#todo (Required Assignments)
- As you go through each required or optional assignment, please take notes on what you learn and questions you have in your commonplace book. Your commonplace book is a great place to start taking notes on Vanguard books for your own benefit, even if it’s not explicitly required in your homework, if you haven’t already.
- Read the section below entitled “Welcome”
- LISTEN to Sir Alexander Scourby’s recording of The Gospel According to St Matthew linked below (2 hours and 20 minutes — please do NOT speed up the reading)
- Check back on this post tomorrow or Sunday for a couple of additional required assignments … and the chance to earn lots of Vanbucks by doing some extras (see “Vanbucks Bonus Section” below).
Links:
King James Version of Matthew
Welcome
Welcome back, beautiful people. I bring you the greetings of the wisdom and beauty of many ages.
In this class we are going to tackle head on the question: How does God want man to live?
Sub-questions we’ll address directly are: What were His original intents in the creation of the world and for mankind? How can we know it? Are we on track? Is something preventing us from living up to His dreams? What stands in our way? What tools has He provided? Are problems we currently have the result of counsel and tools that we already have but are ignoring?
In this class we will build a good case that many of the problems of modern life have solutions that were already discovered or revealed in the past — many from the very deep past.
Some from the very beginning.
Each week of this class we will be listening to one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) from the New Testament. We will use a different translation for each Gospel — King James Version, a more modern language version, a dramatic reading. There will be other assignments as well — all highly recommended and encouraged.
As you listen, please keep in mind the following question: what teachings, principles, lessons, commandments did Jesus reveal 2000 years ago that would solve specific personal, family, or social problems of today.
Again, as you read and listen, please write notes in your book that you would like to discuss in class — what stood out to you, things that confuse you, seeming inconsistencies between what Jesus said and how we actually live now. Write this down and bring it to class. (Vanbucks given for writing and sharing)
We will be investigating God’s design for His world and how ancient thinkers, writers, and live-ers may have tapped into His wisdom.
We begin with quotations from 2 ancient writers:
By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
When the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth.
(Vanbucks for whomever finds where these passages came from)
I pray that the power of the Holy Ghost will be with you this week as you spend time immersed in the words and life of the Son of God Himself.
Pay attention — I promise you will see your world with new eyes.
Vanbuck Bonus Section — Check back daily until Wednesday morning for Casey’s exciting additional philosophizing
For successful completion of each of these explorations, you will receive one MILLION Vanbucks1
— Watch the following musical presentation. Understanding the words is not important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ETBmGSjg2w
Write a paragraph or poem about what you saw and heard and felt
— Then-Elder, now-President Oaks’ talk from the most recent General Conference includes specific time-proven counsel for having a strong, happy life. Can you find it? Bonus bucks for implementing his counsel this week and documenting it in your commonplace book. Come ready.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkVGUqUIk88&pp=ygUUb2FrcyBjb25mZXJlbmNlIHRhbGs%3D
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1 Vanbuck estimates stated here are approximate and might differ significantly from real-world delivery
