I love the notes on the Hebrew and Greek roots of words you sometimes see in the footnotes of the LDS edition of the Bible. Where those have been included, they almost always add clarity to the meaning of a difficult passage, and I often wished there was more of them.
Then I discovered Strong's Concordance.
What they've done with Strong's Concordance is made an index. Of every single word in the entire Bible. And then cross-referenced each and every word with the Greek or Hebrew word it was translated from. So any word that puzzles you, you can trace back into Hebrew for the Old Testament, or Greek for the New Testament, look at its definition and entomology, and see what else it was translated as, and where else it was used.
My oldest and I are reading through a chronological edition of the King James (another magical invention - I'm absolutely loving having it arranged chronologically, rather than the traditional order) and recently we were reading the 28th Psalm:
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? -Psalm 15:1
Tabernacle is an interesting word. The Hebrew word in Psalms 15:1 that's been translated as "tabernacle" is ohel: a tent. while it's rendered as "tabernacle" 198 times, it's also rendered as "tent" almost as many times: 141 times. Genesis 4:20 talks about Jabal as the "father of such as dwell in tents", and it can even be used to mean housing for animals, as in 2 Chronicles 14:15, where Asa, king of Judah, has appealed to the Lord for assistance in repelling Ethiopian invaders, who are soundly defeated, followed home, and their cities spoiled, and the tents of their cattle destroyed, and the livestock driven off. The Hebrew ohel is used in each case: the tent for the animals, the tent of the people, and the holy tent that is the Tabernacle of the Lord.
It's very interesting to me that there is so much overlap in the language used to describe the people's homes, and the language that's used to describe the holiest places of worship: ohel meant both Tabernacle and also the tents that people lived in, and our bodies are even referred to as tabernacles. Today we live in houses, and when we visit the temple we go to the "House of the Lord".
In reading the Old Testament with my boys, we've had a chance to hear the lengthy descriptions of the Tabernacle that was built in Moses's day several times. I've gradually realized that there's a lot that's interesting in the account of building the tabernacle (It starts in Exodus 25.), and a lot of symbolism in it.
So when we are invited to the tabernacle, or in our day, to the temple, in a way we are visiting not only one of the Earth's most holy places, designed to instruct us and to help us remember Him, but we are also invited to, at least symbolically, visit God's home. The 15th Psalm is instructions for what kind of person we need to be.
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righetousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. -Psalm 15:1-2
In English, "upright" means to be strictly honorable and honest. But the Hebrew word this was translated from is even more demanding: tamiym is translated into several different words in the King James version, "without blemish" being the most common.
When one is described as tamiym, there is nothing in his outward activities or internal disposition that is odious to God. This word describes his entire relationship to God. -Strong's Concordance, entry for tamiym, Hebrew 8549
The Psalmist continues, describing several things we must avoid doing as we seek to make our abode with the Lord:
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor take up a reproach against his neighbor. -Psalm 15:3
Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines backbiting as: To censure, slander, reproach, or speak evil of the absent. And it defines a reproach as: To censure in terms of opprobrium or contempt, to charge with a fault in severe language, to treat with scorn or contempt. This is not an endorsement of today's brand of "tolerance" that pretends that vice is as respectable as virtue; the next verse continues:
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. -Psalm 15:4
Rather, I think this is commentary on how we ought to treat each other. To contemn means to consider unworthy of regard or respect. So at the same time that we draw a sharp distinction between that which is vile and that which is upright or tamiym, we should be careful to draw a distinction between the sin and the sinner, and to treat all God's children kindly.
The last verse and a half of the Psalm continues to deal with the standards of integrity and with our treatment of others:
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned;but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that swearth to his own hurt, and changest not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. -Psalm 15:4-5
I love that this Psalm starts and ends with promises of blessings: the Psalmist begins by asking who will abide in, dwell in, the House of the Lord. And then, after outlining the character requirements, he finishes with this:
He that doeth these things shall never be moved. -Psalm 15:5
After listening to Brother Bednar's talk in Conference I wanted to find a way to help Monkey begin to learn to love family history work. Although the talk was primarily addressed to youth, Brother Bednar also specifically included children in his remarks. Then, after I found another clip (below) on lds.org, my husband and I became even more determined to find a way to make this happen.
I will hardly ever ask the question, "Are you preparing to go on a mission?" I will ask the question, "Are you worthy to be in the temple? And will you be next year? And will you be the year after that? Are you doing the research in your own family, and helping other people with their research?"
That, for a young person, in the wickedness of the world in which we live today, is one of the greatest safeguards against the temptations of the adversary.
-David A.Bednar
A safeguard against the temptations of the adversary; protection from the wickedness of our world.
We need that.
We need to protect our children so they can grow up to the Lord! Now that he says it, it makes perfect sense that the temple would offer that protection to our children and youth. Of course the temple will draw my children closer to the Lord! Funny, President Hunter invited us to make the temple the great symbol of our membership, but in teaching my son I never thought to invite him to do the same.
OK. Now what. My big boy doesn't read yet. Not enough, anyway. And the little one not at all. (Though he does point at my alphabet strips and say, "That-- me!") How can I involve such little ones in family history and temple work? Obviously neither one can do real research just yet.
Things we can do
Tell ancestor stories.
Make an "Ancestor Book" - this would be good for long, "boring" Sundays, or for Family Home Evenings.
If I get names ready maybe they can help print and organize the temple cards
With (a lot of) help, Monkey could put dates into PAF after a temple trip
We could find space for an "Ancestor Map" and mark where they lived
We can take our digital recorder to Nana & Grandpa's house & ask them for stories
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. -Genesis 2:24
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. -Matthew 16:19
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. -1 Corinthians 11:11
Thou shalt live together in love... -Doctrine and Covenants 42:45
