Understanding

 To have understanding is an incredible gift. Wisdom and understanding are sisters in all that they do(but with all things remember faith comes first – for you must have faith to gain great wisdom and understanding that reaches to heaven), but whereas wisdom is having a fear/reverence for the Lord, understanding is all about ACTING on that reverence for God. Wisdom is knowing that keeping the commandments are the right choice, but understanding is actually living and keeping the commandments in your daily life. You should always first seek wisdom, and then through wisdom apply your heart to getting all understanding (Much like how the Lord first founded the earth by power and wisdom and then established and stretched heaven through understanding). We should always be praying for understanding, not just for ourselves but for others to be filled with it as well. We should be praying for all the things understanding brings for to have understanding means that you have counsel with God, that you are seeking Him, that you are trying to judge and discern between good and evil and then departing from evil. It is not only receiving inspiration but acting on it, it is meditation of the heart(a heart discovering itself, a heart of understanding always seeks more knowledge), it is knowledge of the holy, it is a willingness to hear reproof (for if you refuse reproof you despise your own soul), it helps you be slow to wrath(great understanding), it helps you interpret visions, it is hating covetousness and thereby prolonging your days, it is the ability to find good, it is an excellent spirit, it is a wellspring of life, it opens your eyes to hope of His calling and glory of His riches, it turns children into men, and is better than gold and silver – so in summary, it is happiness. Examples of understanding are King Solomon who was gifted wisdom, understanding, and a large heart. Captain Moroni was a man of perfect understanding. All of the righteous women in the scriptures had great understanding of listening to the Spirit. Many prophets had understanding of visions. Jesus had it, astonished people with his understanding of the scriptures and opened others’ understanding to them as well. And, of course, God is a being of infinite understanding, which is indeed a reason to rejoice. You can gain understanding by studying them and following their examples. Also by pondering and considering scriptures (people stumble without it) they will be opened in ways never imagined, for the Lord has written them according to your own understanding(but it is also important to learn the language of understanding of the authors of the scriptures – brings another level to your own understanding), and by searching them diligently your understanding will be enlightened and your soul will be enlarged. Even outside of the scriptures, God will always speak to you in the plainness of your language of understanding – it is important that you come to recognize how God speaks to you for it is often through small ways (ie, Liahona) and yet if you recognize it, it will bring about great things, for God is always showing His great power in ways that look small to the understanding of men. You gain also gain understanding by going to the temple, which will help you perfect the understanding of your ministry – in theory, principle, doctrine, in keys given to you,  and in all things in the kingdom of God. You can also gain understanding through the power of repentance, if you truly understand repentance then make sure you are doing it. And in all these things, make sure you are seeking understanding through the Spirit, for the Spirit is what brings light and quickens all understanding, wisdom, might, counseling, knowledge and reverence. People without understanding are like mules needing their mouths bridled, they are fools who do mischief and joy in folly. When you don’t retain knowledge of God, you lose understanding you have a life alienated from God and become spiritually blind and deaf, living in darkness and ignorance. Prophets are always sent to these people to try and bring back understanding. Even when you have understanding, you must trust in the Lord’s understanding and not your own. You must love God with all your understanding, you must pray, sing, and teach with all your understanding(especially as a duty to new converts). Always remember that the peace of God passes all understanding, it keeps hearts and minds in Christ, for hearts comforted by the peace of God are knit together in love and riches of understanding.

*Deut 4:6 - to keep and understand the commandments makes you wise.

*Kings 3:9 - Pray for an understanding heart to judge they people(to discern between good and bad)

*Deut 32:28 - No understanding means you are devoid of counsel

*1 Kings 4:29 - King Solomon gifted from God wisdom, understanding and largeness of heart (Dan 1:17, Prov 2:6)

*2 Chron 26:5 - seek God (as long as you do, you'll prosper) Zech, had understanding in visions

*Job 28:28 - Understanding is departing rom evil. Wisdom is fear of the Lord.

*Job 32:8 - Inspiration of Almighty gives you spirit of understanding

*Job 38:36 - God gives wisdom and understanding to heart through nature

*Psalm 32:9 - Don't believe the horse/mule who have no understanding so mouths must be bridled

*Psalm 49:3 - Mouth speak wisdom, meditation of heart should be understanding

*Psalm 111:10 - Wisdom is fear of Lord, understanding is doing commandments

*Psalm 119:130- Words of Lord give light and understanding to the simple.

*Psalm 147:5 - Lord's understanding is infinite (Alma 26:35 -reason to rejoice)

*Prov 2:3 - Incline ear to wisdom, apply thine heart to understanding

*Prov 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: lean not unto thine own understanding

*Prov 3:13 - Happy is the man that finds wisdom/gets understanding

*Prov 3:19 - Lord founded earth through wisdom, established heavens through understanding *Jer 51:15 - made earth by power, established by wisdom, stretched heaven by understanding

*Prov 4:7 - Wisdom is principal thing, then with all wisdom get understanding

*Prov 7:4 -  Wisdom and understanding are sisters

*Prov 9:10 - Understanding is knowledge of the holy

*Prov 10:13 - Wisdom is found with understanding, but without understanding its a rod for your back

*Prov 10:23 - Fools do mischief as sport, no understanding/wisdom

*Prov 13:15 - Good understanding gives favor

*Prov 14:29 - Slow to wrath is great understanding

*Prov 15:14 - A heart of understanding seeks knowledge, Prov 15:21 - walks uprightly, those without wisdom find joy in folly.

*Prov 15:32 - Understanding is a willingness to hear reproof, if you refuse instruction you despise your own soul.

*Prov 16:16 - wisdom is better than gold, understanding is better than silver.

*Prov 16:22 - Understanding is a wellspring of life

*Prov 17:27 - Understanding is an excellent spirit

*Prov 18:2 - Understanding is a heart discovering itself (fools don't delight in it)

*Prov 19:8 - Keep understanding and you'll find good

*Prov 21:30 - You will find no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord

*Prov 28:16 - Hate covetousness and it will prolong your days

*Isaiah 11:2 - Jesus had the spirit of understanding (2 Ne 21:2)

*Isaiah 27:11 - Lord uses people of no understanding to give consequences to those who wither in faith

*Isaiah 29:14 - Wisdom and understanding lost, God restores church to bring it back (1 Cor 1:19, 2 Ne 27:26)

*Jer 5:21 - Prophets sent to those without understanding (spiritually blind and deaf) (Isa 40:14 - Prophets shows way of understanding)

*Mark 12:33 - More than any burnt offering/sacrifices is to love God with all heart, with all understanding, with all soul, with all strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

*Luke 2:47 - Christ astonishes others by his understanding and answers to the scriptures

*Luke 24:45 - Christ opened their understanding so that they could understand the scriptures

*Rom 1:28-31 - If you don't retain knowledge of God, your mind becomes reprobate without understanding - leading you to be a covenant breaker, implacable, unmerciful, without natural affection, proud, disobedient, inventor of evil things, despiteful, backbiter, deceit, full of envy, covetousness, and wickedness

*1 Cor 14:15 - Pray and sing with understanding

*1 Cor 14:19 - Rather speak 5 words of understanding to help teach others than 10,000 words in unknown tongue.

*1 Cor 14:20 - Understanding turns children into men.

*Eph 1:18 - Eyes of understanding help you be enlightened to know hope of His calling and riches/glory of His inheritance.

*Eph 4:18 - Without understanding in your life, your life is darkened, it is a life alienated from God full of ignorance and blindness

*Phil 4:7 - The peace of God passeth all understanding, keeps hearts and minds in Christ

*Col 1:9 - Pray for others to be filled with understanding

*Col 2:2 - Hearts comforted are knit together in love and riches of understanding

*2 Tim 2:7 - Pondering/considering words of prophets will give thee understanding

*1 Ne 13:29 - When you remove plain, easy to understand scriptures, people stumble and Satan has power over them. (1 Ne 14:23)

*1 Ne 6:29 - Liahona - small thing, easy to understand, brings about great things

*2 Ne 21:2 - Spirit of Lord brings spirit of understanding (and wisdom and counsel and knowledge and reverence)

*2 Ne 31:3 - God speaks in plainness, in your language for your understanding. *WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE HE USES TO SPEAK TO YOU?

*WoM 1:9 - Mormon made record according to the understanding God had given him

*Mosiah 1:2 - Learn language of fathers and prophets (men of understanding)

*Mosiah 12:27 - Wisdom is applying your hearts to understanding

*Alma 17:2 - Sound understanding comes from searching scriptures diligently to know word of God(Christ = Word)

*Alma 32:28 - The Word enlarges soul and enlightens understanding and becomes delicious to you

*Alma 48:11 - Capt Moroni was a man of perfect understanding

*Ether 3:5 - Lord shows great power that looks small to the understanding of men

*D&C 1:24 - God gives commandments to us in our language and weakness for our understanding

*D&C 20:68 - Duties of members are to expound teachings to new converts to increase their understanding before they take sacrament/receive the spirit.

*D&C 29:50 - If you understand repentance, you better be doing it.

*D&C 32:4 - Give heed to scriptures and pray always that the Lord will unfold their understanding

*D&C 76:9 - To the faithful their wisdom will be great and their understanding will reach to heaven

*D&C 76:12 - By the power of the Spirit eyes are opened, understanding enlightened to see and understand things of God (D&C 88:11 - Understanding is quickened through light)

*D&C 76:89 - Glory of telestial surpasses all understanding

*D&C 97:14(12-14) - Go to the temple to give thanks, to be perfected in the understanding of your ministry (in theory, principle, doctrine, in all things in the kingdom of God, and in the keys given to you)

*D&C 110:1 - Veil taken from mind, eyes of understanding opened (Spirit of the Lord rested on me)

*Abr 1:14 - Hieroglyphics given for understanding

*JSH 1:74 - Minds enlightened, scriptures open to understanding in ways never before attained/thought

Education

You can always increase education by counseling with the Lord, to not counsel is to be a fool and learning is in vain. Parent's education to you is "an ornament of 'grace' unto the head" or "a divine means of help or strength given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ." (BD). Education leads to good works, salvation and God - it is life.  In order to grow in knowledge, you must 1) always rejoice 2) be filled with the love of God and 3) repent. The glory of God is intelligence (light and truth). You gain education through His Spirit, and it gives you the "mind of Christ." *My education should be intricately connected to charity and humility. If I'm not rejoicing and repenting and reaching out to others, then everything I "learn" is in vain. The more I do those things, the more light and truth I will have until I have the mind of Christ and become like God.

*Prov 5:1 A wise man knows how to "increase" his learning, he attains "wise counsels" You can always increase your learning by counseling with the Lord.
*Prov 1:7-9 Parents teachings are "an ornament of 'grace' unto thy head" divine means of help or strength given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.
*Prov 3  Education the Lord gives, esp verse 11
*Prov 4:13 Instruction is life
*Dan 1:17  God gives knowledge, it is a gift, learning and wisdom is a skill
*Matt 7:8 Education  is asking, seeking, knocking
*John 5:39 Search the scriptures
*John 8:32 Education is truth and freedom
*Eph 1:17-18 Through Jesus Christ you can be educated with his hope and riches
*Col 1:9-10 Keep the Spirit with you, keep the commandments, you will gain knowledge
*2 Tim 3:15-16 The scriptures are given to educate us, which leads to good works, salvation, and God
*2 Ne 9:28 Education without counsel from the Lord is foolishness, vanity, frailty, and part of "that cunning plan of the evil one" and it will profit nothing unless you consider yourself a fool before God and go to the depths of humility and then he will open doors
*2 Ne 9:42 We learn line upon line, precept upon precept
*2 Ne 28:30 If you take counsel, he will give you more
*Mos 1:5, Alma 37:8 Scriptures are pivotal educators, to read, understand his mysteries and have his commandments always before your eyes
*Mos 4:2 In order to grow in knowledge of creator, "that which is just and true" you need to 1) always rejoice 2) be filled with the love of God and 3) repent
*Alma 38:9 Wisdom is knowing the way (Christ) you are saved (Christ)
*D&C 6:7 Education makes you rich (have eternal life)
*D&C 19:23 Learn of Christ, walk by the Spirit
*D&C 55:4 Education is pleasing and important to the Lord
*D&C 88:78 With teaching comes grace, divine strength, and help. Education is study and faith and from each other and from the best books.
*D&C 90: 15-16 My business and mission: study, learn, become acquainted with all good books, languages, tongues, and people.
*D&C 93:36 The glory of God is intelligence (light and truth)
*D&C 93:53 Education (learning history, countries, kingdoms, laws of God and man) is all for salvation of Zion
*D&C 107:99 Learn your duty
*D&C 130:19 You keep your knowledge and intelligence (learned through diligence and obedience) in the world to come
*D&C 131:6 It is impossible to be saved in ignorance
*D&C 136:32-33 Education comes through humility, a contrite heart, then the Spirit will come and enlighten and eyes and ears will be open
*Moses 6:6 Adam and Eve taught their children to read and write
*Moses 6:23 You can teach it, educate faith
*Abraham 1:2 Possess greater knowledge, be a greater follower of righteousness. Have a desire to receive instructions.
*Alma 10:15 Education could also be used for evil means (the education of men, not Christ - Col 2:8)
*2 Ne 32:7-9 Those who will not search knowledge = those in unbelief, wickedness, ignorance, and stiffneckedness. Hearken to the Spirit, it will teach you to pray, it will consecrate your performance.
*1 Cor 2:11 You gain education through your Spirit
*1 Cor 2: 9-16 God has prepared a great education for those that love Him, reveals it through His Spirit, gives you the mind of Christ.
*1 Cor 8:1-3 Knowledge puffs up , but charity edifieth. Educate yourself with charity.
*1 Cor 14:20 Be men in understanding, children in malice
*Acts 7:22 Moses was a mighty educated man
*Matt 5:6 Hunger and thirst after righteousness
*Prov 3:15 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding"

Honoring Father and Mother

Honoring your father and mother is the only commandment with a promise, and the only one with a warning. Live or die. The earth is a waste if we do not honor our families. If you despise your parents, you are despising their names and hence your birthright and all the sacredness that comes with it. Honoring your parents is preparing you to meet the Lord. If I truly want to live - in all senses of the word - then I must obey my parents (living physically, spiritually, and eternally).

*Ex 20:12, Eph 6:2 - only commandment with a promise (Matt 15:4) and a warning - you will surely die if you do not (Ex 21:17)
*Deut 21:18-21 Children put to death who do not obey so that "evil" does not remain.
*Ezek 22:7 - It is a sin even to make light of parents
*Mal 1:6 - If you do not honor your parents, you despise their names.
*D&C 2 - The earth is a waste if we do not honor our families.
*John 8:49, D&C 19:24 - Christ sets the example.
*Col 3:20 - It is well pleasing to the Lord.
*Alma 56:47, 57:21 - The stripling warriors were honoring their parents - that's why they lived, they were obeying the commandment with a promise.
*Luke 1:17 - By honoring and being obedient, you are preparing to meet the Lord.

Birthright

The first thing Nephi tells us is that he was born of goodly parents. His birthright then becomes his crowning characteristic, his inheritance to all the "blessings and power" of his lineage along with all its "prerogatives and opportunities". He is who he is because of those who have gone before him and thus understands "a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold." Your birthright is sacred, it is where you find a place of repentance, where you can return to God. It includes access to all priesthood blessings and the duty to share those blessings of everlasting priesthood. When we use the Atonement, we become joint heirs with Christ, gaining a heavenly birthright. Therefore, the more I come to know my birthright, both physical and spiritual lineage, the more I will understand Christ and the Atonement and who I am. It will become my crowning characteristic: to know my responsibilities and opportunities (repentance and priesthood) and inherit the birthright of everlasting priesthood, immortality and eternal life.

*Gen 25:30-34, 27:36 - Jacob and Esau: Esau willing to sell it, despising its reponsibilitieis and duties, yet wept over his lost blessings.
*Num 3:10 - there are different birthrights, different responsibilities/appointments ex. Aaron and sons
*1 Chron 5:2 - Priesthood goes through the birthright
*Heb 12:16-17 - To reject the birthright is to be profane (irreverence/contempt for God/sacred things), to inherit the birthright is to find a place of repentance (returning to God)
*D&C 86: 9-10 - Birthright includes the inheritance of the priesthood blessings which must remain on earth until the restoration of all things includes being "hid from the world with Christ in God"
*D&C 113:8 - authority of the priesthood
*Abr 1:4 - Abraham sought out his birthright
*Abr 2:11 - with the priesthood comes the duty to share the blessings of salvation, of life eternal
*Ex 40:15 - birthright = everlasting priesthood
*Rom 8:17 - There is a heavenly birthright - being joint heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him, use the Atonement.