Clean Versus Unclean

Clean animals that the Israelites could eat . . .

Leviticus 11:3, Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

 Leviticus 11:9, These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

 Leviticus 11:21, Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

 Leviticus 11:22, Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

Unclean animals that the Israelites could not eat . . .

Leviticus 11:4-7, Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  7And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

Leviticus 11:12-24, Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall bean abomination unto you.  And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;  Every raven after his kind;  And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,  And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,  And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,  And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.  All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.  But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.  And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.  And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.  The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.  And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four,  those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.  And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:29-30,  These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind, And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

The Law of Moses was very strict.  It had 2 primary functions, to teach obedience and to keep their minds towards Christ.  There were practical reasons for these dietary laws related to health and sanitation.  The Lord used diet as a teaching tool.  People may forget to pray but usually do not forget to eat.  Each time they ate, they could remember the Lord.  By committing to a specific diet they were committing to the Lord.  The strict Law of Moses separated the Hebrews from the Canaanite neighbor. If we are to be God’s people, we must become different from other people.  We must not be influenced by worldly influences.  The Lord wants us to be clean and pure.  Pure implies unpolluted throughout the whole thing.  Clean implies free from contamination.

Modern day revelation pertaining to what the Lord ordained for the use of man . . .

D&C 89:6, And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.

 D&C 89:10-17, And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man— Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving. Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used spareingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine. All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth; And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger. All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground— Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.

Modern day revelation pertaining to what the Lord has restricted . . .

D&C 89:5, That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.

 D&C 89:7-9, And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill. And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.

D&C 89:12, Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used spareingly;

The Lord wants to sanctify us and make us holy.  There needs to be a separation between clean and unclean.  When we partake of that which is clean, it helps keep us clean.  When we partake of that which is unclean, it draws away our cleanliness.  Our bodies are a temple created for us by our Heavenly Father.  If we want the Lord to be with us and the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion, we must be clean and pure.  They cannot dwell in unholy places.  There are promises that will be given to us if we keep these words of wisdom like health in the navel and marrow in the bones, finding great treasures of wisdom and knowledge, running and not being weary, walking and not fainting, and the destroying angel shall pass us by, just as the children of Israel. (D&C 89:18-20)  By following these words of wisdom given to us by the Lord we are committing to Him.  We are making our bodies more clean and holy, a place where the Holy Ghost can dwell.  Following the word of wisdom is part of the sanctification process.  One way I could commit to living the word of wisdom better is to eat more whole and natural food.  I need to give up more processed food.

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.

Whom God Calls, He Qualifies

The Lord was angry with the people of Enoch's day.  He called them to repentance because their hearts were hardened, they wouldn't listen to the Lord and keep His commandments, and their eyes were only focused on what was directly in front of them.

The Lord calls Enoch and Enoch says, "Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?

Enoch was told by the Lord to follow His commandments and the Lord would guide Enoch's words and have the Holy Ghost with him.  The Lord told Enoch to anoint his eyes with clay and Enoch became a seer.  Enoch spoke the words God wanted him to speak and the people could feel it.

In the beginning Enoch was afraid to speak yet his faith was so strong and he believed the Lord would guide his words.  And He did.  He led the people of Enoch.  Even the earth, the mountains and the rivers, obeyed Enoch's words.  All other nations and people feared him and the Lord's people.  And the Lord blessed the people of Enoch because they were righteous.  They were called Zion, the pure in heart.

My own experience, although far from that of Enoch, has shown similarities.  There has been many times I have accepted a call in the church that I feel inadequate to fill.  Yet I have accepted, knowing that the call was from the Lord and that he would help and guide me to accomplish my tasks and to fulfill my calling.  And He always has.  Whom God calls, he qualifies.

The words in Genesis do not say much about Enoch and his people, only a few short verses.  Enoch had children, walked with God, and was taken up to God.  We can learn so much more about Enoch and his people in the Joseph Smith Translation of Enoch found in the book of Moses.  We learn that Enoch was called to cry repentance to very wicked people.  Enoch's word's were powerful, because they came from God.  We learn that Enoch talked with God face to face and was shown many generations of the Earth.  He was commanded to call the people to repentance and to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  We learn that the enemies of the people of God could not prevail against them.  The people of Enoch were blessed.  The city of Enoch, the city of Zion, was taken up into heaven to live with the Lord forever.

Talents of Others

I am thankful to Michelle Burk who taught me the secrets to making bread which have eluded me for so long. I have always wanted to be successful at bread and all kinds of dough creations. And now I feel like I have it down. Thank you Michelle!

In honor of this new success, this week I have made wheat bread, cinnamon rolls, rolls, bread sticks, and fry bread for Navajo tacos. Fun and Yum!

Songwriters and Composers

I am thankful for people who have the talent of writing beautiful music and lyrics. At the Young Womanhood Recognition Night I heard the words to a beautiful song by Jenny Phillips and Tyler Castleton called To Become Like Him. Here are the words to the chorus. I wish you could hear the notes as you read the words.

Remember you are greatest
When you walk with God.
When his light is in your eyes
You are truly strong.
You don't have to prove your beauty
In the eyes of men.
You are divine within.
You were sent here to become like him.

Mother of a Young Woman

I am thankful to be the mother of a girl in Young Womens. I got to attend the Young Womanhood Recognition Night with Kim, who received a second medallion for going through the program twice. It was an evening where the spirit touched my heart continually.