Seven out of these ten psalms have an Old Testament story associated with them, more than any other set of psalms. These psalms are placed in the context of specific events from David’s life.
Psalm 51: A Broken and a Contrite Heart
David pleads with God for mercy after his sins against Bath-sheba and Uriah. He asks God to wash him from his iniquity and to create in him a clean heart. Then, he says, “Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- After the death of Jesus, a group of people in the Americas heard His voice saying, “Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:19-20; see also 2 Nephi 2:7; 4:32; 3 Nephi 12:19; Mormon 2:14; Ether 4:15; Moroni 6:2).
Psalm 52: The Green Olive Tree
David warns that those who speak devouring and deceitful words will be destroyed by God. In contrast, he calls himself “a green olive tree in the house of God.”
Psalm 53: None That Doeth Good
God looks down from heaven and finds that everyone has turned away from Him. “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” This psalm is nearly identical to Psalm 14.
Book of Mormon connection:
- Moroni warns that if we stop receiving power and gifts from God, “there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one” (Moroni 10:25).
Psalm 54: Mine Helper
David declares that God is his helper who has delivered him “out of all trouble.”
Psalm 55: Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord
David laments the enemies who prowl the walls of the city day and night, including someone who used to be his close friend. In response, he prays to God “evening, and morning, and at noon.” He counsels, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- When Alma and his people pray for deliverance, God responds, “I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage” (Mosiah 24:14).
Psalm 56: I Will Not Fear
David observes that his enemies would like to “swallow [him] up.” But he affirms, “In God I have put my trust, … I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- Mormon writes, “I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear” (Moroni 8:16; see also 1 John 4:18).
Psalm 57: In the Shadow of Thy Wings
As David flees from Saul, he tells God that he is surrounded by lions but that he will make his refuge “in the shadow of thy wings.”
Psalm 58: Break Their Teeth
A harsh psalm. David pleads for punishments upon the wicked. “Break their teeth,” he says. “Let them melt away … that they may not see the sun.”
Psalm 59: Slay Them Not
David asks God to deliver him from enemies who “lie in wait for [his] soul.” He asks God not to slay them “lest my people forget,” but to scatter them.
Book of Mormon connection:
- When the Nephites and the Lamanites became enemies, God told Nephi that the descendants of his brothers would “be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction” (2 Nephi 5:25).
Psalm 60: Thou Hast Given a Banner
In the midst of fierce battles, David reaffirms God’s supremacy. Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah are His, and He has power over their enemies. David affirms, “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.”
Book of Mormon connection:
- Nephi quotes Isaiah prophesying that God “will lift up an ensign to the nations” (2 Nephi 15:26). He also quotes a passage which promises that the “root of Jesse” will “stand for an ensign of the people” (2 Nephi 21:10, 12).
- Captain Moroni fashioned a banner called the title of liberty, which he “hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land,” to rally his people (Alma 46:11-36).
Today I will seek for God’s help in every circumstance. Whether I am dealing with personal failings or with challenges caused by other people, I will trust Him to support and uplift me.
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