Today I have decided to talk about Jacob 4:8 Behold, great and marvellous are the works of the

e Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God. As I read this verse, it leads me to ask several questions: What are the works of the Lord? We read in the following passages of scripture what the work of the Lord is Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my gloryto bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Alma 24:27 And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people. We can see from these verses that one of the works of the Lord is to bring about the eternal life and salvation of his children D & C 1:30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually 1 Nephi 14:7 For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvellous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the othereither to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken. We read in these verses that another work of the Lord is to bring forth the church through his servants Isaiah 11:11-12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. We read in these verses that another work of the Lord is to gather in the tribes of Israel Genesis 1:1 IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Perhaps most importantly is the work of the Lord in creating the heavens and the earth. Without heaven and earth, his other works will not be able to be fulfilled What does it mean that they are unsearchable? Romans 11: 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Mosiah 4: 9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. D & C 76:115-118 Which he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter; Neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before him; To whom he grants this privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves; That through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory. We can see from these verses, that to be unsearchable, means that man is not able to comprehend theses mysteries of the Lord, unless he has been chosen to and only while he is in the spirit of understanding What are the mysteries of the Lord? From the Bible Dictionary we read A spiritual truth that was once hidden but now is revealed, and that, without special revelation, would have remained unknown.

How can we find out these mysteries? Psalms 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. In this verse, to fear the Lord means to show reverence to Him. Therefore, if we honour and obey the Lord, we will get to know his mysteries Mosiah 2:9 King Benjamin is addressing his people And these are the words which he spake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view. Mosiah 8:19 And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men. D & C 84:20-21 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; We can see from all these verses that the only way we can know the mysteries of God is through his prophets seers and revelators. They can only tell us the word through the power and authority of the Priesthood Why is it important to know the mysteries of God? President Spencer W. Kimball (18951985) explained: Of all treasures of knowledge, the most vital is the knowledge of God: his existence, powers, love, and promises. If we spend our mortal days in accumulating secular knowledge to the exclusion of the spiritual then we are in a dead-end street, for this is the time for man to prepare to meet God; this is the time for faith to be built. Secular knowledge, important as it may be, can never save a soul nor open the celestial kingdom (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, edited by Edward L. Kimball [1982], 390). The knowledge of God and His plan of salvation is the kind of knowledge that saves, and this kind of knowledge can be obtained only in the Lords way.

We are then counselled not to despise the revelations of God D & C 3:7-8 For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble. Numbers 15:31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him. Proverbs 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. We read from these verses that to despise the works and mysteries of the Lord will lead us to being cut off from his presence Once a truth is revealed, it becomes a solemn obligation upon us. Do not ignore it or make it inconsiderable Testimony