Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child

Proverbs 13:24

24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Proverbs 14:3
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

Isaiah 11:4
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

"rod" in the context of "thy rod and thy staff comforts me”.  A rod is used to guide sheep,  not to beat them.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:43

43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Proverbs 24:13-14

13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Here he talks about the rod of his mouth smiting the earth.  That sounds like smiting the earth with words.  Compare that to chastising a child.

Psalms 2:9

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

talks about a rod of iron that is the word of God.  That is further evidence that rod in the scriptures means the word of God.  Likely prophets in Old Testament times were taught of the tree of life and the rod of iron that guides people to it.

Revelation 12:5
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Revelation 19:15
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Presbytery

What is a presbytery?

The word presbytery can used is several different, yet related ways.  It can be used to describe a group people in authority in a church such as elders.  From what I can see, in modern language it is generally used to describe leaders of the Presbyterian church.  The bible refers to the presbytery in the New Testament.

1 Timothy 4:14
 14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

When I put the word presbyter into Google Translate it detects the word as Latin and gives me the word priest.  This would support that a group of priests or people in authority or perhaps elders.

A presbytery can be a special part of a church building reserved for people that officiate in church things.  It could also be a place where a presiding authority of a church lives.

I wonder if the upper room in the New Testament could be called a presbytery?

Temple Work

Elder Marion G Romney, "Temples—The Gates to Heaven", Ensign March 1971

"Pondering upon the subject of temples and the means therein provided to enable us to ascend into heaven brings to mind the lesson of Jacob’s dream. You will recall that in the twenty-eighth chapter of Genesis there is an account of his return to the land of his father to seek a wife from among his own people. When Jacob traveled from Beersheba toward Haran, he had a dream in which he saw himself on the earth at the foot of a ladder that reached to heaven where the Lord stood above it. He beheld angels ascending and descending thereon, and Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord there were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord.

"Because he had met the Lord and entered into covenants with him there, Jacob considered the site so sacred that he named the place Bethel, a contraction of Beth-Elohim, which means literally 'the House of the Lord.' He said of it: '… this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.' (Gen. 28:17.)

"Jacob not only passed through the gate of heaven, but by living up to every covenant he also went all the way in.

...

"Temples are to us all what Bethel was to Jacob. Even more, they are also the gates to heaven for all of our unendowed kindred dead. We should all do our duty in bringing our loved ones through them."

John A Widsoe, in Conference Report, Apr. 1922, pp. 97–98
“Temple work … gives a wonderful opportunity for keeping alive our spiritual knowledge and strength. … The mighty perspective of eternity is unraveled before us in the holy temples; we see time from its infinite beginning to its endless end; and the drama of eternal life is unfolded before us. Then I see more clearly my place amidst the things of the universe, my place among the purposes of God; I am better able to place myself where I belong, and I am better able to value and to weigh, to separate and to organize the common, ordinary duties of my life so that the little things shall not oppress me or take away my vision of the greater things that God has given us.” 

Tattoos and Piercings

Boyd K. Packer - Counsel to Young Men
"Do not decorate your body with tattoos or by piercing it to add jewels."

Youth

1 Timothy 4:12
 12Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

What Does It Mean To Worship

“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10.)



Joseph Fielding Smith, I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, Ensign December 1971
We believe that worship is far more than prayer and preaching and gospel performance. The supreme act of worship is to keep the commandments, to follow in the footsteps of the Son of God, to do ever those things that please him. It is one thing to give lip service to the Lord; it is quite another to respect and honor his will by following the example he has set for us. … I rejoice in the privilege of following in his footsteps. I am grateful for the words of eternal life which I have received, I am very glad to say, in this world, and for the hope of eternal life which is mine in the world to come if I will remain faithful and true to the end.



“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

The Book of Isaiah

Technicolor Isaiah, Ensign Aug 2014
-Daughters of Zion usually refers to cities.
-Daughter of Zion usually refers to Jerusalem.