Prophets Talk to God Face to Face

Is it possible for a prophet to speak to God face to face?  Earlier in the Old Testament we learned that Abraham and Enoch talked with God face to face.  In Exodus we just learned that Moses and 70 of the elders of Israel saw God.  Exodus 33:11 it says, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.”  Yet in Exodus 33:20 it says, “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”  And also John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”  Do these scriptures contradict each other?  Can man see God face to face or not?  Some words were been lost in translation.  Let’s take a look at the Joseph Smith Translation of both of these verses.  Exodus 33:20 says, “And he said unto Moses, Thou canst not see my face at this time, lest mine anger be kindled against thee also, and I destroy thee, and thy people; for there shall no man among them see me at this time, and live, for they are exceeding sinful. And no sinful man hath at any time, neither shall there be any sinful man at any time, that shall see my face and live.”  John 1:19 says, “And no man hath seen God at any time, except he hath borne record of the Son; for except it is through him no man can be saved.”  It is possible for someone to see the face of God and live.  Ancient prophets saw and talked with God face to face.  Modern day prophets can also.  Joseph Smith saw God, the Father, and His son Jesus Christ.

Senior Lunch

Today we had Thomas and 8 of his friends over for lunch to celebrate the end of the year and graduation.  I was in the kitchen after they had all gotten their food.  All of a sudden, it got very quiet and I heard them praying and blessing the food.  It would have been easy for a bunch of teenagers to just jump in and start eating.  I am grateful for the good friends of my son.  They support each other and set a great example for others.

Symbols of Jesus Christ in the Passover

The final plague in Egypt was the death of the first born.  The death of the firstborn in Egypt delivered the Israelites from bondage.  The death of Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father’s firstborn, can deliver us from the bondage of sin and worldliness.

Exodus 12:2, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.”  The Passover was a new beginning.  Christ was crucified at the time of the Passover.  We can begin anew through Christ’s atonement if we repent.

Exodus 12:3-5, “In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb . . .  Your lamb shall be without blemish.”  Christ, the lamb of God, was without blemish.  The blood of Christ can take away our blemishes.

Exodus 12:7, “And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.”  The blood symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ.  The blood of the lamb saved the firstborn of the children of Israel.  The blood of Christ can save us.

Exodus 12:8, “And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.”  Leavening was a symbol of corruption here because in the days of the Israelites, yeast spoiled and turned moldy very easy.   Their offering needed to be pure without any corruption.  They were putting away all uncleanliness.  We, too, should put away all of our sin and worldiness.  The bondage that the children of Israel suffered was bitter.  The bitter herbs were in remembrance of this.

Exodus 12:14, “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinancefor ever.”  The Israelites were always to remember their deliverance by observing the Passover.  We, too, must always remember Christ’s atonement.

President Boyd K. Packer said in General Conference of April 1996, “The law of sacrifice was fulfilled with the Crucifixion. The Lord instituted the sacrament in its place. That is the ordinance we shall keep forever!”  The blood of a lamb saved the firstborn of the children of Israel.  The blood Jesus Christ will save me if I am faithful, obedient, and continually repent.

Joseph Endured His Trials

Jacob's sons were, in order of birth, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.


Joseph's older brothers had great hostility toward him.  Joseph was his father's favorite son.  The coat of many colors signified more than just a gift. Possibly the coat signified that Joseph held the birthright which is normally held by the first born.  There were four first born sons in the family.  Joseph's dreams, the sheaves and the sun, the moon, and the stars, foreshadowed Joseph's future over them.  This must have increased their resentment towards him.


Joseph went through many trials.  There must have been so much hostility towards him by his brothers that he was constantly in the midst of contention. They stripped him of his coat, threw him into a pit, and even plotted to kill him.  Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave.  Yet, during each trial, Joseph always did the right thing for the right reason.  He turned all of his trials into something great.  In the end, he did not blame his brothers for what they had done to him.  He believed it happened to serve the Lord's plan.  He was able to be preserved to help many people as he reigned in Egypt.  What a great example Joseph is to each of us.


Several times in Genesis, chapter 39, the phrase, "the Lord was with Joseph," appeared.  Joseph chose to be morally clean.  That is shown in his refusal to lie with Potiphar's wife.  The Lord was constantly with Joseph because he was constantly making right choices.  There was never bitterness towards the Lord for the trials he had endured.  How many of us have become bitter and offended over a time we felt we had been slighted, real or imagined?  Joseph was wrongfully thrown into prison.  Yet he remained righteous, he was faithful, and he was not bitter.  And the Lord was always with Joseph.

Who Was Melchizedek?

Even as a child, Melchizedek feared God.  He was a faithful and righteous man.  Melchizedek was the king of Salem, whose people were very wicked.  He preached repentance to his people and brought them to righteousness which resulted in peace.  Hence, he was called the King or Prince of Peace.

Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek whom he received the priesthood through.  Melchizedek received the priesthood through the lineage of his father, a direct line to Noah.

The Melchizedek priesthood, the greater priesthood, is named after Melchizedek because he was such a great high priest.  Previously it was called "the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God."  It was changed to Melchizedek Priesthood to avoid frequent repetition of the name of God out of respect and reverence.

Jewish tradition suggests that Melchizedek is actually Shem, the son of Noah.  We know that the priesthood descended through Shem to all the great patriarchs after his father, Noah.  Shem was a great high priest and held the keys of the priesthood given to him by his father.  In the scriptures we can learn about Shem's birth and his ancestry, but not much is mentioned of his life. With Melchizedek we do not know of his birth or ancestry, but we do learn in the scriptures about his life and ministry.  If they were not the same person, could there have been two high priest at the time?  Shem's inheritance included the land of Salem.  Melchizedek was the king of Salem.  We cannot be certain if Shem and Melchizedek were the same person.

I am impressed with Melchizedek.  He was the king of a land that was ripe with iniquity.  Yet, he desired for his people to be as the city of Enoch.  He called them to repentance, which we know from other scripture accounts, is usually not successful.  But Melchizedek was successful.  His people went from wicked to righteous.  There was peace in the land.