1 BEHOLD, blessed, [ Blessed means Happy or having happiness] saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, [ What does it mean to have "an Eye single to his glory"? See Matt 6:22 "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." Summarize those words - can we say that another way in todays terms? a)View things thru his eyes? If we where to use the phrase view it thru his eyes then let's use that as a basis to view this chapter thru his eyes - thru his purpose to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. ] according to my commandments.

2 For those that live shall inherit the earth, [ this earth is the Lord's and he will share it with them with full ownership How significant is that? ] and those that die shall rest from all their labors, [a sleep so to speak as they await the morning of the first resurrection] and their works shall follow them; [ How do our works follow us? the works that they have done - the time in the welfare projects, building the church, the people that they have helped, those that they have comforted shall always remember ] and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them.

3 Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength.

4 And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, [ What are some of the ways the Lord blesses those that obey his commandments? Receive the heavenly influence that enhances the enjoyment of life we know it as Happiness, blesses their crops, give them additional mental and physical health...] yea, and with commandments not a few, [ Come on really - are more commandments really seen as a blessing? Why? Purpose of life to become like him, the more we are lead by command, given guidelines the more closely we can align our lives with his. sometimes the Lord gives a whole set of detailed commandments like the Law of Moses (365 + Commandments) because the people are not willing to follow the spirit of the law do they have to be instructed in all things. . so then why do the elect receive so many commandments? 1) Commandments teach us how to act like our father in heaven 2) The elect have many responsibilities - commandments teach us what those responsibilities are.(v. 4, cp. D&C 29:4, D&C 93:46).] and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me. [Vs 5-14 This section of text is a paraphrase of the original 10 Commandments.]

5 Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, [ Who is the them? v1 Those who come to this land with an eye single to his glory. Most of what is given is a recap of the ten commandments but with additional emphasis on observing the sabbath day. ] saying thus: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, [ Stands for emotions, sentiment. ] with all thy might, [ Stands for soul - the term as used in Matthew 22:37 means spiritual facilities. ] mind, [ Referring to intellect. ] and strength; [ Physical attributes - power of your body. ] and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.

6 Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it. [In summary these commands are about loving our neighbors.]

7 Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. [ Why is it important to Thank the Lord? expression of Love and humility. Now the remaining commands are about loving the Lord. vs 7-24 This commandment was first given just after Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden of Eden. Read Moses 5:4-7]

8 Thou shalt offer a ^asacrifice [ root: sacer: sacred, holy + facere: to make or to do | So it means to make or to do something holy or sacred. The Hebrew word for "sacrifice" is (korban le-hakriv) and is from the root which means "to come near to, to approach, to become closely involved in a relationship with someone". ] unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. [ Why is this sacrifice that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit above all - So important to the lord? What does it mean to have a broken heart? A contrite spirit? From Elder Neal A. Maxwell “Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness” April Conf 1995 “so it is that real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed! Such is the ‘sacrifice unto the Lord . . . of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,’ (Doctrine and Covenants 59:8), a prerequisite to taking up the cross, while giving ‘away all [our] sins’ in order to ‘know God’ (Alma 22:18) for the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him.” ]

9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, [ Unspotted = without soil or spot or stain; clean; free from
moral stain; unblemished;. How does proper sabbath worship keep us unspotted from the world? "This is a commandment with a promise. By participating weekly and appropriately in the ordinance of the sacrament we qualify for the promise that we will “always have his Spirit to be with [us]” (D&C 20:77). That Spirit is the foundation of our testimony. It testifies of the Father and the son, brings all things to our remembrance, and leads us into truth. It is the compass to guide us on our path. This gift of the Holy Ghost," Elder Dallin H. Oaks “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Liahona, Nov 2008, 17–20 - President Wilford Woodruff taught, “is the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon man” (Deseret Weekly, Apr. 6, 1889, 451).

OBJECT LESsoN: Put up picture of Savior covered with several layers of waxed paper. Anciently the veil in the temple was placed there to hide man in his sins from the face of the Lord - in order to keep the unclean from defiling the holy, and to protect the unclean from the presence of God - with sin in our lives we cannot bear to see his face, but need to be instructed by his voice until we can break down those barriers. It is by applying the atonement in our lives that we break down that veil. So how is the sabbath designed to help us become unspotted from the world? 1)Partake of sacrament 2) apply atonement 3) meditation - helps us learn what we need to do to improve as prompted by the spirit. 4) Rest from daily grind and pressures 5) Time for others. ] thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments [ What are our sacraments and how do we offer them up? that is, present their devotions before the Lord, in the form of songs of praise, prayer and thanksgiving, testimonies, partaking of the Sacrament, and contemplation of the Word of God. All this is meant by the word 'sacrament,' which, in its widest range, stands for any sacred rite or ceremony whereby we affirm our allegiance to our divine Lord." (Smith and Sjodahl, DCC, p. 351.)] upon my holy day; [ What is his holy day and what was the ancient worship of the holy day? see Isa 56:1-8, Isa. 58:13-14. ]

10 For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, [ The observance of the Sabbath is detailed in the bible. The KJV rendering of "rest" in Gen. 2:2, would be better translated "cease". The Hebrew term means to "cease" or "stop" from one's ordinary labors, and not to take a nap or lie around. It means one sets aside the secular pursuits of the week performed to maintain our lives in favor of spiritual pursuits.
READ D&C 84:24; Alma 13:12,16 Do these verses make you think about "rest" a little differently?
The concept of sanctification and the idea of rest as used in the scriptures seem closely related. The rest of the Lord is defined as 'the fulness of [God's] glory' (D&C 84:24). Alma taught that certain early Saints entered the 'rest of the Lord' after being made pure through a process of sanctification (Alma 13:12,16). In other words, God's work is the sanctification of his children to the point where they can enter into the ultimate rest, which is the fulness of his glory. Once each week man is commanded to cease his own labors and allow God to perform his work of sanctification on him. Resting on the Sabbath, then, implies far more than taking a nap or stopping normal activities. Mankind must enter into the Lord's work on that day. This work involves making themselves and others more godlike, another way to speak of sanctification. Doing the work of the Lord (sanctification) often involves great activity on the Sabbath day, and the day may not be restful in the usual sense. Once can assume that if doing good to an animal on the Sabbath is approved by the Lord (see Matthew 12:11; Luke 13:15), then doing good to men is an even higher good. The two commandments for the Sabbath are rest and worship. (See D&C 59:10). The Hebrew verb la-avodh, 'to worship,' means also 'to work' and 'to serve.' This holy work then creates a new and holy man; therefore, the Sabbath is tied into the work of creation. ] and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;

11 Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times; [ Have you ever thought about what this little phrase really means in relation to Sabbath worship? Live your religion on the rest of the week - the idea is that if you improve yourself on Sunday - then don't go back to your old self on Monday - Saturday the real improvement comes from improving oneself on Sunday then implementation that improvement during the week - Improving again on the next Sunday and so on... ]

12 But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations [What does that mean? the act of offering the bread and wine of the sacrament. Anything offered or presented in worship or sacred service; an offering; a sacrifice. "In the Mosaic dispensation, an oblation, or offering, was anything presented to God to atone for sins, to merit favors, or to express gratitude for favors received. The firstlings of the flock, first fruits, tithes, incense, the shewbread, all these were oblations or offerings; some prescribed by law, some entirely voluntary. In the New and Everlasting Covenant the Lord graciously accepts tithes and offerings, donations and gifts; and the Lord's day is a very proper day upon which to remember such oblations, as well as to confess sins, publicly among the brethren, if necessary; privately before the Lord, which is always necessary." (Smith and Sjodahl, DCC, p. 352.)] and thy sacraments [What are thy sacraments? Examples include: songs of praise, prayer and thanksgiving, testimonies, partaking of the Sacrament, and contemplation of the Word of God. All this is meant by the word 'sacrament,' which, in its widest range, stands for any sacred rite or ceremony whereby we affirm our allegiance to our divine Lord." (Smith and Sjodahl, DCC, p. 351.)
How can we keep our minds and hearts focused on Jesus as we partake of the sacrament?
How can we make the ordinance of the sacrament more meaningful in our lives? (Emphasize that this ordinance should not become merely habitual or routine.) How can partaking of the sacrament strengthen our commitment to the Savior on other days of the week? Interesting to note that The First Presidency gave the following counsel when announcing the consolidated Sunday meeting schedule in 1980: “A greater responsibility will be placed upon the individual members and families for properly observing the Sabbath day. More time will be available for personal study of the scriptures and family-centered gospel study. … “It is expected that this new schedule of meetings and activities will result in greater spiritual growth for members of the Church” (Church News, 2 Feb. 1980, 3). What have you done with your extra time - how has it profited you? ] unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.

13 And on this day [the Lord's Day] thou shalt do none other thing, [see Isaiah 58:13, note the phrases “turn away … from doing thy pleasure” and “not doing thine own ways” - in other words we should refrain from buying or selling, going to places of amusement, and other worldly interests on the Sabbath . What activities seem to take away from the spirit of the Sabbath for you? What are some worldly cares that tend to intrude on the Sabbath? How can we free ourselves from these cares? How can we determine what is appropriate for us to do on the Sabbath? ] only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.

14 Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer. [ How is proper fasting rejoicing? 1) We bear testimony of our gratitude to the Lord 2) We give contributions to the poor for the value of those meals Why is reverence important in Church meetings? Elder Boyd K. Packer said that we should be reverent in the chapel so we do not intrude “when someone is struggling to feel delicate spiritual communications.” He also cautioned that reverence “does not equate with absolute silence. We must be tolerant of little babies, even an occasional outburst from a toddler being ushered out” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1991, 28; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, 22).]

15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—

16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth [ This blessing includes all that is good to eat and suitable for raiment- every necessity of life and even luxuries - things "to please the eye and gladden the heart" (v18) D&C Commentary Smith & Sjodahl] is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;

17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, [ classic covenant blessing, cp. Lev. 26:4-5, Deut. 28:4-5, D&C 49:18-20, D&C 89:10-21.] whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;

18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, [ "The intentions and purposes of the Lord towards his children have always been to make them happy. This is the very purpose for existence. Lehi has well expressed the thought in these words: 'Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy.' The Lord does not find happiness in the misery, unhappiness and suffering of men. "This world, even in its fallen state, is beautiful with its many gifts and beneficent blessings all arranged for use of man. Our misery, poverty and jealousy come because of selfishness and greed and in the failure to heed the word of the Lord. There is no peace, no happiness, no real prosperity, except through obedience to the will of our Heavenly Father. He has reason to expect us to acknowledge his hand in all things and to keep his commandments." (Joseph Fielding Smith, CHMR 1:218-19.)] both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;

19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body [ How does observing the sabbath strengthen the body? The book of Mormon shows that the Nephites were a short-lived race with the exception of the period of about two hundred year after the Savior visited them in the land Bountiful where afterwards Amos kept the records about 88 years and Amos the son of Amos kept the records about 111 years. Also see George A Smith Jour of Dis Vol XIL p 197] and to enliven the soul.

20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, [ What is the reason then that these things are all given to man? ] with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion. [cp. D&C 49:20-21 "'Extortion' is the act of taking something by violence, by threats, by overcharge, etc., unlawfully. It is lawful to procure, by honest labor, the means whereby the good things of the Earth may be obtained, but it is not lawful to wrest anything from another by methods contrary to this great law: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'" (Smith and Sjodahl, DCC, p. 354.)]

21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand [Hand = This word points to the work of God, That which we do with our hands is of our own, it is thought oot. His activity in the world, His interruption of things by His ability to create, produce, etc. If this verse points at all to gratitude, it would seem that gratitude is a recognition of this interposition of the hand of God.] in all things, and obey not his commandments.

22 Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter. [referring to verse 21 - The Lord is saying stop offending me, and giving me cause for concern, shape up , do what you are told]

[ A - (v. 20) Material/temporal blessings
     B - (v. 21) How man offends God
     B - (v. 22) Stop offending God
A - (v. 23) Spiritual/eternal blessings]

23 But learn [ In other words it is a process. How do we learn that doing righteous works provides it's own reward? Only by doing the things that we are told to do. To understand the blessings of the law of tithing for example you have to prove it to yourself - then you get your own testimony - same for every law.] that he who doeth the works of righteousness [ Or he who keeps the commandments. ] shall receive his reward, [ The phrase "his reward" indicates that two items will follow (peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come) these are the two parts of the same reward. One possibility is that peace in this world comes after we receive an assurance that we will receive eternal life in the next, enjoy the kind of life that God has. ( D&C 14:7 "eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.")] even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come. [ This is a very interesting phrase here. Why because if we look back in time to when Abraham nearly sacrificed his son, according to the Qur'an, there was a heavenly voice that pronounced: "Peace be upon Abraham!" (Qur'an 37:109, in Asad, Qur'an, 688-89) The ancient book of Jubilees similarly reports God's last words to Abraham on Mount Moriah as "Go in peace."? "Peace is a precious thing," explains the Midrash Rabbah, "since for all the deeds and meritorious acts which our father Abraham accomplished the only reward given to him was peace." (Numbers Rabbah 11:7, in Freedman, Midrash Rabbah, Numbers, 445) Such is the expression here that while the ultimate reward for righteousness is life eternal, the interim reward in this life is peace.What does that mean? President Marion G. Romney spoke about D&C 59:24 in the 1949 October conference. He explains the different between the peace the world offers, and the peace the Savior offers. He also explains what it means to have your calling and election made sure. some of the text of that talk is reprinted in the Doctrine & Covenants Student Manual (Religion 324-325, Copyright 1981.) Pres. Romney says "Through self-disciple and devotion we must demonstrate to the Lord that we are willing to serve him under all circumstances. When we have done this, we shall receive an assurance that we shall have eternal life in the world to come. Then we shall have peace in this world..."]

24 I, the Lord, have spoken it, and the Spirit beareth record. Amen. [ If the spirit bears record then it has been sealed with the authority of God. ]