I have a plugin that will make Bible passages function as popups when you mouse over them, no need to click. However, it only works if there is a verse as well as a chapter number. So in many of the references below, where I intended the whole Psalm, I’ve had to add a “:1” to the reference make the popup work. 

Psalms is one of the most-often quoted books in the New Testament. Psalm 110:4, in fact, is the most alluded-to passage in the New Testament. (The other two books quoted most often are Deuteronomy and Isaiah.)

For Latter-day Saints, Psalms is one of those many books we have a strong tradition… of ignoring.  Yet, said President Benson,

The psalms in the Old Testament have a special food for the soul of one in distress.

How so? Well, Psalms are often prayers, songs, or both. They praise, ask, censure, worship, question, plead, and express frustration. Are you angry at God? So are some of the Psalms. Are you frustrated at how the wicked seem to prosper, while your own efforts at “living right” seem fruitlessly? There are Psalms expressing this frustration to God; I particularly like Psalm 73:1. Are you depressed? There are Psalms for that.

I think Psalms is a vastly underused pastoral resource, because we don’t know them. And that’s a shame. Among others, my favorites are Psalm 51 (that’s an entire post) because of the beautiful music and moving lyrics, and Psalm 73:1.

If I were a Bishop, during the OT year, I think I’d assign “talks” that included reading one or two thematic Psalms over the pulpit every Sunday, probably in a modern translation that was sensitive to literary aspects like Robert Alter’s (here piecemeal or here with the whole megillah .) And that’s because, the Psalms are highly literary poetry.

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(Reposted, but not updated) Ezra and Nehemiah originally constituted one book, so it works to treat them together. Let’s review the timeframe and story here. Continue reading

(Reposted but not updated, so many of the links may not work.)

These are some of my favorite chapters. Elijah and his fiery talents inspired our creative fire-building on many a scout trip, and even managed to get the back of my head quite singed once. For some excellent background on that story of the fiery showdown, see John Tvedtnes, “Elijah, Champion of Israel’s God”, Ensign July 1990.  Continue reading

David on the Harp.

(Reposted, but not updated. If you find a broken link, you can plug it in to the Wayback Machine to get the content.)

Here’s the podcast on these chapters, with some useful notes.

The purpose of this lesson is to focus on the friendship between David and Jonathan, but the narrative is primarily about David trying to avoid being killed. The guy trying to kill him is no other than his father-in-law Saul (since he married Michal), who is also Jonathan’s father.  Your in-laws don’t seem so bad now, eh? Continue reading