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Old Testament KnoWhys

KnoWhy OTL28A — Is the Spirit of Elijah a Healing Power in Addition to Being a Sealing Power?

Question: Is there more to the "Spirit of Elijah" than the formal work of family history and temple ordinances for sealing? Summary: The keys restored by Elijah were not given simply to enable priesthood ordinances to be performed with authority. In the performance of family history work and sealing ordinances, estranged family members may be brought together through the love and forgiveness that should accompany that service....

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KnoWhy OTL22A — What Was the Religious Role of Music in the Life and Times of David?

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 21: Question: Within the short space of one chapter, the boy prophet Samuel speaks the phrase "Here am I" five times. Is there something more than meets the eye in his repeated reply? Summary: Yes, when spoken in a spirit of meekness in response to a call from the Lord, it is not a simple assertion of availability but rather of humility and moral readiness. ...

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KnoWhy OTL18A — Did Joshua “Utterly Destroy” the Canaanites?

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 18: Question: Israel was commanded to “utterly destroy” the Canaanites and the book of Joshua later claimed that they had done so. Why do archaeological findings and other references in the Bible make it seem that this was not actually done? What does it mean to “utterly destroy”? And why would God command such a thing in the first place?...

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KnoWhy OTL26A — Why Does “Holiness To the Lord” Appear on LDS Temples?

Question: Why does “Holiness to the Lord” appear on LDS temples? Was the phrase used on buildings anciently? Summary: The Wikipedia article on LDS temples asserts that the phrase “Holiness to the Lord” was inscribed “on the Old Testament Temple of Solomon.” However, so far as we know, the phrase was never used as part of any ancient building. It is unique to modern temples....

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KnoWhy OTL21A — What Is the Meaning of the Samuel’s Reply: “Here Am I”?

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 21: Question: Within the short space of one chapter, the boy prophet Samuel speaks the phrase "Here am I" five times. Is there something more than meets the eye in his repeated reply? Summary: Yes, when spoken in a spirit of meekness in response to a call from the Lord, it is not a simple assertion of availability but rather of humility and moral readiness. ...

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KnoWhy OTL19A — Why and How Should We Study the Old Testament?

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 19: Question: The Bible account of Creation explains very little about the formation of the solar system or the biological origin of life. Archaeological evidence sometimes directly contradicts it, its laws of diet and purity seem irrelevant, and its prophecies are largely unintelligible. Why should I spend my time studying the Old Testament when I could be focusing my attention instead on up-to-date history and science or on the practical, ethical teachings of Jesus that teach us how we should live?...

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KnoWhy OTL17A — What Are the Most Cited, Recited, and Misunderstood Verses in Deuteronomy?

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 17: Question: What are the most cited, recited, and misunderstood verses in Deuteronomy? Summary: Without any doubt Deuteronomy 6:4-5 best fits this description: 4. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might....

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KnoWhy OTL15A — How Do the Serpent and the Shewbread Symbolize Christ?

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 16: Though the importance of the need generally for all of us to "look to God and live" is easily apparent to modern readers, the specific choice of a brazen serpent on a pole as a symbol of Christ is difficult to understand. How does the brazen serpent symbolize Christ? And, in addition, does the symbolism of the temple shewbread relate in any way to the modern LDS sacrament?...

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