I Am Someones's Savior

Choice 3: Obadiah. Saviors “up on Mount Zion”

Obadiah 1: 17 and 21, D&C 128: 5 and 15 are about doing the work for those who have come before us. We are the Saviors for our ancestors. Through us they can be brought forth in the first resurrection, clothed in glory! It is our duty and responsibility to serve them and do their work in the temple. This was the plan from the beginning. The Lord prepared this church to do this work in the Latter-days. 

The temple is where we are able to help other become holy and for us too, to become more like the Father. Through the covenants we make in the temple we are blessed and made better. This opportunity to draw closer to our Heavenly Father should not be passed by. I need to be better about serving the Lord and my ancestors, to be able to do their work for them. In the temple we are brought closer to the Lord and our forefathers. The temple is a house of God, a place of calm and clarity. When we are able to sacrifice our time to attend we are being delivered. 

The Scriptures: 
Obadiah 1:17 ¶But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Doctrine and Covenants 128:5 You may think this order of things to be very particular; but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.

128:15 And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.

Bible Dictionary 
Student Manual

 The Battle of Gog and Magog

Are we ready?

In Ezekiel 38 and 39 the Lord talks about a battle, Armageddon, that is to take place during the gathering of Israel. As the people gather the lands around them will be frightened of them and think they are there to take their land and precious things. The people of Gog, those against Israel, will come upon them with a very strong army, one with all of the best weaponry and with many men. The Lord describes this army as a "cloud to cover the land" (Ezekiel 38:16). 

The Lord will defend Israel in his wrath toward Gog and the land will shake, and the people of the Lord will be called to fight. When the people of Gog come to battle they will be smitten by the Lord as well as his people, they will not prevail over Israel. Ezekiel said that among those who side with Gog with be Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah - he gives specific people but these lands are based on the ancient world and so we can't say exactly what nations or people will side with them when the war comes. What we do know is that it will happen. Satan will be leading people against those who follow the Lord and his Prophets. 

We need to prepare ourselves and our children for a day when our faith will be assaulted. Our job is to cling unto the Lord and become more like him so when we are faced with hardships we are able to be strong in our faith and the Lord will be able to intercede for his people.

Jeremiah's Lamentations

In Lamentations 1:1-11 Jeremiah is grieving for Jerusalem. He explains in different ways what it is that has happened to cause Jerusalem's down fall. He says, "How is she become tributary" in verse one. Jerusalem was once an important place with power under the Lord and now, it is trivial. "Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction" he says in verse three. He continues in verse four saying, "All her gates are desolate." The people are reduced to nothing now and the city is in ruins. "Her adversaries are chief, her enemies prosper." When the Lord was present within the walls, Jerusalem reigned, now that the people have succumbed to iniquity Jerusalem has lost her power. 

If we continue in Lamentations 1:12-22 we see similarities in these and the verses found in Mormon 6:17-22. In 12-22 Jeremiah is mourning the wickedness of Jerusalem and their destruction. In Mormon 6, Mormon is mourning the wickedness of the Nephites who have all been destroyed! The destruction of each people only come after their iniquity and many warnings to repent of them. 

Lamentations 2–5 explain the reason for the suffering and destruction of the kingdom of Judah. As they are suffering there is misery, sorrow, and destruction. They then try to trust in the Lord and repent. All of the suffering they endured was due to their iniquities. In Alma 41:10 it says, "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." This certainly applies to Jerusalem at this time. Their wickedness was only follow by misery and pain.

In Lamentations 5:15–22 we see a few things that it takes to be humble: we mourn our sins, we are broken-hearted, we recognize that the Lord is omnipotent and that we should trust in him always.  It is also important that we remember that the Lord has his own time table. We must diligently work to correct our mistakes.

Old Testament Destruction and Latter Day Hope

In Jeremiah 16:10-13 Jeremiah foretold that Jerusalem would be destroyed and Judah taken captive. As he prophesied of this he gave five reasons for their destruction, the people had forsaken the Lord, have created false idols, have worshiped those false idols, haven't kept the commandments, they put their faith in themselves, and do not listen to the Lord. 

Jeremiah also testifies what will happen as we prepare for the second coming. In 16:15-21 he tells us that the Lord will gather all of his people and there will be many that will preach the word of the Lord. He will also punish those who defiled his land. The preachers of the Lord will take his word to all the earth. They will find those who have not heard and tell them of his name and proclaim it unto them. These missionaries were described as fishers and hunters by the Lord because they are going to patiently and diligently search for those who need to hear the word of the Lord. They will testify of the Lord and his sacrifice for us. With the Lord we are able to have victory over the grave and be able to live with him for eternity.