrath Strong's G2372 - thymos 1) passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again
Abhor- Strong's H8581 - ta`ab1) to loathe, abhor, regard as an abomination Abhor- Strong's G655 - apostygeō1) to dislike, abhor, have a horror of The human person is made up of many emotions. Some of these such as envy, spite, jealousy, anger, wrath, and pride, also referred to as vices, are out of harmony with the type of person who God wants to live with. We are commanded to suppress, deny and put down these selfish emotions. God wants to develop within us a concern and a love for others. To control these unwanted self-serving emotions, first and foremost we must understand that people DO NOT MAKE US ENVIOUS, JEALOUS, ANGRY OR BITTER. Yes they can and do provoke us, but we are the masters over these extremely damaging emotions! We choose how and whether to yield to provocation.
II Nephi 3 : 45 43 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? 44 Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart, to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? 45 Why am I angry because of mine enemy? 46 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. 47 Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. 48 Do not anger again, because of mine enemies.
Psalms 37 : 7-9 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Both in church or not, does it make a difference?
Proverbs 15 : 18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
III Nephi 5 : 70 But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, a Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire;
Alma 12 : 202 For behold he hath repented of his sins; but if thou shouldst fall at this time, in thine anger, thy soul could not be saved.
II Nephi 12 : 23-24 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger and perish: For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good;
III Nephi 5 : 30-31 For verily, verily I say unto you, He that hath the spirit of contention, is not of me, but is of the devil, which is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger one with another; Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.
Colossians 3 : 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Gal 5:20 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath 2372,
strife, seditions, heresies,
Ephesians 4 : 31 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:…31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger 3709, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Anger is excited when a horse kicks us; when a serpent hisses; when we dash our foot against a stone - and so when a man raises his hand to strike us. The "object or final cause" of implanting this passion in the mind of man is, to rouse him to an immediate defense of himself when suddenly attacked, and before his reason would, have time to suggest the proper means of defense. It prompts at once to self-protection; and when that is done its proper office
ceases. If persevered in; it becomes sinful malignity or revenge - always wrong.
People's New Testament
4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not. Quoted from Ps 4:4, Septuagint Version. Do not sin through anger is the thought. If circumstance arouse your indignation, do not be led astray.
“Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Let there be no long continuance of your wrathful mind.
(In the Jewish frame of reference, the old day ended and the new day began at sunset. This would indicate that we are not to carry anger/wrath from one day into the next day msl)
Septuagint Psalms 4 : 4Be ye angry, and sin not; feel compunction upon your beds for what ye say in your hearts.
KJV Psalms 4 : 4 3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Dennis inserted a picture at this point, of muslim demonstrators holding up posters calling for beheading and murder of those who slight islam, and asked "Would they say that they have displeasure with their opponents, abhor their opponents or are that they full of Righteous anger?"
II Nephi 6 : 98 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.
Deuteronomy 7 : 26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
Alma 17 : 62 And ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness, and abominations, and murders; and ye shall also teach them, that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness, and abominations, and their murders.
Alma 10 : 4 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin, save it were with abhorrence;
Psalms 119 : 163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
Romans 2 : 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Romans 12 : 9 Let love be without dissimulation. abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
How to Keep from Becoming Angry/ Bitter when someone offends us
Jude 1 : 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints…9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
III Nephi 5 : 30 For verily, verily I say unto you, He that hath the spirit of contention, is not of me, but is of the devil, which is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to CONTEND WITH ANGER one with another;
Alma 1 : 10-13,32-34 10 And it came to pass as he was going to preach to those who believed on his word, he met a man which belonged to the church of God, yea, even one of their teachers; 11 And he began to contend with him sharply, that he might lead away the people of the church; but the man withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God. 12 Now the name of the man was Gideon; and it was him that was an instrument in the hands of God, in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage. 13 Now because Gideon withstood him with the words of God, he was wroth with Gideon, and drew his sword and began to smite him. …
32 Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their fists. 33 Now this was in the second year of the reign of Alma, and it was a cause of much affliction to the church; yea, it was the cause of much trial with the church; 34 For the hearts of many were hardened, and their names were blotted out, that they were remembered no more among the people of God. 35 And also many withdrew themselves from among them. Mosiah 6 : 53-55 53 And thus they have taught their children, that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore, they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.
54 For this very cause hath King Laman, by his cunning and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me, that I have brought this, my people, up into this land, that they may destroy them; yea, and we have suffered this many years in the land. And now I, Zeniff, after having told all these things unto my people concerning the Lamanites, I did stimulate them to go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord; therefore, we did contend with
them, face to face.
Alma 20 : 52 And again, the Lord hath said that ye shall defend your families, even unto bloodshed; therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.
Book of Mormon 1 : 80 And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them, by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, behold, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying, vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after that I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth.
Matthew 22 : 39 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 5 : 38-48 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Moroni 7 : 51-53 51 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things; wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. 52 Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail; but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth for ever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with them. 53 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son Jesus Christ, that ye may become the sons of God, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is, that we may have this hope, that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

Fulfilling His Covenant

Sermon Topic Sunday 3/24/13, Elder Adam Porter
Fulfilling His Covenant
Why is Israel special? Why are we concerned for them, when there are so many other peoples? Why do we stick by them?
We need to pray for our leaders that they continue to stand by Israel
There are many things that the Bible reveals about Israel TODAY … there are many things that the Restoration and the Book of Mormon reveal to us about Israel’s importance.
The people on THIS LAND would have a part in God’s work today … those who don’t believe are BLIND to this.
Genesis 12:1-7 … the promise to Abram
The seed of Abraham quarrel even today … the older seeks to destroy the younger … just as in the Book of Mormon.
“Get thee out of thy country….” Could Abraham have realized the far-reaching consequences of his communion with God? He would PRESERVED … though there would be those against them. Abraham was called the FRIEND OF GOD.
Genesis 15:1-7 … God confirmed His Covenant with Abraham, and promised him numberless descendants, and that those descendants would inherit the land Abraham walked. The Sovereign Creator of the universe NEVER breaks His covenants!! … WE have made a covenant with God, at our baptism … it is binding.
Genesis 13:12-18 … to thee I give this land FOREVER … (15:5 … can you count the stars? so shall your seed be)
Abraham dwelt in Mamre of Hebron … possibly the origin of “Hebrew”
James 2:20-23 Abraham was God’s FRIEND … his faith in God was shown by his works
Israelites went into the promised land and inherited it (having received the law along the way) … today Israel is being called upon to give up land (Joel 3:2 …for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and PARTED MY LAND) Israel will inherit the land promised by God, in God’s time and in God’s way.
Latter-day fulfillment … through the seed of Abraham came Yeshua Messiah (through Judah) by whom all nations of the earth are blessed. His lineages through both Joseph and Mary are given in Matthew and Luke, respectively. Why are genealogies so important to the Jews? Because of the Promise!
3 Nephi 9:46-51, 57-73 … the people on this side of the planet were, and are, His Covenant Chosen TOO … and will fulfill the Covenant. This land, the Americas, is the inheritance of the children of Joseph. And if the Gentiles do not repent … they will not be a part of the fulfilling of the Covenant …
I will establish my people unto the fulfilling of the coven ant with Jacob… I AM the prophet foretold by Moses … all the prophets testified of Me … all the NATIONS would be blessed.
You (children of Joseph) are the children of the Covenant … the Gentiles would be a scourge to unbelieving children of Joseph, but they would not always have power … Ether 1:35, the Gentiles must serve the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ.
I (God) will gather them (Israel) in Mine own due time, and give unto them the land I have promised (Isaiah 11:16, And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day the he came up out of the land of Egypt) … they must REPENT first.
God will give Jerusalem to the Jews … that is His promise. No believer in the book of Mormon would have been surprised in 1948 or 1967. Israel will be circumcised and cleansed … that will be in the HEART in the last days. Jerusalem will be cleansed by God.
The Jews in Israel and Jerusalem are still following the Law of Moses … there is work to be done.
2 Nephi 12:42-44, 57-74 … The Lord SPEAKS to His children … He is not done speaking … His covenants to the children of men … His word to Nephi’s and Lehi’s descendants. They are for a standard to His people.
So many today refuse His salvation … His word shall come forth to the children of men. One of the internally stated purposes of the Book of Mormon is given here … it provides the testimony of two witnesses (a Mosaic Law requirement to establish the truth of a matter, Deuteronomy 19:15) that God is unchanging, and that He speaks His word to whom He will and causes them to write it, and that He remembers His covenants (See also 2 Peter 1:20 … holy men of God spoke [and wrote msl] as they were moved by the Holy Spirit). My Word shall be gathered in one, and the world will know that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed FOREVER. Events are on God’s time clock, but we have our part.
3 Nephi 13:54-56 … He shall see fit in His wisdom that the Book of Mormon would come to the Gentiles. Another internally stated purpose of the Book of Mormon … to serve as a sign to the children of Joseph on this land, that when they see the Book in the hands of the Gentiles, they would know that the Lord is fulfilling his Word to them and would keep all His covenants.
3 Nephi 10:1-6 … if the Gentiles will repent, God will also establish His Covenant among them … the Gentiles will ASSIST the children of Abraham (see also Isaiah 49:22-23 msl) God has not abandoned His plans … and neither should we. Thru Abraham’s descendant, the world has been touched and blessed. Israel has, and is, the Lor’s prophetic time clock and weather map today. We’re seeing fulfillments … take a look!
Pray for the work of the Kingdom, and for the souls of Humankind.