Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
I love the imagery in Psalms 119:105, where the word of God is compared to a lamp and a light. The word of God helps you with your next step and your life’s journey. It gives direction, guidance, the power to avoid deception and resist temptation, and guidance in our daily lives. I love how the word of God provides healing to the soul. As we study Psalms this week, I hope you find a little more guidance, direction, and healing.
Introduction to 3rd week in Psalms: Look through the hymnal to find one of your favorite hymns.
Another introduction to 3rd week in Psalms: Your mission is to take on the job of a music studio producer and put together an album of 10-15 songs (Psalms).
A little help for your album: Frequently cited Psalms in the past 110 years of General Conference.
8:3-6 9:17 12:6 14:1
16:10-11 19:1 19:7 22:18
24:3-4 27:1 30:5 33:12
34:18 41:9 45:7 46:10
48:2 50:1-10 54:4
55:4,17,22 68:18 72:8 76:10 82:6
84:11 85:8-13 89:14-15 97:5
102:13-16 105:15 107:2-7 107:35-43
110:3-4 119:105 121:2-4 126:6
127:1,3,5 133:3 139:7-10 139:22-24 144:15
Brigham Young: “There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven.” (Discourses of Brigham Young p 242-243)
President Ezra Taft Benson: “Music has power to create atmosphere… Atmosphere creates environment, and environment influences behavior -the behavior of Babylon or of Enoch” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 326).
“Try Mormon’s method. Listen to some of your favorite songs and write down the lyrics. Then turn off the music and read through them. If they invite you to do good, they’re probably okay. If they suggest that you violate the standards of the Church, it might be time to clean out your music collection (see Moro. 7:16–17).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1991/08/fyi-for-your-info?lang=eng)
“Ask yourself if you’re ever embarrassed by the music. The beat may be great and even harmless, but if there’s anything about the music that makes you uncomfortable listening to it with anyone else around—like your seminary teacher, your mom, etc.—it might be time to change your tune.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1991/08/fyi-for-your-info?lang=eng)
Elder Orson Pratt: “We came forth into this desert, wandering in the wilderness in a solitary way. (Ps. 107:4) Who were they that thus wandered? People that had been gathered but from the east and the west, from the north and the south, (Ps. 107:3) redeemed from the hand of those who sought to destroy them. (Ps. 107:2) “They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way, and they found no city to dwell in.” (Ps. 107:4) How different this was from the ancient Israelites when they entered the land of Palestine! … How different was that from the latter-day work, when the redeemed of the Lord should gather from the four quarters of the earth, and wander in a wilderness in a solitary way; they were to find no city to dwell in.” (Ps. 107:3-4) (JD18:144, Orson Pratt, Fulfillment of Prophecy, Etc.)
Lamps in the time of King David
President Ezra Taft Benson: “When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, . . . Personal revelation will flow ("The Power of the Word," Ensign, May 1986, 81).
President Ezra Taft Benson: “The scriptures are replete with similar promises about the value of the word. Do you have members who long for direction and guidance in their lives? The Psalms tell us, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105) and Nephi promises that feasting upon the words of Christ “will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Ne. 32:3)
“Are there members of your flock who are deep in sin and need to pull themselves back? Helaman’s promise is for them: “Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil.” (Hel. 3:29)
“Success in righteousness, the power to avoid deception and resist temptation, guidance in our daily lives, healing of the soul—these are but a few of the promises the Lord has given to those who will come to His word. … However diligent we may be in other areas, certain blessings are to be found only in the scriptures, only in coming to the word of the Lord and holding fast to it as we make our way through the mists of darkness to the tree of life.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1986/04/the-power-of-the-word?lang=eng)
Elder Boyd K. Packer: “Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that “leap of faith,” as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1983/01/the-candle-of-the-lord?lang=eng)
Elder Boyd K. Packer: “'You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.' Then he quoted these eighteen words from the Book of Mormon: 'Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.' (Ether 12:56)
"Those eighteen words from Moroni have been like a beacon light to me."("The Edge of the Light," BYU eighteen-stake fireside, March 4, 1990.)
President Russell M. Nelson: “Throughout the world, the family is increasingly under attack. If families fail, many of our political, economic, and social systems will also fail. And if families fail, their glorious eternal potential cannot be realized.
“Our Heavenly Father wants husbands and wives to be faithful to each other and to esteem and treat their children as an heritage from the Lord. (see Psalms 127:3) In such a family we study the scriptures and pray together. And we fix our focus on the temple. There we receive the highest blessings that God has in store for His faithful children. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2008/05/salvation-and-exaltation?lang=eng)
Elder Neil L. Andersen: “When a child is born to a husband and wife, they are fulfilling part of our Heavenly Father’s plan to bring children to earth. . . .
“Families are central to God’s eternal plan. I testify of the great blessing of children and of the happiness they will bring us in this life and in the eternities.” (“Children,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 28, 31)
President Lorenzo Snow: “I remember very well the cloudy and stormy days of Kirtland, and how foolishly some people acted. There were men who occupied high standing in the Church, who disgraced themselves, having behaved in a manner which afterwards brought the blush of shame to their cheeks. There was a reason for that. Had they lived so that they could have offered up in their hearts David's prayer, Ps. 139:23-24 they would not have been numbered among those who apostatized and fell in the hour of trial. It would be well to examine ourselves, hold communion with ourselves in the secret closet, to ascertain how we stand … before the Lord, so that if need be we may renew our diligence and faithfulness, and increase our good works..” (JD, 23:189, The Establishment of Character, Etc.)
President John Taylor: “God is now feeling after us, and will disclose our secret thoughts. It would be well to purify and prepare ourselves, and in the language of the Psalmist, call upon God, saying, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps. 139:23-24
"If we succeed in passing through the approaching fiery ordeals with our fidelity and integrity unimpeached, we may expect at the close of our trials, a great and mighty outpouring of the Spirit and power of God—a great endowment upon all who shall have remained true to their covenants.” (JD, No Justice for Saints in the Courts, etc., 26:364)
First Presidency Preface to Hymns
“Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.
“We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/guidelines/first-presidency-preface-to-the-hymns)
Teaching Thoughts:
Introduction to 3rd week in Psalms: Look through the hymnal to find one of your favorite hymns.
- Make sure it references a Psalm (p. 410).
- Be prepared to share the Psalm and hymn.
- If desired, let’s sing one verse of that hymn.
Another introduction to 3rd week in Psalms: Your mission is to take on the job of a music studio producer and put together an album of 10-15 songs (Psalms).
- Review favorite passages from Psalms that you have studied the past few weeks.
- Choose 10 you would include on the album.
- Organize the "tracks" (passages) in an order that makes sense to you.
- BONUS: What kind of picture would you put on the album cover? (Time permitting: Draw the picture!)
A little help for your album: Frequently cited Psalms in the past 110 years of General Conference.
8:3-6 9:17 12:6 14:1
16:10-11 19:1 19:7 22:18
24:3-4 27:1 30:5 33:12
34:18 41:9 45:7 46:10
48:2 50:1-10 54:4
55:4,17,22 68:18 72:8 76:10 82:6
84:11 85:8-13 89:14-15 97:5
102:13-16 105:15 107:2-7 107:35-43
110:3-4 119:105 121:2-4 126:6
127:1,3,5 133:3 139:7-10 139:22-24 144:15
Brigham Young: “There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven.” (Discourses of Brigham Young p 242-243)
President Ezra Taft Benson: “Music has power to create atmosphere… Atmosphere creates environment, and environment influences behavior -the behavior of Babylon or of Enoch” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 326).
“Try Mormon’s method. Listen to some of your favorite songs and write down the lyrics. Then turn off the music and read through them. If they invite you to do good, they’re probably okay. If they suggest that you violate the standards of the Church, it might be time to clean out your music collection (see Moro. 7:16–17).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1991/08/fyi-for-your-info?lang=eng)
“Ask yourself if you’re ever embarrassed by the music. The beat may be great and even harmless, but if there’s anything about the music that makes you uncomfortable listening to it with anyone else around—like your seminary teacher, your mom, etc.—it might be time to change your tune.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1991/08/fyi-for-your-info?lang=eng)
Elder Orson Pratt: “We came forth into this desert, wandering in the wilderness in a solitary way. (Ps. 107:4) Who were they that thus wandered? People that had been gathered but from the east and the west, from the north and the south, (Ps. 107:3) redeemed from the hand of those who sought to destroy them. (Ps. 107:2) “They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way, and they found no city to dwell in.” (Ps. 107:4) How different this was from the ancient Israelites when they entered the land of Palestine! … How different was that from the latter-day work, when the redeemed of the Lord should gather from the four quarters of the earth, and wander in a wilderness in a solitary way; they were to find no city to dwell in.” (Ps. 107:3-4) (JD18:144, Orson Pratt, Fulfillment of Prophecy, Etc.)
Lamps in the time of King David
- Wick soak time = ~ 1 hour
- Burn time = 30-210 minutes
- Effective illumination ~ 4 feet (https://exarc.net/issue-2020-3/ea/experiment-kindling-oil-lamps)
President Ezra Taft Benson: “When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, . . . Personal revelation will flow ("The Power of the Word," Ensign, May 1986, 81).
President Ezra Taft Benson: “The scriptures are replete with similar promises about the value of the word. Do you have members who long for direction and guidance in their lives? The Psalms tell us, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105) and Nephi promises that feasting upon the words of Christ “will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Ne. 32:3)
“Are there members of your flock who are deep in sin and need to pull themselves back? Helaman’s promise is for them: “Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil.” (Hel. 3:29)
“Success in righteousness, the power to avoid deception and resist temptation, guidance in our daily lives, healing of the soul—these are but a few of the promises the Lord has given to those who will come to His word. … However diligent we may be in other areas, certain blessings are to be found only in the scriptures, only in coming to the word of the Lord and holding fast to it as we make our way through the mists of darkness to the tree of life.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1986/04/the-power-of-the-word?lang=eng)
Elder Boyd K. Packer: “Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that “leap of faith,” as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1983/01/the-candle-of-the-lord?lang=eng)
Elder Boyd K. Packer: “'You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.' Then he quoted these eighteen words from the Book of Mormon: 'Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.' (Ether 12:56)
"Those eighteen words from Moroni have been like a beacon light to me."("The Edge of the Light," BYU eighteen-stake fireside, March 4, 1990.)
President Russell M. Nelson: “Throughout the world, the family is increasingly under attack. If families fail, many of our political, economic, and social systems will also fail. And if families fail, their glorious eternal potential cannot be realized.
“Our Heavenly Father wants husbands and wives to be faithful to each other and to esteem and treat their children as an heritage from the Lord. (see Psalms 127:3) In such a family we study the scriptures and pray together. And we fix our focus on the temple. There we receive the highest blessings that God has in store for His faithful children. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2008/05/salvation-and-exaltation?lang=eng)
Elder Neil L. Andersen: “When a child is born to a husband and wife, they are fulfilling part of our Heavenly Father’s plan to bring children to earth. . . .
“Families are central to God’s eternal plan. I testify of the great blessing of children and of the happiness they will bring us in this life and in the eternities.” (“Children,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 28, 31)
President Lorenzo Snow: “I remember very well the cloudy and stormy days of Kirtland, and how foolishly some people acted. There were men who occupied high standing in the Church, who disgraced themselves, having behaved in a manner which afterwards brought the blush of shame to their cheeks. There was a reason for that. Had they lived so that they could have offered up in their hearts David's prayer, Ps. 139:23-24 they would not have been numbered among those who apostatized and fell in the hour of trial. It would be well to examine ourselves, hold communion with ourselves in the secret closet, to ascertain how we stand … before the Lord, so that if need be we may renew our diligence and faithfulness, and increase our good works..” (JD, 23:189, The Establishment of Character, Etc.)
President John Taylor: “God is now feeling after us, and will disclose our secret thoughts. It would be well to purify and prepare ourselves, and in the language of the Psalmist, call upon God, saying, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps. 139:23-24
"If we succeed in passing through the approaching fiery ordeals with our fidelity and integrity unimpeached, we may expect at the close of our trials, a great and mighty outpouring of the Spirit and power of God—a great endowment upon all who shall have remained true to their covenants.” (JD, No Justice for Saints in the Courts, etc., 26:364)
First Presidency Preface to Hymns
“Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.
“We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/guidelines/first-presidency-preface-to-the-hymns)
Teaching Thoughts:
- Make a list of the doctrines in Psalms that “move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.”
- How is the word of God like a light to you? What are you doing with the word that is preparing you for the 2nd coming of Christ (see the parable of 10 virgins)?
- Lesson Introduction: Hymns that relate to Psalms and making your own album. Could you write your own Psalm?