Year: 2008

King David’s cry in Psalms 54:2

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King David at Prayer - Late 15th Century

King David at Prayer - Late 15th Century

“Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth” (Psalms 54:2).

Dr. Nibley indicates that this type of prayer or “cry of distress” by David is similar in tone to the words of the Lord on the cross when He said, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34; The Early Christian Prayer Circle, Mormonism and Early Christianity, 58-59). But this is not the only place this type of supplication is given. There are dozens of Psalms which begin the prayer with this same pattern, indicating what appears to be a “specific set of words that accompanied certain Hebrew prayers” (Matthew Brown, The Gate of Heaven, 149):

  • Psalms 4:1 – “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness . . . hear my prayer.”
  • Psalms 5:1 -“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.”
  • Psalms 13:3 – “Consider and hear me, O Lord my God . . . “
  • Psalms 17:1 – “Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.”
  • Psalms 28:2 – “Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.”

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Wilford Woodruff – Eyewitness of the first endowments

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This is an audio recording that was made on March 19, 1897 by Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of the Church, at age 91, just one and a half years before his death. It is one of the oldest audio recordings ever made, using a “talking machine” or cylinder phonograph invented by Thomas Edison just two decades previously. This is a singular recording, as Truman G. Madsen has noted:

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Mona Lisa Smile – Matriculation Ceremony

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Not only do the graduation ceremonies of universities have interesting ritual qualities, but the matriculation ceremonies do also. The commentor Jonovitch on the Times and Seasons blog also made a reference to one of the opening scenes from the movie Mona Lisa Smile. This scene is from a 1953 matriculation ceremony, or a type of induction or initiation, of Wellesley College, a conservative women’s private liberal arts college in Massachusetts.

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The Black Robes of a False Priesthood

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Here Dr. Hugh Nibley quotes himself in one of his most well-known sayings. The video is taken from his prominent BYU commencement address he gave on August 19, 1983 that he entitled “Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift.” We smile and chuckle at the brazenness with which Nibley makes this tongue in cheek submission. But is there any real merit to what he said? He seemed to think so; that is why he took the opportunity of this commencement address to explain himself.

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1 Nephi 1:1 – Temple Symbolism

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This first scripture is, no doubt, the most read scripture in all the Church, and possibly the most read from the LDS canon outside of the Church. Members of the Church have all read this scripture over and over as they begin reading the Book of Mormon and recommit to daily scripture study and finishing the Book of Mormon. We are familiar with the honor Nephi bestows upon his parents, his telling of the afflictions he suffered throughout his life, the way the Lord favored Nephi and blessed him greatly, and thus Nephi begins his record. This first verse of the Book of Mormon could probably be recited from memory by most members of the Church because of its frequent repetition. But did you know that this first verse, indeed the entire small plates of Nephi, might have overarching temple themes?
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