Lesson 26 - King Solomon: Man of Wisdom, Man of Foolishness
Reading 1 - Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: “We generally think
of Satan attacking us at our weakest spot. … But weakness is not our only
vulnerability. Satan can also attack us where we think we are strong—in the
very areas where we are proud of our strengths. He will approach us through the
greatest talents and spiritual gifts we possess. If we are not wary, Satan can
cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths as well as
by exploiting our weaknesses” (“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign,
Oct. 1994, 12).
Reading 2 – 1 Kings 1:32-35,39
Reading 3 – 1 Kings 3:5-13
3 Nephi 13:33
Reading 4 - President John Taylor wrote: "David took no step without enquiring of
the Lord. Solomon also, acted as a priest as well as a king; and it is said of
him, that Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father.
And the Lord gave him wisdom, and instructed him in the affairs of the kingdom.
When he prayed unto the Lord, and asked of him wisdom, God granted him the desire
of his heart, and gave him with wisdom, riches and honor." (The Government
of God, pp62-63)
Elder James E. Talmage:
"When the Jews marveled at the wisdom of Christ, He told them of a
very simple yet effective way of obtaining, each for himself, knowledge of
supreme worth. 'My doctrine is not mine,' said He, 'but his that sent me. If
any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God,
or whether I speak of myself' (John 7:16, 17)." (The Vitality of
Mormonism, p76)
Reading 5 – 1 Kings 3:16-27
Reading 6 – 1 Kings 5:1-6, 17-18
Elder James E. Talmage wrote: "Soon after Solomon's accession to the
throne he set about the labor, which, as heritage and honor, had come to him
with his crown. He laid the foundation in the fourth year of his reign, and the
building was completed within seven years and a half. With the great wealth
accumulated by his kingly father and specifically reserved for the building of
the Temple, Solomon was able to put the known world under tribute, and to
enlist the co-operation of nations in his great undertaking. The temple workmen
numbered scores of thousands, and every department was in charge of master
craftsmen. To serve on the great structure in any capacity was an honor; and
labor acquired dignity never before recognized. Masonry became a profession,
and the graded orders therein established have endured until this day. The
erection of the Temple of Solomon was an epoch-making event, not alone in the
history of Israel, but in that of the world." (The House of the Lord,
pp5-6)
Reading 7 – Brother Breck England has written: The most
sacred feature of the temple was the “oracle,” the “house within,” set off from
the rest of the temple by a veil and a partition. “And the oracle he prepared
in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And the
oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in
breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure
gold” (6:19-20).
Built in the shape of a cube to
signify perfection, shining with gold to represent the celestial world, the
“house within” was known as debir in Hebrew, a word that means “speaking
place.” We translate it into English as “oracle.” Here, the Lord Himself would
speak. Just outside the oracle room stood a great lamp with seven candlesticks
known as the seneh in Hebrew, a word that is probably related to the word
“Sinai.” This lamp represented the burning bush on Mount Sinai where Moses met
with the Lord Jehovah. Thus, the temple was the principal place of revelation
for ancient Israel.
It can be the same for us today.
The oracles of God we need as individuals and in our stewardships in our
families and in our callings can be found in the temple. It is true that God
hears our prayers and gives us revelations no matter where we are, but the
Prophet Joseph Smith wrote that the temple is uniquely “for your oracles in
your most holy places wherein you receive conversations” (D&C 124:39).
Reading 8 – 1 Kings 8:1,6,9-11
Reading 9 - President Ezra Taft Benson said: “In the peace
of these lovely temples, sometimes we find solutions to the serious problems of
life. Under the influence of the Spirit, sometimes pure knowledge flows to us
there. Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighed down
by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a
prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and
unmistakable ways” (“What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the
Temple,” Ensign, Aug. 1985, 8).
1 Kings 10:24-25
1 Kings 10:18-20
Reading 10 - 1 Kings 11:1-8
1 Kings 11:9-14
Reading 11 – 2 Nephi 9:28:30
Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “How … do we prevent our
strengths from becoming our downfall? The quality we must cultivate is
humility. Humility is the great protector. Humility is the antidote against
pride. Humility is the catalyst for all learning, especially spiritual things.
Through the prophet Moroni, the Lord gave us this great insight into the role
of humility: ‘I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is
sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble
themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become
strong unto them’ (Ether 12:27).
“We might also say that if men and
women humble themselves before God, he will help them prevent their strengths
from becoming weaknesses that the adversary can exploit to destroy them. …
“… If we are humble and teachable,
hearkening to the commandments of God, the counsel of his leaders, and the
promptings of his Spirit, we can be guided in how to use our spiritual gifts,
our accomplishments, and all of our other strengths for righteousness. And we
can be guided in how to avoid Satan’s efforts to use our strengths to cause our
downfall.
“In all of this, we should remember
and rely on the Lord’s direction and promise: ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy
God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers’ (D&C
112:10)” (“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, Oct. 1994, 19).
