This week’s Come, Follow Me study guide covers Ezra 1, chapters 3-7. Nehemiah 2, 4-6, and 8 contain scenes of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
Below are quotes from past and present leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding these chapters of the Bible.
“I’m doing a great job”
“The Nehemiah of the Old Testament is a great example of staying focused and dedicated to an important task. Nehemiah was an Israelite who lived in exile in Babylon and served as cupbearer to the king. One day the king asked Nehemiah why he was doing this. Nehemiah answered, “Why should my face be sad, when the city, the land of my fathers, is desolate and its gates are consumed with fire?” (Nehemiah 2:3)
“When the king heard this, his heart softened and he gave Nehemiah the authority to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. However, not everyone was happy with this plan. In fact, some rulers who lived near Jerusalem were very saddened that ‘a man had come who sought the welfare of the children of Israel’ (Nehemiah 2:10). These men “felt great indignation and mocked the Jews” (Nehemiah). 4:1).
“Fearless, Nehemiah did not allow himself to be distracted by the opposition. Instead, he organized his resources and manpower and proceeded to rebuild the city. “For the people were willing to work” (Nehemiah 4:6).
“But as the city walls began to be built, opposition intensified. Nehemiah’s enemies threatened, conspired, and mocked them. Their threats became so real and so intimidating that Nehemiah said, ‘They Despite the danger and the ever-present threat of invasion, construction proceeded. It was a stressful time, with all the builders “holding up their swords.” and was built by him” (Nehemiah 4:18).
“As the work continued, Nehemiah’s enemies became more desperate. Four times they begged Nehemiah to leave the safety of the town to meet with them under the pretext of settling the dispute, but Nehemiah knew that their intentions were to harm him. Each time they approached, he had the same answer: ‘I am doing a great job, and I cannot come down’ (Nehemiah 6:3).”
“What an amazing response! With a clear and abiding purpose of heart and mind, and with great determination, the walls of Jerusalem were built and rebuilt in an astonishing 52 days.
“Nehemiah refused to allow distractions to keep him from doing what the Lord wanted him to do.
“Dear brethren in the priesthood, I wonder what we could accomplish if we all, like Nehemiah’s people, “have working hearts.” I wonder what we could accomplish if we all “put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11) and devoted ourselves wholeheartedly to being worthy priesthood holders and true representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“We live in a time of great challenges and great opportunities. The Lord is looking for men like Nehemiah, faithful brothers who fulfill their priesthood vows and covenants.
— President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then Second Counselor in the First Presidency, in April 2009 general conference: “We are doing a great job, and we cannot afford to step down.”
Please pray and watch over me.
“When the Israelites returned from their long captivity in Babylon, they found their city in ruins. The walls that had protected Jerusalem lay in rubble. Their enemies moved among them with great influence, and the Israelites submitted to them.”
“Then came the prophet Nehemiah, now known as the “wall builder.” He rallied the Israelites to their defense. Under his direction, they began rebuilding the wall.
“At first their enemies mocked them. Tobiah the Ammonite mocked them and said, “Even what they have built, a fox will break down even their stone wall if he climbs over it” (Nehemiah 4:3).”
“But Nehemiah comforted the people and began to work. Their enemies were everywhere. ‘Nevertheless,’ he recorded, ‘we prayed to God and kept watch against them’ (Nehemiah 4:9).
“Sisters, think about that. They “prayed” and “set the clock” to get on with their work.”
— Late President Boyd K. Packer (then member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), October 1980 general conference, “Circle of Sisters”
temple of zerubbabel
“Prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah warned the people of Jerusalem that their city and temple would be destroyed if they continued to break their covenant with the Lord. This prophecy proved true when Babylon first invaded Judah around 600 BC and destroyed its villages, towns, cities, and religious life.
“Jerusalem finally fell in 587 BC, and the exiled Jews were expelled from their destroyed homeland (see Psalm 137:1). A small number of people remained in and around Jerusalem, including The exiles, including the Leans, eventually intermarried with non-Israelites (see Jeremiah 40:7, 11-12).The exiles then returned to Palestine and began rebuilding their homes and religious life (see Ezra 137:1). 3) The Temple in Jerusalem was finally rebuilt by 515 BC and once again became the center of Jewish worship.
“The Jews rejected the Samaritans’ offer to help rebuild the temple, so in the late fourth century the Samaritans built another temple on Mount Gerizim, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Jerusalem. Thus, worship and belief in Jehovah became divided between the new temple on Mount Gerizim and the Jerusalem temple, as both sides had competing claims to priesthood authority (see John 4:20).”
— S. Kent Brown, professor emeritus of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, then professor of church history and doctrine at BYU, in the December 2014 Liahona article “500 Years Lost: From Malachi to John the Baptist.”
“Thus, about 600 years before the coming of our Lord to the earth, Israel no longer had a temple. The people became idolatrous and completely wicked, and the Lord rejected them and their sanctuary. The kingdom of Israel, consisting of about 10 of the 12 tribes, was established in 721 B.C. A century later, the kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians. For 70 years, the people of Judah (hereafter known as the Jews) remained in captivity, as had been foretold (see Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10).
“Then, under the friendly rule of Cyrus (see Ezra 1 and 2) and Darius (see Ezra 6), they were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple according to their faith. In memory of the director of this work, the restored temple was known to history as the Temple of Zerubbabel. This temple was much inferior in finish and richness to the great Temple of Solomon, but it was still the best.” The people were able to build it, and the Lord accepted it as an offering symbolizing the love and devotion of His covenant children. ”
—The late Elder James E. Talmage, former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, from the article “History of the Temple” in the October 2010 issue of Liahona.
temple building
“The Church is now entering a time in its history when it is most devoted to temple building.…This is an extraordinary blessing for us as members of the Church. The Old Testament records some of the joy that people derive from building these sacred places. “And they sang together to praise the Lord, and to give thanks; and all the people praised the Lord, and cried out with a loud voice, for the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid” (see also Ezra 3:11, 10). 12-13).
“I believe we too have the opportunity to praise the Lord and weep for joy as we watch these new temples being built.”
—The late Elder David E. Sorensen, then a General Authority Seventy, October 1998 general conference, “Little Temples: Great Blessings.”
enjoy the scriptures
“Perhaps the scriptures would be sweeter and more precious to us if we were more hungry for them.”
“Imagine the spiritual hunger we would feel if we did not have scriptures to eat. Throughout the ages, many people did not have records of the Torah. Think of the times in the Old Testament when people either did not have the book of the Torah or had forgotten it. Ezra and Nehe When Myah had to re-educate the Jews returning from the Babylonian captivity in the book of the Law (see Nehemiah 8:1-13)…we must learn early in school. We must love the scriptures, enjoy the scriptures, and live to learn from the scriptures.”
– Sister Susan W. Tanner, then Young Women general president, said in a devotional at Brigham Young University in September 2005, “The Bible is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey.”
Cyrus the Great
“Cyrus the Great (date of birth unknown) was a descendant of the royal family that ruled Anzan (Babylonian Ansan), a country known to the Western world as Edom (Highlands). Many details of Cyrus the Great’s life and activities are missing, but it is important to note that Cyrus the Great He is believed to have lived more than 500 BC, and is believed to have lived more than 500 BC. — Mentioned in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 and Ezra 1:1-2 and by the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Daniel.
“And whoever remains in the place where he sojourns, let the people of that place help him with silver, gold, goods, and beasts, in addition to his freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
“Then the chiefs of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, and the Levites, together with all those whom God had raised up in spirit, rose up to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.
“’And all that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, and gold, and goods, and beasts, and valuables, besides what they had willingly offered; and Cyrus the king took the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and placed them in the house of his gods.
“’Cyrus king of Persia brought them out by the hand of Misredath the treasurer, and numbered them even Sheshbazzar prince of Judah.
“And these are their numbers: 30 chargers of gold, 1,000 chargers of silver, 9 and 20 knives,
“Thirty gold pots, four hundred second-class silver pots, and a thousand other vessels.
“‘All the vessels of gold and silver were five thousand and four hundred: and with all these Sheshbazar brought the exiles who had been brought from Babylon to Jerusalem'” (Ezra 1:4-11).
“Cyrus pacified the tributary peoples by restoring their temples and restoring the images of their vassal gods. Among those to whom Cyrus had such religious feelings were the captive Hebrews, at the same time restoring certain political and social rights. The coming of this Deliverer had been foretold by the prophets, and the believers undoubtedly welcomed him with hope and joy. Cyrus granted them permission to return to Jerusalem. Cyrus the Great was a political and prudent man who reportedly spent the last years of his life directing the affairs of his vast empire to the blessing of his people, as he had done many times before, and as he would many times to do again, even in his favorable treatment of the Hebrews. Born primarily out of a desire to subdue his subjects on the threatened frontier, he nevertheless freed them from bondage.
“Cyrus has been described as a non-religious leader with religious and Christian ideals.…Yes, God our Father uses people on earth, especially good people, to accomplish His purposes.”
— The late President Ezra Taft Benson, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in a May 1973 devotional at Brigham Young University, “The People: A World Celebration in Iran.”
