MERIDIAN MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 10, 2009

Janet Peterson

Come January 3, 2010, the first Sunday of the new year, gospel doctrine classes worldwide will rotate the yearly course of study from the Doctrine and Covenants to the Old Testament. Perhaps this change will be accompanied by a few moans and groans. After all, the Old Testament is rather lengthy–and is often difficult to read and understand. Perhaps it may not be your favorite of the standard works. As a prelude to the mission of the Savior and another testament of His divinity, the Old Testament is indeed a great canon of scripture.

Among other New Year’s resolutions, many Church members will commit to read the entire Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. Accomplishing this by December 2010 will require consistent and diligent study and much will be gained from doing so. Reading the scriptural text itself is surely the first priority. However, since Sunday School lessons and discussions can cover only a small part of the 1184 pages, events, prophecies, teachings, and stories of the Old Testament, additional study will greatly enhance an individual’s knowledge, understanding, and testimony. (And the callings of many members preclude attending Gospel Doctrine.) Church magazines and manuals, articles in various publications, the Internet, and books can provide a wide variety of Old Testament insights and study aids.

A book worth owning and reading is Val D. Greenwood’s How Often Would I Have Gathered You: Stories from the Old Testament and Related Sources for Latter-day Saints. In 2002, an Old Testament year, Brother Greenwood felt that Church members would benefit from having Old Testament stories available in “a simple, straightforward style consistent with the Latter-day Saint perspective.” This comprehensive book contains 229 stories, arranged chronologically “beginning with the Grand Council in Heaven [drawn from Moses and Abraham] and continuing down through the return of the Jews from their Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem.” The literary writings and many of the prophetic writings are not included because they contain no stories.

Greenwood states in the preface, “I do not intend that this book should replace or upstage the scriptures in any way. I hope, rather, that these stories will introduce the Old Testament, enhance the scriptural experience, and help [readers] gain greater appreciation for the Old Testament canon. Whereas our friends of other faiths consider much of the Old Testament to be myth, the Latter-day Saints hold a different view. We believe the Old Testament accounts are essentially literal and accurate, insofar as they are translated correctly (Articles of Faith 8).”

The book is written for an adult audience, but young adults and teens will likewise benefit. It is faithful to the scriptural accounts, and its comfortable and reverent style make it engaging. How Often I Would Have Gathered You  is also simple without being simplistic.

Helpful to the reader are maps, a pronunciation guide, and separate name and subject indexes. The book also includes extensive footnotes giving insights and pertinent background information. Some black- and-white drawings illustrate the book. The stories are divided into 12 sections: The Council, the Creation, the Fall, and the Early Patriarchs; Abraham and Isaac; Jacob and Joseph; From Egypt to Sinai; Through the Wilderness and Into Canaan; The Reign of the Judges; Saul and David: The Rise and Fall of King Saul; David and Solomon: The House of Judah on the Throne; Divided Israel (Part I): Two Separate Kingdoms; Divided Israel (Part II) Good Kings, Bad Kings, and the Threat of Captivity; Judah’s Captivity: The Prophecies, the Siege, and the Reality; The Captivity of Judah, the Return, and Beyond.

Besides recent years of concentrated study of the Old Testament, Val Greenwood drew upon a wide array of studies and experiences in preparing this book. He received a B.S. degree in journalism from BYU and a J.D. degree from the University of Idaho. His employment with the Church ranged from being a director in the Temple Department, a researcher and writer for the Family History Department, and a faculty member of Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). He has also taught institute classes. He is the author of The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, considered the standard in this field. Val’s depth of knowledge and testimony of the Old Testament are clearly evidenced in How Often Would I Have Gathered You.

Thanks to Val Greenwood’s book, discussions with my Gospel Doctrine teacher-husband, and studious reading, I plan to become better acquainted with the Old Testament this coming year!

How Often Would I Have Gathered You is available through major Internet bookstores, http://NewViewOldTestament.com, BYU Bookstore, or can be ordered through any bookstore.

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A recent "B.C." cartoon strip made its way across the internet recently. A worm is spitting out a dust ball and his friend, a pre-historic bird of some sort says, "Yuck! A dust ball! How disgusting." The worm responds, "How can you treat a fellow creature with such disdain?" The bird answers, "I read the Old Testament, buddy."

Indeed, it seems to some readers that the Old Testament is filled with all kinds of loathsome things -- murder, incest, prostitution. Reading through this sacred testament can be something of a roller-coaster ride. Is there any redeeming value to reading the Old Testament? Perhaps the same might be said of the Book of Mormon. It, too, has a lot of warfare, a lot of death, a lot of sadness. But readers can sort through all of this and draw out so many important spiritual lessons.

Part of our appreciation of biblical history is an acknowledgement that along with the good there is the evil. Such things "must needs be." The key to appreciating any sacred writing is in the ability to sort through the honest accounts and find that which is good, cling to it, and then be aware of the consequences of evil.

Over the years, scholars and teachers have come to recognize that studying the story line of the Old Testament is a valuable tool in understanding the work as a whole. One organization, "Walk through the Bible Ministries," has designed an entire curriculum that allows the reader to skip portions of the Old Testament without missing parts of the overall story. For example, they would have you read Genesis, Exodus and Numbers, and have you skip Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Yes, you miss some of the teaching, but the story continues unabated by reading the books in this manner.

Our present book tries to accomplish this goal -- learn the story of the Old Testament, but supplement this in a way that "Walk through the Bible Ministries" cannot: integrate the thoughts of LDS scholars over the years, the unique insights of Restoration scriptures, and the wisdom of generations of Mormon thinkers. The subtitle of the book explains it quite nicely: "Stories from the Old Testament and Related Sources for Latter-day Saints." Greenwood has a goal -- he wants you to see the wonderful continuity of the Old Testament story, the blessings of obedience and the challenges of faith. And, in my opinion, he accomplishes this nicely.

In a series of 229 brief studies, the author takes you through the story. His prose style is exceptionally easy; his grasp of the story solid. One can read each of the studies in just a few minutes. Each study is preceded by the scripture reference covered. Some of the studies are quite focused, covering just a few chapters of the scripture. Others are very broad -- he covers the entire book of Deuteronomy in just one study! But this is as it should be -- Deuteronomy does not move the story forward at all.

A nice selection of basic maps is included. Greenwood also includes a pronunciation guide to Old Testament words. A brief bibliography and both name and subject indices, close the volume. A word of caution about the indices - I neglected to read a note at the head of this appendix, notifying me that numeric references were to the studies, and not the page numbers! After looking up a few references incorrectly, I wondered how the author could have gotten it so wrong! Then I read the instruction, and was once again reminded of how important it is to read carefully!

Many of us have enjoyed jigsaw puzzles. We spill the pieces onto the table and then proceed to put them together according to the pattern on the box top. Imagine trying to assemble the pieces without having the picture on the box top! So many try to read the Old Testament piece by piece, without having the benefit of the big picture. This book gives you just that: the big picture.

"How Often Would I Have Gathered You" is not a scholarly tome, neither is it intended to be. Instead, it fills a gap between published Church curriculum and the larger, more detailed studies available to the interested reader. It reads like a novel, but it tells a true story. Readers of all ages will appreciate this resource and enjoy the fine work that Val Greenwood has provided for us.

"Val Greenwood has done a wonderful service for the Latter-day Saint people. He has provided an incredible tool for a better understanding of the Old Testament. The stories, told from the Latter-day Saint point of view, are true to the scriptures and are without ornamentation, embellishment, or fictionalization. How Often Would I Have Gathered You will surely become an indispensable and timeless addition to the library of every LDS family."
---Thomas G. Chapman,
LDS Institute Director

"The Old Testament is a challenge for most students of the scriptures. The insights they will get from Val Greenwood's book will help the stories of the Old Testament come alive. I highly recommend it!"
---Robert K. McIntosh
LDS institute director and author of How Do You Know When You're Really In Love?

"The author has carefully gathered stories from the Old Testament that share the familiar theme of the title---then he has summarized those stories so that they can be quickly called to mind."
---Dennis Lythgoe,
Book editor, Deseret News

"Val Greenwood's How Often Would I Have Gathered You captures the essence of these wonderful Old Testament messages. His easy style brings the Old Testament to life without embellishing the stories and without fictionalizing the message. . . [The] stories are clear, cogent, and true to their sources."
---Desert Saints Magazine

"Val [Greenwood] puts it all in historical perspective, and gives magnificent insights into the stories. I feel this book is going to be a great treasure for those who want to know more about the Old Testament. And that's all of us--both the teachers and the learners.
"As I read many the stories I found myself thinking, 'Oh yes! Now I remember how that goes.' It was quite a revelation to me to read the stories again and fix them in my mind. But more than that, Val goes into some stories that I've really never understood and makes them perfectly clear. I know, at least in part, something of each of these stories, but Val gives me the rest of the story.
"I have known, respected, and loved Val for many years. His mind and heart have made him a valuable resource to family history and temple work. His book on family history research in the United States is a classic. Now, with this book, he has written an equally meaningful book on another vital subject. Thanks, Val Greenwood."
---George D. Durrant,
LDS author and educator

What Other readers are saying:

"[My husband] and I are really enjoying reading your book, How Often Would I Have Gathered You. It is absolutely wonderful! Every home should have a copy. It is so easy to read and understand... You have written so very well. Thank you for publishing such a wonderful book."

"I am so impressed with your book. I would like to purchase a book for each of my children. What a wonderful resource for understanding the Old Testament. I hope you have plans to write more books."

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"We are really enjoying your book and appreciate all your hard work. I want all my children to have copies and am also sharing with friends."

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"I love the Old Testament book! My mom got me a signed copy. It has helped me a ton teaching Seminary."

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"I... like the easy-to- understand language your book is written in."

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"You have done a wonderful job."

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"I have not finished the book but find the beginning chapters to be an interesting read. I appreciate the clear explanations and logic."

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"The way you have compiled the stories makes it so much easier to read and understand. The book is a real gem for those finding it difficult reading the Old Testament."

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"Thanks for writing "How Often Would I Have Gathered You." I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed that it was so easy to read and the references were great.
"... gave me a copy signed by you. I am his Home Teacher and enjoy visiting with him. I shared a couple of stories with our HP Quorum and they were impressed with the story of Moses, when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it as he was commanded and Jehovah said that because you sought to take the glory to yourself ..., you shall not bring the people into the promised land, and He also told him that Aaron would not be allowed to enter either. Most did not remember this story and it was an enlightenment to them and me.

"Again, thanks so much and let me know if you plan to write another, for I know I would enjoy it also. Not only enjoyable reading but spiritually edifying also."

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"I have started reading it and it is great. So easy to read."

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"I've started to read through your book--"How Often Would I Have Gathered You"--and it's so good! I honestly didn't know whether or not I would enjoy it, but I can truly say it's brought the Old Testament to light for me in a way that no teacher or manual ever has. I can't wait to read it every night!
"Thank you... for the tremendous amount of work that has obviously gone into this book. I really appreciate it."

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"I am so impressed with Val's book. The stories are great. They help me to understand and give 'clarity' as George Durrant says. Well done, Val."

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"I substituted in [my daughter's] seminary class this morning and used your book!! I had three boys act out Jacob's blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh as I read your captivating prose!! Very fun."

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"We are so enjoying studying the Old Testament with your book."

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"Fabulous book--my uncle, Cleon Skousen, would have loved it!"

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"So far--very interesting and nicely done.

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"I received the two books 'How Often Would I Have Gathered You'  and am enjoying it a lot. One is for s dear friend of mine as a Christmas gift. Can hardly wait to give it to her. Thank You so much. I know I will be able to understand and enjoy reading the Bible more now."

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"I loved your Old Testament book. I used it all the time last year teaching seminary."

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" [I] thought I would let you know that I've received your book, and am loving it...  Thank you so much for the time and effort you've put into it."

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"I LOVE your book!  This year I decided was the year for me to "get" the Old Testament.  I ran across your book at exactly the right time.  I'm usually in Primary as that is my first love so I most often need to go looking for my own teachings. Your book is clear, concise, very interesting and the layout makes it easy to find what I need.  And I finally am learning the chronology!

"For the first time in my life I am excited to study the Old Testament!

"Thank you so much for the immense research and study you have done and for sharing it with us."

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"I am enjoying the stories.  Loved the ones on Abraham, as my Patriarchial Blessing tells me to study Abraham.  Thanks to you, it's been made easier."

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"...We have already read some of the stories and have appreciated the manner in which you wrote them. We have already gained new insights and new perspectives. Thank you so much for writing this valuable book."

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"I am truly enjoying your book.  Thank you so much for all you did to provide such a wonderful addition to my gospel library."

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