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This page lists the lessons that were taught in Gospel Doctrine Sunday School classes (in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) during the year 2006 and the stories in my award winning book, How Often Would I Have Gathered You, that correspond to those lessons.

Lesson 1, "This Is My Work and My Glory"

Story 47-This is My Work and My Glory

Lesson 2, "Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born"

Story 1-Whom Shall I Send?

Lesson 3, "The Creation"

Story 2-A Home for His Children

Lesson 4, "Because of My Transgression My Eyes Are Opened"

Story 3-Were It Not for Our Transgression

Lesson 5, "If Thou Doest Well, Thou Shalt Be Accepted"

Story 4-Because of My Brother's Flocks,

Story 6-The Mountains Will Flee Before You

Lesson 6, "Noah. Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House?"

Story 8-The Great Flood

Lesson 7, "The Abrahamic Covenant"

Story 10-Saved by God's Power,

Story 12-In You and in Your Seed

Lesson 8, "Living Righteously in a Wicked World"
Story 11-Lot Chooses Sodom,

Story 14-The Rescue of Lot,

Story 17-For the Sake of Ten

Lesson 9, "God Will Provide Himself a Lamb"

Story 15-The Birth of Ishmael,

Story 19-Hearken to the Voice of Sarah,

Story 20-The Son Whom You Love

Lesson 10, "Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant"

Story 21-This Thing Is of Jehovah,

Story 23-The Elder Shall Serve the Younger,

Story 25-Jacob Receives the Blessing,

Story 26-A Ladder That Reaches to Heaven,

Story 27-The Younger Daughter,

Story 28-One Man's Family

Lesson 11, "How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?"

Story 33-In Defense of Dinah's Honor Story 35-Sold into Egypt,

Story 36-Judah's Folly,

Story 37-My Master Trusts Me

Lesson 12, "Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction"

Story 38-Ruler Over All Egypt,

Story 39-Israel Goes into Egypt,

Story 40-Blessings with Crossed Hands,

Story 41-Jacob's Passing,

Story 42-A Choice Seer

Lesson 13, "Bondage, Passover, and Exodus"

Story 44-The Son of Pharaoh's Daughter,

Story 45-From Prince to Shepherd,

Story 46-I Have Seen the Afflictions of My People,

Story 48-Let My People Go,

Story 49-The Plagues of God,

Story 50-The Last Plague and the Passover,

Story 51-Stand Still and See the Salvation of Jehovah

Lesson 14, "Ye Shall Be a Peculiar Treasure Unto Me"

Story 52-The Bread That Jehovah Has Given You,

Story 53-As Long As His Hands Were Raised,

Story 54-The Task is Too Great for One Man,

Story 55-God is Come to Prove You,

Story 56-Come Up into the Mountain,

Story 57-Forgotten Covenants and a Golden Calf,

Story 58-A Lesser Law

Lesson 15, "Look to God and Live"

Story 62-The Burden of an Ungrateful People,

Story 63-What Kind of Prophet?

Story 64-Forty Years for Forty Days,

Story 65-The Priesthood and the Plague,

Story 66-Speak to the Rock,

Story 67-The Brass Serpent

Lesson 16, "I Cannot Go Beyond the Word of the Lord"

Story 68-The Curse of Balaam

Lesson 17, "Beware Lest Thou Forget"

Story 71-Moses' Farewell

Lesson 18, "Be Strong and of a Good Courage"

Story 72-Jehovah Has Given You This Land,

Story; 73-Jehovah Will Do Wonders Among You,

Story 74-The Captain of Jehovah's Army,

Story 75-The Fall of Jericho,

Story 76-The Price of Disobedience,

Story 77-From a Very Far Country,

Story 78-A Land for Which You Did Not Labor

Lesson 19, "The Reign of the Judges"

Story 79-A Message for You From God

Story 80-The Man Whom You Seek,

Story 81-The Sword of Jehovah and of Gideon,

Story 85-He Shall Begin to Deliver Israel,

Story 86-Samson, the Bane of the Philistines,

Story 87-Tell Me the Source of Your Strength

Lesson 20, "All the City Doth Know That Thou Art a Virtuous Woman"
Story 90-The Loyal Moabitess,

Story 91-I Am Loaning Him to Jehovah

Lesson 21, "God Will Honor Those Who Honor Him"

Story 92-Jehovah Can No Longer Honor You,

Story 93-Speak, Lord, for Thy Servant Hears Thee,

Story 97-That We May Be Like Other Nations

Lesson 22, "The Lord Looketh on the Heart"

Story 98-Jehovah Has Anointed You

Story 99-Victory for King Saul,

Story 100-You Have Acted Very Foolishly

Story 102-To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice,

Story 103-Arise and Anoint Him,

Story 104-Let David Stay With Me,

Story 105-David and Goliath

Lesson 23, "Lord Be Between Thee and Me For Ever"

Story 106-A Victim of Saul's Jealousy,

Story 107-True Friends,

Story 108-David on the Run,

Story 109-The Hunted Spares the Hunter

Lesson 24, "Create in Me a Clean Heart"

Story 123-David and the Tenth Commandment,

Story 124-The Ewe Lamb and the Curse

Lesson 25, "Let Every Thing That Hath Breath Praise the Lord"
No stories.

Lesson 26, "King Solomon: Man of Wisdom, Man of Foolishness"

Story 139-A Wise and Understanding Heart,

Story 140-Divide the Living Child in Two,

Story 141-The Holy Temple,

Story 142-Because You Have Broken My Covenant

Lesson 27, "The Influence of Wicked and Righteous Leaders"

Story 143-Israel Divided,

Story 144-A Prophet Comes to Bethel

Story 145-Judah: Rehoboam's Kingdom,

Story 146-The Fall of Jeroboam's House Foretold,

Story 149-The Righteous Reign of Jehoshaphat,

Story 159-A Miraculous Victory for Judah

Lesson 28, "After the Fire a Still Small Voice"

Story 152-Your Barrel of Meal Shall Not Waste

Story 153-Showdown at Mount Carmel,

Story 154-The Rains Return and Elijah Flees for His Life,

Story 155-A Still, Small Voice

Lesson 29, "He Took Up. the Mantle of Elijah"
Story 161-I Have Seen the Chariot of Israel,

Story 166-The Healing of Naaman,

Story 167-The Floating Ax Head,

Story 168-Elisha and the Blind Army

Lesson 30, "Come to the House of the Lord"

Story 183-The Renewal of Judah's Righteousness;

Story 184-Judah's Escape from Assyria's Grasp;

Story 185-Fifteen Additional Years,

Story 189-King Josiah Fulfills the Prophecy

Lesson 31, "Happy Is the Man That Findeth Wisdom"
No stories.

Lesson 32, "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth"

Story 43-The Faithfulness of Job

Lesson 33, "Sharing the Gospel with the World"

Story 179-A Lesson for Jonah

Lesson 34, "I Will Betroth Thee unto Me in Righteousness"

Story 200-Judah, the Harlot Wife

Lesson 35, "God Reveals His Secrets to His Prophets"

No stories.

Lesson 36, "The Glory of Zion Will Be a Defense"
No stories.

Lesson 37, "Thou Hast Done Wonderful Things"

Story 187-The Prophecy of the Sealed Book

Lesson 38, "Beside Me There Is No Savior"
No stories.

Lesson 39, "How Beautiful upon the Mountains"
No stories.

Lesson 40, "Enlarge the Place of Thy Tent"
No stories.

Lesson 41, "I Have Made Thee This Day. an Iron Pillar"

Story 190-A Prophet to the Nations,

Story 193-One More Chance for Judah,

Story 194-As This Jug Is Broken,

Story 195-The Burning of the Book,

Story 198-Jeremiah's Imprisonment

Lesson 42, "I Will Write It in Their Hearts"

No stories.

Lesson 43, "The Shepherds of Israel"

Story 202-Why Will You Die, O Israel?

Story 204-I Will Save My Flock,

Story 205-Can These Bones Live?

Story 206-The Two Shall Be One

Lesson 44, "Everything Shall Live Whither the River Cometh"

Story 207-Water from Under the Temple

Lesson 45, "If I Perish, I Perish"

Story 211-The Babylonian and Persian Empires,

Story 212-The Preparation of Daniel,

Story 214-We Cannot Serve Your Gods,

Story 219-In the Lions' Den,

Story 224-For Such a Time as This

Lesson 46, "A Kingdom, Which Shall Never Be Destroyed"

Story 213-You Beheld a Great Image,

Story 215-The Great Tree,

Story 216-An Everlasting Kingdom

Lesson 47, "Let Us Rise Up and Build"

Story 222- The Return of Judah's Exiles,

Story 23-King Darius Supports the Temple Project,

Story 225-Ezra Brings More Exiles,

Story 226-Marriages to Unbelievers,

Story 227-Let Us Rise Up and Build,

Story 228-Should You Not Walk in the Fear of God?

Story 229-Judah's Struggle to be Obedient

Lesson 48, "The Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord"

No stories.

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Q: Though such could never have been the case, what do you think the result would have been if Lucifer had been successful, in the Grand Council, in overtuning God's plan for the salvation of His children? (S1) [L2]

Q: When the creation of this world was completed, how were the plants, the animals, and mankind different from the plants, the animals, and mankind today? How were Adam and Eve different from the animals and the other creations? (S2) [L3]

Q: How would you describe the effect of the Fall and the significance of the Fall in the plan of salvation? (S3)[L4]

Q: How are our lives different nowfrom what they would have been if Adam and Eve had not partaken of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? (S3)[L4]

Q: What was the problem (or what were the problems) with Cain's sacrifice that caused it be unacceptable to God? What lessons can we learn from this so that our "sacrifices" will be acceptable to Him? (S4)[L5]

Q: Jehovah set a mark upon Cain so that no one would kill him. In light of what Cain had done, why would Jehovah care if someone were to kill Cain? (S4)[L5]

Q: What lessons can we learn from the experiences of those who sought the "benefits" of secret combinations? (S4, 5)[L5]

Q: Most of the people at the time of the patriarch Enoch were very wicked because the power of Satan was rampant upon the face of the earth. If God loves His children, as He says He does, how could He allow Satan to gain such power? (S6)[L5]

Q: How could Jehovah honor father Adam as He did at Adam-ondi-Ahman when Adam had been so disobedient to Him in the Garden of Eden? (S1, 7)[L2, 7]

Q:What do you feel is the significance of the covenant that Jehovah made with both Enoch and Noah that the translated City of Zion will return to the earth when the people will faithfully keep the commandments of God? Why are we still waiting for that return? (S6, 8)[L5, 6]

Q: Why might it have been an issue of concern for Jehovah that the people who were building the tower of Babel were so united, because of their common language, so that nothing was impossible for them? Why did their building of such a tower make Him angry? (S9)

Q: Why might Jehovah have wanted to preserve the language of some of the people, as in the case of Jared, his brother, their friends, and their families, while the languages of all others were being changed and confused? (S9)

Q: Why do you think that Terah, Abram's father, turned from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of the false gods of the Egyptians? Why do you think those who worshipped those Egyptian gods offered human sacrifices as part of their idolatrous worship? (S10)[L7]

Q: Why do you think Jehovah promised Abram an inheritance in a land that clearly belonged to other peoples? (S11)[L8]

Q: Why would Jehovah have promised the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant to people who were not Abra(ha)m's literal seed? What were the conditions upon which the blessings of the covenant would be granted to others? (S12)[L7]

Q: In addition to the famine that was so devastating in the land of Canaan, why did Jehovah want Abram to go to Egypt? (S11, 13)[L8]

Q: What do we know about Abram that would suggest to us that he was more than just a wandering nomad in a land that belonged to other peoples? What do we know about him that would suggest that he was a man with great faith and one who had great compassion and concern for the welfare of others? (S11, 14)[L8]

Q: Why was it such a great concern to Abram that his wife Sarai was unable to have children? (S15)[L9]

Q: After Hagar married Abram and was with child of him, how would you describe the nature of the relationship between Sarai and Hagar? Why do you think this was the case? (S15)[L9]

Q: Jehovah appeared to Abram when he was 99 years old and gave him some important instructions relating to three issues. What were these three issues and why was each issue so significant? (S16)

Q: Why do you think the "holy men" who rescued Lot and his family from the city of Sodom, told them that they must not look back during their hasty flight from the city? Could the term "look back," as it appears in the King James Translation, actually have meant something else? If so, what? (S17)[L8]

Q: As he had done with the Pharaoh of Egypt years earlier, Abraham told Abimelech that Sarah was his sister. Why do feel that this deception may or may not have been necessary? (S18)

Q: Why do you think that Jehovah chose Isaac, rather than Ishmael, to be the son through whom His covenant with Abraham would be fulfilled? (S19)[L9]

Q: Why do you think that Jehovah asked Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering and sacrifice when He knew from the beginning that He would not allow the sacrifice to be completed? Why would Isaac, who was a man in his prime and 100 years younger than Abraham, agree to let himself be sacrificed by his aged father? (S20) [L9]

Q: Explain, in whatever detail is necessary, how Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac is a type of God's sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son in the flesh. Why are such types significant to us? (S20)[L9]

Q: Why do you think Abraham was so insistent that Isaac not marry one of the women of the land in which they lived, but rather marry one of his own close relatives? (S21)[L10]

Q: When Abraham died, the scriptures say that he was "gathered to his people." What is the significance of that expression? (S22)

Q: If, as Jehovah told Rebekah, Esau was to serve Jacob and Jacob was to have the birthright, why wasn't Jacob born first? (S23)[L10]

Q: Why was the deceitfulness of Jacob and his mother Rebekah, in obtaining the blessing of the firstborn for Jacob, not renounced by Jehovah? (S25)[L10]

Q: Jehovah certainly could have conveyed His message to Jacob without showing him this dream about a ladder reaching to heaven. Why do you think that Jehovah communicated with Jacob in a dream and what is the significance of the ladder in Jacob's dream? (S26)[L10]

Q: No matter how Laban changed Jacob's wages, circumstances always turned to favor Jacob and he became a prosperous and wealthy man. Why did this happen? Does this kind of thing always happen to favor those who are righteous? Why or why not? (S29)

Q: After Laban had been so upset because of the unannounced departure of Jacob and his family from Haran, why do you think Laban so abruptly changed his attitude, made a covenant of peace, and let Jacob and his family go on? (S30)

Q: What was the significance of Jehovah's declaration to Jacob: "You shall no longer be Jacob, but shall be called Israel. As a prince you have persevered with both God and men and have prevailed"? (S31)

Q: Are there any lessons we can learn from the reunion of Esau and Jacob? (S32)

Q: What are your feelings about Jacob's response to the dreadful deeds of his sons Simeon and Levi at Shechem? What more might Jacob have done? (S33)[L11]

Q: Why do you think Rachel named her son Benoni? Why do you think Jacob did not accept that name but chose to call him Benjamin instead? (S34)

Q: When Joseph's brothers had thrown him into a pit, Reuben intervened with his bothers to preserve Joseph's life and intended to let him return home to his father Isaac. Why do you think Reuben might have been more simpathetic towards Joseph that the other brothers? Why did Joseph's brothers hate him? (S35)[L11]

Q: How did the Law of Israel work when a married man died without having children? How did Judah's failure to follow the requirements of that law create problems in his family? (S36)[L11]

Q: The popular saying that "no good deed goes unpunished" certainly seemed to be fulfilled in Joseph's case. However, what do you think the consequences might have been for Joseph if he had yielded to the enticings of Potiphar's wife. Are there any lessons in this for us? (S37, 38)[L11]

Q: In the great economy of God, He always seems to have the person He wants, in the place He wants him, at the time He wants him there. As you consider the timing of the events in Joseph's sojourn in Egypt, what might have happened if things had not happened as they did and with the timing that they did? When Joseph felt that he had been unjustly dealt with, what was it that he did not understand? What lessons can we learn from Joseph's experiences that might apply in our lives? (S37, 38)[L11, 12]

Q: Jehovah certainly could have prevented the famine that took Israel into Egypt if He had wanted to do so. It appears that there must have been some good reasons why it was necessary for Israel to spend 400 years in Egypt before they were ready to occupy the land that He had promised to their forefathers. What do you think those reasons might have been? Does this have any implications that relate to our world today and to our lives? (S39)[L12]

Q: Jacob adopted Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as his own children. He than gave Ephraim, the younger son, the blessing of the firstborn. What were the implications and the long-term consequences of these two actions? (S40)

Q: When Joseph's brothers thought that he might seek to get even and do them harm because they had sold him as a slave many years before, Joseph assured them that though they thought to do him evil, God used them to do good." Can you think of other examples where God has brought about His own purposes through the hands of the unrighteous? (S41)

Q: When Joseph's prophesied of a latter-day seer who would also be named Joseph, he said that this latter-day seer would be like him (Joseph), for that which God would bring forth by the hand of this seer would bring God's people to salvation. How has that prophecy been fulfilled? (S42)

Q: How does the account of Job's trials relate to us and our mortal probation? How do the attitudes of Job's three friends---Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar---fit into the equation as you and I consider our own situations? Is there anything we can learn from Job's example of integrity? (S43)[L32]

Q: To control the growth of Israel's population, the Egyptian Pharaoh decreed that all male babies born to the Israelites should be slain at birth. Since females are the ones who have the babies that cause population growth, why do you think Pharaoh wanted to have the Israelite sons killed rather than the daughters? (S44)[L13]

Q: We are told that Moses was ordained to the priesthood by his father-in-law Jethro, the high priest of Midian. Who were the Midianites and from whence would they have had the priesthood? (S45)[L13]

Q: Why would Jehovah care one way or the other if Israel remained as slaves in Egypt or were freed to go some place else? (S46)[L13]

Q: Why do you think Moses was so reluctant to believe that Jehovah wanted him to lead captive Israel out of Egypt? (S46)[L13]

Q: When Satan appeared to Moses on the mountain following Moses' glorious vision of God, what satanic tools did he use in his attempt to get Moses to doubt himself and not fulfill his prophetic call? Why would Satan care about what Moses did or did not do or whether the children of Israel were delivered from Egyptian slavery? (S47)[L1]

Q: Jehovah, speaking for God the Father, told Moses that it was His work and His glory "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Why would that have made any difference to Moses, and why should it make any difference to you and me? (S47)[L1]

Q: When Moses entreated the Egyptian Pharaoh to let Israel go three days' journey into the wilderness to offer a sacrifice, might the fact that Moses and the Pharaoh grew up together in Pharaoh's court---both as princes of Egypt---have made any difference in Pharaoh's response? Why or why not? (S48)[L13)

Q: How do you explain the fact that the Egyptian magicians were able to replicate the signs that Moses gave as well as some of the plagues? Why were the magicians able to replicate some of the plagues but not others? (S49)[L13]

Q: Discuss the symbolism of the roasted lamb eaten on the night when all the firstborn of Egypt were slain. In what ways was this lamb symbolic of the Savior and His atonement? (Think of as many ways as you can how this lamb typified the Son of God and his atonement.) (S50)[L13]

Q: Moses and the children of Israel could easily have departed Egypt without going anywhere near the Red Sea. Why do you think that Jehovah had them follow the Red Sea route, putting them in the position that their only way of escape required a significant miracle? (S51)[L13]

Q: Someone has said that a murmurer is a person with the long list of complaints and a short memory. What good reasons can you think of that would cause the children of Israel to want to go back to their lives as slaves in Egypt? What do you think was the real cause of their murmuring? Is there anything that we can learn from this? (S52)[L14]

Q: In Israel's battle against the menacing Amalekites, Israel was able to prevail as long as Moses' hands were raised above his head. The Amalekites, however, prevailed when his hands dropped down. What message do you think that Jehovah was trying to convey to Moses and the children of Israel through this curious phenomenon? Or was it just fun to do? Or perhaps a strange coincidence? (S53)[L14]

Q: Jehovah told Moses that if the children of Israel would be obedient to His commandments, they would become a "peculiar treasure" unto Him, above all other people. He said that He would take these people who had been slaves in Egypt and make them a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation." What did Jehovah mean by these terms? What significance, if any, do they have for us today? (S55)[L14]

Q: When the Moses told the children of Israel what Jehovah had told Him (see previous question), they spoke up as with one voice, covenanting that they would do whatever Jehovah commanded them. Moses then began to prepare the people to go up to the mountain to meet Jehovah. When they were properly prepared, they went up to the mountain with Moses and heard the voice of Jehovah speak as He gave Moses the Ten Commandments. In fact, Aaron, two of Aaron's sons, and seventy elders of Israel went with Moses up to the Mountain and saw Jehovah face to face. How then can we explain the fact that so soon afterwards they built a golden calf to worship? How can we explain Aaron's involvement in the creation of the golden calf? (S55, 56, 57)[L14]

Q: After the children of Israel had sinned by building and worshipping a golden calf in the wilderness of Sinai, Jehovah withdraw the law He had given to Moses earlier and gave them another law in its place? How did these two laws differ, and why do you suppose it was necessary for Jehovah to give them another law? (S58)[L14]

Q: When the tabernacle was completed, Moses sprinkled Aaron and his sons with the anointing oil and blood from the sacrifices. He then had them remain in the tabernacle for seven days. What purpose or purposes do you think were to be served by these procedures? (S59)

Q: Why do you think Jehovah limited the priesthood authority to just one man (Aaron) and that man's descendants? (S59)

Q: When the children of Israel forsook Jehovah to worship the golden calf that Aaron had made for them, He swore that He would not go with them into the promised land but that His angel would go before them instead. What convinced Jehovah to change His mind and go with them on their journey through the wilderness and into the promised land? (S60)

Q: Jehovah told Moses that He would go with the children of Israel through the wilderness to the promised land and that He would give them rest. What does it mean when the scriptures say that Jehovah (or the Lord) will give someone rest? (S60)

Q: Was there anything (any characteristic or whatever) that was special about the Levites so that Jehovah chose them to assist the priests in the work of the tabernacle, rather than choosing some other tribe or partial tribe? (S61)

Q: When Jehovah provided such an abundance of quail for the people to gather and eat, why was He so upset by their greed? (S62)[L15]

Q: Why do you think Miriam was stricken with leprosy for her criticisms of her brother Moses while Aaron was not? What lessons can we learn from Moses' pleadings to Jehovah in Miriam's behalf after she was stricken with leprosy? (S63)[L15]

Q: Why do you think the children of Israel were more inclined to believe the spies who brought the bad report concerning their prospects of defeating the peoples in the land of Canaan than they were to believe the favorable, optimistic report brought by Joshua and Caleb? (S64)[L15]

Q: Do you think that the forty years in the wilderness was given to the children of Israel as a punishment for their stiffneckedness and lack of faith, or were they given for some other reason? If for some other reason, what might that reason (or those reasons) have been? (S64)[L15]

Q: Considering the heavy responsibilities that were borne by Aaron and his sons because of their priesthood responsibilities, why do you think so many people (even some Levites) were upset and jealous because they were not allowed to hold the priesthood? (S65)

Q: Knowing how consistent and faithful Moses had been from the time he brought Israel across the Red Sea and into the wilderness, what explanation can there be for his prideful actions at the rock in the wilderness of Zin? (S66)[L15]

Q: Is there any logical explanation for those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the wilderness to refuse to look at the brass serpent that Moses had set up on the pole? How would you attempt to explain it? (S67)[L15]

Q: Once Jehovah had made it known to Balaam that he was supposed to bless the children of Israel rather than curse them, why do you think he agreed to go to other locations, make sacrifices, and ask the same question two more times? Do you think that this behavior was related in any way to his agreeing to go to the aid of Balak in the first place? (S68)[L16]

Q: Why do you think the false gods of the Moabites, Midianites, and others east of the Jordan were so enticing to the children of Israel? (S69)

Q: Why was Joshua the logical choice to be Moses' successor and to be the prophet who would lead Israel into the promised land after Moses was gone? (S70)

Q: Why do you think that Moses was so emphatic in his warnings to the children of Israel concerning the future desires of the people to have kings to rule over them? (S71)[L17]

Q: As part of his final instructions to the children of Israel, Moses counseled them that all Jehovah required of them was to (1) fear Jehovah, (2) walk in all His ways, (3) love Him, (4) serve Him, and (5) keep the commandments and statutes that He gave them. Consider how applicable such instructions might be if given to people today who seek to be happy and to prosper both temporally and spiritually. Why did Moses fear that the people would forget these instructions? And, why do we forget them today? (S71)[L17]

Q: If Joshua had any recollection of what happened forty years earlier when spies were sent into the land of Canaan (as he no doubt did, because he was one of them), why did he want to send spies again? Wasn't there a risk that the same thing could happen again? (S72)[L18]

Q: Why do you think that Rahab, an inhabitant of Jericho, was willing to help the men that Joshua sent to spy out her city? (S72)[L18]

Q: The Jordan was not a large river, and there were many places along the river where people forded it easily and frequently. With this in mind, what do you think was Jehovah's purpose in having Joshua stop the flow of the river so that the people could cross on dry ground? (S72)[L18]

Q: It is interesting to note that until Israel had crossed the river and entered the promised land, none of the males had been circumcised since they came out of Egypt forty years earlier. Why might this have been and what significance might it have? (S73)[L18]

Q: What significance, if any, do you attach to Joshua's encounter with the captain of Jehovah's army? (S74) [L18]

Q: When the children of Israel conquered the city of Jericho, why did they kill every living thing in the city, except for Rahab and her family? Wasn't this overkill---far exceeding what was necessary? (S75) [L18]

Q: What valuable lessons do you think the children of Israel might have learned from their defeat at Ai? What value would those lessons have for them as they continued their conquest of Canaan? (S76)

Q: Joshua and the princes of Israel were so taken in by the travel story told to them by the men of Gibeon that they did not seek Jehovah's counsel before swearing a covenant to let the people live. What would have happened if Israel had broken this covenant with the Gibeonites? What was the result of thier failure to seek Jehovah's guidance, and what lessons did Joshua and the princes of Israel learn? What lessons can we learn from this experience? (S77)

Q: Joshua obviously had significant fears that the children of Israel would mingle with the peoples of the land who still remained among them; he feared that Israel would intermarry with these peoples and then embrace their false gods. What counsel and challenge did he give them to help them face up to this problem and properly deal with it? How did the people respond to Joshua's challenge? (S78)[L18]

Q: If the people of Israel were Jehovah's chosen people and if He truly loved them, why do you think he allowed them to be invaded, conquered, and oppressed by foreign powers? Even if some of the people were wicked, why didn't He just punish those people and leave the rest alone? (S79)[L19]

Q: This question will require a little research on your part, but what does it say elsewhere in the scriptures about the identity of Heber the Kenite? (S80) [L19]

Q: Based on what the story tells us about Gideon, what kind of a man was he? What kind of character did he have? Give examples to support your conclusions. (S81)[L19]

Q: How would you explain the meaning of Jotham's parable and its application to Abimelech and the people of Shechem? (S82)

Q: This story tells us much about the character of Jephthah and his great respect for the covenant that he made, even to the point of going beyond the mark. Though this example is extreme, what lessons can we learn from this account about making covenants and about keeping them? (S83)

Q: What did Jehovah know about Samson before he was born that made Samson the ideal man to stir up the Philistines and break the "chains" with which they held Israel captive? How did Samson's great physical strength worked so well with his character and personality to fulfill God's purposes? What do you think might have happened between Israel and the Philistines if Samson had been a righteous man? (S85, 86, 87)[L19]

Q: What insights into the spiritual mentality of the children of Israel, during the reign of the judges, do you get from the story of "Micah and the Danites"? What is your explanation for this situation? (S88)

Q: When we consider the near destruction of the tribe of Benjamin by the other tribes, what lessons we can learn about making hasty decisions when we are angry? (S89)

Q: What explanations would you give for Ruth's loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, which obviously exceeded her loyalty to her own people and even her own family? (S90)[L20]

Q: If a woman wants a son as badly as Hannah did, why do you think she was so willing to give him away---even for the service of God? Why do you think Elkanah was willing to go along with his wife's plan to give up Samuel to the service of Jehovah? (S91)[L20]

Q: What reason or reasons can you think of that Hannah would want her son Samuel to be a life-long Nazarite? (S91)[L20]

Q: Even though Eli was unable to get his wicked sons to change their lives, what do you think he could have done to preserve his own integrity and the integrity of the priesthood? (S92)[L21]

Q: There are many examples in the scriptures of Jehovah destroying the wicked. Why do you suppose that He did not destroy Eli's sons for their extreme wickedness and unrighteous use of the priesthood? (S92) [L21]

Q: Why do you think Jehovah communicated the sins of Eli the priest and the judgments that He would bring upon Eli's family to young Samuel? (S93)

Q: Why was it not a boon to army of Israel to carry the ark of the covenant into battle against the Philistines? Why would Jehovah allow the ark of the covenant to be captured by the Philistines? (S94)

Q: Why do you think that the Philistines were not convinced that Jehovah was the only true God when His destructive power fell so heavily upon them while the ark of the covenant was in their cities? (S95)

Q: Why do you think that the prophet Samuel had such a powerful influence for good upon the people of Israel? How much influence does the kind of life that a leader lives have upon the kind of lives the people live? (S96)

Q: Why do you think the people of Israel were so desirous to be like other peoples and other nations? Why couldn't they be dissuaded from their desire to have a king by Samuel's clear logic about the problems that a king would cause them? (S97)[L22]

Q: Why was Jehovah willing to let Israel be ruled by a king despite the problems he knew that a king would bring upon them? (S97) [L22]

Q: What does the scripture mean when it says that God gave Saul another heart? (S98)[L22]

Q: What do you think was the purpose of the detailed instructions that the prophet Samuel gave to Saul after he anointed Saul king of Israel? (S98)[L22]

Q: Why was Saul not upset with those people who objected to his being king of Israel? (S98)[L22]

Q: What evidences do we have of Saul's humility at the time he was made king of Israel? (S98, 99) [L22]

Q: After Saul's army had fled in the face of threats from the Philistine army, and the prophet Samuel failed to come in what seemed to be a reasonable time period, Saul was under great pressure to do wrong. Why do you think the fact that one is under great pressure or is sorely tempted---as Saul was---does not justify (or in any way mitigate) the commission of sin? Or does it? (S100)[L22]

Q: What can we learn from Jonathan's example of faith and courage? Are there ever times that faith and courage, such as Jonathan had, might not be enough and such actions might be foolhardy? What course of action should we follow then? (S101)[L23]

Q: Failure to keep an oath that he had never sworn, and of which he was not aware, nearly cost Jonathan his life. What do you think the result would have been if Jonathan had actually sworn an oath not to eat food that day? Would this have made any difference in the final outcome? What is your reasoning? (S101)

Q: Why do think King Saul's failure to follow Jehovah's command to kill all the Amalekites and everything that related to them was such a serious offense that Jehovah withdrew His Spirit from Saul and took the kingdom away from him and his posterity? (S102)[L22]

Q: Why and how did Saul rationalize his failure to do all that Jehovah had asked him to do when he went to battle against the Amalekites? How do you and I rationalize our failures to do all that the Lord requires of us? (S102)[L22]

Q: Why was the prophet Samuel afraid that Saul would kill him? (S103)[L22]

Q: When Jehovah sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's sons king of Israel, why didn't He tell Samuel which son He had chosen rather than require him to give consideration to every son? (S103)[L22]

Q: From the account of David being chosen to play the harp to drive away King Saul's evil spirit, what differences do you see between David and Saul? What does David have that Saul does not? Why? (S104)

Q: From the description given of David by Saul's servant, how old a man might David have been? How different is this from your previous perception? (S104)
Q: Saul was king of Israel and was taller by a head than any other man. Why wasn't he the logical one to fight Goliath? What was the difference between Saul and David that David had the courage and faith to accept the challenge of the Philistine giant and King Saul did not have it? (S105)[L22]

Q: After King Saul made David the commander over all his army, why do you think Saul became so extremely jealous of David, even though David behaved himself wisely? (S106)[L23]

Q: King Saul had an irrational concern that David would become king of Israel at the expense of his own son Jonathan. Jonathan, on the other hand, fully aware that David would be king instead of him, was not concerned. He and David were the best of friends. Why do you think Saul was more concerned about such a turn of events than was Jonathan, the man who would be directly affected? (S107)[L23]

Q: King Saul's servant Doeg was willing to carry out Saul's unreasonable requests, such as killing all the priests and all the people of Nob, when all others declined to do so. What do you think might have been the motivation for Doeg's insane loyalty to King Saul? In less serious matters, are we ever guilty of similar behavior? Why might such be the case? (S108)

Q: David refused to kill Saul when Saul was delivered into his hands, and he felt guilty because he cut off the hem of Saul's garment. Was David's loyalty to a king who was trying to kill him unreasonable? What can we learn from David about loyalty and about revenge? Would you, in similar circumstances, do what David did? (S109)[L23]

Q: When David was insulted by Nabal, he set his course to do deeds that he would have regretted for the rest of his life. He was prevented from making a serious mistake only by the persuasions of Nabal's wife Abigail. What lesson or lessons can we learn from this incident that might prevent us from acting hastily when we are upset and thus making serious mistakes? Also, what lessons we can learn from Nabal's example? (S110)

Q: David had an opportunity a second time to take the life of King Saul, the man that had made his life so miserable. Why did David refuse to take the life of his archenemy? What lessons can we learn from David's restraint in the face of threatened destruction? What do you think might have happened in Israel and in David's own life if he had taken Saul's life? (S111)

Q: What might the consequences have been if the Philistine princes had allowed David and his men to join their army to go to battle against King Saul and the armies of Israel? (S114)

Q: In Israel's battle against the Philistines, Jehovah allowed King Saul and three of his sons, including David's friend Jonathan, to be slain. The victory of the Philistine army was so complete that both the army and the people of Israel fled in disarray before them. Why do you think that Jehovah allowed His chosen people to be so soundly defeated by an unrighteous people who worshipped false gods? (S115)

Q: Why would anyone, as the young Amalekite, try to win David's favor with a story of how he had slain King Saul? Why didn't it make any difference to David that the young many who told the story said that he did the deed at Saul's own request because of the pain and anguish that he (Saul) was suffering? (S116)

Q: Why do you suppose that Jehovah told David to go to Hebron and to reign over Israel from there, after the death of Saul? (S117)

Q: What lessons can we learn from the actions of David after Abner was slain by Joab? After Ishbosheth was slain by two of his own servants? (S118)

Q: What does the account of the skirmish between the men of Abner and the men of Joab teach us about the futility of war as the means of solving problems? If war is a futile exercise, as the story suggests, under what circumstances, if any, is war justified as the means for solving problems? (S118)

Q: Why do you think King David felt so strongly about bringing the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem? Why do you that King Saul did not have a similar compulsion to bring it to Gibeah, where he resided---or even back to Shiloh where it had been before? (S119)

Q: What lesson (or lessons) can we draw from the account of Uzzah's attempt to steady the ark of the covenant on the cart when the ox pulling the cart stumbled? (S119)

Q: What can we learn about family relationships and resolving misunderstandings between husbands and wives from the account of the spat between David and Michal? It is most unlikely that David's dancing was obscene or inappropriate. That being the case, what do you think there was about his dancing that made Michal despise him for it? (S120)

Q: What do you think is the significance of Jehovah not allowing David to build a house for Him (i.e., a temple) but instead promising to establish (or build) a house for David? (S121)

Q: What does David's treatment of Jonathan's son Mephibosheth teach us about David's character? (S122)

Q: What do you think was David's motivation to use the same tactic to eliminate Uriah the Hittite that King Saul had once used in his efforts to "get rid of" David? Do you think that David realized at the time that he had adopted the very behavior that he hated so much when he was the victim? (S106, 123)[L24]

Q: How does the story of David's sins against Bathsheba and Uriah help us understand the importance of being where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there? Can you think of any other examples (scriptural or modern) where someone's attempt to hide a sin created more problems for that person than did the first sin? (S123)[L24]

Q: Why do you think that David did not recognize himself as the offender in Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb? (S124)[L24]

Q: A strange and interesting thing took place in the heart and mind of David's son Amnon when he took advantage of his half-sister Tamar: he began to hate her. Why do you think this occurred and what lessons can we learn from this account? What was the real motivation for Amnon's sin against Tamar? (S125)

Q: Do you think that Absalom did the right thing when he killed Amnon for the rape of his sister Tamar? If not, what might have been a wiser and better course of action for Absalom to take? (S125)

Q: Why do you think King David was so reticent to have any contact with his son Absalom after Absalom had slain his half-brother Amnon? How did the "widow's" manufactured story relate to David and his relationship with Absalom? (S126)

Q: What do you think motivates men like Absalom who crave power so intensely that they are willing to do virtually anything to obtain that power, even going to the extreme of killing their own fathers, if necessary? How does that relate to us? Does Absalom's thirst for power remind you of anyone else? (S127)

Q: Shimei, the Benjamite from Bahurim, made quite a spectacle of himself in his tirade again King David as David fled from Jerusalem and his son Absalom. What appears to have been the reason or reasons for Shimei's bad feelings toward king David? (S128)

Q: As you consider the various actions of Ahithophel and the counsel that he offered to Absalom, what appear to have been his motives for his support of Absalom in overthrowing David and taking over the kingdom of Israel? Does Ahithophel remind you of anyone else---either modern or scriptural? Why do you think he took his own life when the counsel he offered was rejected by Absalom? (S129)

Q: Why do you think King David had such a great love for, and showed such great compassion for, the son who deceived him and even sought to take his (David's) life and to take over the throne of Israel? (S130, 131)

Q: From the events that transpired during David's expulsion from the throne of Israel by Absalom, what assessments do make of Joab's character and the things that were important to him? In addition to being a stalwart and loyal warrior, what kind of man was he? (S130, 131, 132, 136)

Q: David was certainly a king who was loved by his people, yet there appeared to be seeds of discontent, even animosity, between Judah and the rest of Israel. What do you think was at the root of those feelings? How serious were these feelings? (131, 132)

Q: In slaying the Gibeonites, Saul broke a covenant that had been made by Joshua and the princes of Israel hundreds of years earlier when Israel first entered the promised land. What conclusions can we draw from Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites, and the famine that followed, about covenants and the importance of keeping them? (S133)

Q: When Araunah offered to give David animals for his sacrifice to Jehovah, David told him that he could not make an offering of something that cost him nothing. Why does cost make any difference? Why wasn't the act of making the offering just as important as the source of that which was being offered so long as the offering was to God? (S134)

Q: Jehovah told King David that it was not appropriate for him to build a temple because he (David) was a man of war. If it was not appropriate for David to build the temple, why was it appropriate for him gather materials for the temple? (S135)

Q: King David had not kept it a secret that his son Solomon was the one chosen by Jehovah to succeed him on Israel's throne. Why then do you suppose that so many influential people, including Joab (the commander of Israel's army) and Abiathar the priest, were supportive of Adonijah's bid for the throne? Why do you think Adonijah himself believed he could override what Jehovah had already established? Considering what happened when it became known that Solomon had been anointed king, which of these two men do you suppose the common people of Jerusalem preferred to have as their next king? (S136)

Q: Why do you think King David gave instructions to Solomon about honoring certain people and about punishing (i.e., slaying) certain others? (S137)

Q: Why do you suppose Jehovah loved and honored King David to such an extent in spite of the grievous sins that David once committed against Uriah the Hittite and Uriah's wife Bathsheba? (S: all stories relating to David as king)

Q: Abiathar the priest was a descendant of Eli. How did Adonijah's dismissal from the high priest's office by King Solomon fulfill Jehovah's promise to Eli? (S138, 92)

Q: What reason did Solomon give for the necessity of Joab's death? Do you agree with this? Why or why not? What would you have done to Joab if you were king? (S138)

Q: Jehovah was so pleased with Solomon when he asked for an understanding heart and not for riches or for the lives of his enemies that He not only gave him what he asked for but also riches, honor, and power beyond measure. Do you think that Jehovah did Solomon a favor by giving him these other things---these worldly treasures? Why or why not? (S139)[L26]

Q: The story of Solomon's ordering a child to be cut in two, so he could identify the child's mother, is one of the best-known stories of the Old Testament. What, if anything, do you think is unusual or unrealistic about this story? (S140)[L26]

Q: Why do you think the building of the temple was such a great and grand accomplishment for King Solomon? (S141)[L26]

Q: When the prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam that the kingdom of Israel would be divided and that he (Jeroboam) would become king over ten of Israel's tribes, Ahijah also told him that the division would not last forever. How would you interpret this last statement in light of what you know about what happened later or what is yet to happen? (S142)[L26]

Q: What do you think are the reasons behind the wise and righteous King Solomon, who had been visited by Jehovah and who had built and dedicated the temple of the Lord, forsaking Jehovah and worshipping false gods? (S142)[L26]

Q: Jeroboam was promised by Jehovah, through the prophet Ahijah, that if he (Jeroboam) would keep the commandments and walk in the ways of righteousness, He would build Jeroboam "a sure house," just as He had built for David. Why do you think Jeroboam chose not to meet these conditions once he became ruler over Israel, the northern kingdom? (S142, 143)[L27]

Q: Jeroboam devised a plan to provide places and objects for his people to worship in their own country so that they would not have to go up to the temple in Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices---fearing that many would defect if they went up to the temple. What were the flaws in Jeroboam's plan and how did those flaws work to his detriment? (S143)[L27]

Q: If you were Jeroboam, how might you rationalize his rejection of the warning and the sign given to him by the prophet that came to Beth-el from Judah? (S144)[L27]

Q: King Rehoboam of Judah became a wicked man and led his people to do evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek Jehovah. What does one do to prepare his/her heart to seek the Lord? Why is that harder for some people (e.g., people in positions of power) than it is for other people? (S145)[L27]

Q: What do you think was the reason King Jeroboam of Israel had his wife put on a disguise when he sent her to enquire of the prophet Ahijah concerning their ailing son? How consistent was Ahijah's message to Jeroboam with his earlier instruction when he (Ahijah) prophesied that Jeroboam would become king? (S146)[L27]

Q: Many kings of Judah worked hard to eliminate the worship of false gods from the land, but most---like Asa and Jehoshaphat---were not entirely successful. Why was this such a hard task to accomplish? (S147, 149)

Q: Why was Jehovah upset with King Asa of Judah for forming an alliance with Syria against Israel? What would be the ultimate result of such an alliance? Why was this result contrary to the result that Jehovah wished for his people? (S148)

Q: After the death of Jeroboam, there were several kings in Israel in rapid succession. What do you think were the reasons for this rapid turnover? (S148)

Q: What is the reason that wicked leaders tend to have wicked subjects? Which comes first---wicked subjects or wicked leaders? Why? (S150)

Q: Why do you think Joshua pronounced a curse on the city of Jericho at the time he conquered it? (S151, 75)

Q: When the famine became so severe that Elijah's water source dried up, why do you think that Jehovah sent him to Zarephath (in Zidonia or Phoenicia) to be cared for by a widow there rather than to a widow (or someone else) among the tribes of Israel? Were there no worthy widows in Israel? (S152)[L28]

Q: Fire coming from heaven to consume Elijah's sacrifice was a great and wonderful sign, and all the people of Israel were impressed by it. Considering all that was involved and the impressiveness of this marvelous sign, what effect did this event ultimately have upon the testimonies and the righteousness of the people of Israel? (S153)[L28]

Q: Elijah had the power of God and was more powerful than all the priests of Baal that gave allegiance to Queen Jezebel. Why, then, did he fear the threats of Jezebel or anything that Jezebel could do to him? Would it not have been impressive to the people of Israel for Elijah to have a showdown with Jezebel much like the one he had with her priests at Mount Carmel? (S154)[L28]

Q: In the marvelous displays of power shown to Elijah on Mount Horeb, why was Jehovah not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire? Does God ever speak to man through these powerful forces of nature? If so, why did Jehovah show Elijah this display of power? Might this have had something to do with what happened on Mount Carmel in story "153--Showdown at Mount Carmel"? (S155)[L28]

Q: Jehovah sent Elijah away from the Mount Horeb with instructions relating to three men: Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha. He was to anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha to take Elijah's own place as a prophet in Israel. Why was this instruction given, and what do you think Jehovah meant when he told Elijah that those who escaped the sword of Hazael would be slain by Jehu and those who escaped the sword of Jehu would be slain by Elijah? (You might wish to revisit this question after stories 161, 170, and 172.) (S155)[L28]

Q: What was the significance of Elijah throwing his mantle over Elisha when he found him plowing in the field? Why was Elisha so eager to follow Elijah after this event? (S155)[L29]

Q: When the Syrian army lay siege to Samaria and the kingdom of Israel---threatening to take their wives, their children, and all their treasures---Jehovah used King Ahab as the instrumentality of a miraculous delivery, even though Ahab was a wicked man. What is the reason that He might have done this? Was Jehovah's purpose in this great delivery of Israel accomplished? (S156)

Q: Do you see any similarities in King Ahab's taking of Naboth's vineyard and the acts of modern-day governments to appropriate private property for their own purposes through the power of eminent domain? What are the differences? The similarities? (S157)

Q: Jehoshaphat, a righteous king in Judah, essentially bent over backwards in his efforts to have good relationships with his neighbors. It seems that it would have been better, in this case, for Jehoshaphat and the army of Judah not to become involved in Israel's war against Syria. Are there any criteria you would suggest to help men judge when it appropriate to make such alliances and assist other countries in their wars? (S158)

Q: Why do you suppose that King Ahab did not put on his kingly robes when he and Jehoshaphat went to battle against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead, while insisting that Jehoshaphat wear his robes? If he had ulterior motives in this matter, why did he not receive the result he intended? (S158)

Q: The story of Judah's "battle" against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir is the story of miraculous deliverance. Why would Jehovah have blessed the kingdom of Judah in this way at this time? What part did the faith of the people play in this event? (S159)

Q: The mantle of Elijah was symbolic of the priesthood power that Jehovah had given him, and he used his mantle to perform many miracles, such as dividing the Jordan. But, after all, it was only a piece of clothing. What do you think was so special about this particular mantle that made it so desirable for Elisha to have? (S161)[L29]

Q: Explain why Elisha's request for a double portion of Elijah's spirit was not a selfish request but, rather, a righteous one? (S161)[L29]

Q: What did Elisha mean when he said he had seen the chariot and horsemen of Israel? (S161)[L29]

Q: Why do you think that Jehovah gave Israel, Judah, and Edom victory over Moab? (S162)

Q: Why would the prophet Elisha have any interest in helping the widow of Obadiah save her sons from a life of servitude? (S163)

Q: The story of the Shunemite woman and the restoration of her dead son is a story of great faith. Who do you think had the most faith, the mother or the prophet Elisha? What is your basis for reaching this conclusion? (S164)

Q: When you consider the story of Naaman the Syrian leper, why do you think that the prophet Elisha did not come out of his house to greet Naaman but sent a servant to deliver his message? (S166)[L29]

Q: What can we learn from the account of Gahazi, Elisha's servant, when he sought to enrich himself by deceitfully taking advantage of the generosity of a man who had just experienced the healing power of Jehovah? Gehazi seemed to be a righteous man, from all we know of him. Why do think he succumbed to such a temptation? (S166)[L29]

Q: After the prophet Elisha caused blindness to come upon the Syrian army, why did he lie to them and tell them they had come to the wrong city? When, if ever, is lying justified? Can you think of other accounts in the scriptures where lies or other sins seemed to have the approval of heaven? Why might this be? Does the end justify the means? (S168)[L29]

Q: Why did King Jehoram blame Jehovah and the prophet Elisha for the siege of Samaria by the Syrians? Who was really to blame? What can we learn from the account of King Jehoram's aide who doubted the words of God's prophet? (S169)

Q: Hazael was a very wicked man; he pretended to be one way when he was really another---pretending to be righteous and compassionate while, in reality, he was wicked and heartless. His only thought seemed to be to promote his own agenda and satisfy his own lust for power? Can you name any other biblical characters with these characteristics? Are there any people in our day who are like this? (Be careful about naming names) (S170)

Q: How does the wickedness of one ruler, like Jehoram, cause a whole nation to be wicked? What were the consequences of Jehoram's wickedness, both to himself and to the kingdom of Judah? (S171)

Q: Why do you think Elisha counseled the young man who anointed Jehu to be king of Israel to open the door and flee after the anointing was completed? Is there any indication that his life might have been in danger? What might have happened if he had not fled? Why not have him make the announcement of Jehu's new calling? (S172)

Q: Why do you suppose that Jehu's fellow officers so readily accepted Jehu's word that he had been anointed to be king of Israel, having no evidence of such an anointing except Jehu's own testimony? (S172)

Q: Why do you think a man like King Jehu, having made such valiant efforts to rid Israel of Baal worship, would allow the golden calves that Jeroboam set up in Dan and Beth-el to remain there for his people to worship? (S173)

Q: It was a great day in the kingdom of Judah when 7-year-old Joash became king, Athaliah was deposed and slain, the worship of Baal was eliminated from the kingdom, and the people made a covenant to be Jehovah's people. Why do you suppose that these events were the source of so much excitement among the people? Without considering later stories, how long do you think that this idyllic situation could possibly remain? Why? (S174)

Q: Why do you think that the reign of King Joash on Judah started out so well and then ended so tragically as Joash turned from being a righteous king to being a wicked king? Do we have examples of other kings whose lives followed a similar pattern? Are you aware of any people who were not kings whose lives have followed such a pattern? What are the causes fo such situations and how can we benefit by being aware of the dangers to which they succumbed? (L175)

Q: Jehovah showed great love for the people of Israel and delivered them from Syrian oppression because of His covenant with their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and because He loved them and held out hope that they would repent. Can you give examples of blessings that we receive from God that we do not deserve but receive only because He loves us? Or is that only a phenomenon of the past? Are there any blessings we desire to have as a people that the Lord would give to us if we were more righteous? (L176)

Q: When Jehovah sent prophets to King Amaziah to call him to repentance for worshipping the false gods of the Edomites, he rejected the prophets. He resented the fact that anyone would seek to give him advice that he had not asked for. What problems did Amaziah bring upon the people of Judah because of his unwillingness to take counsel? In what ways are we like Amaziah? What problems do we bring upon ourselves because of our unwillingness to do what modern-day prophets counsel us to do? (L177)

Q: Why did Jehovah bless King Jeroboam II and the people of Israel, giving them liberation for Syria, in spite of Jeroboam's and Israel's wickedness? (S178)

Q: King Uzziah of Judah was a very righteous man and had a significant influence for good among his people. However, he became a victim of his own pride and brought a curse upon himself. Can you think of any other kings who let pride bring about their downfall? (S178)

Q: What was wrong with Jonah's priorities? Why would a righteous man like Jonah---even a prophet---get confused about priorities? What is usually the cause (or the causes) of mixed up priorities? How do you understand the lesson that Jehovah taught Jonah at Ninevah? How does it relate to you? (S179)[L33]

Q: Can you think of any reasons why Israel and Syria would have wanted to put a puppet king (under their control) on the throne of Judah? Can you think of any reasons why Jehovah would not want them to do this, no matter how wicked the king of Judah might have been? (S180, 181)

Q: When Syria and Israel attacked Judah, King Ahaz sought, unsuccessfully, to make Assyria his ally. Why was that not a good idea? What might have happened if he had succeeded? (S181)

Q: Why do think the Assyrians liked to take the peoples they conquered and transplant them into other lands rather than leaving them where they found them? (S182)

Q: How do you account for a wicked king like Ahaz having a righteous son like Hezekiah? How do you explain the old truism about the apple not falling far from the tree? Can you think of other examples where wicked men had righteous sons? How about righteous men who had wicked sons? (S183)[L30]

Q: After the great emphasis that Jehovah had placed upon celebration of Passover at the time Israel came out Egypt, how do you explain the great laxity that had developed in Israel and Judah about Passover observance? (S183)[L30]

Q: Why do you think Jehovah did not allow the Assyrians to conquer the kingdom of Judah as they had conquered the kingdom of Israel and many other nations? Judah, under King Hezekiah's direction, took many defensive measures to protect themselves from the Assyrian onslaught. What do you think was the most effective measure they took in defense of the city of Jerusalem? (S184)[L30]

Q: King Hezekiah was granted 15 additional years to live and to reign in Israel from the time he was appointed to die. In the final analysis, how much difference does it make in the Lord's plans whether one person dies at a certain time or is given additional time? How common do you think it is for a person to be given extra time? Less time? (S185)

Q: What do you think that King Hezekiah meant by his reply to Isaiah: ("but is it not good for me to have peace and stability in my days?") when Isaiah prophesied concerning Judah's captivity in Babylon? Do you think he could grasp the significance of what Isaiah was talking about? Why or why not? (S186)

Q: Relate the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy about the coming forth of a sealed book in the last days? What insight do we get from this prophecy concerning the contents of the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon plates? Why were these plates sealed, and when (or under what conditions) will the seal be opened? (S187)[L37]

Q: What forces could have affected the life of the son of a righteous king to the extent that the son would become so wicked that he would offer his own child (or anyone else's child) as a sacrifice to a false god? Why do people tend to become wicked when their king is wicked? (S188)

Q: Even though King Manasseh repented and sought to do good in his later years, his son Amon did not get the message. Amon was so wicked that his servants conspired against him and killed him after he had reigned for only two years. Why do you think he did not learn from his father's experiences? (S188)

Q: What do you make of the book of the Law that was found in the temple by Hilkiah the priest and of King Josiah's reaction to the things that he found written in the book? (S189)[L30]

Q: Josiah was one of Judah's most righteous kings. What evidence do we have that he was a man chosen of the Lord long before he was born? (S189, 144)[L30]

Q: Why do you think that Jeremiah was called to be a prophet to the nations and not just to the kingdom of Judah, Jehovah's chosen people? Why did he protest his call? What other prophets can you think of who made similar protests when the Lord called them? (Note that none of these people actually rejected the call, but merely questioned it.) (S190)[L41]

Q: Why did the people of Judah refuse to hear and accept the prophesyings of Jeremiah? Why did they consider themselves to be righteous? (S191)

Q: Under what circumstances does Jehovah tell the people of Judah that He will change His mind concerning the judgments he will bring upon nations? Why would Jehovah continue to offer Judah the opportunity to repent when they had so stubbornly rejected that offer so many times? (S192, 193, 194)[L41]

Q: What was the significance of Jeremiah's prophecy of the destruction of Tophet and of his prophecy of a similar fate to come upon the houses of Jerusalem and the kings of Judah? (S194)

Q: What do you suppose King Jehoiakim thought he could accomplish by burning the book of Jeremiah's prophecies? What did he actually accomplish? (S195)

Q: If King Zedekiah did not believe Jeremiah's prophecies, why did he keep sending for Jeremiah and asking for his advice? Why didn't Zedekiah trust Jeremiah's word? Why did Zedekiah and the people of Judah believe that Egypt would save them from the Babylonians? (S196, 198)[L41]

Q: Why were false prophets like Hananiah so popular among the people and leaders of Judah? (S197)

Q: Why was King Zedekiah so reluctant to surrender to the Babylonians even though Jeremiah had warned him that this was the only way to save his life? (S198)[L41]

Q: Why do you think that Ezekiel was called to be a prophet to the house of Israel only while Jeremiah had been called as a prophet "to the nations"? Was there something in their circumstances that would indicate a reason for this difference in calls? (S199, 190)

Q: What do you think was the significance of the assignment Jehovah gave to Ezekiel as "watchman" to the house of Israel? Are there watchmen to the house of Israel today? If so, who are they and what is their role? How is that like Ezekiel's role, and why are such watchmen necessary? (S199)

Q: When Jehovah condemned the false prophets of Judah, what did He say was the main problem with such prophets? In your opinion, what was the reason for this problem? (S200)

Q: Why did Jehovah's parable compare the house of Israel to an unfaithful wife? Why did He continue to love the people of the house of Israel even though they were unfaithful to Him? (S200)

Q: What is the significance to Israel and Judah of the parable of the two eagles, the cedar tree, and the vine? Why did Jehovah consider it such a serious matter that Judah did not keep the covenant they made with the wicked Babylonians? (S201)

Q: What is the basis on which Jehovah judges His people? Why is that fair? How does this approach relate to the second Article of Faith? (S202)[L43]

Q: In what ways was Ezekiel's example of not mourning for the death of his wife significant to the Jews as they were taken captive by the Babylonians? (S203)[L43]

Q: In what ways did Jehovah say that the "shepherds of Israel" had treated the flock with cruelty? Who were the shepherds of Israel, and why do you think they acted this way? How might this relate to our performance in the callings that we have in the Church? (S204)[L43]

Q: Why do you think Jehovah is so firm in His resolve to restore the wayward and errant people of Judah and Israel and to make them His people in the last days? Why does He love them so much? (S204)[L43]

Q: In what way or ways is Ezekiel's account of the resurrection in a valley full of dry bones symbolic of the restoration of Israel and Judah in the last days? Explain the symbolism. (S205)[L43]

Q: In D&C 27:5, the Lord speaks of the Book of Mormon as the "stick of Ephraim," so it is clear that Ezekiel is prophesying of the joining together of the Bible (the stick of Judah) and the Book of Mormon in the hands of God's people. As many scriptures have more than one correct interpretation, what other reasonable interpretation might there be for this scripture? (S206)[L43]

Q: What significance do you attach to Ezekiel's vision of water flowing out from the temple, healing and giving life to all that it touches? In addition to a literal fulfillment when the temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem, how might this prophecy relate to all of the Lord's temples? (S207)[L44]

Q: Why would those Jews who had been scattered when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem want to return to the land of Judah, knowing that the Babylonians would rule them and be their masters? (S208)

Q: When you read of how Johannan and rulers of the people flatly rejected the counsel of the Lord (not to go to Egypt), which they had so earnestly sought from Jeremiah, how do you explain their apparent change of heart? What does this teach us about human nature? What lessons can we draw from this incident? (S209)

Q: Why do you think that the remnant of Judah that went into Egypt failed to learn anything from what they had experienced when King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians conquered and destroyed Jerusalem? What lessons might we learn by understanding this? (S210)

Q: Sometimes, in reading the account in the book of Daniel, people get the impression that Daniel, Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego were the only Jews involved in this story, but there obviously many more---young men who did not choose to be as faithful to Jehovah as did Daniel and his friends, perhaps because it was "more trouble than it was worth." What can we draw from this account about taking a stand for that which is right, as opposed to going along with the crowd and not making waves? (S112)[L45]

Q: As the stone in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, cut from the mountain without human hands (i.e., by God), rolled forth, it did two things. First, it destroyed the kingdoms of the earth, and second, it filled the whole earth. This stone is interpreted to be the church, or the kingdom of God, upon the earth in the last days. At what stage in completing these two objectives is the stone today? (S213)[L46]

Q: Why would Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego choose to be cast in the fire rather than bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's giant golden idol? Wouldn't it have been a lot easier for them to just go along with what the king told them to do (after all, servants are expected to obey the instructions of their masters)? Do you think any of the Jewish captives bowed down to the great image? What lessons can we learn from this story? (S214)[L45]

Q: It appears from the story of the great tree that Nebuchadnezzar could have been spared his suffering from mental illness if he had been willing to humble himself and acknowledge the hand of God in the affairs of men, to do righteousness, and to show mercy to the poor? Why do you think that King Nebuchadnezzar chose not to repent? In what ways are we like he was? What price do we pay for this, if any? (S215)[L46]

Q: Why do you think that Daniel was shown visions of various beasts, including the overthrow of those beasts, and was then given only a partial interpretation of those visions---insufficient for him to understand the significance of what he was shown? (S216, 217)[L46]

Q: Why do you suppose Belshazzar was given the privilege of receiving a message from heaven concerning the imminent impending fall of the Babylonian Empire? (S218)

Q: Why did King Darius love Daniel so much? Why weren't the people who witnessed the miracle of the preservation of Daniel's life in the lions' den---including King Darius---converted to believe in Daniel's God? Can you think of any other examples where people witnessed great miracles but still did not believe? (S219)[L45]

Q: The angel Gabriel was sent to Daniel in one case and Jehovah himself appeared to him in another case because of his humble petitions and mighty prayers. Why doesn't every humble petition by righteous people who are faithful disciples of Jesus Christ bring the same results? (S220, 221)

Q: What reasons, besides Isaiah's prophecy, might King Cyrus of Persia have had for wanting the temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem? (S222)[L47]

Q: Do you think it would have made any difference if Zerubbabel and the chief fathers of the returning Jews had been more accepting of the Samaritans and had responded positively to their request to assist with the rebuilding of the temple? Why or why not? (S222)[L47]

Q: Why do you think King Darius became so positive and was such a staunch supporter of the rebuilding of the temple? (S223)[L47]

Q: Mordecai asked Esther whether she might have brought to the position of Queen of Persia in order to save the Jews from destruction. How would you answer that question? Why? (S224)[L45]

Q: Mordecai was unwilling to bow down to Haman the Agagite because the Jews did not believe it proper to bow before anyone except God, and not because he did not respect Haman's position. How do you suppose the other Jews in the city (and the kingdom) responded to the king's edict that everyone must bow down to Haman? Why was Haman upset only with Mordecai? (S224)[L45]

Q: Why do you think that the kings of Persia were so supportive of the various migrations of the exiled Jews back to their homeland and of the rebuilding of Jerusalem? (S225)[L47]

Q: When Ezra the priest came to Jerusalem, he found that many of those Jews who had returned earlier---including many of their leaders---were intermarrying with the other peoples of the land. Why were they doing this and why was it such a problem? Why didn't they know that they shouldn't be doing it? When can ignorance of the law be an excuse for not keeping the law? (S226)[L47]

Q: Why was the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem such a massive and arduous task? (S227)[L47]

Q: Why was there so much opposition from Judah's neighbors to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem? How did the Jews deal with this opposition? What can we learn from Nehemiah and the Jews about keeping focused on the task at hand and about dealing with adversity, distractions, and opposition in our lives? (S227)[L47]

Q: There may be times, as with the case of Shemaiah, when those we trust seek to influence us to make incorrect decisions. How can we detect such cases, if and when they occur, and deal with them correctly as Nehemiah did? Can you think of any other cases in the Old Testament when someone who had previously been faithful deserted to the opposition? (S227)[L47]

Q: Many of the more prosperous Jews at the time of Nehemiah sought to take advantage of their situation, enriching themselves at the expense of those less fortunate. Do we see examples of similar behavior in our day? Why do people do this and what is the best way to deal with such a problem? (S228)[L47]

Q: Nehemiah, in his role as governor of Judea, was a very benevolent man with an admirable record of service to his people. Because he could afford to do so, he served at his own expense as well as giving aid to those who needed it. Are you aware of other examples, either scriptural or modern, of similar behavior? What can we learn from such examples that we can apply in our own lives, even though we may not be wealthy? (S228)[L47]

Q: Which commandments were the hardest for the Jews at the time of Nehemiah and Ezra to keep? Why were these commandments so hard for them? Which commandments are the hardest for the people of our day to keep? Why are they so hard for us? How much has human nature changed since the days of Nehemiah and Ezra? (S229)[L47]

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