Amos 3:6–7. Amos teaches that the Lord reveals his secrets to the prophets.
Amos 7:10–17; 8:11–13; 9:8–15. Amos is called of God to be a prophet (7:10–15). He prophesies of the captivity and scattering of Israel (7:16–17; 9:8–10). He prophesies that there will be a famine of hearing the word of the Lord (8:11–13). He prophesies that in the last days Israel will be a great and prosperous people (9:11–15).
Joel 2; 3:16–17. Joel prophesies of the wars and calamities of the last days (2:1–11). He calls on the people to repent (2:12–14; note that theJoseph Smith Translation of verses 13 and 14 explains that the people, not the Lord, were to repent). Joel prophesies that God will bless his people in the latter days and pour out his Spirit upon them (2:15–32;3:16–17).
Amos ministered to the people of the kingdom of Israel from about 800 to 750 B.C. Most of these people were in apostasy. As Amos confronted the people with their sins, he prophesied dire penalties. Nevertheless, he emphasized that God was eager to cleanse anyone who would repent. Amos also prophesied about the latter days.
Joel ministered to the people of the kingdom of Judah. Many of Joel’s prophecies were about the latter days.
What did the prophet Amos teach about the importance of prophets? (See Amos 3:7.) What does Doctrine and Covenants 1:37–38 teach about the respect we should have for the messages of the prophets?
What did Amos prophesy would be the result if Israel rejected or ignored prophets’ messages? (See 8:11–13.) In what ways can the absence of the word of the Lord be compared to a famine? How can having the blessings of the restored gospel be compared to a feast?
Review Joel 2:12–32 and 3:16–17 and look for answers to the following questions: What invitations has the Lord given to those living in the latter days? What blessings has the Lord promised to those who follow him in the latter days?
Additional reading: Joseph Smith—History 1:41; Doctrine and Covenants 1:14–28, 37–38.
(End Study Guide)
OT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 35 - God Reveals His Secrets to His Prophets
Amos 3; 7-9, Joel 2-3
Prophet Amos
The Book of Joel
Joel is a combination of the names Jehovah and Elohim, and means “Jehovah is God.” In the Masoretic text (the King James Bible is based on this), the book of Joel is divided into 3 chapters, while in the Septuagint and Vulgate (Catholic Bible) it is divided in 4 chapters with chapters 2-3 equaling chapter 2 of the Masoretic text.
In the actual order of books in the Old Testament, Joel (Judah) comes right before Amos (Israel), although in the SS lesson plan, they choose to talk about Amos first (I’m saying this just in case you went looking for the book of Joel after Amos!).
But because the lesson emphasizes prophecy, the writers of the curriculum likely chose to start the lesson with Amos to emphasize the above quoted passage, Amos 3:7.
The book of Joel (preaching to Judah) is broken into two main portions.
First, the prophesies of destruction that are soon to come upon the people of Judah and Israel.
Second, the forthcoming restoration and blessings to be brought again to a repentant and righteous nation. Chapter one discusses in depth the scourges to fall upon Israel. We are told they will have a series of insect infestations that will destroy the crops.
Joel 1: 1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
The pestilences will be so severe and consuming of all vegetation that there will be nothing left for an appropriate sacrificial offering in the temple. Instead, the priests can do nothing but mourn and proclaim a fast. We then find that the rivers are completely dried up, and wild fires have destroyed the forests and grass lands needed for the animals to graze. They are in abject poverty and starving to death. And yet, in chapter 2, we find that things get even worse.
The Greatest Army in the World Invades
Joel 2
Even after all the plagues, famine and pestilence, Israel did not repent. The Lord then sends forth his great army, in this sense it is the Assyrian army, ready to lay waste to anything that moves:
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
8 Neither shall one thrust (push) another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining” (Joel 2:1-10).
Here we see that this army is not just any old army. They are bullet proof. They fall on their swords and are not injured. They leap across the mountains, as if they were running across a meadow in the Garden of Eden. Yet, their destructive ways would leave even the Garden of Eden desolate. Nothing can stand in their way. Nothing can move them, as they do not break ranks. Israel’s puny army is less than mosquitoes against this army of destruction.
So terrifying are they that the very heavenly lights do fear them. Given that many in the ancient world worshiped the Sun, moon and stars, we can surmise that the gods of the nations feared the Assryians.
The only salvation is to turn to God, repent with “fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
Israel is commanded to
“rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?” (Joel 2:12-14).
Israel has been wicked for so long that there is no guarantee that God will save them from this great army of the north. But it is their only hope. And if God does return to save them, he can also bring back rains and prosperity, so that Israel can once again offer a sacrifice to God again.
These prophesies suddenly hold a futurific vision, as Joel describes things that have not happened yet. He will foresee the literal darkening of the sun, moon and stars prior to the great and dreadful day of the Lord (the Second Coming). When modern Jews and Christians forget God and turn to the worship of other gods (materialism and narcissism usually are what we worship today), they lose his protective grace.
Wickedness brings about consequences, some natural, which can devastate a nation or group of nations. Because of greed and lust on Wall Street, Main Street, and Capitol Hill, we have felt the effects of a prolonged economic downturn caused by that greed and lust. Only repenting and turning back to righteous and sound principles can protect us from another huge crash like this, but it seems that few have truly learned the lesson, and so the Great Recession of 2008 seems likely to continue on.
History has shown even global leaders have collapsed over internal affairs, becoming third world nations and often never recovering. The once mighty Soviet Union destroyed its economy and in the early 1990s broke up into many smaller nations. Many of those smaller nations still struggle economically, due to corruption and inept policies. It is not so far off to think that such a thing couldn’t happen to even the United States, if it does not get its economic house in order.
Yet, something like the Great Recession does not compare to the abject poverty brought upon the people. We do not have the majority of the people struggling to find a blade of grass to eat. Nor do we currently have the great and devastating army at our doorstep. But that army is eventually coming. Ezekiel describes it as Gog and Magog (Ezek 38-39), and the apostle John saw that the desolating army at Armageddon would be 200 million strong and would slay 1/3 of the men on earth (Rev 9:16-21).
My Spirit Shall Be Poured Out
Joel 2:28-32
During the period of great duress and trials, the Lord will not only judge the wicked, but he will pour out his spirit upon all the righteous.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
Many Christians and others no longer believe in miracles, inspiration, or revelation. Many believe that all such things ended with the apostles. Yet, we see that during the times when the world and heavens will be in commotion, as even the sun will be darkened, the children of God will prophesy and see visions. This is partially fulfilled by the spiritual movements in many churches that seek to restore such ancient gifts of the Spirit. As they seek the Lord’s inspiration, he will give it to them at the capacity they are ready to receive (Alma 29:8).
This prophesy was partially fulfilled on the original day of Pentecost, when Peter quotes Joel to explain why the spirit had been poured out on so many that could understand him in their own languages. Yet, it was not fulfilled at that time, as the wonders in the heavens had not happened yet. This is completely fulfilled in the restoration of of the ancient Church in these latter-days, as we prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. Joel foresaw Armageddon and the great destructions of our day, and saw that in the times of trials, the Lord would not abandon the righteous and faithful believers of Christ. Instead, he has sent angels and the Holy Spirit to restore ancient gifts, powers and blessings, so that men in these last days may turn to God, and be blessed so as to avoid much of the disasters and destructions awaiting the world.
The Valley of Jehoshaphat
Joel 3
In chapter 3, Joel foresaw that all nations would be at war. When Assyria thrashed the nations around it, it must have seemed like a world war. Yet he foresaw that this would again happen in the last days. It will be during this period that God will plead for Israel, which is still scattered among the nations.
God is angry with the cities of Tyre and Sidon, which belonged to the Philistines and Phoenicians, Sea People that were originally from the Greek Isles (This area is now in Lebanon and Syria). The Lord demands recompense (and does so again in Amos), for they have previously desecrated the temple, and ransacked it for its gold and silver. If they do not repent and turn to him, he shall ransack them with the desolating armies of Gog and Magog.
The heathen nations of the Gentiles are called forth to a great war, centered on the valley of Jehoshaphat, or the “valley of decision.” The valley, now known as the Kidron Valley, runs through the right side of the city of Jerusalem, near the Mount of Olives. It is here that King Jehoshaphat massacred the armies of Moab, Ammon and Edom/Esau. The name Jehoshaphat or Josaphat means, “Yahweh/Jehovah Judges.”
It will be in this valley where the great King of Israel, Jehovah/Jesus Christ will return in power and glory, then judge the armies of the Gentiles and find them wanting, during the last battle of Armageddon. Christ will come at the time when the Gentile armies will have taken half of the city. He will step down upon the Mount of Olives, rending a new valley from it, or perhaps enlarging the Kidron Valley. The Jews will flee into this valley for safety. It will be here that they will see the wounds in his hands and feet, and understand they have slain the Lamb of God (D&C 45:47-54, Zech 12:9-10).
So, in our own time, we need to give heed to the warnings of Joel, as they definitely apply to us.
Living prophets and apostles give guidance and warnings to help us, if we will but listen. In the October Conference of 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley gave a very power economic lesson to the priesthood brethren.
Those that paid heed to his warnings had a decade to prepare for a Great Recession. Latter-day Saints that listened to a living prophet’s voice, had paid down their debts, had money tucked away, and had their food storage in place, would come through much better. .
For those who did not give heed, many saw their homes being foreclosed, and declaring bankruptcy. Things they had worked hard for for years, are now being carted off by creditors. Some are having to move in with parents or children, just to get by. As with the Israelites in Joel’s vision, it seems as if the palmerworms and caterpillars have eaten up all they’ve possessed. And as in Pharaoh’s dreams, the years of plenty have quickly been swallowed up by the economic famine.
Study the scriptures. Listen to the living prophets. Be prepared for the days of good and evil.
The Book of Amos
Amos was born in Judah and prophesied in Israel (10 northern kingdoms) approximately
Unlike Isaiah and other prophets that were actually wealthy and a part of the royal family, Amos was a plain shepherd. Before his call as prophet to Israel, we have no evidence of his ever going forth to preach. As a shepherd, he probably would not have been literate nor had any status of any sort.
The Old Testament prophets were adept at luring hostile audiences into listening to their judgment speeches. In 1 Kings 20:35-43 a prophet tricked Ahab into pronouncing his own guilt and punishment. And Nathan tricked David into declaring his own guilt by the artful use of a parable (2 Sam. 12).
Amos 1-2 contains a great example of this technique, and recognizing what Amos is doing here really helps us to understand what is being said and what is the theme of the book.
Amos 1 2 And he said, The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
They are used to hearing the 23rd Psalm, the Lord is my shepherd, now we have this lion imagery, very dramatic…
Now starts this technique of 3/4. It builds up much like a song builds up. The fourth is going to be the most dramatic pronouncement and the people who are listening, remember most heard these, didn’t read them, it would be much like a song.
3 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:
“For three transgressions . . . and for four, I will not turn away the punishment.” It is a way of saying that those nations were full to overflowing with sin.
Three symbolizes fulness.
Four, excess.
Follow how Amos builds the sequence of 3/4. First was Damascus vs 3
Judgment against Nations. Damascus fell to Assyrians in 732 BC.
vs 6 For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment…
7 But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: 8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God.
All of these are cities in Philstia. The Philistines were famous for capturing whole villages and selling them into slavery to Edom (and from there throughout the world) Joel 3:4-8 talks more about the slave trade and mentions the city of Tyre.
So next up is Tyre…
Amos 1 9 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:
Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Then Edom is the 4th city mentioned then, capping this 3/4 formula. This is the buildup, and those listening likely think this is the end of the sequence.
Amos 1 11 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: 12 But I will send a fire upon Teman (an ancient edomite clan), which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah (capital of Edom).
to compare…here is vs 11 in the Complete Jewish Bible
Here is what Adonai says:
“For Edom’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because with sword he pursued his kinsman
and threw aside all pity,
constantly nursing his anger,
forever fomenting his fury;
This may have seemed like the end of these pronouncements to the people. Using the 3/4 formula and capping things off with Edom, they felt the series would end. But these are all describing the same sin, a sin of nations, the selling and enslavement of man…
Amos 1 13 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: 14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: 15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the Lord.
The sequence started again…building up to…?
This is certainly a gross sin. Ancient armies would sometimes do this to terrorize the enemy. And certainly committing this atrocity against defenseless women and children showed how immoral they had become. But again, I think there is just one conceptual sin listed. It says they ripped open the pregnant women in order to expand their borders. So it is their cruel imperialistic expansion that is in view.
Amos 2 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime: 2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
Ammon and Moab (the 1st two in this second sequence) were daughters of Lot. The sin is Burning the Bones of the king of Edom. Much importance was placed anciently on a dead man being peacefully placed. Remember they moved Joseph’s bones to the promised land very carefully.
And now we have the culmination of 7 transgressions.
Amos 2 4 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked: 5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
Kingdom of Israel is taken within a few years but Judah is spared from the Assyrians in 701, but is burned by Nebuchadnessar in 586 b.c.
So City/Countries: 1. Damascus, 2. Gaza, 3. Tyre, 4. Edom then
5. Children of Ammon (killing women to expand), 6. Moab (burning bones) and the 7. Judah has despised the law. Rejected the law and followed false gods.
They feel the sequence building again, gross crimes for the first 7.
Notice the progression. He starts off with foreign nations and gets closer to home as he lists relatives and finally, Judah. But who is he preaching to? Israel. The northern kingdoms... so finally 8. Israel, but with Israel he lists NUMEROUS sins… maybe even 8 of them for Israel alone…
Amos 2 6 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; 7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: 8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
Those with the gospel are held to a higher standard.
10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
And then finishes the list of sins:
11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord. 12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
We essentially have 4 categories of sin for Israel
1. Oppresses innocent and poor – (sold the righteous, sold the poor) (2:6b-7a)
2. Engaging in pagan ritual practice – temple prostitutes (2:7b)
3. Abusing system of pledges and fines (2:8)
4. Showing lack of respect for Gods special servants (2:12)
Two things stand out. First, he lists 4 categories of sins for Israel, 8 total, but they don’t look nearly as bad as the other countries. And that brings us to the theme of Amos.
THEME: God requires more from those to whom He has given more. Where much is given, much is expected. Are we held to the same standard as those without the gospel? How about those without temple covenants? Or are our requirement more stringent?
The Lord continues in…
Amos 3 2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
Then we get the most famous of Amos’s scriptures…
5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? 6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? 7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
And continues in Amos chapters 4 and 5 and 6
In chapter 7 he prophesies to the detriment of Amaziah a “priest”
Amos 7 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. 12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.
(It sounds very much like King Noah in the Book of Mormon receiving a report on Alma from his court)
How does a prophet respond to this type of attack? In response, Amos declares his call as a prophet, citing authority greater than the king.
Amos 7 14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: 15 And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
So Amos went to Bethel, which was functioning as the capitol of Israel. The king, Jeroboam II, lived there. Bethel had special significance in Israel's history.
In Genesis 28: we see that Bethel is where Jacob had his dream about the angels descending on the ladder and his wrestling with God. But now it had become the center for idol worship in the Northern Kingdom. Jeroboam set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan for the Israelites to worship, because he didn't want the people worshipping God in Jerusalem and reuniting the kingdom.
Amos was called of God in a way similar to many of the other prophets:
Amos 9 1 I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
Seeing God on his throne, or upon the altar, which often represented his throne, was a common way in which prophets received their call (see Isaiah 6, Gen 28:10-18). His challenge for the Israelites was to listen to and obey the prophets of Jehovah, even if they were but shepherds.
Amos lets them know that it is the Lord that gives the warning against all Israelites. He states in various ways that the Lord has given them many warnings to follow him, but they have still chosen another path. He then explains the pattern that God has always used to warn and protect Israel: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
This is a pattern that continued after Amos, and is found again in the restored Church of Jesus Christ. It is very easy for us to be like the ancient Israelites, taking the living prophets for granted, because we have the dead ones to fall back on, who do not specifically attack us for our current lifestyles.
David Larsen explains on his Heavenly Ascents blog that the “secret” that Amos refers to (in Amos 3:7) is the “sod”, a secret kept by the divine council in heaven.
This divine assembly was understood to be presided over by Yahweh, accompanied by the lesser divine beings (later termed “angels”). Entrance to this assembly was very exclusive — it could be deemed a “secret” council. The relationship of this divine council to prophesy was in the sense that prophets were understood to receive their message while being present in the heavenly court (often via a heavenly ascent).
The only way that mankind could know or understand the mind of God, and the decisions made in the holy and divine council, was through the living prophet. That prophet had received his “secret” or “prophecy” while attending that council.
In Amos’ warning, we see a very big danger that is common among nations ready to be destroyed: the rich and powerful take unrighteous advantage of the poor. When the rich use violence to take away from the poor, the nation is ready for destruction.
When King David stole Bathsheba from her husband, the prophet told him he would suffer for his actions, and his nation was temporarily overtaken. The Zoramites were chastised for how they mistreated the poor, and it led to their destruction in the book of Alma. Amos, Isaiah and many other prophets will condemn the Israelites and Jews for such actions. Even Jesus maintained that the powerful Jews of his day would forcibly keep others from entering heaven.
Famine
Amos 8-9
Joel insisted that the famines and pestilence of Israel were due to their rejecting the Lord God. Amos also foresaw another, just as insidious, type of famine that came upon the wicked.
Amos 8 11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
Amos saw the famine coming in his day, as it would in any period where people rejected the prophets. Eventually, God pulls his Spirit and prophets away from the people, and allows them to get what they deserve. When drought and pestilence destroys the crops, people starve. They wander from place to place hoping to find enough sustenance to stay alive. When the knowledge of the wisest people is not enough, people will search for answers.
Today, people seek happiness in: drugs, sex, overeating, video games, and expensive stuff. While it may work for a short time, it cannot make them truly happy. And they again seek for happiness where they think they can find it.
Yet they never look to God for the happiness and joy that he offers. It seems to simple an answer, or is a stupid idea that God can act in our lives. Many do not believe in the gifts of the Spirit, or that God can reach them if they but reach to him. They seek happiness in temporary things, which never is enough. They become desensitized to drugs, and need more. They get bored with their partner or video game, and seek a quick thrill somewhere else. They fill a rush in buying new things and filling their stomachs. But eventually their stomachs will be empty again, and they will again seek.
Christ taught the Samaritan woman that he offered living waters:
“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this (well) water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 11:13-14). Again, Christ is the Bread of Life: “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:33-51).”
It is in following Christ and his living prophets that we receive the secrets of heaven, the water and bread of life.
Bibliography
Joel, wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_%28prophet%29
Valley of Jehoshaphat - wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Josaphat
Joel - New Advent (Catholic Encyclopedia):http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08419a.htm
Gordon B. Hinckley, “To the Boys and the Men”:http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-22-20,00.htmlhttp://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-22-20,00.html
David Larsen’s Heavenly Ascents Blog on Lesson 35:http://www.heavenlyascents.com/2010/09/10/god-reveals-his-secrets-to-his-prophets-ot-lesson-35/
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