January 2002 Ensign
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THE ENSIGN OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS • J ANUARY 2002 Our First Testament of Jesus Christ, pp. 30–60 Teaming Up for Youth, p. 7 Christ Creating the World, by Robert Barrett “He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding” (Jer. 51:15). JANUARY 2002 • VOLUME 32, NUMBER 1 2 FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Overpowering the Goliaths in Our Lives President Gordon B. Hinckley 7Teaming Up for Youth 14 Harold B. Lee: Master Teacher Breck England 20 To Love and Care for Each Other Karl R. White 23 Asking Questions First Overpowering Robert G. Jones the Goliaths in 26 Crash Landing 2 Our Lives Elder Pita Foliaki Hopoate 30 Studying and Teaching the Old Testament Elder Henry B. Eyring 35 The Powerful Potential of Scripture Stories Elder Merlin R. Lybbert 36 The Choice That Began Mortality Elder Jess L. Christensen 39 Rebekah Cynthia L. Hallen 42 Jacob & Esau David H. Madsen 45 The Book of Mormon: A Guide for the Old Testament Harold B. Lee: Elder Gary J. Coleman Master Teacher 50 Old Testament Times at a Glance 14 56 Enjoying the Old Testament Timothy L. Carver 61 The Gift of the Blue Lace Curtain Libby Frech Klimley 64 “For Such a Time as This” The Relief Society General Presidency 67 VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE Understanding Our Divine Nature 68 RANDOM SAMPLER 70 LATTER-DAY SAINT VOICES SAINTS IN Crash 74 Teaming Up Birmingham, Alabama Landing for Youth 26 75 NEWS OF THE CHURCH 7 THE FIRST PRESIDENCY: Gordon B. Hinckley, TEXT PROGRAMMER: Sally J. Odekirk at 1-800-537-5971. The Ensign Talking Book, for Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust MAGAZINE GRAPHICS MANAGER: M. M. Kawasaki individuals with visual impairment or physical QUORUM OF THE TWELVE: Boyd K. Packer, ART DIRECTOR: J. Scott Knudsen disability, is available free of charge or through L. Tom Perry, David B. Haight, Neal A. SENIOR DESIGNERS: C. Kimball Bott, donations. Maxwell, Russell M. 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Smith, Barbara Jean Jones F IRST P RESIDENCY M ESSAGE Overpowering THE GOLIATHS IN OUR LIVES B Y P RESIDENT will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, G ORDON B. HINCKLEY and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. “. I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me ome years ago I spoke to the a man, that we may fight together” (1 Sam. 17:8–10). young men of the Church When Saul and the army of Israel looked at this about overcoming the Goliaths giant and heard his chilling challenge, they were Sin their lives. I would like to apply frightened because they had no one of their own that same theme to all of us, for few of such stature. of us do not have at least one Goliath to contend with. Now, while all of this was going on, Jesse, David’s As we study the Old Testament this year, we will come father, asked his young son to take some food to his to realize that the story of David and Goliath is a won- three brothers in the army. When he arrived at the derful example of what we can learn from the pages battleground, Goliath came out again, issuing the of this great book of scripture. I recount only a portion same challenge, which David heard. There was fear of the story, for I am confident you are already famil- throughout the army of Israel. David, who was no iar with it. It is the story of David, the son of Jesse. more than a boy, said to the king (and I paraphrase As you recall, the army of Israel under the leader- his language): “King, why are you so afraid of this ship of King Saul was engaged in a deadly war with giant? I will go and fight him.” the army of the Philistines. One army poised on one Saul replied, “Thou art not able to go against this hill, the other on an opposite hill, with a valley in be- Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, tween. Now, the Philistines had among their number and he [is] a man of war [trained] from his youth” a great giant of a man named Goliath of Gath. His (1 Sam. 17:33). height was six cubits and a span. If I have figured cor- rectly, that would put him somewhere in the neigh- DAVID ARMED WITH FAITH borhood of nine feet tall. What a basketball center he might have made! David then persuaded Saul to let him try. He told Clad in his armor, he came down to the valley and the king of how he had fought with a lion and a bear called out to the army of Israel: to save his father’s sheep and concluded by saying “Choose you a man for you, and let him come that the Lord would deliver him out of the hand of down to me. the Philistine. Saul, possibly thinking that one more “If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then life lost would not be serious among the great losses SAM LAWLOR BY ILLUSTRATED 2 THE ENSIGN/JANUARY 2002 3 here are Goliaths all around us— people and institutions that control attractiveT but evil things that may chal- ILLUSTRATED BY CARY HENRIE CARY BY ILLUSTRATED lenge and weaken and destroy us. We need not fear if we have the slingshot of truth in our hands. they had already sustained, said to David, “Go, and And Goliath swore at David, saying, “Come to me, the Lord be with thee” (1 Sam. 17:37). and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and Saul then placed armor on David until the boy to the beasts of the field.” could scarcely walk. David said to the king, “I cannot Then David spoke these great words: “Thou wear this,” and he took the armor off. comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and He then “took his staff in his hand, and chose him with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom a shepherd’s bag which he had . ; and his sling was thou hast defied. in his hand” (1 Sam. 17:40). “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine This stripling of a boy, with only a sling and five hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from stones, and without any armor other than the armor thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the of faith, went down into the valley to face Goliath. Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may GOLIATH ARMED WITH SWORD, SPEAR, AND SHIELD know that there is a God in Israel” (see 1 Sam. 17:42–46). “And when the Philistine looked about, and saw That was brave talk for a boy who stood against a David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and nine-foot giant. ruddy, and of a fair countenance. In anger Goliath came at him. Then David, running “And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, toward the giant, “put his hand in his bag, and took that thou comest to me with staves?” thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in 4 his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the and he fell upon his face to the earth” (1 Sam.