Today we're talking about the very most important thing that you can do when you're studying your scriptures. I'm Cindy Young, and this is Primarily Scripture. Last month we talked all about the basics of getting ready to study your scriptures, setting goals and what to read and when to read, and how to really set yourself up for success. Now we are diving into the nitty gritty, and today's tip is the very most important thing that you can ever do when you're studying the scriptures. The very most important! Number one! Are you ready? Look for Jesus. Every other thing that we are doing when we study our scriptures is to help us build a relationship with Jesus. We're learning his doctrine. We're finding patterns. We're figuring out how to apply it to our lives, but it's all about to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the very center of Heavenly Father's plan, and so he should be the very center of your scripture study. So we'll talk about a bunch of different ways to look for Jesus and to make him the center of your scripture study all this month. Today's tip is the most basic, the easiest way to find Jesus when you study the scriptures. Are you ready for it? Here it is. Look for the things that he says and does. What he said, what he did, what he promised, how he fulfilled those promises. What are his different names? These are all things that you can find in the scriptures. In Come Follow Me this week, we are in Genesis chapter five and Moses chapter six, and those chapters talk about Enoch. Moses chapter six especially talks about how he was called, and then what he taught to the people. And next week we'll learn more about Enoch and his city and how they became Zion, but that's next week. So this week, Moses chapter six. Let's turn there and let's see what we can do to find Jesus Christ. We'll do it together. Every week I create free study worksheets that go along with Come Follow Me. They're absolutely 100% free on my website. No strings attached. You don't even have to give me your email. So what we're doing today is one of the study activities on the worksheet. So you can go download that and go through this exercise with your family or friends. And there are a couple other study exercises on there for you as well. So this one is called "Learn About Jesus"-'cause that's what we're doing, right? So, we're going to read a couple of verses and look for what the Lord did. Turn with me to Moses chapter six, and we're gonna start in verse 27, and it says this-"And he [Enoch] heard a voice from heaven saying, Enoch, my son prophesy unto this people and say unto them, repent... for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see a far off." Okay. That's the first verse on the worksheet. Where was Jesus in that verse? What was he doing? We don't have to go very far. The very first phrase right there is something that the Lord did. The Lord spoke to Enoch. If you're using the worksheet, you can fill it in right there in the provided space. And otherwise get out a study journal of some kind. Just a spiral bound notebook will work. A random sheet of paper if you want. You can even write it down in the margin of your scriptures if you have enough room. I like to have a little study journal. So let's write down- the Lord did... what? We'll make a list. He spoke to Enoch. Awesome. Let's go to verse 31. The Lord called Enoch as a prophet, and this is his response."When Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord and spake before the Lord saying, why is it that I have found favor in thy sight and am but a lad, for I am slow of speech; wherefore, am I thy servant?" He's asking, why are you asking me? The people hate me and I don't even speak very well. That verse is all about Enoch. Is there anything in there specific of what the Lord did? There is something that we can infer. Enoch asked why he was favored of the Lord, which means the Lord was favoring him. So if you want, you can add that to your list that the Lord favors his righteous people. Now, verse 32 starts with a very important phrase when you're looking for things that the Lord says and does. Super Important. Anytime you see this phrase, you know to pay attention. Here it is- "And the Lord said unto Enoch..." These are his words! It lays it out for us. It gets us all ready. He said, "go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee; open thy mouth and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance; for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good." Okay. What did the Lord say? Those were amazing promises. Let's break it down one phrase at a time. He said, "go and do as I have commanded." Okay, so he asks us to obey. Write that down. What else?"No man shall pierce thee." He's offering protection to Enoch. And do you remember what Enoch was worried about? He said, everybody hates me. If everybody hated you, and the Lord told you to go stand up in front of them and tell them to repent because what they were doing was bad, wouldn't you be a little bit worried for your safety? I definitely would. I'm sure Enoch was so worried about it, but the Lord right here promised him protection. That is an amazing promise. What else did he say?"Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled." He helps us know what to say. Step two is to ponder what these things mean and how they apply to your own life. And it may seem like a silly step but I want you to remember that by small and simple things, the Lord can do very great things. And so by you trying out this one tiny little extra step- don't just notice what the Lord does, but stop and ponder it- and your study will be so much more meaningful. So let's try it. Let's look at this list. The Lord spoke to Enoch. What does that mean to you in your life? Have you ever felt inspired by the Lord? Have you ever felt his words sink deep into your heart? I have. And if you haven't yet, there's still hope that you can. Enoch was surprised that the Lord spoke to him and called him, wasn't he? And so even if you haven't heard the voice of the Lord yet, he still wants to talk to his children. I love that about the Lord that he wants to speak to us, whether it's with his own voice, or through the voice of his servants. He loves to speak to his children because he loves us. That is wonderful. At this point, you might ask yourself, what can I do to hear the Lord's voice even more? and if something occurs to you that you could do to hear his voice, write it down and act on that. And that's where the power comes in, because you're taking the time to take what the Lord does and apply it to your own life, and connect with him through this one thing that you found out about him. Let's look at the next one. The Lord favors his righteous people. Can you think of a time when you were blessed? When there was a small tender mercy, and you just knew that the Lord was aware of you? If you have, have you written it down? Have you shared it with others? And if you haven't felt that, here's an opportunity for you to examine your life, and make decisions about what the rest of today is going to look like. How can you align your will with His so that you can receive those blessings? Take a minute to think about that. Alright, the third one- the Lord asks us to obey. What is the Lord asking you to do? That's not something that I can answer for you! The answer is not coming on this podcast! Sorry! But if you take a moment and ponder it, I bet something will come to mind. Write those thoughts down and move forward and obey the Lord whenever you can so that you can receive the blessings that he has in store for you. Now, will it be that he will protect you and you will not get hurt? Very unlikely because we live in a fallen world. We're all mortal. And that's part of what we came here to do, is to experience opposition and trials and pain and sickness and all those things. Very few people get the promise that they will be fully protected no matter what. But is there a kind of protection that the Lord offers to you? Yes! Spiritual protection comes when you... oh, what did he just ask Enoch to do?"Do as I have commanded..." and you'll be protected. When we follow his commandments, we do receive that spiritual protection. What are your other thoughts about being protected? There are many people who have experienced physical protection. For instance, when my husband was on his mission in South America, he had a couple of different incidents where he should have been very badly hurt, but he actually was not, and he absolutely attributes it to being protected by the Lord, and that's such an exciting thing! And then on the other hand, the spiritual protection- that when we follow the Lord, Satan has far less power over us, and we're able to withstand temptation, and we are spiritually protected. Such a cool thing. And the last one we talked about, he helps us know what to say. Again, just like protection, this isn't a blanket promise to anybody, but when we stay close to the spirit, this is something that can happen for each of us. When you get a calling in the church, and you're set apart to do that calling, you are given the power and authority to fulfill that calling. And so if you're doing your absolute best to do it, you're teaching primary or Sunday school, or you're a class president, if you are doing your best to stay close to the spirit, then within that stewardship, the Lord can help you know what to say and to do in order to be successful and to bless the lives of those that you serve. Now, the big question here, after you pick apart each of these things that we've learned about, what the Lord does, is to ask what does this teach you about Him? What are your feelings towards Him now that you have explored these parts of his personality- that He wants to talk to us and bless us, He wants to protect us and help us know what to say. And all He asks is for us to follow Him and keep His commandments. The biggest thing that stands out to me in all this is how much He loves us. I love doing this every time I study the scriptures. No matter what other tips and tricks you use, no matter what you're searching for or pondering about, don't skip focusing on Jesus. Don't ever, ever, ever skip it because all of those other things are to help us learn about Jesus and build our testimony of Him and his gospel! So if you do nothing else, when you study, look for Jesus- what He said, what He did, what He promises, how He fulfills His promises, His names. Learn all you can about Jesus Christ and you'll have a successful scripture study. Come back next week and we'll talk about even more ways to focus on Jesus Christ when you study the scriptures. I'm Cindy Young, and this is Primarily Scripture. Thanks for tuning into primarily Scripture with Cindy Young. Don't forget you can subscribe to the newsletter and download free worksheets on the website, primarily scripture.com. And if you like the channel, be sure to subscribe, like, share, and leave a review. See you next time.