OUR FAMILY: Monday, February 5, 2024: Town to get horse feed, Bertie's, Thomas in the house more & more, Kim wins at Five Crowns, Cut a Covenant

Jordan River, Utah

20th operating temple

Dedicated: 16-20 Nov 1981

By: Marion G. Romney

Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 1:13-19

Come Follow Me

Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life, through the Great Mediator

2 Nephi 1-2 Introduction

October General Conference

"Kingdom of Glory" by President Dallin H. Oaks

Walk with Him

"Be Peaceable Followers of Christ" by Elder Quentin L. Cook

Book

"Increase in Learning" p. 153-162 Gospel doctrines are a supernal source of power and influence for good. Doctrine = Why, Principles = What, Application = How.

"Lord help me keep my appointments that Thou hast made for me." -Ann Madsen

I got this quote from listening to Barb & Elaine on "Walk with Him."

I lacked sleep last night even though I went to bed before 9 and even took a sleeping pill. Tom missed his early morning visit into the house but he came in later when Kim opened the door. He went upstairs twice so we closed all the doors. James made him go outside anyway.

James had to go to town to get horse feed. We wanted to take Kim and Brian to lunch. They were interested in going to the Hungry Buffalo but it isn't open on Monday, neither is Charlie Clark's.

Someone told me that Bertie's had good food. Kim was working on her puzzle and I could tell she really didn't want to go anywhere. Brian was resting on one of the couches and didn't seem interested either. I asked them if I could bring them anything but they said no. I was a little disappointed but understood they just wanted to relax.

Kim was worried we were going to be offended but I assured her that we wouldn't be. Off to town James and I go.

Let me just say that I was not impressed with Bertie's decor and there was only one other couple eating there. I ordered brisket and James ordered a French dip. The meat of my brisket was tender but it had a funny after taste. I couldn't eat very much. James's French dip was okay but nothing to write home about. We decided we wouldn't be coming back. We paid over $42.00 for this less than stellar lunch.

When we left Bertie's we headed for the carwash. We paid $10 to get our car washed on the outside. We parked in the vacuuming area and used the free vacuum. My car is so pretty when it is clean. I wonder how long it will last.

We got gas at Circle K and then stopped at Tractor Supply for horse feed. James bought twice as much as he normally does paying over $90.

We listened to "Protecting Her Heart" by N.C. Allen on the way home.

Thomas is coming in the house more and more. Kim and Brian love him and he loves them.

This evening we played a game of Five Crowns. Kim won and I lost. It was not my finest moment or my finest game.

I am reading an article entitled "Cutting Covenants." Somehow Kim and I got on the subject of covenant making as found in Genesis 15 between Jehovah and Abram. I watched the "Don't Miss This" episode for Genesis 15 with Dave and Emily where they explain what is happening in verses 9-17. "And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces." In that same day the Lord made (or 'cut' in Hebrew) a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates" (Genesis 15:17-18).

The article I am reading is by Jared T. Parker who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. Because I don't want to forget about this covenant and what it means I am going to share some of this article here:

"Various proposals have been made relative tot he animals Abram used and what they symbolized. Many have observed that the five different kinds of animals comprise all those that were later acceptable as sacrifices under the law of Moses. Some have thought that the animals were actually sacrificed (blood poured out, carcasses burned on an altar) as part of the covenant-making ritual in addition to being slaughtered and divided. Though later extrabiblical retellings of Abram's experience suggest the animals were sacrificed, there is no indication of this in the scriptural account and the normal sacrificial elements are notably absent. Lastly, most think the two birds were killed, though the text is not explicit. (The Apocalypse of Abraham suggests the birds were left alive to carry Abram to heaven (see James H. Charlesworth, ed.,The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha [New York: Doubleday, 1983], 1:696).

One explanation of the symbolism in Genesis 15 is based on the Lord's revelation that Abram's posterity would become slaves in Egypt and later return to Canaan (see vv.13-16). In other words, Abram's experience can be seen as a type of his posterity's future. In this approach, the smoking furnace and burning lamp represent God's presence, foreshadowing the cloud and pillar of fire during the Exodus (see Exodus 13:21-22). The five different animals, comprising all the clean animals for sacrifice under the law of Moses, are seen as the whole house of Israel. Since birds of prey are seen as unclean in the law of Moses (see Leviticus 11:13-19), they represent oppressive foreign nations. Thus the "rite pictures Abram's descendants, in the form of sacrificial animals, protected by the Abrahamic promises from attacks by foreigners, the birds of prey. After Abram's death, his 'falling asleep,' the Lord (the smoking pot and torch of fire) will walk among them." This seems to be a useful approach based on the existing biblical text.

Latter-day Saints have the benefit of modern revelation which can expand our understanding of Abram's covenant-cutting experience. The Joseph Smith Translation adds to the biblical account that the Lord revealed he would give Abram the land for an everlasting inheritance after his death by virtue of Christ's Resurrection. "And the Lord said, Though thou wast dead, yet am I not able to give it thee? And if thou shalt die, yet thou s halt possess it, for the day cometh, that the Son of Man shall live; but how can he live if he be not dead? he must first be quickened. And it came to pass, that Abram looked forth and saw the days of the Son of Man, and was glad, and his soul found rest" (JST, Genesis 15:10-12). (The wording here suggests Jesus referred to Abram's experience in Genesis 15 when he said to the Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56) In other words, the promise of land to Abram was not limited to Israel inheriting Canaan after the Exodus, but was also an individual promise to Abram that would be fulfilled in eternity. Furthermore, modern revelation teaches that the promise of an everlasting inheritance of land is a key part of the fulness of the gospel because it refers to inheriting the earth when it becomes a celestial kingdom (see D&C 38:17-20; 88:17-20). Thus is seems clear that Jehovah actually cut a gospel covenant with Abram.

Another way modern revelation can help us gain additional insight into Genesis 15 is to consider it a Temple text and compare it to our latter-day understanding of the plan of salvation. This can be seen by identifying parallels with Jacob's later experience at Bethel and ancient Israel's Tabernacle-Temple. First, at Bethel we understand that Jacob had a dream wherein he saw a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it, and that he received from Jehovah the same promises Abram did in Genesis 15 (see Genesis 28:12-14). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that Jacob's ladder had "three principle rounds" representing "the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms," and Latter-day Saints understand modern Temples to be "all what Bethel was to Jacob." Clearly Jacob's experience at Bethel, which means "house of God" in Hebrew (see Genesis 28:19, footnote a), was a Temple experience. Second, we recognize that the ancient Tabernacle-Temple exhibited three gradations of holiness, like Jacob's ladder, which Latter-day Saints understand to represent the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial levels. Now, if we apply the Temple connotations associated with Bethel and the ancient Tabernacle-Temple to Abram's experience, we could think of the three different animals in Genesis 15, each three years old, as representing three gradations of holiness, and thereby signifying the three degrees of glory. The two birds with the ability to fly can be seen as representing angels, like those Jacob saw at Bethel (see Genesis 28:12) and the cherubim on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies of the ancient Tabernacle-Temple (see Exodus 25:18, 22). God's passing between the animal pieces can be thought of as foreshadowing the high priest in ancient Israel and Christ, the great High Priest, who passed through the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial divisions of the ancient Tabernacle-Temple (see Hebrews 9). Putting all these ideas together, Genesis 15 could signify that by cutting covenants, God would bring Abram through the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial levels, back into his presence. Of course this approach to Genesis 15 goes well beyond the existing account, but it is consistent with what modern revelation tells us about Abram and should not seem too unusual when we remember that all things God has given to man typify Christ in some way (see 2 Nephi 11:4). In short, latter-day revelation helps us see how the covenant cutting in Genesis 15 can be viewed as a Temple text.

Whew! That was a long quote!