He Shall Direct Thy Paths

How Did Proverbs Come to Be and How Were They Used in Olden Times?

Keith H. Meservy

Ensign 3, no. 10 (Oct. 1973)

Proverbs belong to a literary classification known as wisdom literature: sayings of wise men who crystallized their advice into short, pithy statements. These were usually, but not necessarily, expressed in two-line couplets, the second of which emphasized the meaning of the first by an antithetical statement or by a complementary or parallel idea.

“Wisdom” (Philosophy) in the Holy Bible

David H. Yarn Jr.

BYU Studies 13, no. 1 (1973)

The book of Proverbs frequently uses the word “wisdom.” This article examines wisdom passages throughout the Bible and classifies them into five topics. The topics regarding knowledge of God and righteousness appear more frequently than other topics. Heavenly wisdom is peaceable, gentle, and full of mercy.

Nephi and His Asherah

Daniel C. Peterson

Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9, no. 2 (2000)

Asherah was the chief goddess of the Canaanites. Some Israelites worshipped her over a period from the conquest of Canaan in the second millennium BC to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Asherah was associated with trees—sacred trees. In 1 Nephi 11, Nephi considers the meaning of the tree of life as he sees it in vision. In answer, he receives a vision of “a virgin, . . . the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.” The answer to his question about the meaning of the tree lies in the virgin mother with her child. The virgin is the tree in some sense, and Nephi accepted this as an answer to his question. Nephi’s vision reflects a meaning of the “sacred tree” that is unique to the ancient Near East.

With All Thy Getting Get Understanding

Gordon B. Hinckley

Ensign 18, no. 7 (Aug. 1988)

President Hinckley shares his appreciation for those who study and teach the knowledge of the world. He adds that coming to understand the purpose of life and our relationship to God are the foundation of human progress. He draws on Proverbs for that teaching. He teaches that gratitude to God, virtue, and faith are essential.

A Chosen Generation

Gordon B. Hinckley

Ensign 22, no. 5 (May. 1992)

Reflects on Peter’s statement about believers being a chosen generation and its relevance today.

The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources

Kevin Barney

Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant (2005)

This article reviews the origins and history of the book of Abraham text. They suggest that the book may have had its origin as a Semitic text that experienced the normal transmission processes of copying, translation, and redaction from the time of Abraham until the Greco-Roman era. The facsimiles may have been Egyptian religious vignettes that were adopted or adapted by an Egyptian-Jewish redactor.

The “Spirit” That Returns to God in Ecclesiastes 12:7

Dana M. Pike

Let Us Reason Together: Essays in Honor of the Life's Work of Robert L. Millet (2016)

Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Some Latter-day Saints have understood “the spirit” to mean the spirit personages that leave their mortal bodies at death. But in its biblical context, this verse is not about souls returning to God; this verse teaches that our bodies return to the dust of the earth, and our breath returns to God, who granted it to us. See also “The Latter-day Saint Reimaging of ‘the Breath of Life’ (Genesis 2:7),” Dana M. Pike, BYU Studies Quarterly 56, no. 2.

The “Spirit” That Returns to God in Ecclesiastes 12:7

Dana M. Pike

Let Us Reason Together: Essays in Honor of the Life's Work of Robert L. Millet (2016)

Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Some Latter-day Saints have understood “the spirit” to mean the spirit personages that leave their mortal bodies at death. But in its biblical context, this verse is not about souls returning to God; this verse teaches that our bodies return to the dust of the earth, and our breath returns to God, who granted it to us. See also “The Latter-day Saint Reimaging of ‘the Breath of Life’ (Genesis 2:7),” Dana M. Pike, BYU Studies Quarterly 56, no. 2.