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Old-Testament-verses
President Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks Oct. 3, 2021, during the Sunday morning session of the 191st Semiannual General Conference, which was held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. 2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
By Mary Richards, Church News
The importance for Latter-day Saints to know and be familiar with the Old Testament was emphasized by its use by Church leaders just in the last year. Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cited Old Testament scriptures, stories and prophets in devotional addresses and general conference talks throughout 2021 to teach doctrine and testify of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Leaders read from Job, Isaiah and Psalms the most, but also used Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Jeremiah, Esther, Samuel, Judges, Kings, Amos and Proverbs. The scriptures often were used in conjunction with New Testament and Book of Mormon verses to testify of Jesus Christ or to exemplify how people in the Old Testament let the Lord prevail in their lives.
As Church members prepare to study the Old Testament with “Come, Follow Me” in 2022, here are some of the scriptures that Church leaders used from the Old Testament in 2021.
Genesis
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught in October 2021 general conference that one of the great lessons in the Old Testament period relates to Abraham and Lot in Genesis 13. In his talk, “Personal Peace in Challenging Times,” Elder Cook noted how Abraham and Lot found they could not dwell together — and to eliminate strife, Abraham allowed Lot to choose the land he wanted.
“Lot chose the plain of Jordan, which was both well watered and beautiful. Abraham took the less fertile plain of Mamre. The scriptures read that Abraham then pitched his tent and built ‘an altar unto the Lord.’ Lot, on the other hand, ‘pitched his tent toward Sodom,’” Elder Cook said. “To have peaceful relationships, the lesson is clear: We should be willing to compromise and eliminate strife with respect to matters that do not involve righteousness. … But on conduct relating to righteousness and doctrinal imperatives, we need to remain firm and steadfast.”
Exodus
President Russell M. Nelson drew from Exodus chapters 28, 29 and 38, as well as Numbers 9:15 and Leviticus 8 when he said, “The standard works are replete with references to temple teachings, clothing, language and more,” in his October 2021 general conference talk “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation.”
In the footnotes to that talk, he gives the example of the tabernacle of Moses, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple and the temple built in the Americas by Nephi.
“Everything we believe and every promise God has made to His covenant people come together in the temple. In every age, the temple has underscored the precious truth that those who make covenants with God and keep them are children of the covenant,” said President Nelson.
Later, in President Nelson’s closing remarks, his footnotes refer to Exodus 31:13, 16 when he spoke about Jesus Christ: “Make your Sabbath a delight as you worship Him, partake of the sacrament, and keep His day holy.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles referenced Exodus 14:13-14 in a devotional Sunday, November 14, 2021, to young adults at the Jordan Institute of Religion:
“I bless you that the significance of the Savior’s Atonement will be ever present in your minds, reassuring you that the victory over evil and death has already been won. … ‘Fear ye not,’ the Master said. When opposition comes, ‘the Lord [thy God] shall fight for you.’ And so will His angels,” Elder Holland said.
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles used Exodus 12-13, as well as Leviticus 23:6 and Numbers 9:11 as background for his remarks about the Passover in his talk, “Jesus Christ, the Caregiver of Our Soul,” in April 2021 general conference.
“Jesus gave a more sacred significance to the Passover ordinance that had been bestowed upon Israel in ancient times. In fulfillment of prophecy, He offered His own body and precious blood as the great and last sacrifice, validating the traditional symbols used in the celebration of the Lord’s Passover,” said Elder Soares.
Leviticus
“The Lord wants us to become holy,” said Bishop L. Todd Budge, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, in his October 2021 talk “Giving Holiness to the Lord.” The footnote refers to Leviticus 11:44, which reads, “For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Deuteronomy
Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, gave a talk in October 2021 general conference called “Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness.” He said, “We are not just walking toward God and Christ. We are walking with Them.”
His footnote refers to Deuteronomy 2:7 — “For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.”
Judges
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles highlighted the story of the children of Israel in Judges 2 in his talk, “Daily Restoration,″ in the October 2021 general conference. He said that within a generation after Joshua died, the people had abandoned the way and began walking according to their own desires.
“No matter how strong our spiritual experiences have been in the past, as human beings we tend to wander. That has been the pattern from the days of Adam until now,” Elder Uchtdorf said, before pointing out spiritual landmarks that can help one evaluate his or her life course.
Samuel
Elder Holland’s October 2021 general conference talk, “The Greatest Possession,” explains how God forgives and forgets sins that are forsaken.
“[T]here is divine help for every one of us at any hour we feel to make a change in our behavior. God gave Saul ‘another heart,’” said Elder Holland, referring to 1 Samuel 10:9.
Primary General President Camille N. Johnson told the story of David overcoming Goliath from 1 Samuel 17 in her October 2021 talk, “Invite Christ to Author Your Story.” “[H]e mustered the faith and courage to let God write his story, declaring, ‘The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.’ With a desire to let God prevail, with an ear to the Holy Ghost and a willingness to let the Savior be the author and finisher of his story, the boy David defeated Goliath and saved his people,” said President Johnson.
Esther
“Esther is another beautiful example of letting God prevail,” said President Johnson in that same October talk.
“In a tremendous act of faith, she asked Mordecai to gather the Jews and fast for her. ‘I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish,’” said President Johnson quoting Esther 4:16.
“Esther was willing to let the Savior write her story even though, through the lens of mortality, the ending may have been tragic. Blessedly, the king received Esther, and the Jews in Persia were saved,” President Johnson said.
Kings
In October 2021 general conference, President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, used 1 Kings 19:11-12 in his talk, “The Faith To Ask and Then To Act,” to help explain how the Savior teaches His people.
“The Savior will not shout commands to you and me. As He taught Elijah: ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.’”
Job
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles used verses in Job to explain how the Savior helps people in his talk “Infuriating Unfairness” from the April 2021 Saturday afternoon session.
“He will not just console us and restore what was lost; He will use the unfairness for our benefit,” Elder Renlund said, referencing Job 42:10, 12–13; and Jacob 3:1.
Brother Ahmad S. Corbitt, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, used scriptures in Job to expound on being empowered, in his talk in the April priesthood session titled “You Can Gather Israel!”
“What about the enormous power within you? Think of this: You shouted for joy to come to a fallen world where all would face physical and spiritual death,” said Brother Corbitt. Job 38:4-7 reads in part, “Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? … When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaking on Easter Sunday in the April 2021 general conference, used Job 19:25 as a reference for this remark: “On this Easter Sunday we commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.” That verse in Job reads, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”
Psalms
President Nelson quoted from Psalms or referenced Psalms a few times in conference talks over the past year. In his April 2021 priesthood session talk, “What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget,” President Nelson explained that to hear the still small voice, “you too must be still!” In his talk footnotes he referenced Psalm 46:10, which says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Then on Sunday morning in the April 2021 general conference, President Nelson said, “Please know this: if everything and everyone else in the world whom you trust should fail, Jesus Christ and His Church will never fail you. The Lord never slumbers, nor does He sleep,” citing Psalm 121:4.
Elder Holland quoted Psalm 46:1 to speak of Christ in his talk, “Not as the World Giveth,” in April general conference: “He would nevertheless rise, as the psalmist said, to be ‘our refuge and strength, [our] very present help in [times of] trouble.’”
Elder Uchtdorf in October 2021 used Psalms in the Sunday morning session as background for speaking about walking in “the way” of the Savior, in his talk, “Daily Restoration.” His footnotes explain that Psalm 1:1, 16:11 and 86:11 are examples of how the image of a path or way stood for keeping the commandments or teachings of God.
Elder Rasband gave a devotional address to Ensign College on October 26, 2021, with remarks summed up and inspired by Psalm 16:8, which says, “I have set the Lord always before me: … I shall not be moved.” Elder Rasband invited all in attendance to “stand as a witness of God, nothing wavering.”
Elder Renlund cited Psalm 82:6 in his October 2021 general conference talk, “The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.” He spoke about unity and cultivating the love of God in our hearts. “We are united by our common, primary identity as children of God,” he said, and the footnote points to Psalm 82:6, which reads, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles quoted Psalm 30:5 in his October 2021 conference talk when he said, “The Lord comforts: ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’”
Elder Gong also said, “Cast your burdens [upon] the Lord and trust his constant care.” He was using Psalm 55:22 as a reference for that part of his talk titled “Trust Again.”
Elder Soares also used Psalm 55:22 in April 2021 general conference: “The scriptures teach us to ‘cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee,’” said Elder Soares in his talk, “Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of Our Soul.”
Proverbs
Church leaders used Proverbs to teach how to have more faith and trust in the Lord. The kind of faith that includes trust in the Lord stands in contrast to many imitations, taught President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, in a BYU-Idaho devotional on November 16, 2021.
”Some people trust no one but themselves. Some put their highest trust in a friend or another family member or even a teacher or scientist or political leader. But that is not the Lord’s way. He told us to put our faith and our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ,” President Oaks said. “As Proverbs 3:5 teaches: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.'”
In his April conference talk, “God Among Us,” Elder Uchtdorf told everyone searching for answers, truth and happiness to “trust the Lord,” from Proverbs 3:5.
Elder Timothy J. Dyches, then of the Seventy and now an emeritus Seventy, also quoted Proverbs 3:5-6 in the April Sunday afternoon session in his talk, “Light Cleaveth Unto Light.”
“Grandpa counseled, ‘The best and greatest partner you will ever have is your Father in Heaven,’” Elder Dyches said. “When my dad would relate Grandpa’s story, I remember that he would quote from the scriptures: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’”
Isaiah
President Nelson drew from Isaiah in many of his remarks over the past year. In his April 2021 talk, “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” President Nelson said, ”[The Lord] will not forsake His covenants.” He cited Isaiah 54:10 in the footnote.
In October 2021, President Nelson had Isaiah 58:13 in the footnotes to his closing remarks.
“Make your Sabbath a delight as you worship Him, partake of the sacrament and keep His day holy,” said President Nelson. Isaiah 58:13 says, “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.”
During the “Witnesses of Christmas” concert in Europe on Dec. 20, 2021, President Oaks repeatedly testified of the living Lord and the birth, Resurrection and Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ.
“I testify that as Isaiah prophesied, He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, and with His stripes we are healed. Therefore, as an Apostle, I testify that our Savior offers His merciful forgiveness for all sins of which we repent,” President Oaks said.
“Finally, I testify that our Savior Jesus Christ is there for each of us to give us the strength to bear the burdens of mortality. During His mortal ministry, He taught that He came to save that which was lost. He declared through the prophet Isaiah, ‘I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands’” (Isaiah 49:16), he said.
President Eyring quoted lines from Isaiah 5:20 in his October conference talk, “The Faith To Ask and Then To Act.”
“It is hard to keep the Lord’s commandments without faith and trust in Him,” said President Eyring. “As some lose their faith in the Savior, they may even attack His counsel, calling good evil and evil good. To avoid this tragic error, it is crucial that any personal revelation we receive be consonant with the teachings of the Lord and His prophets.”
President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, cited Isaiah 64:4 in his April talk, “Hope in Christ,” when he said, “The Lord honors those who serve and wait upon Him in patience and faith.”
Elder Holland cited Isaiah in his Saturday afternoon talk during the April 2021 general conference titled “Not as the World Giveth.”
“Challenging times come in this mortal world, including to the faithful, but the reassuring message of Christ is that although He, the paschal lamb, would go like ‘a sheep before [its] shearers’” (Isaiah 53:7), Elder Holland said.
Then, continuing to speak of the Savior, Elder Holland turned to other verses from Isaiah: “So, in a world ‘tossed with tempest, and not comforted,’ as Jehovah said it would be, how do we find what He called ‘the covenant of … peace’? We find it by turning to Him who said He would have mercy on us and ‘with everlasting kindness’ would grant peace to our children” (Isaiah 54:8, 10-11, 13).
Elder Holland quoted Isaiah again when he spoke of Easter: “Tomorrow is Easter, a time for the righteous principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Atonement to “pass over”— pass over conflict and contention, pass over despair and transgression, and ultimately pass over death. It is a time to pledge total loyalty in word and deed to the Lamb of God, who ‘[bore] our griefs, and carried our sorrows,’” which is in Isaiah 53:4, 7.
Then, in October 2021, Elder Holland cited Isaiah 55:1 in his talk, “The Greatest Possession.” “When difficult things are asked of us, even things contrary to the longings of our heart, remember that the loyalty we pledge to the cause of Christ is to be the supreme devotion of our lives. Although Isaiah reassures us it is available ‘without money and without price,’” said Elder Holland.
Elder Cook in October 2021 used Isaiah to speak of Christ in his talk called, “Personal Peace in Challenging Times.” “One of the most cherished titles of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is ‘Prince of Peace,’” said Elder Cook, quoting from Isaiah 9:6.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October conference quoted Isaiah 53:5 in his talk, “The Love of God.”
“Ours is not a religion of rationalization nor a religion of perfectionism but a religion of redemption — redemption through Jesus Christ,” Elder Christofferson said. “If we are among the penitent, with His Atonement our sins are nailed to His cross, and ‘with his stripes we are healed.’”
Elder Rasband in his talk, “The Things of My Soul,” in October 2021 said, “We are blessed with scriptures and teachings that remind us, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord,’” which is from Isaiah 55:8.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles used chapters in Isaiah to explain how the Savior helps people who come unto Him, in his talk, “Infuriating Unfairness,” from the April 2021 Saturday afternoon session.
“In mortality, we can ‘come boldly’ to the Savior and receive compassion, healing, and help” (Isaiah 41:10; 43:2; 46:4; 61:1–3).
“For those who come unto Him, a crown of beauty will replace the ashes of mourning; joy and gladness will replace grief and sorrow; appreciation and celebration will replace discouragement and despair,” continued Elder Renlund, noting Isaiah 61:3. “Receiving a crown of beauty means that we become joint-heirs with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God.”
Elder Soares also used Isaiah 53:4-5 in his April general conference message, “Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of Our Soul.”
“The eminent words of the prophet Isaiah magnify the greatness and selflessness of the Savior’s condescension and sacrifice in behalf of all the children of God: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.’”
Elder Gong in his October general conference talk, “Trust Again,” quoted Isaiah 59:2. “There is someone who can separate us from God and Jesus Christ — and that someone is us, ourselves. As Isaiah says, ‘Your sins have hid his face from you.’”
Elder Rasband in April general conference spoke of Jesus Christ as, “the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace,” which is found in Isaiah 9:6. Also in his talk, titled, “Behold! I Am a God of Miracles,” Elder Rasband said, “The Lord has reminded us, ‘Neither are your ways my ways,’” which is found in Isaiah 55:8.
Sister Sharon Eubank, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, in the October 2021 general conference Saturday evening session gave a talk called “I Pray He’ll Use Us” and read from Isaiah 6:8. ”Our individual efforts don’t necessarily require money or faraway locations; they do require the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a willing heart to say to the Lord, ’Here am I; send me,'” Sister Eubank said.
Elder Alan R. Walker, a General Authority Seventy, used Isaiah 29:14 in the April general conference in his talk, “The Gospel Light of Truth and Love.” “I testify that the gospel light of truth and love shines brightly throughout the earth today. The ‘marvellous work and a wonder’ foretold by the prophet Isaiah and seen by Nephi is taking place at a hastened pace, even in these challenging times,” Elder Walker said.
Elder Marcus B. Nash, a General Authority Seventy, in his October conference talk, “Hold Up Your Light,” referenced Isaiah 61:1-3. “I know that in Christ these good tidings are preached to the meek; in Christ are the brokenhearted bound up; in Christ is liberty proclaimed to the captives; and in Christ, only in Christ, are those who mourn given beauty for ashes.”
Elder Anthony D. Perkins, a General Authority Seventy, gave a talk in October 2021 general conference titled “Remember Thy Suffering Saints, O Our God” and quoted Isaiah 53:4. “I testify that our Heavenly Father remembers His suffering Saints, loves you, and is intimately aware of you. Our Savior knows how you feel. ‘Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows,’” Elder Perkins said.
Elder Michael A. Dunn, a General Authority Seventy, also quoted from Isaiah 53:4 in his October talk, “One Percent Better.” “Yet if we remain undaunted in our determination to consistently eke out those 1 percent gains, He who has ‘carried our sorrows’ will surely carry us,” said Elder Dunn.
Jeremiah
Elder Christofferson in his April general conference talk, “Why the Covenant Path,” quoted Jeremiah 31:33 when he told the story of a husband and wife who, while they had challenges, knew the gospel was at the root of their blessings. “They have seen the Lord’s words to Jeremiah fulfilled in the lives of their children as well as their own: ‘I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.’”
Speaking after Elder Christofferson, Elder Walker also read Jeremiah 31:33 in April general conference: “In addressing the gathering of Israel in the last days, the Lord Jehovah said, ‘I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.’”
I feel eternally grateful that from my young age, the law of the Lord started to be engraved deeply in my heart through sacred ordinances in His holy house,” Elder Walker said.
Elder Holland read from Jeremiah in his devotional address to young adults at the Jordan Institute of Religion on Nov. 14, 2021. In Jeremiah 6, God said to the early Israelites, “I have set thee for a … fortress among my people.”
“The ‘thee’ in this passage means us,” Elder Holland said. “It means that when hard times come, God has sent us to be firm, to be a fortress of strength and protection in the midst of the people — inside the Church and out.”
Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy read from Jeremiah 8:22 in October 2021 general conference in his talk, “Is There No Balm in Gilead?”
“The prophet Jeremiah lamented over the calamities that he observed among his people and hoped for healing. Jeremiah questioned, ‘Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?’ Through literature, music and art, the Savior Jesus Christ has often been referred to as the Balm of Gilead because of His remarkable healing power,” he said. In Like Jeremiah, I was wondering, ‘Is there no balm in Gilead for the Nielson family?’”
Elder Nash referenced Jeremiah 50:4-6 in his October general conference message. “When we were baptized, each of us entered into a perpetual covenant with God to ‘serve him and keep his commandments,’” he said.
Ezekiel
Elder Holland quoted Ezekiel 18:31 in his talk, “The Greatest Possession,” in October 2021 general conference. “[T]here is divine help for every one of us at any hour we feel to make a change in our behavior. God gave Saul “another heart.” Ezekiel called on all of ancient Israel to cast off her past and “make … a new heart and a new spirit,” Elder Holland said.
Hosea
Bishop Budge in speaking about “Giving Holiness to the Lord” in October 2021 general conference looked at a footnote in Hosea 6:6 to give context. That footnote indicates that mercy in Hebrew means “charity” or “lovingkindness.”
“The Lord said, ’I desired [charity], and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings,” said Bishop Budge.
Amos
Elder Uchtdorf, in his April conference address, “God Among Us,” testified how throughout the ages, God has spoken through prophets. In the footnotes to his talk, Elder Uchtdorf cited Amos 3:7 which reads, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Elder Uchtdorf was speaking in the Sunday morning session after President Nelson opened the conference. Elder Uchtdorf said, “This morning we have had the privilege to hear the prophet of God speak to all the world.”
Zechariah
Elder Perkins spoke of trials and suffering in God’s plan in his October general conference message, “Remember Thy Suffering Saints, O Our God.” Elder Perkins’ footnotes reference Zechariah 13:9 when he said, “The Lord told His covenant people, ‘I have refined thee …; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.’”
Zechariah 13:9 reads, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”
Malachi
Elder Nielson quoted Malachi 4:2 in his October general conference message: “[W]e can move forward with faith, knowing that when difficult times come — and they surely will — or when sin encompasses our lives, the Savior stands ‘with healing in his wings,’ inviting us to come unto Him,” said Elder Nielson.
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