Wednesday 7, 2007

Gregory W. Marsh
Brother Ludlow
Journal Entry—Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Old Testament—Final Exam
Today, sadly, our Old Testament class came to an end for the semester. We took the final exam, some with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. All of us, I think, were relieved to have the exam over, but I think most of us were also sad to have the class over. It has been a wonderful semester, learning about the Old Testament, and I have grown a lot in my understanding of the scriptures through our study of the Old Testament.
We’re now looking forward to learning about the New Testament, about the life and works of the Savior. I think more than anything else, I’m looking forward to developing an idea of the geographical context of the miracles and teaching and events in the life of the Savior. As we’ve studied the Old Testament, I have found that simply understanding the geography of the scriptures has made a huge difference in my understanding of the scriptures. Already, having visited the Galilee and seen the Sea of Galilee, I can better connect with the story of Jesus and His disciples crossing the sea in the middle of a storm, and I can better imagine the miracle of His calming the sea. I want to have that same sort of context for the remainder of the events in the Gospels.
Owing to the early hour of the exam, we had lunch early today. That gave many of us the opportunity to go up to the Temple Mount to visit the Dome of the Rock. Many of us have been trying to go for a long time, but the Temple Mount is never open when we’re not in class or at lunch; thus, the early lunch today opened a beautiful opportunity for many of us. There were probably fifty of us who made it up there today. It was very beautiful; it is a very peaceful place, and it’s beautiful to imagine the time when the Temple of the Lord was on that very place. Indeed, it is a sacred place, and it was a privilege to visit there.