1. EZEKIEL WATCHMEN ON THE TOWER

2. EZEKIEL Ezekiel was a priest carried away to Babylon. In his fifth year of captivity, the Lord called Ezekiel to be a prophet and serve as a watchman who would warn, reprove, and call the house of Israel to repentance.

3. “On December 26, 2004, a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, creating a deadly tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people. In one day, millions of lives were forever changed. “But there was one group of people who did not suffer a single casualty. The reason? They knew a tsunami was coming. “The Moken people live in villages on islands off the coast of Thailand and Burma. A society of fishermen, their lives depend on the sea. For hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, their ancestors have studied the ocean and they have passed their knowledge down from father to son. “One thing in particular they were careful to teach was what to do when the ocean receded. According to their traditions, when that happened, the ‘Laboon’—a wave that eats people— would arrive soon after. “When the elders of the village saw the dreaded signs, they shouted to everyone to run to high ground. Not everyone listened. One elderly fisherman said, ‘None of the kids believed me.’ In fact, his own daughter called him a liar. But the old fisherman would not relent until all had left the village and climbed to higher ground” (Elder Wirthlin, “Journey to Higher Ground,” Ensign orLiahona, Nov. 2005, 16).

4. Some time ago while visiting Australia, I encountered a group of American surfers. They were obviously upset about something, talking loudly and gesturing toward the sea. When I asked them what was wrong, they pointed to just outside the bay where the big waves were breaking. “Look out there,” one of them angrily told me. “Can you see the barrier?” Looking more closely now, I could indeed see a barrier stretching across the entire mouth of the bay, right where the large, enticing waves were breaking. The barrier appeared to be made of a heavy mesh and was supported by floats on top of the water. According to the surfers, it dropped all the way down to the ocean floor. The American surfer continued, “We are here on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to surf these big waves. We can surf the smaller ones breaking within the bay itself, but the barrier makes it impossible for us to surf the big ones. We have no idea why the barrier is there. All we know is that it has totally spoiled our trip.” As the American surfers became more animated, my attention was drawn to another nearby surfer—an older man and obviously a local. He seemed to be growing impatient as he listened to the ever-increasing complaints about the barrier.

5. Finally he rose and walked over to the group. Without saying anything, he pulled a pair of binoculars from his backpack and handed them to one of the surfers, pointing out toward the barrier. Each of the surfers looked through the binoculars. When my turn came, with the help of magnification, I could see something that I had not been able to see before: dorsal fins—large sharks feeding near the reef on the other side of the barrier. The group quickly became subdued. The old surfer retrieved his binoculars and turned to walk away. As he did, he said words I will never forget: “Don’t be too critical of the barrier,” he said. “It’s the only thing that’s keeping you from being devoured.” As we stood on that beautiful beach, our perspective had suddenly changed. A barrier that had seemed rigid and restrictive—that seemed to curtail the fun and excitement of riding the really big waves—had become something very different. With our new understanding of the danger that lurked just below the surface, the barrier now offered protection, safety, and peace. (Elder Vaughn Keetch, October 2015 General Conference)

6. EZEKIEL Read Ezekiel 1:1, 3 looking for what Ezekiel saw and experienced while in captivity.Ezekiel 1:1, 3 Read Ezekiel 1:26–28. What words and phrases did Ezekiel use to describe the Lord and the throne He was sitting on?Ezekiel 1:26–28 Read Ezekiel 2:3–7. What did the Lord call Ezekiel to do?Ezekiel 2:3–7 Read Ezekiel 3:1–3. What did eating the roll {scroll} represent? Ezekiel 3:1–3 Read Ezekiel 3:17 looking for what the Lord likened Ezekiel to.Ezekiel 3:17

7. EZEKIEL HOW ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PROPHET SIMILAR TO THOSE OF A WATCHMAN? HOW MIGHT PROPHETS BE LIKE WATCHMEN FOR US? “Because the Lord is kind, He calls servants to warn people of danger. That call to warn is made harder and more important by the fact that the warnings of most worth are about dangers that people don’t yet think are real” (“A Voice of Warning,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 32). What are some warnings prophets have given us recently?

9. MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENCY OUR DEAR YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN, we have great confidence in you. You are beloved sons and daughters of God and He is mindful of you. You have come to earth at a time of great opportunities and also of great challenges. The standards in this booklet will help you with the important choices you are making now and will yet make in the future. We promise that as you keep the covenants you have made and these standards, you will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, your faith and testimony will grow stronger, and you will enjoy increasing happiness. Which words stand out to you?

10. MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENCY OUR DEAR YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN, we have great confidence in you. You are beloved sons and daughters of God and He is mindful of you. You have come to earth at a time of great opportunities and also of great challenges. The standards in this booklet will help you with the important choices you are making now and will yet make in the future. We promise that as you keep the covenants you have made and these standards, you will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, your faith and testimony will grow stronger, and you will enjoy increasing happiness.

11. For the Strength of Youth Agency and Accountability Dating Dress and Appearance Education Entertainment and the Media FamilyFriendsGratitude Honesty and Integrity Language Music and Dancing Physical and Emotional Health RepentanceSabbath DayServiceSexual Purity Tithes and Offerings Work and Self Reliance

12. EZEKIEL: WATCHMEN ON THE TOWER VIDEO “WATCHMAN ON THE TOWER”(4:17)“WATCHMAN ON THE TOWER”

13. EZEKIEL: WATCHMEN ON THE TOWER VIDEO “WATCHMAN ON THE TOWER”(4:17)“WATCHMAN ON THE TOWER”

14. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE ISRAELITES? WHAT WOULD THE ISRAELITES LEARN AS A RESULT? 1 Ezekiel 3:18–21 2 Ezekiel 6:1–7 3 Ezekiel 6:8–10 4 Ezekiel 12:15–20 5 Ezekiel 16:60–63 6 Ezekiel 20:41–44 The phrase “ye shall know that I am the Lord” or variations of it are mentioned more than 45 times in Ezekiel.

15. EZEKIEL “While here on earth, you are being proven to see if you will use your agency to show your love for God by keeping His commandments. You are responsible for the choices you make. God is mindful of you and will help you make good choices, even if your family and friends use their agency in ways that are not right. Have the moral courage to stand firm in obeying God’s will, even if you have to stand alone. As you do this, you set an example for others to follow” ([FTSOY booklet, 2011]). What choices can I make in my life now that will help me live righteously even when those around me do not? Read Ezekiel 18:21–22, looking for the Lord’s message to those who turn from their wickedness.Ezekiel 18:21–22

16. EZEKIEL WATCHMEN ON THE TOWER