Feast for 21 March through 25 March 2016

* Isaiah 54-57
Names for Christ in the block of scripture:
"Lord of Hosts," "Redeemer," "Holy One of Israel," "God of the whole earth"

Summary of Isaiah 54:1-3- Handout from "The Kindgoms of Israel and Judah at a Glance." Isaiah witnessed the scattering of the Northern Kingdom because of wickedness, prophesied that Juadh would be conquered because of wickedness, saw that after being gathered again there would be growth.

Video from LDS Gospel Library:
President Hinckley: "Bring Back Those Who are Lost" - Isaiah 54:1-3 (1:11)

Isaiah 54:4-5
Israel would forget it's shame from unfaithfulness - "the shame of thy youth" and. 'The reproach of thy widowhood," he describes Israel's condition of separation from her close covenant relationship with the Lord.

Isaiah 54:7-10 
The Lord describes His relationship with Israel as a marriage- He is the husband and Israel is the wife.
The Lord would gather them with great mercies, show everlasting kindness and mercy for them, no more floods (as in Noah's day) would come, and kindness wouldn't depart.

Elder Holland quote:
"Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don't expect it and oftener feel they don't deserve it"

GEM - THE LORD IS MERCIFUL AND SEEKS TO GATHER BACK TO HIM THOSE WHO HAVE SINNED


Video from LDS Gospel Library:
Elder Holland: "Coe Unto Christ" - Isaiah 55:1-7 (1:27)

Isaiah 55:7
The Lord "will abundantly pardon" means He will fully forgive us.

Elder Anderson Quote:
"When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God.
"The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to "re-turn" toward God"

GEM - IF WE RETURN TO THE LORD, THEN HE WILHAVE MERCY ON US

Isaiah 55:8-9
The Lord's ways are not man's ways.

GEM -  THE LORD IS ALL-KNOWING AND HIS WAYS ARE PERFECT

Isaiah 57:13

The blessings we receive when we trust in the Lord are that we will inherit His Holy Mountain.

* Isaiah 58
This chapter has two Scripture Masteries in it.

Isaiah 58:13-14 (Scripture Mastery)
Sabbath day and high places

Bishop Dennis talked about the words Elder Bednar spoke when visiting with the local priesthood leadership and missionaries last week. Elder Bednar said, "the Temple he church built and protects - the lord allows us to protect the sabbath"
Sustaining means support and do what is asked of us.

Sacred ordinance are saving ordinances.

Temple - consecrated, dedicated, holy, and saving ordinances are performed there. It is a sanctuary or safe place.

Sabbath - consecrated, dedicated, holy, and saving ordinances are performed then. It is a tie to learn and be taught. It is 24 hours - not just a three-hour block.

Isaiah 58:6-7 (Scriptures Mastery) 

Law of the Fast

Sabrina explained how to fast.
     start with a prayer, and have a purpose, then close with a prayer.

Fast Offering is money you would have spent on two meals for you and/or your family during the 24-hr period.


* Isaiah 59-66
The paragraph symbol is used many times in Isaiah and it lets us know Isaiah is either clarifying was he has just spoken or he is clarifying something he has previously said somewhere else. (this symbol is usually regularly throughout the scriptures)
Isaiah prophesied or events that would occur in the last days, also during and after the millennium.

Word to know:
Intercessor   someone who intervenes to help settle difference between two people or groups.

We don't have to commit a grievous or even not-so-grievous sin to stop feeling the spirit. If we stop  doing the basic things (reading our scriptures, praying, acting on promptings from the spirit, attending our Sunday meetings, and our weekday church activities, going to the Temple, etc.) we will lose th Spirit from lack of nourishment. Our physical bodies need nourishment to live. Our Spirit needs spiritual nourishment to live.

Isaiah 65:17
We don't remember the pre-existence because their is a spiritual veil over our minds.

Isaiah 59:1-2
"The Lord's Hand is not chortened" = the Lord's power to save has not decreased.

Isaiah 59:3-4,7
The people had committed many sins . . .
     Defiled with blood, fingers with iniquity, lives spoken lies, tongue muttered perverseness, none  
     called for justice, none pleaded truth, trusted in vanity, conceive mischief, feet run to evil, she'd
     innocent blood, thoughts of iniquity, wasting and destruction in their paths.

GEM - WHEN WE SIN, WE SEPARATE  OURSELVES FROM GOD

Isaiah 59:16
The Lord saw that His people needed an intercessor so He became that. 

Isaiah 59:20
The Savior's roll as our Redeemer was that He purchased our sins with His blood through the Atonement.

GEM - IF WE REPENT OF OUR SINS, THEN THE LORD WILL INTERCEDE FOR US AND REDEM US.

Isaiah 63:1-3
The red color of he Savior's garments represents the blood of the wicked who will be destroyed  when justice is poured out upon them at the Second Coming and the Millennium. It can also remind the righteous of the blood He shed on their behalf.

DURING THE MILLENNIUM THE LORD'S EOPLE WILL ENJOY HAPPINESS, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY. 

* Jeremiah 1-6
Things they hope to accomplish - graduation, and have success in life.

Jeremiah 1:4-5

Melany -  "He knew everyone"

True to the Faith
foreordination - applies to ll members

The Lord will prepare us if we are righteous.

Jeremiah 2:13
Two evils:   forsake Him                     Broken cistern

RaeLynn - "you need water like you need Jesus"

Most temples have fountains. Fountains are like living water -Christ is living water.

Jeremiah 3:12-13
Transgressed against God, backsliding.

Elder Holland: "We can change if we really want to"