NT Reading Assignments 12/26-1/1

12/26	Mon	Acts 6
12/27	Tues	Catch Up
12/28	Wed	Catch Up
12/29	Thur	Catch Up
12/30	Fri	Catch Up
12/31	Sat	Catch Up
1/1	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignements 12/19-12/25

12/19	Mon	John 21
12/20	Tues	Acts 1
12/21	Wed	Acts 2
12/22	Thur	Acts 3
12/23	Fri	Acts 4
12/24	Sat	Acts 5
12/25	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 12/12-12/18

12/12	Mon	John 15
12/13	Tues	John 16
12/14	Wed	John 17
12/15	Thur	John 18
12/16	Fri	John 19
12/17	Sat	John 20
12/18	Sun	Catch Up

John 5 "Troubled the water" & "Search the Scriptures"

John 5:4 "Troubled the water"

• There may have been a spring that occasionally flowed into the pool and caused the surface of the water to bubble, which may have provided some relief to these people’s ailments [see Bible Dictionary, “Bethesda”].)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie

“No doubt the pool of Bethesda was a mineral spring whose waters had some curative virtue. But any notion that an angel came down and troubled the waters, so that the first person thereafter entering them would be healed, was pure superstition. Healing miracles are not wrought in any such manner” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:188).

John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; … they are they which testify of me”

President Hinckley said, 

Read the word of the Lord. . . . I promise you that if you will read the words of that writing which we call scripture, there will come into your heart an understanding and a warmth that will be pleasing to experience. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). Read, for instance, the Gospel of John from its beginning to its end. Let the Lord speak for himself to you, and his words will come with a quiet conviction that will make the words of his critics meaningless. Read also the testament of the New World, the Book of Mormon, brought forth as a witness “that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations” (Book of Mormon title page). (Gordon B. Hinckley, Be Thou an Example [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 83)

Elder McConkie said,

"Yet man's hope of gaining salvation is in direct proportion to his knowledge of God and the laws of salvation. No man can be saved in ignorance of Jesus Christ and the laws of the gospel. Man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge of God and the saving truths recorded in the scriptures. A fountain cannot rise above its source; a people cannot live laws of which they are ignorant, nor believe in a Christ about whom they know little or nothing. The Lord expects his people to learn the doctrines of salvation. “Search these commandments” (D&C 1:37), is a decree which applies in principle to all revelations of all ages." (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–1973], 1:201).

President Benson said, 

"The more we are familiar with the scriptures, the closer we become to the mind and will of the Lord. It will be easier for us to allow the truths of eternity to rest on our minds." (Ezra Taft Benson, Come unto Christ [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 20)

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

“In the end, the central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ—faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know ‘the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent’ (John 17:3)” (“The Blessing of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 34).

John 3:5 "Born Again"

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that to be born again is a process that requires time:

 “You may ask, Why doesn’t this mighty change happen more quickly with me? … For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. Being born again, unlike our physical birth, is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central purpose of mortality.

 “At the same time, let us not justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you, temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as He and our Father are holy” (“Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 78).

NT Reading Assignments 12/5-12/11

12/5	Mon	John 9
12/6	Tues	John 10
12/7	Wed	John 11
12/8	Thur	John 12
12/9	Fri	John 13
12/10	Sat	John 14
12/11	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 11/28-12/4

11/28	Mon	John 3
11/29	Tues	John 4
11/30	Wed	John 5
12/1	Thur	John 6
12/2	Fri	John 7
12/3	Sat	John 8
12/4	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 11/21-11/27

11/21	Mon	Luke 24
11/22	Tues	John 1
11/23	Wed	John 2
11/24	Thur	Catch Up
11/25	Fri	Catch Up
11/26	Sat	Catch Up
11/27	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 11/14-11/20

11/14	Mon	Luke 19
11/15	Tues	Luke 20
11/16	Wed	Luke 21
11/17	Thur	Luke 22:1-37
11/18	Fri	Luke 22:38-71
11/19	Sat	Luke 23
11/20	Sun	Catch Up

Luke 7:13 "See and serve with compassion"

President Thomas S. Monson:
“Few accounts of the Master’s ministry touch me more than His example of compassion shown to the grieving widow at Nain. …

“What power, what tenderness, what compassion did our Master thus demonstrate! We, too, can bless if we will but follow His noble example. Opportunities are everywhere. Needed are eyes to see the pitiable plight and ears to hear the silent pleadings of a broken heart. Yes, and a soul filled with compassion, that we might communicate not only eye to eye or voice to ear but, in the majestic style of the Savior, even heart to heart” (“Meeting Life’s Challenges,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 71).

NT Reading Assignments 11/7-11/13

11/7	Mon	Luke 13
11/8	Tues	Luke 14
11/9	Wed	Luke 15
11/10	Thur	Luke 16
11/11	Fri	Luke 17
11/12	Sat	Luke 18
11/13	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 10/31-11/6

10/31	Mon	Luke 7
11/1	Tues	Luke 8
11/2	Wed	Luke 9
11/3	Thur	Luke 10
11/4	Fri	Luke 11
11/5	Sat	Luke 12
11/6	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 10/24-10/30

10/24	Mon	Luke 1:36-80
10/25	Tues	Luke 2
10/26	Wed	Luke 3
10/27	Thur	Luke 4
10/28	Fri	Luke 5
10/29	Sat	Luke 6
10/30	Sun	Catch Up

Matt. 27:46 "None were with Him, but you are not alone!"

Matt: 27:46 Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

“With all the conviction of my soul I testify that He did please His Father perfectly and that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.”

“…Brothers and sisters, … because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you]” (“None Were with Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 87–88).

NT Reading Assignments 10/17-10/23

10/17	Mon	Mark 12
10/18	Tues	Mark 13
10/19	Wed	Mark 14
10/20	Thur	Mark 15
10/21	Fri	Mark 16
10/22	Sat	Luke 1:1-35
10/23	Sun	Catch Up

Matthew 25:13 "Why not now?"

Elder Dallin H. Oaks "Preparation for the Second Coming," Ensign, May 2004, 7

What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow-through our premature death or through His unexpected coming-what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?

If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them.

Matthew 25: 8 “Give us of your oil”

President Spencer W. Kimball:

 “This was not selfishness or unkindness. The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing; a mind at peace from righteous living; an accumulation of knowledge? How can one share faith or testimony? How can one share attitudes or chastity, or the experience of a mission? How can one share temple privileges? Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself. …

“In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. … Each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 255–56).

NT Reading Assignments 10/10-10/16

10/10	Mon	Mark 6
10/11	Tues	Mark 7
10/12	Wed	Mark 8
10/13	Thur	Mark 9
10/14	Fri	Mark 10
10/15	Sat	Mark 11
10/16	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 10/3-10/9

10/3	Mon	Matt 28
10/4	Tues	Mark 1
10/5	Wed	Mark 2
10/6	Thur	Mark 3
10/7	Fri	Mark 4
10/8	Sat	Mark 5
10/9	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 9/26-10/2

9/26	Mon	Matt 22
9/27	Tues	Matt 23
9/28	Wed	Matt 24
9/29	Thur	Matt 25
9/30	Fri	Matt 26
10/1	Sat	Matt 27
10/2	Sun	Catch Up

Matt. 6:33: "Seek First the Kingdom of God"

Priorities; Obedience 

   "We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must come first, just as He declares in the first of His Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3).

   "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities. (CR April 1988, Ensign 18 [May 1988]: 4.)

   “When we are required to choose, are we more anxious to please God than our boss, our teacher, our neighbor, or our date?"  (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 350.)

TURN LIVES OVER TO GOD

   "…Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can.  He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.  Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life.

    “…Try as you may, you cannot put the Lord in your debt.  For every time you try to do his will, He simply pours out more blessings upon you.  Sometimes the blessings may seem to be a little slow in coming-perhaps this tests your faith-but come they will, and abundantly.

    “…God loves us.  He is watching us.  He wants us to succeed.  We will know some day that He has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us...This is our day to show what we can daily, hourly, instantly make for God.  If we give our all, we will get His all from the greatest of all  (Pres. Ezra Taft Benson Ensign Dec. 88, 4-6).

NT Reading Assignments 9/19-9/25

9/19	Mon	Matt 16
9/20	Tues	Matt 17
9/21	Wed	Matt 18
9/22	Thur	Matt 19
9/23	Fri	Matt 20
9/24	Sat	Matt 21
9/25	Sun	Catch Up

Matt. 2:11 Wise Gifts

Elder D. Todd Christofferson:
“In ancient times when people wanted to worship the Lord and seek His blessings, they often brought a gift. …

“Is there something in you or in your life that is impure or unworthy? When you get rid of it, that is a gift to the Savior. Is there a good habit or quality that is lacking in your life? When you adopt it and make it part of your character, you are giving a gift to the Lord. Sometimes this is hard to do, but would your gifts of repentance and obedience be worthy gifts if they cost you nothing?” (“When Thou Art Converted,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 12).

NT Reading Assignments 9/12-9/18

9/12	Mon	Matt 10
9/13	Tues	Matt 11
9/14	Wed	Matt 12
9/15	Thur	Matt 13
9/16	Fri	Matt 14
9/17	Sat	Matt 15
9/18	Sun	Catch Up

NT Reading Assignments 9/5-9/11

9/5	Mon	Matt 4
9/6	Tues	Matt 5
9/7	Wed	Matt 6
9/8	Thur	Matt 7
9/9	Fri	Matt 8
9/10	Sat	Matt 9
9/11	Sun	Catch Up