This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Psalms 49-51, 61-66, 69-72, 77-78 and 85-86, which includes writings about redemption through Jesus Christ.
Following are a few quotes from past and present leaders and scholars of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about these chapters of scripture.
Psalm 49
“The theme of Jehovah redeeming the people of Israel from bondage is repeated many times in the scriptures. Often this is done to remind the people of the Lord’s goodness in delivering the children of Israel from the Egyptians. But it is also done to teach them that there would be another, more important, redemption for Israel. Lehi taught, ‘And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall’ (2 Nephi 2:26). The Psalmist wrote, ‘But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave’ (Psalm 49:15).”
— Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., then a General Authority Seventy, October 2011 general conference, “Redemption”
“To our Father in Heaven, ‘the worth of souls is great’ (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10), and ‘the redemption of their soul is precious’ (Psalm 49:8). Therefore, God sent His Son, the Savior and Redeemer, to loose the bands of death and atone for the sins of carnal, fallen men. The Lord suffered the pain of all men that all men might come unto Him on condition of repentance.”
— The late Elder Jack H. Goaslind, Jr., then a General Authority Seventy, October 1983 general conference, “Our Responsibility to Take the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth”
Psalm 50
“Personal spiritual preparation and cleanliness invites the presence of the Holy Ghost into our lives. Anciently, the Lord commanded those of the house of Israel to engage in ritual purification thereby qualifying to be called His holy nation. Doing all we can to keep our meetinghouses clean also invites the Lord’s glory and presence because ‘out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined’ (Psalm 50:2).”
— Elder Jörg Klebingat, General Authority Seventy, in the March 2023 Liahona article “Respecting Our Places of Worship”
Psalm 51
“Your testimony of Jesus Christ is your personal fortress, the security for your soul. … One by one we gain a witness from the Holy Spirit as He speaks to our own spirit, teaching ‘truth in the inward parts’ (Psalm 51:6). When we live the gospel of Jesus Christ, when we draw upon the Savior’s Atonement and press forward with faith, not fear, we are fortified against the wiles of the adversary.”
— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2019 general conference, “Build a Fortress of Spirituality and Protection”
“The poet Rudyard Kipling wrote the following words in 1897, an admonition to the British Empire against pride:
“‘The tumult and the shouting dies; The captains and the kings depart. Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart’ (‘God of Our Fathers, Known of Old,’ Hymns, no. 80).
“When Kipling spoke of a contrite heart as an ‘ancient sacrifice,’ perhaps he had in mind the words of King David in the 51st Psalm: ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart’ (Psalm 51:17). David’s words show that even in Old Testament times, the Lord’s people understood that their hearts must be given to God, that burnt offerings alone were not enough.”
— The late Elder Bruce D. Porter, then a General Authority Seventy, October 2007 general conference, “A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit”
“The Bible contains excellent examples of men who otherwise would have been great. But when they broke the law of chastity it broke them. …
“David, whom the Lord loved and who is regarded by many people as Israel’s greatest king, spent the latter part of his life in brokenhearted sorrow over his sin against Uriah and his adultery with Bathsheba. His deep feelings were expressed in one of the most pitiful prayers in the holy scriptures:
“‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: …
“‘Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
“‘For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me’ (Psalm 51:1-3).”
— The late Elder Milton R. Hunter, then a member of the First Council of the Seventy, April 1971 general conference, “‘Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery’”
Psalm 61
The Lord Jesus Christ “is our ultimate shelter (see Psalm 61:1-4). ... Whatever else happens, we will never be separated from the Savior’s love and His companionship, even if we don’t recognize it at the time.”
— The late President Jeffrey R. Holland, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as quoted in the October 2020 Liahona article “Apostles Share Messages of Hope”
Psalm 62
“To anyone burdened, lost, confused: You do not have to do this alone. Through the Atonement of Christ and His ordinances, you can be yoked or bound to Him. He will lovingly provide the strength and healing you need to face the journey ahead. He is the refuge from our storms still (see Psalm 62:6-8).”
— Elder Alan T. Phillips, General Authority Seventy, October 2023 general conference, “God Knows and Loves You”
Psalm 63
“During a difficult period of his life, the great King David wrote, ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee’ (Psalm 63:1). Perhaps this attitude of seeking God was one of the reasons David was described as a man after God’s own heart.”
— President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then the second counselor in the First Presidency, in the December 2017 Liahona article “Seeking Christ at Christmas”
Psalm 66
“The Lord has declared, ‘The voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days’ (Doctrine and Covenants 1:4). As watchmen and disciples, we cannot be neutral about this ‘more excellent way’ (1 Corinthians 12:31). As Ezekiel, we cannot see the sword coming upon the land ‘and blow not the trumpet’ (Ezekiel 33:6). This is not to say that we should bang on our neighbor’s door or stand in the public square shouting, ‘Repent.’ Truly, when you think about it, we have in the restored gospel what people, deep down, really want. So the warning voice is generally not only civil, but in the Psalmist’s phrase, it is a ‘joyful noise’ (Psalm 66:1).”
— President D. Todd Christofferson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2017 general conference, “The Voice of Warning”
Psalm 69
“Christ, long, long ago as Creator, provided habitable conditions for us on this earth, generously providing all the essential atmospheric conditions for life, including essential water. Yet on the cross, when He was aflame with thirst, ‘they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink’ (Matthew 27:34; see also Psalm 69:21). Even so, there was no railing but a forgiving Christ (see Luke 23:34).”
— The late Elder Neal A. Maxwell, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 1989 general conference, “Irony: The Crust on the Bread of Adversity”
Psalm 71
“This is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are Christians. We know additional details about the Savior’s role in the premortal existence before we came here: We have new information about His part in the Creation of the world under the direction of our Father; we can identify Him as Jehovah of the Old Testament, communicating with the prophets of Israel. We have the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ, which has great illuminating doctrines and information about the Savior. Our modern prophets have given revealed explanations, doctrines, light and knowledge on the Christ as the Redeemer to whom we look for the remission of our sins. We have a wealth of information of tremendous value to all Christian churches. We do not diminish or tear down the faith others have in Christ, but seek only to share with them our additional knowledge of the Lamb, the Shepherd, the Holy One of Israel (see Psalm 71:22) — for their benefit and salvation.”
— Elder Robert E. Wells, then a General Authority Seventy, October 1982 general conference, “Be a Friend, a Servant, a Son of the Savior”
“When the time of old age comes upon us … we need to come to that time with a courage born of faith and of preparation. Underlying all we do for ourselves and for our own, we must remember the aged with the compassionate spirit of Christ in whose work we are engaged.
“May the cry of the psalmist ring in our hearts: ‘Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth’ (Psalm 71:9).”
— The late Sister Barbara B. Smith, then the Relief Society general president, April 1978 general conference, “In the Time of Old Age”
Psalm 77
“The Psalmist has written: ‘I cried unto God with my voice, … and he gave ear unto me. …
“‘And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. …
“‘Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people’ (Psalm 77:1, 10, 14).
“Among the signs of the true church, and included in the evidences of God’s work in the world, are the manifestations of His power which we are helpless to explain or to fully understand. In the scriptures these divine acts and special blessings are variously referred to as miracles or signs or wonders or marvels.”
— The late President Howard W. Hunter, then the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 1989 general conference, “The God That Doest Wonders”
Psalm 78
“Fathers are to teach God’s law and works anew to each generation. As the Psalmist declared:
“‘For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
“‘That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should [then] arise and declare them to their children:
“‘That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments’ (Psalm 78:5-7). …
“Certainly teaching the gospel is a shared duty between fathers and mothers, but the Lord is clear that He expects fathers to lead out in making it a high priority. (And let’s remember that informal conversations, working and playing together and listening are important elements of teaching.) The Lord expects fathers to help shape their children, and children want and need a model.”
— President D. Todd Christofferson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2016 general conference, “Fathers”
Psalm 85
“Psalm 85:10 describes the conditions of reconciliation: ‘Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.’ …
“We can follow the same pattern in our own lives. … Despite the anxiety we may feel in approaching conflict this way, it is far more effective in transforming such conflict than anything else. Christlike love creates space for us to truly see the people we are struggling with in a way that fundamentally changes both us and them.”
— Chad Ford, then a professor in intercultural peacebuilding at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, in the March 2022 Liahona article “Seeing the Face of God in Our Enemies”
