There are 150 psalms in the book of Psalms, and we are studying them over three weeks. Last week, I wrote about Psalms 1-50. This week, I’ll cover 51-100. Next week, I’ll write about 101-150. This pattern roughly corresponds with the Come, Follow Me reading assignments.
For each psalm, I’m providing an easy-to-remember headline that captures the essence of the psalm. I’m also providing a brief summary of the psalm’s central message. For many of the psalms, I’m also writing about a Book of Mormon connection. I’m trying to understand how Israelite psalms influenced Book of Mormon authors. I want to explore how the language of the psalms strengthened their faith, shaped their worship, and guided their spiritual development. I want to learn from them how the psalms can enhance my spiritual journey.
One psalm we will cover this week — Psalm 95 — is heavily emphasized in the Book of Mormon. Jacob references it twice (Jacob 1:7; 6:4-6), and Alma builds an elaborate sermon on it (Alma 12; 13). Here’s a presentation I gave at Brigham Young University last October about how Alma used that psalm in his second Ammonihah sermon:
This week, as we study Psalms 51-100, let’s find ways to incorporate these poetic expressions of devotion into our own worship.
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