This week I learned, don't get behind! I let stuff at work and just weird scheduling to let me fall back on my daily scripture study. I finished out the week where I am supposed to be, but that is only the result of some hard and heavy scripture reading on Sunday.
I did come across a nifty website though this week, www.standardworks.org lets you set up an RSS feed to deliver to your browser every day the scriptures that you need to read that day to stay on target with your goal. I don't know about you but I think that is a brilliant idea.
So, what did I learn from this weeks scritpure study? Well, I read about Noah, Babel, the Abrahamic Covenant, and a lot of other stuff. I also read a lot of genealogy. So and so lived for so many years and begat so and so and then lived for this many more years before they died. Genesis provides the genealogy of the first 1000 or so years of biblical history in one long list. It's a little dry to read and I am left wondering why it was seen as so important.
One little tidbit I did glean from that genealogical record though was that Noah was the patriarch/prophet of the first generation to be born after the death of Adam. Now how's that for interesting. He is the first patriarch to get a staring roll in the OT after Adam, the next big name if you will, and he is also the first one on the scene after his death. I think that is an interesting little detail.
In this batch of scripture study I am left wondering why so many of the OT prophets lie to those around them. Abraham lies to the Egyptians about his wife and tells them she is his sister (ew), and then his son Isaac does the same thing with his wife.
Over all I feel like there is quite a bit that I am missing from the original intent of the Old Testament. I look forward to my future study of the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price as they add some needed context to what I am reading now, but sadly that does not roll around until much later this year.
Anyways, that is all my thoughts for now. I am not sure if weekly updates on this is going to work. There is just so much volume that I read through during the course of the week for me to be able to make cogent comments on all of it. I may have to try going to a daily format, but I am concerned that the load will be to much.
Oh well, that is for later. TTFN.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Day 1: Genesis 1 - 4
So today marks the beginning of my journey. To complete the task of reading all of the standard works in a year I need to read approximately 7 pages a day. This should not be to hard of a challenge given that I often read 50+ pages of fiction literature a day. Of course scripture study is not to be equated to fiction pleasure reading in regards to the time or effort that it takes. At the same time though this is far more important that reading the Hobbit for the someodd-tenth time, so there you go.
Today I read Genesis 1 - 4. Only 1 new thought jumped out at me that I had not noticed before, so I will start with that and then move on to the transcription of previous notes.
Genesis 1:14 - "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:"
This phrase, "...and let them be for signs..." had never jumped out at me before, but upon reading it this time I realized how many prophecies talk about astronomical phenomenon being a sign of the prophecy. From the star at Jesus's birth, to the moon turning as blood, the stars falling out of the sky, a day and a night and a day that are all as bright as a single day. Heavenly Father gave us the stars and moon and sun as much to create a prophetic billboard as to give us light and heat. For some reason this thought fascinates me.
Okay, other thoughts from previous scripture readings:
Genesis 1: 6 - 8 - This is where the idea of Heaven being in the clouds comes from.
Genesis 1:26 - What manner of creature is man? Divinity in embryo.
Genesis 1:26-27 - Why is it "our image" instead of "my image"? Who is God talking to?
Genesis 1:28 - The first commandment from Heavenly Father to Man.
Genesis 2:3 - The origin of the Sabbath. Notice the Sabbath was originally the 7th day, Saturday, at the end of the week.
Genesis 2:5 - Spirit forms are created before corporal forms.
Genesis 2:7 - Gen 1:28 shows man being created, Why does it happen again?
Genesis 2:9 - Why put these 2 trees in the Garden if they cause so much trouble? Without them there is no Agency.
Genesis 2:11-14 - While these names are familiar remember the world was very different then and there is nothing saying these are the Ethiopia, Assyria, and Euphrates that we know today.
Genesis 2:17 - Eating of this tree will make you Mortal.
Genesis 2:22-23 - Woman meaning "of man" or "from man"
Genesis 2:24 - It is important here to recognize that this verse is God marrying Adam and Eve
Genesis 3:6 - When is becoming Wise a bad thing?
Genesis 4:26 - At this time there are generationsthat never knew the Garden, nor having walked with God. Their only contact with Heavenly Father & Jesus are through Prayer.
So that's all my notes from previous studies. They get more sparse as I go farther into the scriptures, so it won't end up being such a laundry list in the future.
Next up, the first of the begat chapters. Fun!
Today I read Genesis 1 - 4. Only 1 new thought jumped out at me that I had not noticed before, so I will start with that and then move on to the transcription of previous notes.
Genesis 1:14 - "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:"
This phrase, "...and let them be for signs..." had never jumped out at me before, but upon reading it this time I realized how many prophecies talk about astronomical phenomenon being a sign of the prophecy. From the star at Jesus's birth, to the moon turning as blood, the stars falling out of the sky, a day and a night and a day that are all as bright as a single day. Heavenly Father gave us the stars and moon and sun as much to create a prophetic billboard as to give us light and heat. For some reason this thought fascinates me.
Okay, other thoughts from previous scripture readings:
Genesis 1: 6 - 8 - This is where the idea of Heaven being in the clouds comes from.
Genesis 1:26 - What manner of creature is man? Divinity in embryo.
Genesis 1:26-27 - Why is it "our image" instead of "my image"? Who is God talking to?
Genesis 1:28 - The first commandment from Heavenly Father to Man.
Genesis 2:3 - The origin of the Sabbath. Notice the Sabbath was originally the 7th day, Saturday, at the end of the week.
Genesis 2:5 - Spirit forms are created before corporal forms.
Genesis 2:7 - Gen 1:28 shows man being created, Why does it happen again?
Genesis 2:9 - Why put these 2 trees in the Garden if they cause so much trouble? Without them there is no Agency.
Genesis 2:11-14 - While these names are familiar remember the world was very different then and there is nothing saying these are the Ethiopia, Assyria, and Euphrates that we know today.
Genesis 2:17 - Eating of this tree will make you Mortal.
Genesis 2:22-23 - Woman meaning "of man" or "from man"
Genesis 2:24 - It is important here to recognize that this verse is God marrying Adam and Eve
Genesis 3:6 - When is becoming Wise a bad thing?
Genesis 4:26 - At this time there are generationsthat never knew the Garden, nor having walked with God. Their only contact with Heavenly Father & Jesus are through Prayer.
So that's all my notes from previous studies. They get more sparse as I go farther into the scriptures, so it won't end up being such a laundry list in the future.
Next up, the first of the begat chapters. Fun!
The plans
So, 2 alternate plans. I am thinking plan B will be more likely for me right now, but I will put them both out there, and we will see what happens.
The beginning to both plans is the same. I plan on reading all of the standard works, that's Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, during the year of 2012.
I plan on posting my thoughts from my reading here, in order to keep me honest and record my journey. I am also going to transcribe other notes that I have taken in the past in my quad into the blog post, that way I have a permanent record of my thoughts if I ever lose my scriptures.
The two plans come in at the posting schedule...
Plan 1) Post Daily - I find this highly unlikely, but it is absolutely a possibility, so it bears mentioning. If I find I have time to write a blog post every morning along side the reading that I am planning on doing then maybe I will end up posting daily, or at least infrequently during the week. Who knows?
Plan 2) Post Weekly - This I find much more likely. I am always struggling to find something appropriate to do on the Sabbath and making a blog post to record my thoughts and notes from the previous week seems to be a great idea.
For the time being I will be moving forward with Plan 2, but pricing, specials, and availability is subject to change.
The beginning to both plans is the same. I plan on reading all of the standard works, that's Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, during the year of 2012.
I plan on posting my thoughts from my reading here, in order to keep me honest and record my journey. I am also going to transcribe other notes that I have taken in the past in my quad into the blog post, that way I have a permanent record of my thoughts if I ever lose my scriptures.
The two plans come in at the posting schedule...
Plan 1) Post Daily - I find this highly unlikely, but it is absolutely a possibility, so it bears mentioning. If I find I have time to write a blog post every morning along side the reading that I am planning on doing then maybe I will end up posting daily, or at least infrequently during the week. Who knows?
Plan 2) Post Weekly - This I find much more likely. I am always struggling to find something appropriate to do on the Sabbath and making a blog post to record my thoughts and notes from the previous week seems to be a great idea.
For the time being I will be moving forward with Plan 2, but pricing, specials, and availability is subject to change.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The First Post
"Here I go again on my own..." - White Snake
I have made so many first posts to blogs that I then did not follow through on it is almost sad. Having said that, I have high hopes for this blog. It gives me a chance to journal, which I know I should do but I am not very diligent at, and keeps me honest about my daily scripture study, which I know I should do but I am not very diligent at.
So first: Introductions -
My name is Brian. I am a late-20s::early-30s Mormon that lives in Carrollton Texas. I have a wife I have been married to for 5 years and 2 cats. No kids at this point, making us something of a statistical anomaly amongst Mormon families, but we are happy with the life we have now, and if we end up with something else later I am sure that will be wonderful as well.
Second: Purpose -
Why am I writing a blog?
Well, the new year is just a month away, and I have decided to once again rededicate myself to reading the scriptures. It is something that I really want to do, but I am nervous about, because my track record for scripture study has not been stellar, like, ever.
But that is where this blog comes in. I will be making regular posts here with my thoughts of what I have learned from my studies. By posting the notes publicly I hope to give myself some feeling of responsibility to get it done, essentially build in a sense of accountability.
Will it work? Who knows. But we will find out together. I have a planned schedule of posting, but I am going to keep that close to the vest for now because I don't know if it is reasonable. Suffice it to say it will fall somewhere between daily and weekly.
So that's the plan for 2012. In the mean time I will use the blog as a sounding board and to post general spiritual thoughts....and just generally see what happens.
So let's see what happens.
I have made so many first posts to blogs that I then did not follow through on it is almost sad. Having said that, I have high hopes for this blog. It gives me a chance to journal, which I know I should do but I am not very diligent at, and keeps me honest about my daily scripture study, which I know I should do but I am not very diligent at.
So first: Introductions -
My name is Brian. I am a late-20s::early-30s Mormon that lives in Carrollton Texas. I have a wife I have been married to for 5 years and 2 cats. No kids at this point, making us something of a statistical anomaly amongst Mormon families, but we are happy with the life we have now, and if we end up with something else later I am sure that will be wonderful as well.
Second: Purpose -
Why am I writing a blog?
Well, the new year is just a month away, and I have decided to once again rededicate myself to reading the scriptures. It is something that I really want to do, but I am nervous about, because my track record for scripture study has not been stellar, like, ever.
But that is where this blog comes in. I will be making regular posts here with my thoughts of what I have learned from my studies. By posting the notes publicly I hope to give myself some feeling of responsibility to get it done, essentially build in a sense of accountability.
Will it work? Who knows. But we will find out together. I have a planned schedule of posting, but I am going to keep that close to the vest for now because I don't know if it is reasonable. Suffice it to say it will fall somewhere between daily and weekly.
So that's the plan for 2012. In the mean time I will use the blog as a sounding board and to post general spiritual thoughts....and just generally see what happens.
So let's see what happens.
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