Lesson 22: “The Lord Looketh on the Heart” – Scriptures and Quotes

Lesson 22: “The Lord Looketh on the Heart” – Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – 1 Samuel 9:1-2

Reading 2 – 1 Samuel 9:18-20

Reading 3 – 1 Samuel 9:25-27,10:1

Reading 4 – Bible Dictionary – Anoint, page 609

Exodus 40:12-13

From the Bible Dictionary definition of "Anointed One" - The English word Christ is from a Greek word meaning anointed, and is the equivalent of Messiah, which is from Hebrew and Aramaic term meaning anointed.

Reading 5 – 1 Samuel 10:6-10

1 Samuel 10:24

Reading 6 – 1 Samuel 13:9-14

Reading 7 - Elder James E. Talmage wrote, “Saul prepared the burnt offering himself, forgetting that though he occupied the throne, wore the crown, and bore the scepter, [he had] no right to officiate … in the Priesthood of God; and for this and other instances of his unrighteous presumption he was rejected of God and another was made king in his place” (The Articles of Faith, 12th ed. [1924], 185).

Reading 8 - President N. Eldon Tanner:  "We all know that there are many, many things in science which we do not understand, but which we must and do accept. Where would we be if the laws of nature and the laws of God were limited to man's understanding? We have been admonished: 'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding'." (CR, Apr 1969)

1 Samuel 14:12

Reading 9 – 1 Samuel 15:1-3

1 Samuel 15:22-23

Reading 10 - Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote:  "At issue is our obedience to the Lord. Has he not said, 'To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams'? (1 Samuel 15:22.)  Obedience is what is needed, because through obedience we can grow and become more like Him." (Meek and Lowly, pp15-16) A prominent feature of the natural man is selfishness—the inordinate and excessive concern with self. Prophets frequently warn about the dangers of this sin. The distance between constant self-pleasing and self-worship is shorter than we think. Stubborn selfishness is actually rebellion against God, because, warned Samuel, 'stubbornness is as. . . idolatry' (1 Samuel 15:23)." (Men and Women of Christ, pp8-9)

1 Samuel 16:6-7

1 Samuel 17:4-11

1 Samuel 17:45-47

Lesson 21: God Will Honor Those Who Honor Him – Scriptures and Quotes

Lesson 21: God Will Honor Those Who Honor Him – Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – 1 Samuel 2:30

1 Samuel 1:27-28

1 Samuel 2:17

Reading 2 - President Spencer W. Kimball wrote:  "One would have thought that all the pleadings and warnings the Lord has made through his prophets over the centuries would induce a high general level of righteousness. Unfortunately this is not so. Apparently it is easier for man to sin than to live a life of righteousness; therefore, greater effort needs to be put forth to avoid evil and conform our lives to the elevating principles of the gospel." (Miracle of Forgiveness, p135)

Reading 3 - President Harold B. Lee said:  "In almost every incident where a young man has been converted to the Church by our boys in military service, he has told us that he was drawn to the Church because of the clean, pure life of some Latter-day Saint boy with whom he was associated. This is a day of demonstration when we as Latter-day Saints by our lives will preach more the gospel of truth than by all the words that we may conjure up." (CR, Oct. 1945, p49)

Reading 4 - Elder Neal A. Maxwell has written:  "The natural man is actually at cross purposes with God's plans. The natural man really has different ends, seeks different outcomes, marches to different drummers. If unrepentant, such become 'carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them' (Mosiah 16:3)." (Men and Women of Christ, p8)  "Heavenly power can be accessed only by those who are Christlike; it is a power whose continued availability is maintained by meekness along with the other virtues." (Meek and Lowly, p85)

Reading 5 – 1 Samuel 2:22-25

1 Samuel 2:29

1 Samuel 3:13

Reading 6 – Brother Arthur M. Richardson wrote:  "Like most rebellious, wicked sons they refused to take counsel from their father. However, Eli's responsibility did not end with counseling his sons. He had a further responsibility to protect the people from their depredations. This he failed to do. Rather, he allowed them to continue in their priestly office taking advantage of the people physically, spiritually, and morally." (Improvement Era, Sep 1955)

Reading 6 – Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-44

Reading 7 - President Joseph F. Smith said: "Fathers, if you wish your children to be taught in the principles of the gospel, if you wish them to love the truth and understand it, if you wish them to be obedient to and united to you, love them! and prove to them that you do love them by your every word or act to them. For your own sake, for the love that should exist between you and your boys—however wayward they might be... when you speak or talk to them, do it not in anger, do it not harshly, in a condemning spirit. Speak to them kindly; get down and weep with them if necessary and get them to feel tenderly toward you. Use no lash and no violence... approach them with reason, with persuasion and love unfeigned.... You can't force your boys, nor your girls into heaven. [But] You may force them to hell, by using harsh means in the efforts to make them good, when you yourselves are not as good as you should be" (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 316-17).

1 Samuel 2:35

Reading 8 – 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Reading 9 – Elder Neal A. Maxwell has written: "There is an attitudinal and behavioral bridge that we need to build in order for us to draw closer to Him, and thus be ready to return Home - cum laude or summa cum laude - to receive of His loving fulness, we must want to do this more than we want to do anything else. Otherwise, even if we avoid wickedness, our journey will end in the suburbs, somewhere short of the City of God." (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, p.4).

1 Samuel 8:1-6

1 Samuel 8:7-9

1 Samuel 8:19-20

Reading 10 – Then-Elder Spencer W. Kimball wrote: "Samuel called the people together and explained to them that the people of the Lord should be different, with higher standards. 'We want to be like other peoples' they demanded. We do not want to be different'... Not so different are we today! We want the glamour and frothiness of the world, not always realizing the penalties of our folly... Others... indulge in their social drinking—'we must have a king like unto other nations.' Styles are created by the vulgar and the money-mad and run from one extreme to the other to date our present wardrobes and create business for merchants. We cannot be different. We would rather die than be 'not up to date.' If the dress is knee length, we must go a little above the knee. If shorts are short we must have the shortest... If bathing suits are skimpy, we must have the skimpiest. We must have a king like unto other nations. The Lord has said that he will have a peculiar people but we do not wish to be peculiar.... If intimate fondling is the pattern of the crowd, we will fondle. We must have a king like unto other nations.... When oh when, will the Latter-day Saints stand firm on their own feet, establish their own standards, follow proper patterns and live their own glorious lives in accordance with Gospel inspired patterns...Certainly good times and happy lives and clean fun are not dependant upon the glamorous, the pompous, the extremes" (Elder Spencer W. Kimball, "Like All the Nations," Church News, 15 October 1960, 14).

Lesson 20: “All the City … Doth Know That Thou Art a Virtuous Woman” - Scriptures and Quotes

Lesson 20: “All the City … Doth Know That Thou Art a Virtuous Woman”

Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – Ruth 1:1-2

Reading 2 – Ruth 1:3-8

Reading 3 – Ruth 1:14-17

Reading 4 – 2 Nephi 26:33

Ruth 1:19-21

Reading 5 – Elder Richard G. Scott has said: Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Prov. 3:11-12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain (Elder Richard G. Scott, C.R., Oct 1995, p.18).

Reading 6 – Ruth 2:1-3

"Harvesting was difficult work and demanded long hours. Young men moved through the fields grasping handfuls of the grain and cutting through the stalks with sickles. These small bunches of grain were then bound into bundles called sheaves. As the men worked rapidly, a number of stalks fell to the ground. If the men were careful and took the time, these too could be gathered up. However, any stalks that dropped were allowed to remain where they fell. Poor people, following the reapers, were permitted to 'glean,' or gather, the random stalks--possibly all that stood between them and starvation. In addition, the edges of the field, where the sickle was not as easily wielded, were left unharvested. The poor were welcome to that portion, as well." (Old Testament Student Manual, pp262-263)

Reading 7 – Ruth 2:5-7, 11

Ruth 2:20

Reading 8 – Bible Dictionary - Levirate marriage - The custom of a widow marrying her deceased husband’s brother or sometimes a near heir. The word has nothing to do with the name Levi or the biblical Levites but is so called because of the Latin levir, meaning “husband’s brother,” connected with the English suffix -ate, thus constituting levirate. This system of marriage is designated in Deut. 25:5–10 (see also Gen. 38:8), is spoken of in Matt. 22:23–33; it also forms a major aspect of the story of Ruth (Ruth 4:1–12).

Ruth 3:6-12

Ruth 4:13-15

Reading 10 - President Thomas S. Monson stated:  "In our selection of heroes, let us nominate also heroines. First, that noble example of fidelity--even Ruth. Sensing the grief-stricken heart of her mother-in-law, who suffered the loss of each of her two fine sons, and feeling perhaps the pangs of despair and loneliness which plagued the very soul of Naomi, Ruth uttered what has became that classic statement of loyalty: 'Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.' Ruth's actions demonstrated the sincerity of her words. There is place for her name in the Hall of Fame." (Ensign, Nov 1974, p108)

Reading 11 – 1 Samuel 1:1-2

Reading 12 – 1 Samuel 1:9-12, 17, 20

1 Samuel 1:24-29

Reading 13 – Elder Matthew Cowley said - You remember Hannah who wanted a child and she went to the sanctuary to pray . . . a prayer from her heart to God that she might bear a child. And how earnest she was in that prayer, so earnest, so sincere, that she said, "If God will give me this child, I will lend him to the Lord for this life." (See 1 Sam. 1:11.) How well the mothers know that life is eternal. How well she knew that in lending this child to the Lord for this life, that beyond and down through the ages of eternity, he would be her child, and she would be his mother (Matthew Cowley, Conference Report, October 1953, pp. 106-109).

Lesson 19: The Reign of the Judges – Scriptures and Quotes

Lesson 19: The Reign of the Judges – Scriptures and Quotes

Numbers 33:53,55

Judges 2:1-4

Reading 1 – Judges 2:6-23

Reading 2 – Judges 4:1-16

Judges 6:1

Reading 3 – Judges 6:12-16

Reading 4 – Judges 7:2-3

Judges 7:12

Reading 5 – Judges 7:16-23

Reading 6 - Judges 8:22-23

Reading 7 - Elder LeGrand Richards: "Over fifty years ago I heard Elder James E. Talmage tell this story. It has remained with me all these years. He told about a group of tourists or travelers in the Alps who were snowbound. The Lord sent an angel to a monk and told him about these people, asking him to go and rescue them. The answer was, 'Why?' And the minute he said 'Why,' the angel disappeared. He went to the second monk and delivered the same message, and the answer was, 'How?' And the angel disappeared. He went to the third and delivered the same message, and the monk said, 'When?' And the angel remained and delivered his message.

"It shouldn't be for us to say, when the call of the Lord comes or when we understand a command that is given to us through the prophets of God, 'How can we do it?' or 'Why does he ask us to do it?' but 'When, oh, God the Eternal Father, as thy son or daughter, wouldst thou have me do the thing that thou hast commanded?'" (CR, Oct 1964)

Reading 8 – Judges 13:2-5

Reading 9 – Judges 16:17-21

Lesson 18: “Be Strong and of a Good Courage” – Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – Joshua 1:1-9

1 Nephi 3:7

Reading 2 - Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote:  "When we are humble enough to have basic faith, we can, like Nephi, trust the Lord when he gives us an errand, for he will also give us the necessary spiritual and logistical support." (Wherefore Ye Must Press Forward, p48)

Reading 3 – Elder W. Grant Bangerter wrote: The story really begins on the 26th of December, 1973. President Harold B. Lee passed away suddenly on that day. His death was completely unexpected. It is necessary to remember that over a period of twenty-five years, members of the Church had awaited the time when Harold B. Lee would become the president. There had been every reason to think that this would eventually happen, due to his relative youthfulness and because he occupied a position in seniority following Joseph Fielding Smith and David O. McKay, both of whom were of advanced age. In addition, Harold B. Lee had gained more than average prominence. His leadership in the welfare and priesthood programs of the Church, his forceful nature, and his sound judgment had made him one of the apostles most listened to and one whose influence and advice were most respected. He had an evident spiritual stature which commended him to the members of the Church as one of the great men of our time. He possessed an unusual ability to relate as a personal friend to countless people. It was expected that when he became president he would preside for twenty years or more.

Suddenly he was gone!—called elsewhere after only 1 1/2 years. It was the first time since the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith when the president had died before it was time for him to die. In deep sorrow and concern the surging questions arose in the minds of the people, much as they did at the time when Joseph Smith was killed in Carthage, Illinois. “What will we do now? How can we carry on without the prophet? Our great leader has gone. Can the Church survive this emergency?”

Of course we knew that the Church would survive, but it could not possibly be the same. We had never expected Spencer W. Kimball to become the president, and we had not looked to him for the same leadership evident in the life of Harold B. Lee. We knew, of course, that he would manage somehow, until the next great leader arose, but it would not be easy for him, and things would not be the same. “O Lord,” we prayed, “please bless President Kimball. He needs all the help you can give him.” Such seemed to be the attitude in the hearts of the Latter-day Saints during those days of mourning.

We return to the 4th of April, 1974. There were gathered that morning in the Church Office Building, all of the General Authorities as well as the Regional Representatives and other leaders from around the world. We were to be instructed once again, as we had been periodically during the past seven years. On each preceding occasion Harold B. Lee had given us our direction and sounded the trump of leadership. Now he was no longer there, and we all felt his absence deeply. Again came the questions: “How can we proceed without our great leader?” “How can President Kimball fill the empty space?” And again the prayers went forth: “Please bless President Kimball.”

The moment came when President Kimball arose to address the assembled leadership. He noted that he also had never expected to occupy this position and that he missed President Lee equally with the rest of us. Then he reviewed much of the instruction which President Lee had given over the past years, and our prayers in behalf of President Kimball continued.

As he proceeded with his address, however, he had not spoken very long when a new awareness seemed suddenly to fall on the congregation. We became alert to an astonishing spiritual presence, and we realized that we were listening to something unusual, powerful, different from any of our previous meetings. It was as if, spiritually speaking, our hair began to stand on end. Our minds were suddenly vibrant and marveling at the transcendent message that was coming to our ears. With a new perceptiveness we realized that President Kimball was opening spiritual windows and beckoning to us to come and gaze with him on the plans of eternity. It was as if he were drawing back the curtains which covered the purpose of the Almighty and inviting us to view with him the destiny of the gospel and the vision of its ministry.

I doubt that any person present that day will ever forget the occasion. I, myself, have scarcely reread President Kimball’s address since, but the substance of what he said was so vividly impressed upon my mind that I could repeat most of it at this moment from memory.

The Spirit of the Lord was upon President Kimball and it proceeded from him to us as a tangible presence, which was at once both moving and shocking. He unrolled to our view a glorious vision (W. Grant Bangerter, “  Special Moment in Church History,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, pp. 26,27).

Reading 4 – The Bible Dictionary describes the Ark of the Covenant as follows: The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of Jehovah and the Ark of the Testimony [was] an oblong chest of acacia or shittim wood overlaid with gold, 2½ cubits long, 1½ broad and high, made by Moses at God’s command. It was the oldest and most sacred of the religious symbols of the Israelites, and the Mercy Seat which formed its covering was regarded as the earthly dwelling place of Jehovah. The Ark was fitted with rings and staves, by which it was carried. Prayers were recited before it moved or rested and during its progress it was treated with the greatest reverence. [It] contained the Tables of the Law, [and] it is said to have contained the “pot of manna” and “Aaron’s rod that budded.” . . . .The usual resting place of the Ark was in the Holy of Holies. (Ark of the Covenant, Bible Dictionary, scripture references omitted)

Reading 5 – Joshua 3:5-17

Reading 6: Elder Boyd K. Packer said: “Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do.

“I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you’” (“The Edge of the Light,” BYU Today, Mar. 1991, 22–23).

1 Nephi 7:12

Reading 7 – Joshua 4:1-9

Reading 8 – Joshua 6:1-5

Hebrews 11:30

Reading 9 – Joshua 24:13-16

Reading 10 - Elder Marvin J. Ashton said: “Joshua reminds us of the importance of making decisions promptly: ‘Choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’ (Joshua 24:15). Not tomorrow, not when we get ready, not when it is convenient—but ‘this day,’ straightway, choose whom you will serve. He who invites us to follow will always be out in front of us with His Spirit and influence setting the pace. He has charted and marked the course, opened the gates, and shown the way. He has invited us to come unto Him, and the best time to enjoy His companionship is straightway. We can best get on the course and stay on the course by doing as Jesus did—make a total commitment to do the will of His Father” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1983, 41; or Ensign, May 1983, 30–31) 

Lesson 17: “Beware Lest Thou Forget” – Quotes and Scriptures

Lesson 17: “Beware Lest Thou Forget” – Quotes and Scriptures

Reading 1 - "Moses speaks like a dying father to his children. The words are earnest, inspired, impressive. He looks back over the whole of the forty years of their wandering in the desert, reminds the people of all the blessings they have received, of the ingratitude with which they have so often repaid them, and of the judgments of God, and the love that continually broke forth behind them; he explains the laws again and again, and adds what is necessary to complete them, and is never weary of urging obedience to them in the warmest and most emphatic words, because the very life of the nation was bound up with this; he surveys all the storms and conflicts which they have passed through, and, beholding the future in the past, takes a survey also of the future history of the nation, and sees, with mingled sorrow and joy, how the three great features of the past--viz. apostasy, punishment, and pardon--continue to repeat themselves in the future also." (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary quoted in a previous Old Testament Student Manual, p216)

Reading 2 – Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Doctrine and Covenants 59:5

Reading 3 – President Ezra Taft Benson said: ". . . men captained by Christ will be consumed in Christ . . . . Enter their homes, and the pictures on their walls, the books on their shelves, the music in the air, their words and acts reveal them as Christians" (Ezra Taft Benson, "Born of God," Ensign, Nov. 1985, 6,7).

Reading 4 – President Howard W. Hunter said - "Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it" (Howard W. Hunter, "Exceeding Great and Precious Promises," Ensign, Nov. 1994, 8).   

Reading 5 – Then-Elder Spencer W. Kimball taught: "When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be "remember." Because all of you have made covenants--you know what to do and you know how to do it--our greatest need is to remember. That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day--to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray "that they may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them." Nobody should ever forget to go to sacrament meeting. Remember is the word. Remember is the program." (Elder Spencer W. Kimball, Charge to Religious Educators, pp. 9-12).

Reading 6: Deuteronomy 8:7-20

President Brigham Young said: “The worst fear that I have about [members of this Church] is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and his people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on this earth” (in Preston Nibley, Brigham Young: The Man and His Work [1936], 128).

Reading 7 – Doctrine and Covenants 59:21

Reading 8 – Deuteronomy 32:1-4, 30-31

2 Nephi 9:45

Doctrine and Covenants 50:44

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Deuteronomy 32:46-47

2 Nephi 2:27-28

Lesson 16: “I Cannot Go Beyond the Word of the Lord” - Scriptures and Quotes

Reading 1 – Numbers 22:1-4

Reading 2 – Numbers 22:5-13

Reading 3 – Numbers 22:15-19

Numbers 22:20

Reading 4 – Doctrine and Covenants 3:4

Jacob 4:10

Reading 5 – 2 Peter 2:13-16

President Spencer W. Kimball wrote:  "It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the devil to enter a door that is closed. He seems to have no keys for locked doors. But if a door is slightly ajar, he gets his toe in, and soon this is followed by his foot, then by his leg and his body and his head, and finally he is in all the way." (Miracle of Forgiveness, p215)

Reading 6 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: "I wonder how often some of us get our direction from the Church and then, Balaam-like, plead for some worldly rewards and finally receive an answer which says, in effect, If you are determined to be a millionaire or to gain this or that worldly honor, go ahead, with the understanding that you will continue to serve the Lord. Then we wonder why things don't work out for us as well as they would have done if we had put first in our lives the things of God's kingdom?" ("The Story of a Prophet's Madness," New Era, Apr. 1972, p. 7)

Numbers 22:22-23

Numbers 22:27-30

Numbers 22:38

Numbers 23:23

Reading 7 – Numbers 24:10-11

Numbers 31:7-8

Revelations 2:14

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote that the doctrine of Balaam is "To divine for hire; to give counsel contrary to the divine will; to pervert the right way of the Lord -- all with a view to gaining wealth and the honors of men. In effect, to preach for money, or to gain personal power and influence. In the very nature of things such a course is a perversion of the right way of the Lord" (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary: Colossians-Revelation, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1973] p. 451).