January 2, 2008

Today we resumed class and are focusing on the book of Numbers this week (albeit a short week).
As the students entered class today, each one was given a tribal assignment. We had a blanket laid out on the floor which represented the Tabernacle. Each student used chapters 1 & 2 of Numbers to find out where their tribe was stationed and how many members of their tribe there were. We all sat on the floor around the tabernacle during class today.
We had an opening prayer, and for our devotional, the students opened their scriptures to Numbers 6:23-27. They silently read these verses. Then, as we
listened to the Tabernacle Choir sing "May the Lord bless you and keep you", the students wrote down some of their thoughts and feelings about these verses in their journals.
We had a small discussion about what these verses meant to some of the students and discussed the very last verse as it says that the Lord will bless us as we take His name upon us. Each Sunday when we take the sacrament, we do these this. We discussed the importance which the weekly sacrament has for each of us.

As we moved on, we spent time in Numbers chapter 9. We looked at verses 7-8. In 7, some men ask Moses a technical question regarding the law. In verse 8, Moses tells them to stand still and listen to the Lord/prophet. We discussed how we do this - do we stand still and listen to the prophet? Do we take the time to listen to conference? To read the Ensign and New Era? Even our daily scriptures. Do we each take the time to stand still - and make time to read and listen and pay attention to the Lord through his prophets?

Later on in Chapter 9, v. 15+ we see that the Lord provided a pillar of fire and a cloud which when they physically moved, the children of Israel followed. Sometimes a year, sometimes more often. We discussed several aspects regarding the pillar of fire. Several of the students suggested that each one of us has our own pillar of fire which is the Holy Ghost. Just like they would follow it, we've been given the gift that when we are worthy, we too can follow the Lord, and are led and guided by Him. Additionally, some of the young men thought that this could also represent the priesthood... when we follow the priesthood (our leaders) we are following the Lord.
We discussed the important lesson that the Lord is teaching here- the importance of following Him...even at 3:00 am... or 6:00 am, or whenever it might be.

Following this discussion, we jumped to chapter 11 of Numbers. Here, the students found out what displeased the Lord, (complaining) and how He reacted (burned them). Moses interceded and asked it to stop. Then, (right after) they lusted after meat. They complained that they were sick and tired of eating the manna which the Lord had provided for them (whine whine whine). We noticed that this was almost the same story which we had read in Exodus 16...once again. We found out how Moses felt about it (v. 10) and what he asked the Lord to do (v. 14-15). He was so sick and tired of the whining. We discussed whether we thought that maybe our church leaders ever got tired of hearing complaining and whining or our not being willing to follow the commandments. We skipped to v. 33 and the final verses as we saw that the Lord did answer the people's prayers. He gave them so much that they were sick from it, and there was a great plague. We discussed that the Lord does answer our prayers, and that sometimes it is to our detriment when we are focused on the worldly things instead of the spiritual things. Finally, we went back and discussed the organization of the seventy - and how the second quorum of seventy was organized in our day in 1998. We discussed what Moses' reaction was when Meldad and Eldad were going around the camp prophesying. We ended class discussing these words of Moses as he responded "that everyman were a prophet".
As each of us have our personal pillar of fire - the Holy Ghost, prophecy comes through the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet 1:21 tells us this as does 1 Ne. 22:2. If we are worthy to have the Holy Ghost with us, it will guide us (lead us)and protect us, and we can know of future events and prophesy. The Lord would love us all to be that worthy and to all be in that station. If we will follow the Lord, he will bless and keep us.