Old Testament Lesson #31 "Happy is the Man That Findeth Wisdom"

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes

"The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are sometimes called the 'wisdom literature.'  The sages of the ancient Near East realized the superiority of wisdom over knowledge, for wisdom encompasses knowledge and includes understanding and moral conduct.  One was not wise, regardless of his vast learning, if his actions did not comply with his righteous beliefs."  (Institute Manual 2, p. 13)

PROVERBS

Proverbs are short sayings that teach wisdom.  The book of Proverbs is a compilation of wise sayings from several difference sources.  Some of them may have come originally from Soloman.  Many of them use the Hebrew poetic forms which teach by the use of paired couplets.  Understanding the form of the couplets aids in understanding the truths the proverbs are teaching.

PROVERBS MATCH GAME

Review with the class the following three Hebrew poetic parallelism forms. (Click here for the blog entry on Psalms if you would like a more detailed treatment on the forms.)

• Synonymous Parallelism:  The poet says the same thing twice, but with different words, to emphasis the point, or to clarify the meaning.
• Antithetic Parallelism:  The second line states the opposite of the first line, usually connected by the word "but."
• Synthetic Parallelism:  The two lines are related to each other as a cause and effect.  The word "synthetic" refers to the thought being a compound.

You can play the game in three ways, depending on the size and setup of your class.

Concentration (for small classes):  Copy each couplet (partial sentence) below onto an index card.  On the reverse side of the cards, and upside-down from the sentences, number the cards with large numbers from 1-20.  Tape the cards with a strip of clear tape across the top of the card onto a posterboard so that they are arranged in order in a grid, 5 across and 4 down.  On the blackboard, whiteboard, or bulletin board in your classroom, post the types of poetry listed above.  To play, call upon a class member to choose two numbers.  Lift the cards up and see whether they are a matched set--two parts of a sentence that go together.  If they are, have the class member tape them together and post under the appropriate poetic form.  If the cards are not a match, play resumes with the next class member. 

(Note: if you are teaching teenage boys and you want to really get their attention, substitute Proverbs 30:17 for one of the synthetic parallelism examples!)

Simplified Concentration (for really small classes):  Copy the couplets onto index cards, but don't put numbers on the backs of the cards.  Sit in a circle on the floor.  Spread the cards, face down, in the center of the circle.  To play, a class member turns over two cards.  If they match, he reads them, the class determines the form, and the cards are laid out as a match.  If they don't match, he turns the cards back over, and the next class member tries. 

Read and Match (for large classes):  Print up the couplets and pass them out to various class members before class begins.  List the poetic forms on the board.  Have a class member who has the beginning of a sentence stand up and read it.  Have the other class members determine if their phrases might be the matching one; the one who has the matching phrase should stand up and read his, and the class can determine which poetic form was used.

(Answers as to the poetic forms follow the list.)

1)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...

...but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  (Proverbs 1:7)

2)A friend loveth at all times...

...and a brother is born for adversity.  (Proverbs 17:17)

3)Treasures of wickedness profit nothing...

...but righteousness delivereth from death.  (Proverbs 10:2)

4)The merciful man doeth good to his own soul...

...but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.  (Proverbs 11:17)

5) Train up a child in the way he should go...

...and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  (Proverbs 22:6)

6)The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice...

...and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.  (Proverbs 23:24)

7)Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase...

...So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.  (Proverbs 3:10)

8)He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding...

...but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.  (Proverbs 14:29)

9)Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out...

...so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.  (Proverbs 26:20)

10)A merry heart doeth good like a medicine...

...but a broken spirit drieth the bones.  (Proverbs 17:22)

Answers:
Synonymous: 2, 6, 9
Antithetic:  1, 3, 4, 8, 10
Synthetic: 5, 7

ECCLESIASTES

The word "Ecclesiastes" comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title for "Teacher" or "Preacher."  Although the book's author writes from the perspective of King Solomon (see 1:1), most scholars agree that the author was actually from a later time, and was just using that persona.  The key word in Ecclesiastes is "vanity."  Its literal translation is "breath" or "breeze" (Harper-Collins, p. 987).  The word is used to show the transcience of mortal life.

If you are having trouble understanding Ecclesiastes, you are definitely not alone! Here is a quote from the Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 987: "Attempts to find a clear structure in the book have not succeeded, and its tension-filled expression of life's contradictions gives the book a puzzlelike character....Ecclesiastes is not difficult to read, but its meaning as a whole is difficult. Scholars offer strongly conflicting accounts of its message."


The spiraling main concern of the book is that life on earth is temporary, it is a "vanity," a breeze passing by and leaving little trace that it was ever there.  Much of what we focus our time and efforts on in mortal life ("under the sun") disappears like a vapor.  It's a constant "vexation of spirit" to the author.  What is the point? he continually wonders.

He observes that life cycles and renews.  The sun goes down, just to come up again.  One person comes up with a great idea, but someone else has thought of that great idea before.  The experiences of mankind, as individuals, do not build upon each other, but each man learns again what others have learned.  Life is ever unfinished:  Even though the generations pass, "the earth abideth forever" (1:4). "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full" (1:7).

He accomplishes great works, he learns the full gamit of knowledge from wisdom to madness, he builds an empire, he gains great wealth, he even devises irrigation (a great feat in his arid land).  In the end, he observes, there is no profit "under the sun;" everything on the earth eventually decays and returns back into the cycle of life.  Earthlife is fraught with trials and troubles, despite the best preparations.

In all his musings and observations about this transitory life, he sprinkles in the truths he discovers: 

• Time goes by and does not return for men; therefore we must enjoy the experiences of the present, both work and  recreation (2:24; 3:11-13, 22; 5:18-20; 8:15; 9:10).  To be a workaholic is a "vanity" (4:8).  Besides, those who seek after earthly treasures are never satisified with them (5:10-13), and nothing we gain or create is permanent (2:11).  It is the journey itself we must enjoy, the process of the work and the play, and the relationships with others (9:9).
• It is impossible to comprehend the works of God (8:16-17; 11:6). In contrast to the "vanity" of man's life and efforts, God is timeless, and His works endure forever (3:14-15).
• Wisdom is the one thing worth getting (2:13; 7:11-12), and the key piece of wisdom, repeated throughout the book, is that we must fear (meaning to worship, respect and follow) God. This is the one thing that is not "vanity" (5:7; 12:13-14)

The most famous message in Ecclesiastes is the poem about the seasons of life found in 3:1-8:  "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."  (Regarding verse 8, bear in mind that there is only one Hebrew word that expresses distaste, and it is translated as "hate."  The original meaning of "hate" in the Old Testament, then, can vary from a feeling of indifference, to a mild dislike, to absolute abhorance.  Only in the context can the meaning be determined--sometimes.)

"The contrary pairs" in this poem "are a literary device using opposites to represent life's totality and variety" (Harper-Collins).  This is emphasized even more by the fact that there are 14 of them.  Seven is the number of completeness, perfection.  Twice seven (14) is the impossible state of perfection doubled.  Despite the transitory nature of life, the way that God has set up the cycles and seasons is absolutely, indesputably perfect.

(For more information on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, click here for the Institute Manual.)

Old Testament Lesson #30 "Come to the House of the Lord"

2 Chronicles 29-30; 32; 34

KING HEZEKIAH

The story of King Hezekiah is found in three places in the Old Testament (beginning in 2 Chron. 29, 2 Kings 18, and Isaiah 36).  His name is mentioned 128 times.  Clearly his story is very important.

We have skipped ahead about 130 years and several kings from Jehoshaphat to find Hezekiah, another chain-breaking king who restored the true worship of Jehovah to Jerusalem.  King Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, had been very wicked.  He had defiled the temple and led the people in idolatry, even offering his own son as a heathen sacrifice (2 Chron. 28).  So how did he manage to produce such a righteous heir?  Hezekiah's mother's name was Abijah, and her father was Zechariah (2 Chron. 29:1).  Among the several Zechariahs mentioned, the one who fits in this time frame was the son of a priest (2 Chron. 24:20), and "had understanding in the visions of God" (2 Chron. 26:5).  Very likely, Hezekiah's mother was a faithful follower of Jehovah, and was the one who turned the tide for Israel, by raising her son to worship the true and living God.

OPENING THE DOORS OF THE TEMPLE

Hezekiah was only 25 years old when he began his reign.  Immediately, in the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the House of the Lord.  He called together the priests and Levites and advised them to sanctify themselves first, so that they could then sanctify the House of the Lord.  They repaired and cleansed the temple.  Then they offered sacrifice and restored the musical worship set forth in 1 Chron. 25 (2 Chron 29).

Hezekiah invited the northern kingdom to come and freely worship at the temple also.  He decided to keep the Passover again the following month so that the northerners could participate, according to the rule stated in Numbers 9:10-11, this being acceptable for those who had to travel too far to get there in time.  The Levites put great effort into helping all of these travelers get ready, but Hezekiah realized that not all the details had worked out.  Maybe some were ignorant of what they were to do, or just didn't have time to get it done, so he asked the Lord to forgive them of these little technical infractions.  He held a Priesthood leadership meeting.  He extended the Passover to the second week, because no one wanted it to end.  The result of the quick restoration of the temple and the speedy return to proper worship was joy (2 Chron. 30).

All of those who had been at the temple returned to their lands and overthrew the idolatrous worship there.  Hezekiah issued a command that the people bring offerings (tithing), and the people responded with so much abundance that Hezekiah commanded that storerooms be prepared in the temple in which to hold this large supply of food for storage (see footnote to 2 Chron. 31:11).  "And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God.  And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered" (2 Chron. 31:20-21).

FORTIFYING THE TEMPLE

The Jews were paying tribute to the Assyrians, and King Hezekiah decided to defy this tyranny and refuse to pay so that his people could be financially free.  This, of course, brought the wrath of the Assyrians upon them, and Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, commenced to invade Israel.  He advanced, bit by bit, through the land, conquering easily all the way.  He taunted the people, and blasphemed the Lord, trying to convince the people to abandon their belief and surrender to him.  As it became apparent that he would soon reach Jerusalem, Hezekiah made a very clever move, the result of which is still found at Jerusalem today, and that was the building of a tunnel. 

The water for Jerusalem came from a spring near the city and Hezekiah had a tunnel dug into the walled city, through 1,749 feet of solid rock, creating an underground canal for this spring.  Then he covered over the water outside the city.  The Assyrians surrounding the city would have no water source, but the Jews inside the city would.  Remember also that they had a great store of food in the temple, as a result of their faithful tithe-paying.  In this manner, the Jews were prepared to be able to sit out a long siege. 

Hezekiah's Tunnel is one of the great tourist attractions of Jerusalem. The original inscription was found in the tunnel in 1880 and is held in a museum in Istanbul, but a replica is still found on the tunnel.  (You can see photographs of the tunnel here.)

Hezekiah prepared for war and encouraged his people in a great speech, saying, "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed [regarding] the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.  With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.  And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah" (2 Chron. 32:7-8).

THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM

The Assyrians did advance until they had surrounded the city of Jerusalem.  Inside the city, Hezekiah and his great prophet/advisor Isaiah prayed to the Lord in the temple (2 Kings 19:14-19; Isaiah 37:15-20).  The Lord answered the prayer through Isaiah, promising that He would defend the city, and that not only would the King of Assyria never step inside the city walls, he would not even be able to cast an arrow against it, but he would just go back home (2 Kings 19:20-34; Isaiah 37:21-35).  That very night, the angel of the Lord (death) slaughtered a vast number of the Assyrian army, and the remainder packed up and went home (2 Kings 19:35-36; 2 Chron. 32: 21; Isaiah 37:36).  (Could it have been something like the black plague or dyssentery that killed the Assyrians, caused by the lack of a source of clean water?)  20 years later (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 690), the Assyrian king was killed by his own sons (2 Kings 19:37).

FORTIFYING OUR TEMPLES

There is beautiful symbolism in the story of Hezekiah's Tunnel:  The Jews could withstand the siege of Jerusalem quite comfortable because they had a conduit of life-giving water, something the Assyrians on the outside lacked.  We too have access to Living Water in our walled cities, our temples, which our Enemy cannot penetrate.  And although we can see the campfires of the Opposition surrounding us, yet we know that "there be more with us than with them...for with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles."

(An artist's depiction of the Brigham City Utah Temple, for which ground was broken this past week.  Click here for a news report on the ground-breaking.)

Old Testament Lesson #29 "He Took Up the Mantle of Elijah"

2 Kings 2; 5-6

BIBLE BALDERDASH GAME

Teaching Tip:  Take three class members out of the room and give two of them a piece of paper with the following terms on it:

1. Abarim
2. Cab
3. Dothan
4. Ehud
5. Jebus
6. Scrip
7. Stacte
8. Ziv

Give the third person a piece of paper which also includes the definitions of the words:

1. Abarim: the mountain range Moses was standing on when he viewed the Promised Land
2. Cab: a measure that equals a little more than a quart
3. Dothan: a town ten miles north of Samaria, known for its good pastures
4. Ehud: a certain left-handed Israelite
5. Jebus: the ancient name for the city that is now called Jerusalem
6. Scrip: a traveling bag made of leather and used for carrying food
7. Stacte: a sweet spice used in the incense for the temple, probably made of tree gum.
8. Ziv: the second month in the Hebrew year

The person holding the definitions is to use them in the game; the other two people are to make up their own definitions, attempting to be as believable as possible.  The object is to fool the class into believing the false definitions.

Return to the classroom together and pass out blank pieces of paper and pencils to the class members, asking them to number them 1-8.  Call out each word and have each of the three give their definition, then have the class members write on their papers which person they think gave the true definition.  Don't tell the class members which definitions were right until all the definitions have been given.  Then go through the list and have the person who read the correct definition raise his hand.  Of course, it will be the same person every time.  Hopefully, this will be a surprise to the class members, that the same person had the right answer every time.  Point out how easy it would have been to win the game if you had told them which person would have all the correct answers.  Also point out that the appearances or the intelligence or charisma of the person giving the accurate definitions was irrelevant, because you had given the person the correct answers.

There is a humorous quote that applies here:  "This life is a test.  It is only a test.  Had it been an actual life, you would have received more information on where to go and what to do."  This is the way life is for many people on the earth.  Lucky for us, we know the single person who has all the right answers, who has been given "more information on where to go and what to do."  That person is, of course, the Prophet.

THE PASSING OF THE MANTLE OF THE PROPHET

1 Kings 17:1 tells us Elijah was from Gilead, the wild country in the east.  2 Kings 1:8 tells us he was a "hairy" man, or a person who wore skins or furs, and leather; he was good at wilderness survival.  (Nobody knows what "Tishbite" means.)

The prophet who took his place was Elisha.  Ask class members to find all that they can about Elisha from 1 Kings 19:19-21.  Some answers follow:

• He was a very wealthy man to have had twelve men plowing with twelve yoke of oxen at once.
• He had a family he loved and respected; he was a good son who wanted to honor his parents before leaving.
• When the call came, he was willing to give up his worldly possessions, as symbolized in his giving a feast of two oxen, valuable work animals.  Killing the animals showed that his course was final, irrevocable.
• Despite having been a powerful man, he was willing to become Elijah's servant.

As soon as Elijah's mantle passed to Elisha, Elisha had the keys and power of the priesthood, and it was obvious to everyone present (2 Kings 2:8-15).  They were very different in their earthly stations and in their personalities and talents, but each was equally worthy, and each held the same calling as Prophet.  The Lord gave the power to the person who was right for the time.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEYING THE PROPHET

Teaching Tip:  Ask five class members ahead of time to read the following stories about Elijah and then share them with the class in their own words:

• Elisha and salt in the water (2 Kings 2:19-22)
• Elisha and the ditches (2 Kings 3:12-20)
• Elisha and the borrowed oil vessels (2 Kings 4:1-7)
• Elisha and Naaman's leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14)
• Elisha and his servant (2 Kings 5:20-27)

In each of these incidents, the prophet's commands made very little sense.  In the cases of the first four, those involved believed the prophet and followed his instructions.  In the last case, Gehazi, Elisha's servant, did what seemed logical to himself, and suffered ill consequences because of it.

THE VISION OF THE PROPHET

The prophet always has a vision that we do not have; that's what makes him a prophet, seer and revelator.  When Elisha's town was surrounded by an army, ready to take Elisha as a spy, his servant was terrified, and cried, "Alas, my master!  how shall we do? And [Elisha] answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.  And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Then Elisha temporarily blinded the enemies, offered to take them to the person they were seeking (himself), and instead led them to Samaria, where he restored their vision and let them go.  It may have been a real physical condition of sightlessness, or it may have been an inability to recognize Elisha as who he was.  But the point of the story is that the odds are always in the favor of the Lord God of Israel, and although we can seldom see or even imagine what His winning plan might be, it always exists and it always succeeds, and the prophet knows how to execute it.  Once we know this, we can give up our fear and trust the prophet fully.

INDIVIDUALITY, COMMANDS, AND VISIONS OF LATTER-DAY PROPHETS

When the Prophet Joseph Smith died and the saints were trying to determine the order of the Kingdom, and who should lead the Church, there was a famous incident in which Sidney Rigdon and Brigham Young each spoke and it was readily apparent to those listening that Brigham Young was to take Joseph Smith's place as head of the Church.  In later years, those present referred to this feeling of certainty as if they had seen Brigham Young's face replaced by Joseph Smith's as he spoke.  Joseph Smith had been the Prophet of the Restoration and was perfectly fitted for that role.  Brigham Young became the Prophet of the Exodus, and his abilities, personality, and spiritual gifts helped him to move the Saints west.  And so it has been with each prophet: his particular gifts and visions have been ideal for the time and situation in which he serves.

President Hunter was our prophet for such a brief time.  He told us to become a temple-oriented people.  At that time, going to the temple more than once in a lifetime was nearly out of the question for many of the members of the Church.  Prior to that time there were not many Primary lessons about the temple, and there was always a caution in the lesson about being sensitive to those children whose parents had not been married in the temple.  And what point was there in telling humble saints in Africa or Asia or the South Seas to be focused on the temple?  For them to go was an impossibility.  But now the emphasis became entirely different:  not to simply avoid hurting people's feelings who hadn't been to the temple, but to tell them to get going, and if they couldn't go, to get ready for the impossible!

President Hunter's counsel would have been even more pointless if the previous prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, had not begged for and received the revelation that all people could receive blessings in the temple.  If he hadn't been so focused on racial equality in all temple blessings, how could President Hunter have told us that we should all be a temple people?  Because President Kimball felt driven to ask for the priesthood for all men, and temple blessings for all members, President Hunter could plead with everyone to be focused on the temple. 

And because President Hunter did that--and it only took him a short time to deliver his message--saints everywhere became more focused on the temple, more encouraged, more willing to be full tithe-payers and to be qualified as recommend-holders.  President Hinckley could then spearhead the enormous world-wide temple-building project of one hundred temples by the year 2000.  Those who heeded President Hunter's counsel were rewarded for their faith in the impossible during President Hinckley's tenure.

President Hinckley also had personality traits and spiritual gifts (talents) that were perfect for his time.  He was a fearless expert when dealing with the press.  He was inventive in solving the problem of bringing temples to more people.  He had a terrific sense of humor and counseled us continually to look on the bright side of life during fearful times.  When he advised us repeatedly to get out of debt, the American economy was strong.  Those who heeded his words were in a much better position to face the recession.

President Monson has continued to give counsel to be positive and hopeful despite troubled times and a negative press, saying, "The future is as bright as your faith."  He has continually stressed expressing love within our families; he has counseled us to enjoy the present day and the changes and challenges of our journey through life.  He has emphasized giving to others and blessing those in need, even in a time when many members themselves are struggling financially.  We need to examine his words carefully, and then examine our actions: do they match?  If the prophet's counsel seems illogical, unimportant, or even impossible, we had better take even greater care to follow it, because this indicates that he sees a vision we do not.

We can look all around and study opinions and recommendations to determine our personal course of action, but we would be wise to remember, as in the Bible Balderdash game, that if there is ever a question or a conflict between sources of information, the prophet is the one we listen to.  We may see others as being smarter, more experienced, better-looking, more financially successful, or as having access to more research, but none of that matters, because President Monson is the one who has been given all the right answers.

Old Testament Lesson #28 "After the Fire a Still Small Voice"

1 Kings 17-19

The previous lesson focused mainly on the kings of Judah:  Rehoboam, Abijah(m), Asa, and especially Jehoshaphat.  During this same time period, a succession of kings each ruled Israel very briefly: Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni and Omri (1 Kings 15:26, 34; 16:13, 19, 21, 25), each one an idolator.  When Ahab, the son of Omri, began to rule, the time was ripe for the Lord's vengeance, as "Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him" (1 Kings 16:33).  What was the issue?  It is stated previously in verse 31:  "As if it had been a light thing [as if it weren't enough] for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat [which was to worship Jehovah inappropriately and not as the only God], [he also] took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him."  The false god Baal hadn't been found in Israel since Gideon threw him out in Judges 6, many generations before, but now Ahab allowed Jezebel to bring him back.

Abruptly, it seems, the next chapter begins with the prophet Elijah (whose name means "Jehovah is my God") sealing up the heavens, but it is actually logical and chronological.

THE STORY OF ELIJAH'S LIFE

Teaching Tip:  Post wordstrips of the miracles performed by Elijah in random order on the board (just the first sentence of each on the list below). Have the class arrange them into chronological order.  As each wordstrip is posted chronologically by a class member, share the details of the event (the part after the first sentence).

• Withheld the rain and the dew.  (1 Kings 17:1)  The miracles that Elijah performed were in direct defiance of the worship of Baal, who was considered to be the storm god, "responsible for bringing life-giving rains at certain times of the year and thus restoring fertility to the land. After the yearly rainy season, the ground got progressively drier, and eventually all vegetation died. During this period, Baal was thought to be in the power of the god of death and sterility. In this verse Elijah announces that...Baal has nothing to do with bringing rain and fertility. In reality the Lord controls both rain and drought, fertility and sterility, and life and death." (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 547)
• Survived famine in hiding by being fed by ravens.  (1 Kings 17:3-4)  An alternate translation for the word "brook" in this account is "wadi" (Harper-Collins). A wadi is a stream bed that contains water only in the rainy season.  Obviously, this was not the rainy season, so even though it dried up eventually, finding water there was a miracle.  Obadiah is a sub-hero in this story, as he rescued and sheltered 100 prophets from Queen Jezebel's wrath (1 Kings 18:3-4).  The severity of the famine was extreme, causing King Ahab and his governor Obadiah to personally go out in search of pasture for their animals, although they probably each had a searching party with them (1 Kings 18:3-6). 
• Perpetuated flour and oil for a widow's household.  (1 Kings 17:10-16) Widows had no means of financial support, so if they had no extended family to care for them, they could quickly become destitute.
• Raised the dead.  (1 Kings 17:17-23)  This is another dramatic show of Jehovah's power vs. the idol's power, a powerful reminder to the children of Israel throughout generations as the story would be re-told:  The Lord God could actually overrule death (Harper-Collins).
• Drew fire from heaven.  (1 Kings 18:21-39)  According to the people's belief, as the storm god, Baal should have easily been able to draw fire from heaven (Harper-Collins). Indeed Andrew Clarke's Bible Commentary claims the priests of Baal rigged their altars with fires beneath them, working through a system of tunnels, so that the sacrifices would appear to ignite spontaneously (quoted in Institute Manual, p. 61).  The duel with Elijah's God would have looked like an easy win to the priests of Baal.  It must have astonished them when their elaborate system failed.  (You can see pictures of Mt. Carmel here.)  (For more detail on Mt. Carmel itself, which is actually not a mountain peak but a ridge, click here.)
• Killed 950 idolatrous priests.  (18:40)  (BiblePlaces.com also has a picture of the statue of Elijah killing the priests, which is found on Mt. Carmel.  Just scroll down.)  Who knows how Elijah actually killed the priests--likely he led the people in killing them--but he was following the Law of Moses:  the penalty for advocating worship of idols was death (Deut. 13:1-5).
• Called a rainstorm.  (1 Kings 18:41-45)  Elijah placed himself in a position of ultimate worship and prayer, low to the ground, facedown.  Elijah's servant was probably sitting where the Baha'i Shrine of the Bab is today on Mt. Carmel, looking out toward the sea. To see the present-day view, click here and check out the top right photo.  If after watching that cloud swell up until the sky was roiling and black, Elijah did actually run ahead of Ahab to Jezreel, it was better than a half-marathon: 17 miles.
• Was visited and fed by an angel twice during his time of greatest despair.  (1 Kings 19:1-7)  Unfortunately, Jezebel (who seemed to wear the pants in the royal family), was not humbled and converted by the fantastic display of divine power at Mt. Carmel, but enraged.  Elijah's astonishment and disappointment must have been overwhelming:  After controlling the elements for three years, after raising the dead, after all the mighty priesthood power he displayed in the duel with the priests of Baal, after condeming them all to death, after calling a storm from heaven himself, he was back in hiding again.  Even a mighty prophet of God who can control the elements, cannot control a human soul who refuses to repent.  Elijah felt such a sense of despair and uselessness that he requested of the Lord death.
• One meal carried him for 40 days and 40 nights on a journey to Mt. Horeb.  (1 Kings 19:8-21)  Remember that the term "40 days and 40 nights" is symbolic.  (See a previous post.)  By going from Mt. Carmel to Mt. Horeb (which is Mt. Sinai) Elijah was retracing the steps of the Children of Israel and Moses backwards.  It was a journey of 150 miles to an outdoor temple, a journey to seek the comfort of God.  (More on this event in the next section.) 
• Called fire from heaven to destroy 100 soldiers.  (2 Kings 1:10, 12)  The king who succeeded Ahab, Ahaziah, had suffered a fall.  He asked his fate of the idol Baal-zebub (a local version of Baal), rather than the prophet of the Lord.  Because of this, the Lord told Elijah to prophecy his death.  This, of course, did not please the king and three times he sent 50 soldiers to bring Elijah to him for punishment, but the first two times, Elijah destroyed them with fire from heaven, something that Baal was purported to be able to control.  Finally, with the third company, whose leader acted respectfully, acknowledging Elijah as a prophet, he went peaceably, but his prophecy did not change.
• Brought a plague upon the kingdom of Judah.  (2 Chron. 21)  Jehoram, the son and successor of the great and righteous king Jehoshaphat of Judah, had allied himself with the kingdom of Israel by marrying the daughter of Ahab, thus uniting the kingdom briefly.  Because of his idolatry, Elijah sent him a letter, prophecying a plague of dissentery among his people, which actually killed the king himself. 
• Parted the River Jordan and walked through on dry land.  (2 Kings 2:8)  This miracle was performed by Elijah on the day he left the earth, and is the basis of the Negro spirituals about the crossing of Jordan equaling death and entrance to Heaven.
• Was taken into heaven in a chariot of fire.  (2 Kings 2:11)   The source of another beautiful Negro spiritual, "Swing low, sweet chariot."  It would be a great way to go.

LISTENING TO THE LORD

Elijah's prayer in the cave at "Horeb the mount of God" (1 Kings 19:9-18) has been used as an example of listening to the Holy Ghost, and it is very likely that the King James' Translators were the first to use the term "still, small voice," which has become another name for the Holy Ghost.  It is used only three times in scripture, the other two being in 1 Nephi 17:45 and D&C 85:6, each time clearly refering to the Holy Ghost.

As with some other great spiritual experiences in the scriptures (for example, Lehi's dream, Joseph Smith's First Vision, the Liberty Jail revelation in D&C 121, the vision of the Spirit World in D&C 138), this great, simple revelation came after a period of great trial, and a feeling of near failure.  Elijah was so discouraged, he wanted to die.  He had performed amazing feets of Priesthood power, the people had proclaimed that Jehovah must be Lord, and yet he was still stuck hiding in a cave because of one powerful woman.  What was the use?

He was at a temple mountain, however, the right place for a discouraged person to go.  He heard the Lord ask, "What doest thou here, Elijah?"  His cry of despair was, "I have been very jealous [zealous] for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."  Although the prayer was sincere and desperate, the answer did not come immediately.  The Lord told him he would get his answer on the mountain. 

Before Elijah left the cave, a wind came, strong enough to break rocks, then an earthquake, and then a fire.  Although Elijah had exercised the power of God himself in mighty ways such as these, he knew they were not always expressions of the Spirit of the Lord.  He knew how to recognize the voice of the Lord.  When they passed, there followed a calmness, a peacefulness, "a still small voice."  Elijah knew this was what he was waiting for.  "He wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering of the cave."  Once again he heard the question, "What doest thou here, Elijah?"

Elijah repeated his heart-rending prayer.  As most of us will do when depressed and discouraged, Elijah "awful-ized" his situation, saying he was the only prophet left, a complete failure, a hunted man. The Lord answered with the positive side of the situation, as He will often do for us.  He gave Elijah instructions on anointing two kings.  He also told Elijah that He had prepared a companion prophet to take over when Elijah's wish to leave the earth was granted.  Between the two kings and Elisha, the wicked idolators would meet their deaths.  And last but definitely not least, he informed Elijah that there were actually 7,000 in Israel who still worshipped the Lord.  Elijah had not been a failure.


ELIJAH'S LATTER-DAY MISSION

There are two verses of scripture that are found in four of the Standard Works; what are they?  The verses proclaiming Elijah's great latter-day mission.  In the Bible and the Book of Mormon, they are exactly the same.  In the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, they are exactly the same.  But the verses in the scriptures that were written in ages past are different than those that were written in the latter days, and that tells us something about our relationship with Elijah:

Malachi 4:5-6 and 3 Nephi 25:5-6:  "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse (Joseph Smith's note: "Now the word turn here should be translated bind, or seal." Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 330)

D&C 2 and Joseph Smith--History 1:38:  "Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.  If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."

Here are the differences:

1. The latter-day verses clarify what the Prophet Elijah was to do:  Bring the Priesthood back to the earth.
2. The word "heart" is made plural in the latter-day scriptures.  Perhaps that is just a change in syntax, or perhaps it is a change in meaning through the ages.  In Bible times, the heart was the seat of thoughts, intentions, and actions.  Today we think of the heart as the sensitive, feeling part of our soul.  Perhaps the real meaning is a combination of both.  If anyone has any thoughts to share on this, please leave a comment below.
3. A very significant change:  the latter-day scriptures do not say Elijah will "turn the heart of the fathers to the children."  Apparently, that part of the promise has already occurred.  Now his job is to "plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers."  He will make us aware of the righteousness of our ancestors and the promises they have secured for us.  This awareness then, leads us to turn our hearts, our desires, to our ancestors.
4. The final statement of warning is more severe and far-reaching in the latter-day scriptures.  Rather than the earth being smitten with a curse, "the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."  This gives us some sense of the urgency and importance of our part in this plan, separate from the role of other generations.

"This is the spirit of Elijah, that we redeem our dead, and connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven, and seal up our dead to come forth in the firest ressurection; and here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those who dwell in heaven.  This is the power of Elijah and the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah" (TPJS, p. 337-338).

THE EXPLOSION OF THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH

Of course, to carry out the promise, three things are needed:

1. The Priesthood power
2. The people with the desire planted in their hearts
3. The places (temples) to bind the families together

We have the Priesthood restored.  Number one is done.  It needs only to spread throughout all regions of the earth.

We have many people, LDS and otherwise, who are crazy about genealogy.  We even had a very popular TV series here in America all about celebrities researching their genealogy ("Who Do You Think You Are?").  Access to records has become widespread: The Ellis Island records, the Freeman Bank Records, and now the New FamilySearch computer program combines loads of records which can be searched from home.  Number two is doing well collectively, but we must each ask ourselves individually whether we are on board, because we each must tie ourselves and our ancestors into this eternal family.

The grandeur, the majesty, and the magnitude of the spirit of Elijah can clearly be seen and easily measured in item Number Three: the spreading of temples throughout the earth.  By paying our tithing, holding current temple recommends, and participating in temple ordinances for the dead, we can further the work of Elijah in the temples.

(Teaching Tip:  You can use the following quiz of Temple Trivia [as if anything related to temples were trivial...] just for fun to illustrate the huge temple-building effort that is going on presently in the world.)

• After the first 50 years of temple building in this dispensation, how many temples did the Church own and operate?  (Two.  The first two had been abandoned.)
• After the next 50 years, how many temples were operating? (Seven.) 
• In the third 50 years, how many more were built?  (Nine, for a total of 16.  Washington D.C. was the ninth, completed in 1977.  The Ensign magazine ran an article entitled, "The 16 Temples of This Dispensation.")
• It took 161 years to have 50 operating temples on the earth.  How many years did it take to build the next 50?  (Three.  Boston, Masachusetts was the 100th, built in the year 2000.)
• What is the oldest operating temple in the world?  (St. George Utah)
• What is the oldest operating temple outside of Utah?  (Laie Hawaii)
• What is the oldest operating temple outside of the United States?  (Cardston Alberta Canada)
• What is the oldest operating temple outside of North America? (Bern Switzerland)
• For which temple was the movie created in order to allow people of multiple languages to attend the same session?  (Bern, Switzerland)
• Which temple was the first built in a Communist country?  (Freiberg Germany)
• For which temple did the city leaders rename its street "Temple Drive," and the three blocks surrounding the temple, "Temple," "Genealogist," and "Chapel"?  (Stockholm, Sweden, built in 1985)
• During which year were a record 34 temples dedicated? (The year 2000)
• How many temples are there in Utah (July 2010)?  (13, with two more announced)
• The 133rd temple was just dedicated in June 2010.  Where is it?  (Philippines Cebu City)
• How many temples have been announced and are not yet completed?  (19)
• There is another temple scheduled to be dedicated in August 2010, which was announced 12 years ago.  Where is it being built?  (Ukraine Kyiv)
• What percentage of the temples are outside of the United States (in 2010)?  (Just over 50%)
• Which country outside the United States has the most temples (in 2010)?  (Mexico with 12)
• How many temples are there on the earth today, including those announced or under construction (July 2010)? (152)

Sources for temple data:  lds.org temple page and ldschurchtemples.com. You can find current data to replace mine there as well.

There is also an excellent article on Elijah in the July 1990 Ensign.

Old Testament Lesson #27 The Influence of Wicked and Righteous Leaders

1 Kings 12-14; 2 Chronicles 17; 20

THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM

Unfortunately, Solomon set up the division of the Kingdom of Israel, which his father David had unified, by doing exactly what the Lord had warned the Israelites that a king would do (1 Sam. 8:5-18):  He forced such heavy taxation, particularly on the northern rural areas outside of Jerusalem, that when he died, the people were ready for revolt. 

REHOBOAM

The northern ten tribes invited Solomon's son, Rehoboam, the rightful heir to the kingdom, to Shechem to be crowned king (1 Kings 12:1).  This was out of order--he should have been crowned king in Jerusalem--so right away it was clear that something was afoot and Rehoboam knew he was on shaky ground.  The northern tribes also invited Jeroboam, an Israelite who had been a leader in Solomon's army, to the festivities.  Jeroboam had previously fled to Egypt for safety after the prophet Ahijah predicted that he would become the ruler of those ten tribes (1 Kings 11:28-39).  Although the prophecy was pronounced in the presence of only Ahijah and Jeroboam, one of them leaked it, and it made its way to Solomon (1 Kings 11:40), and undoubtedly many others.  Jeroboam was of the tribe of Ephraim, and Shechem was in Ephraim.  Very suspicious!  It would appear that the ten tribes decided to help fulfill the prophecy of Ahijah.

Jeroboam set up the rebellion, encouraging the people to ask Rehoboam whether he planned to reduce their burden (1 Kings 12:3-4).  It's clear that Rehoboam, who was completely inexperienced (2 Chron. 13:7 says he was "young and tenderhearted; 1 Kings 14:21 says he was 41 years old), didn't know what to do.  He asked advice of his father's old wise men, who recommended he be kind to the people, and serve them, and thus earn their devotion.  But, like teenagers will do, he also checked with his peers, and they insisted that he flex his royal muscle and show the people how tough he was, so they would be terrified of him.  Also like some teenagers, he figured that his buddies knew better what was happening and the geezers were out of touch.  Thus he made the foolish mistake of threatening the people with an iron glove (1 Kings 12:11) which gave the northern tribes exactly what they wanted: a reason to secede.  "What portion have we in David?" they cried.  "To your tents, O Israel!" Which is to say, "We will no longer be ruled by the descendant of David; let's pack up and go home."  When Rehoboam tried to enforce his threat by sending Adoram to either collect monetary taxes (Institute Manual) or servants for forced labor (Harper-Collins Study Bible) from the north tribes, they simply stoned him to death, and Rehoboam fled for his life back to the safety of Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:16-18).

Lessons to Learn: 
1) Older people usually give better advice.
2) People are loyal to those who serve them,
not to those who oppress them (see D&C 121:41)

JEROBOAM

Although Jeroboam had been prophecied to become the king, he did not remain true to the God of Israel.  He feared to have his people go to Jerusalem to worship appropriately, so he set up worship sites with idols intended to represent Jehovah, much as Aaron did in the wilderness (1 Kings 12:26-29).  He chose locations that had significance to the worship of Jehovah (Jacob saw his vision of the ladder to heaven at Beth-el, and a grandson of Moses had officiated at worship in Dan), hoping that would convince the people it was valid.  But the Lord didn't like it any better this time than He did in Aaron's time.  As if that weren't enough, Jeroboam set up his own festivals, and his own "priesthood" to officiate at the sacrifices, since the Levites were in Jerusalem.  For these reasons, he was condemned by the prophet to suffer the ignominy of rotting unburied after his death, a curse which his entire family would share, save one son because "in [that son] there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam" (1 Kings 14:11-13).  Unfortunately, the son escaped that fate by dying prematurely.

Lesson to Learn: 
We don't set the terms on worship;
we follow the ones the Lord sets.

ABIJAH

In the end, Jeroboam and his people were conquered by Rehoboam's son and successor, called Abijam.  Abijah was not himself a righteous man, but because he was of the promised House of David, his right to reign was honored by the Lord (1 Kings 15:3-5).  One thing David got right, which was a very, very important thing:  He always worshipped the Lord Jehovah.  Even though he made the grave error of following his lust until it led him to murder, he never turned to the worship of idols, as the other kings seem to have continually done. 

Abijah, likewise, knew to rely upon the Lord at the critical time.  He had the strength of character to stand upon a mount in his enemies' land, the land of Ephraim, and declare to all the ten tribes in detail the wickedness of the false worship Jeroboam had led them into, and invite them to join forces with the God of Israel (2 Chron. 13:4-9).  "As for us," he said, referring to the southern kingdom, "the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him...behold, God himself is with us for our captain...O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper" (2 Chron. 13:10-12). 

And he was right:  Despite Jeroboam's clever ambush, the men of Judah routed them out.  "Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers" (2 Chron. 13:18).  Jeroboam died of his battle wounds, after Abijah had driven him from his lands (2 Chron. 13:19-20).  Presumably, his body remained there, unclaimed, in fulfillment of the prophecy, but there is no detail in the surviving records.

Lesson to Learn: 
Even foxhole prayers are heard,
if they're offered sincerely,
and to the real God.

JEHOSHAPHAT

And now we reach one of those rare stories in the Old Testament (or in life, for that matter): The story of a righteous king!  Jehoshaphat, the grandson of Abijah, and great-great-grandson of King David.  His father, Asa, set the stage for him, commanding his people to worship God, listening to the prophet, casting out the idols, rebuilding the altars, and leading the people in a covenant to follow the Lord, even removing his grandmother (footnote to 2 Chron. 15:16) from royalty because she wouldn't give up her idols (2 Chron. 14-15).

Jehoshaphat built upon the excellent example of his father (2 Chron. 17:3-6; also 2 Chron. 20:32).  As often happened in the Book of Mormon (see, for example, Alma 31:5), Jehoshaphat set up a system to teach the people the true gospel.  He sent five princes (officials), nine Levites, and two priests out as missionaries among the people.  Their call was important enough that they were each named individually in the account.  They carried the scriptures with them to be sure of the accuracy of their teaching.  "And they...had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about through all the cities of Judah, and taught the people" (1 Chron. 17:9).  The fear of the Lord fell upon all the surrounding kingdoms, so that they didn't dare to attack Judah.

Jehoshaphat angered the Lord a couple of times, though.  (Nobody's perfect.)  He made a marriage alliance with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, and later went to war as his ally, rather than trusting in the Lord to protect his nation, for which he was rebuked by Jehu the prophet (2 Chron. 19:2).  But the rebuke was immediately tempered by an acknowledgement of Jehoshaphat's general righteousness:  "Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves [idolatrous worship sites] out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God" (2 Chron. 19:3).  After this rebuke, Jehoshaphat continued to send out his "general authorities" to preach the gospel (see footnote to 2 Chron. 19:4) and bring the people back to their God.  He also set up a system of judges, counseling them to judge for the Lord and not for man (2 Chron. 19:6-11).  (Later in life, he again formed some alliances of which the Lord did not approve.  They are briefly mentioned in 2 Chron. 20:35-37.)

Jehoshaphat's efforts to bring himself and his people closer to God paid off when an alliance of three other nations came against Judah to war.  Because of his scripture study, he knew exactly where to seek and claim help.  "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.  And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord" (2 Chron. 20:3-4).  They assembled at the temple, which Jehoshaphat had refurbished, and united themselves in prayer to God, with Jehoshaphat himself as voice.  Jehoshaphat quoted the words his great-grandfather King Solomon offered in the temple dedication, which was recorded in the scriptures, and called upon the promise asked for at that time:  "If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence...and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help" (2 Chron. 20:9).  (The dedicatory prayer quoted is found in 1 Kings 8, and repeats, after each of the above stated contingencies, something like, "then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause" [verse 45].  (See also "The Announcement of the Temple" in a previous post.)

After the prayer, one of the Levites, acting as prophet, came forth and said, "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great [army]; for the battle is not yours, but God's...Ye shall not need to fight in this battle." And then came the famous words which Joseph Smith quoted at the conflict at Fishing River: "Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord" (2 Chron. 20:15-17).  (See "A Latter-day Battle Fought from Heaven" in a previous posting.)

As is true of deeply faithful saints throughout time, the people of Judah immediately expressed gratitude for the blessing they had not yet received, bowing themselves to the earth, and then raising their voices in praise. 

In the morning, they began the day at the battlefield with a hymn.  Something about this singing triggered an "ambushment," or some kind of surprise attack in the battlefield below among the Ammonite alliance.  Perhaps it created a confusion, perhaps the Lord caused some freak scuffle, but however it started, the battle ensued with the three allied nations leaving Jehoshaphat's army entirely alone as they destroyed each other!  According to the scriptural account, it was complete devastation--none escaped alive.  The people of Judah were able to calmly walk among the dead and take their riches and jewels.  (Why did they bring them to battle?  One possible reason:  Living in a wicked nation, they did not dare to leave them at home, for thievery.)  There was so much, it took three days to haul it all off (2 Chron. 20:22-25).

What did they do on the fourth day?  What any faithful people would do: They gathered together to express their gratitude to the Lord.  They named the valley "Blessed" (footnote to 2 Chron. 20:26).  When they got back to Jerusalem, they continued their rejoicing in the temple.  The countries round about heard of the battle, and Judah remained completely peaceful and free of attack during all the rest of Jehoshaphat's reign.

Lessons to Learn: 
1) Scripture study always pays off.
2) We can be forgiven of our mistakes if we
    keep "preparing our hearts to seek God."
3) Preaching the gospel offers more safety
    than mustering soldiers.
4) Fasting works.
5) We must go to our battlefield, even
    if the Lord intends to fight the battle for us.
6) Songs of the righteous act as powerful prayers
    and mighty catalysts (see also D&C 25:12).
7) We should always maintain access to the temple
     (a recommend) so we can seek the Lord
     instantly for any emergency.
8) The Lord keeps His promises, even those
     pronounced generations before, and
    being aware of them helps us to claim them.
9) It is a show of faith to offer thanks to the Lord
     for blessings promised but not yet received.


Sources:  LDS Institute Manual, Harper-Collins Study Bible, Unger's Bible Dictionary

Supplement to Lesson #26 Jesse Knight, Man of Wisdom

After learning about King Saul, King David, and King Solomon and their great difficulties, one may wonder, "Is there anybody out there who can handle great wealth and power righteously?"  Let me introduce you to the story of a man who did:  Jesse Knight.  It would not be entirely inappropriate to include Jesse's story in your gospel doctrine study as a counterbalance to King Solomon's.

Most Latter-day Saints are familiar with Newell K. Knight, who is mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants several times.  He was one of the first members of the Church, initially hearing the gospel preached at the Whitmer home.  He had been possessed of a devil and Joseph Smith cast it out (Kelly, p. 51).  He was faithful to the end of his life, which wasn't a very long time; he died before reaching Winter Quarters, leaving behind a wife and six little children with another one due.  He appeared in a vision to his destitute wife and told her that he would watch over her and the children as they continued the trek to Salt Lake, but that he had been called to the other side to be a witness for the atrocities committed against the saints (Black, p. 171).  The youngest of the six Knight children at that time was a one-year-old boy named Jesse (Garr, p. 626).

Although he was raised in an LDS family and married an active Latter-day Saint, Jesse lost his commitment somewhere along the way.  "Then in 1887 an experience forever changed his commitment to the Church. A rat fell in the family well, died, and decomposed. Jennie, his youngest daughter, was the first to become ill from drinking the contaminated water.

"Despite his professed lack of faith, Knight was finally persuaded to bring in elders to give her a blessing, and Jennie recovered, something he always considered miraculous.

"His oldest daughter Minnie, however, died of the infection, and he remembered that 17 years earlier she had nearly died of diphtheria. At that time Knight had promised that he would not forget God if the Lord would spare Minnie's life. As he described it, 'I had not kept that promise. . . . I prayed for forgiveness and help. My prayer was answered and I received a testimony'" (J. William Knight, The Jesse Knight Family [Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1940], pp. 35–36, quoted on Brigham Young High School Website)

A few years before the turn of the 20th century, Jesse Knight had a manifestation that there was valuable ore in the Tintic mining district west of present-day Spanish Fork, Utah, beyond Utah Lake.  While on the Godiva Mountain where he had gone to think about problems, the Spirit told him, "This land is for the Mormons."  He interpreted that to mean there was treasure in the ground for the use of the Mormons and the Mormon Church. Another message he received was "that he was going to have all the money he wanted as soon as he was in a position to handle it properly, and that he would one day save the credit of the Church, which was then in debt...

"The whole manifestation came true" (Stegner, p. 201).  He staked out a small mine named the Junebug near the town of Eureka, Utah (now a ghost town). He made some money off its sale and began his philanthropy. 

At first helping others didn't pay off.  He co-signed on loans for friends who didn't keep their end of the bargain, and ended up mortgaging his own home to pay them off.  But he didn't lose his generosity--just got smarter with it--and he secured a loan to buy a mine that experts said was a humbug, thus inspiring its name:  the Humbug mine.

Jesse hired a couple of men, and they worked on the Humbug mine for 2 months with no success.  Then, one day, they struck a vein, and the Humbug made Jesse Knight instantly rich.  The second shipment of ore he got out to the United States Smelting Company netted him over $11,000. 

He continued to have manifestations of where to dig for ore in the surrounding properties which he bought: the Uncle Sam claim, the Beck tunnel, the Colorado claim, the Iron Blossom, and the Dragon.  By the time he bought the Colorado claim, "he was so sure of striking ore in it that he built an ore bin at the same time he was driving the tunnel.  The ore bin turned out to be in exactly the right place.  He did the same thing with the Iron Blossom...and the Dragon.

"A man with a shovel could simply dig up loose dirt and dig up wealth.  The whole floor was rich carbonate lead silver, without waste and as easy to mine as gravel.  By the time Jesse finished having manifestations about the claims in that area he was worth $10,000,000...

"There is something very close to inspiring in the way he used that money" (Stegner, p. 203).

That very first year, 1896, he built the town of Knightsville, Utah, 2 miles east of Eureka, including a meeting-house, an amusement hall, homes, and a school, because he didn't want his Mormon miners living in the rough environment of the mining towns.  "There were stores, churches, hotels, and a post office.  It was known as the only mining camp in the United States without a saloon" (Wikipedia).  He paid his miners 25 cents a day more than the prevailing wage, gave them Sundays off, and eventually convinced other operators that this was good business practice. He fired anyone he caught drunk.  (Nearby Eureka had plenty of saloons.)  By 1907, the population of Knightsville reached 1,000.

Knightsville, Utah

"He paid back all his back tithing, with compound interest, for the years in which he had ignored the Church.  Then, looking around for ways in which to use his money, he inaugurated a system of small loans to impoverished brethren" (Stegner, p. 207).  Soon he realized that allowing the poor to go further into debt was not the best idea, so he provided jobs instead.  There was a good deal of unemployment around Provo, so he hired men to build a road which was never finished, and to work a mine that never netted anything.  Even though he discovered the mine was worthless, he continued drilling another half mile, just to give the men work.

He bought a large amount of land in Alberta, Canada, and set up the townsite of Raymond (named for his oldest son, who helped establish it), offering the land cheap and interest-free for the first three years.  Within two years, he had 1500 settlers, mostly young Latter-day Saints who had been crowded out of the good farm land in Utah.  "When Canadian officials in bewilderment asked him why he was throwing his money around settling up that particular corner of Alberta on terms so ruinous to himself, he quite simply pulled out President [Lorenzo] Snow's twentieth century message: 'Men and women of wealth, use your riches to give employment to the laborer!  Take the idle from the crowded centers of population and place them on the untilled acres that await the hand of industry.  Unlock your vaults, unloose your purses...'" (Stegner, p. 205)

Giving his money to the benefit of the poor only made Jesse richer.  In 1906, his Knight Investment Corporation was founded, which soon included 80 corporations.

"He opened banks, built sugar factories and railroads, opened up a new country for farming.  The more money he found in his vaults the more enterprises he branched out into.  And eventually, strictly according to the first manifestation which had changed him from an obscure rancher to a fabulous and beloved magnate, he saved the credit of the Church...

"The last years of his life he spent being fairy godfather to Brigham Young University, at Provo.  Whatever endowment the school has is largely due to Jesse Knight" (Stegner, p. 207).

His own home at 185 E. Center, Provo, Utah 

was lovely and comfortable, but not overly ostentatious.

"Uncle Jesse...took seriously the responsibilities which wealth laid upon him...His abiding sense of the group and the group's needs, his respect for the common man, and his concept of money as an instrument for social betterment were a reflection of that part of Mormonism...which was unerringly prophetic" (Stegner, p. 207).

During the last years of his life, the ore began to run out in the mines.  Only a couple were operating when he died at the age of 75, and by the end of the Great Depression, Knightsville was a ghost town, and the Knight fortune was gone.  But Jesse had accomplished what was needed.  Perhaps the Lord stopped multiplying the wealth because He knew that there would not soon be another like Jesse Knight who would state and live a belief that "The earth is the Lord's bank and no man has a right to take money out of that bank and use it extravagantly upon himself" (Mangum).

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Sources: 
Diane L. Mangum, "Jesse Knight and the Riches of Life," Ensign, October 1993.
Brian & Petrea Kelly, Latter-day History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Susan Easton Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants
Arnold Garr, et.al, Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History
Wallace Stegner, Mormon Country, p. 201-207

Old Testament Lesson #26 King Solomon: Man of Wisdom, Man of Foolishness

1 Kings 3; 5-11

THE KINGS' LAW

Before they entered the Promised Land, Moses, speaking for the Lord as the prophet, gave counsel to their future kings.  "When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me..." (Deut. 17:14).  Knowing that they would eventually choose dictatorship as their form of government, he outlined the Lord's instructions for the kings of Israel.  This is called "The Kings' Law" (Duet. 17:14-20).

Verse 15:  There are two qualifications a king must have.  "Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, (1) whom the Lord thy God shall choose: (2) one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother."

Verses 16-17:  There are three restrictions placed upon the king's power.  "He shall not multiply (1) horses...(2) wives...or (3) silver and gold."

Verses 18-19:  There are two requirements made of the king.  "(1) He shall write him a copy of this law...and (2) he shall read therein all the days of his life..."  The results of living those two requirements will be "...(1) that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, (2) to keep all the words of this law and these statues, to do them: (3) that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment."  The promise to the king, if he keeps these restrictions and requirements, is that "he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children."

We will see that Solomon ignored the king's law, which lead to his downfall.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TEMPLE, THE CORONATION OF SOLOMON

The books of the Kings and the books of the Chronicles cover the same stories from slightly different perspectives and with slightly different emphases, therefore it is very helpful to read them together.

King David announced that Solomon was the son who has met the qualifications to be king (1 Chron. 28:5).  He publicly gave Solomon excellent advice and announced the first thing that Solomon was to do as king:  Build the temple, the palace for the Lord God (28:9-29:1).  He told the people that he had prepared of his "might" the building supplies for the temple already.  Knowing that he himself would never build it, never enter it, yet he did everything the Lord allowed him to do to provide for the temple.  Then he told the people that not only from the country's wealth, as king, had he laid aside, but "over and above," he had also contributed personally, from his own wealth (29:2).  Then he called for the people also to donate to the temple, which they did willingly and joyfully. (29:5,6,9).

1 Kings 6 names the dimensions of the temple.  The present-day equivalent is 100 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and 45 ft. high (according to the Institute manual).  (You may want to make a poster-board outline, using 1/2" to one foot as your scale.  If you can find the dimensions of your local temple, make an outline of that as well.  The Logan Temple is roughly 120 ft. long, 80 feet wide, and 170 feet to the top of the east tower.  If you would like to include interesting facts about temples as a little game, quiz, or just diversion in your lesson, there are some fun things at ldschurchtemples.com)

Model of King Solomon's Temple

King Solomon gave a beautiful public prayer to dedicate the temple.  This is found in 1 Kings 8.  In a beautiful poetic manner he itemizes six different situations in which people might pray for aid, and asks the Lord in each case, "Then hear thou in heaven and forgive" and help the people out of their difficulty.  If...

1.They are smitten down before the enemy (8:33)

2.There is no rain (8:35)

3.There is famine (8:37)

4.An emigrant converts to the true religion (8:41)

5.There is a battle (8:44)

6.They sin, but desire to repent (8:46)

SOLOMON'S PALACE

Immediately after completing the temple, Solomon commenced another building project: his own palace.  Whereas the Lord's palace was 100 ft. x 30 ft. x 45 ft. high, Solomon's palace was 165 ft. x 80 ft. x 45 ft. high.  (You may to have another posterboard cut to the dimensions of the Solomon's palace.)  Whereas the Lord's palace took seven years to build, the king's palace took thirteen.

SOLOMON'S GOVERNMENT

Solomon had some forward-thinking ideas for governance.  He was the first king to have a cabinet.  It is listed in 1 Kings 4:1-6.  The entire house of Israel was unified under Solomon, and his reign covered the whole area of the Holy Land (1 Kings 4:20-21).  The people were no longer divided into tribes; instead Solomon divided them into twelve geographic regions.  Over each of these regions, he placed a governor.  These men are listed in 1 Kings 4:7-20.  This chapter gives some of Solomon's really great ideas that he developed over time, but some also that grew to be problems.

SOLOMON'S FOLLIES

Now we can refer back to the Kings' Law.  What were the restrictions?  The first was not to multiply horses.  "Horses" refers to military might, because horses were part of the mighty war machines of the day, the chariots.  Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses (4:26).

The second restriction was not to multiply wives.  Solomon had 1,000 wives and concubines (1 Kings 11:1-3).  Verses 5-7 list the idols the wives brought with them, and the very worst ones imaginable are included:  Molech and Chemosh.  They are two different names (in two languages) for the same god and the worship of this idol was so horrible, so cruel, it's unbelievable. 

The last restriction was not to multiply wealth.  1 Kings 4:22-28 itemizes the provisions required for the king's household for just one day.  (The equivalent is 188 bushels of flour and 370 bushels of meal.)  Each province had to supply a whole month.  It was a truly heavy tax.

STRENGTHS CAN BECOME SNARES

Solomon was meant to be great and to bring Israel to greatness (1 Chron. 29:25), but riches and honor make for a very difficult test that few people can stand.  In fact, any strength or unusual gift that we have can become our downfall if we do not keep it in check.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said that Satan will try to use our strengths as well as our weaknesses to pull us down to destruction.  How do we avoid this problem?  "The quality we must cultivate is humility.  Humility is the great protector."  The restrictions and requirements of the Kings' Law were designed to help the king stay humble despite his power.

Elder Oaks said, "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" (Ensign, October 1994).

CONCLUSION

In the words of King David, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all" (1 Chron. 29:11-12).

We need to ask ourselves which kind of palace we are building with the gifts that we have been given.  We might ask ourselves, as King David asked Israel, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" (1 Chron. 29:5)

SUPPLEMENT

A typical teaching style of the Old Testament is to juxtapose good examples with bad examples.  In the case of the kings' use of power, there are bad examples heaped upon each other.  If you would like to use a contrasting story of righteous use of power and wealth (although in the latter-days, rather than the Old Testament), please refer to the fascinating story of Jesse Knight in the next blog entry.