Wednesday, November 04, 2026

When Dry Bones Live Again - Ezekiel

 

Where the River Flows — Living water streams from the house of the Lord, transforming a barren valley into a place of gathering, fruitfulness, and healing.

Come, Follow Me study notes for November 2–8, 2026
Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47

The official lesson for November 2–8 is titled “A New Spirit Will I Put within You.” It follows Ezekiel from his call as a prophet among the exiles through visions of watchmen, shepherds, renewed hearts, living bones, gathered scripture, and healing waters flowing from the temple.  

Summary

Ezekiel begins his ministry far from Jerusalem. He is living among Israelites who have been carried captive into Babylon, separated from their homeland and temple. Yet beside the river Chebar, Ezekiel sees “the glory of the Lord.” God’s presence is not limited by geography. Even in exile, the Lord knows where His people are and continues to speak to them.

The Lord calls Ezekiel to be a watchman. A watchman stands where he can see approaching danger and sounds a warning before others recognize the threat. Ezekiel is responsible for faithfully delivering God’s message, even when people resist it. His calling teaches that prophetic warnings are expressions of divine concern. The Lord warns because He wants His children to turn, live, and remain spiritually safe.

In Ezekiel 33, the exiles wonder whether their past sins have left them without hope. The Lord answers that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. His desire is that they turn from sin and live. Past righteousness does not excuse present rebellion, but neither does past wickedness prevent sincere repentance. Through Jesus Christ, change remains possible.

Ezekiel 34 shifts from the watchman to the shepherd. Israel’s leaders have cared for themselves while neglecting the flock. They have failed to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, or seek the lost. The Lord therefore promises, “I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.”

This is ultimately a prophecy of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. He does not merely count His sheep from a distance. He searches for those who have wandered, gathers those who have been scattered, feeds them, protects them, and gives them rest. The chapter also provides a pattern for parents, teachers, leaders, ministers, and disciples: Christlike leadership notices individual needs and serves rather than seeking advantage.

Ezekiel 36 describes the deeper restoration God desires. The Lord will gather His people, cleanse them, and give them “a new heart” and “a new spirit.” He will remove the “stony heart” and replace it with “an heart of flesh.” This transformation is more than improved behavior. Through the Savior’s grace, repentance, covenants, and the Holy Ghost, desires can change. A heart made hard by sin, disappointment, fear, or resentment can become responsive to God again.

The valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 expands this promise. Ezekiel sees a vast field of bones that are “very dry”—an image of complete hopelessness. When he prophesies as commanded, the bones come together, receive flesh, and finally receive breath. The vision points to the literal Resurrection and also symbolizes the restoration of scattered Israel to covenant life. What appears beyond recovery is not beyond God’s power.  

The chapter then presents two sticks: the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph. Latter-day revelation helps us recognize these as the Bible and the Book of Mormon, companion witnesses that become one in the Lord’s hand. Together they testify of Jesus Christ and assist in gathering God’s children to Him.

Finally, Ezekiel sees water flowing from the temple. The stream grows into a river and carries life into an otherwise barren landscape, even healing the lifeless waters of the Dead Sea. Fruitful trees grow along its banks, and everything lives wherever the river flows. The vision beautifully represents the healing influence of Jesus Christ and the blessings that flow through temple covenants. Elder Dale G. Renlund taught that temple blessings have a remarkable capacity to heal hearts, lives, and families.  

Across all these visions, one message remains constant: the Lord has not abandoned His people. He can warn the wandering, gather the scattered, soften hardened hearts, restore what appears dead, unite His children through scripture and covenants, and carry healing into places that once seemed barren.

Memorable Verses to Mark

What This Means to Me

Ezekiel reminds me that the Lord can reach me wherever I am. Exile may not always mean living in a foreign country. I can feel exiled by grief, disappointment, illness, loneliness, family difficulty, or an unwanted change in circumstances. Yet God’s glory appeared to Ezekiel in Babylon. The Lord is not confined to the places where I expected to find Him.

The watchman image encourages me to receive prophetic counsel with humility. A warning may interrupt what I want to do, but that does not make it unloving. I want to listen carefully, seek confirmation from the Holy Ghost, and act before a distant spiritual danger becomes an immediate crisis.

The Good Shepherd also changes how I think about service. It is easy to care generally about a group while overlooking an individual. The Savior seeks the lost, strengthens the weak, and binds up the broken. I can follow Him by noticing who is absent, discouraged, overlooked, or carrying more than others realize. I may not be able to solve every problem, but I can listen, invite, encourage, and remain present.

The promise of a new heart gives me hope. Sometimes I focus so heavily on correcting outward behavior that I neglect the deeper work of conversion. The Lord does not merely ask me to appear better. He offers to change what I love, desire, and seek. I can bring Him resentment, pride, fear, and spiritual numbness and ask Him to make my heart tender again.

The dry bones teach me not to declare anything irredeemable too quickly. A relationship, spiritual habit, family hope, or personal aspiration may appear lifeless. I may not know how it can be restored. But the question “Can these bones live?” is answered by the Lord’s power, not by the bones’ present condition.

Finally, the river from the temple helps me see covenant worship as a source of expanding life. Temple blessings should not end with me. As covenants change my heart, their influence can flow into my home, relationships, service, and family history. With Jesus Christ, healing can begin as a small stream and gradually reach places I once considered barren.

Reflection and Application

  1. When have I discovered the Lord’s presence in an unexpected or difficult place?
  2. Is there prophetic counsel I understand but have not yet acted upon?
  3. Who in my circle may feel scattered, overlooked, or spiritually lost?
  4. How can I minister more like the Good Shepherd this week?
  5. What part of my heart has become resistant, fearful, or hardened?
  6. What “dry bones” in my life do I need to place in God’s hands?
  7. How have the Bible and the Book of Mormon worked together to bring me closer to Jesus Christ?
  8. What healing have I experienced through temple worship and covenants?
  9. How can the blessings I receive from the Lord flow outward to bless someone else?
  10. What would taking one step toward new spiritual life look like today?

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Further Reading

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// posted by John Fisher @ November 04, 2026 0 Comments

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