Pearls & Perfection Pending

My sweet mother-in-law bought a book for herself and gave me the eBook copy of it.  It has been fun to read so far. It is called For Times of Trouble  by Jeffrey R. Holland.  It is basically a compilation of essays on his favorite Psalms along with his thoughts about each of them. This week I've read the preface and the first chapter. While I like to think I know what's going on in the scriptures, I still can't say that I've ever read the Bible cover to cover.  I started it on the mission, but got too weirded out with the OT and gave up half way through Genesis.  Too many crazy people doing weirdo things.    I decided to read the book of psalms to go along with this book by Elder Holland.   His preface talks about how we all face trials and times of trouble, and there are various things that can bring us comfort in hard moments.  We all experience trouble and should expect it.  He quoted Harold S. Kushner saying ...

David is teaching the New Testament this year in seminary .  I haven't done a great job so far, but when I get the chance, it is fun to keep up with where he is teaching in my personal studies.  I am currently trying to read from Acts to Revelation along with a study help book that goes along verse by verse offering additional insights.  I love some of the ideas the authors wrote about in the preface.  They outline some of the doctrines in the New Testament which were misunderstood or misinterpreted by early Christian councils and lost in some cases to many Christian churches.  Some of these doctrines include: -God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct beings -Jesus Christ is the literal son in the flesh of God, our Father -The sweeping power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ -The nature of the Abrahamic covenant -Premortal existence -Faithfulness in our first estate -Agency -Accountability -The reality and opposition of Satan -Pries...