Ecclesiastes 11–12: Discover true joy in remembering our Creator and fulfilling our duty to fear God and keep His commandments.
We will begin by searching the BYU Religious Studies Center (rsc.byu.edu) and The Joseph Smith Papers (josephsmithpapers.org) for relevant scholarly sources.
I checked the BYU Religious Studies Center (rsc.byu.edu) and The Joseph Smith Papers (josephsmithpapers.org) for scholarly articles pertaining specifically to Ecclesiastes 11–12. While these resources are valuable for many topics, a direct, in-depth scholarly article on this particular section of scripture was not found. Therefore, I have selected a lesson from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' official seminary manual, "Lesson 111: Ecclesiastes—“God Shall Bring Every Work into Judgment”," as it directly addresses the assigned scripture block and themes within an approved Church context.
This lesson emphasizes that Ecclesiastes encourages us to look at life from an eternal perspective, rather than solely focusing on temporary worldly matters. It highlights the Preacher's counsel to remember that all earthly pursuits are fleeting and that God will ultimately judge all of His children for their actions. The text particularly draws attention to Ecclesiastes 11:9 and 12:7, reminding youth to "rejoice in your youth" but to also "know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment," and that "the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" upon death. This eternal perspective encourages making wise choices aligned with God's commandments throughout our lives. You can find this lesson at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-seminary-teacher-manual/ecclesiastes/lesson-111-ecclesiastes-god-shall-bring-every-work-into-judgment?lang=eng.
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