Throughout this year I've often mentioned using the Old Testament Institute Manual as part of my personal scripture study of the Old Testament. At the end of the chapter that goes over the book of Joshua, in the "Points to Ponder" section, we learn the proper way to solve our problems- by coming unto God and being sanctified.

"If we have lost power with God, we can know, as surely as we know the sun will rise on the morrow, that the problem lies within us and not within God. As He said in our day, 'I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise' (D&C 82:10). And the key for restoring the relationship with God was... given when the Lord told Joshua, 'Up, sanctify the people' (Joshua 7:13)."¹

The manual gives two pictures of the problem-solving process which I have recreated to show here.

Problem-Solving On Our Own:


"We think that the problem is something external, that is, if we can summon enough power, it can be solved through our own effort. But the Lord told Israel through... Joshua that while there was an external problem, there was also an internal one that blocked the channels of true power."¹

Problem-Solving With God:


Just as Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve," we too must choose who we will serve. To come unto God we must repent and sanctify ourselves², and as we do so, we will be blessed with God's power to overcome our problems.

Notes:
1. "Joshua 1-24: The Entry into the Promised Land," Old Testament Student Manual Genesis-2 Samuel, 1981, p 243.
2. Read Ether 12:27; 2 Nephi 25:23; and Moroni 10:32-33.

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

Joshua and the children of Israel chose to serve God and made a covenant to obey Him. Each one of us has been given our individual agency and the choice is ours. Who will will serve? God or Mammon? It is impossible to serve both:

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matt. 6:24).

Jesus Christ was our perfect example of obeying the Father. Christ chose to serve God in all things, even until the end when He said, "not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). And then He performed the ultimate, eternal sacrifice: the Atonement.

Who do you serve now? Choose to serve God and live.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words.... And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments" (Exodus 34:27-28).

Learn more about the Ten Commandments, how each main book of scripture gives us the Ten Commandments, and how we cannot break the Ten Commandments but only break ourselves against them when we do not keep them.

Every year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds a General Relief Society Meeting which is broadcast to church buildings throughout the world. This year the 1.5 hour meeting will be held on Saturday, September 25th at 6:00 pm (MDT).

Learn more about the General Relief Society broadcast, including where you can watch, read, or listen to it for free.