This week's readings include some of the most important teachings in all the scriptures.

You're familiar with them, though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have

not charity. I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling symbol, and though I have the gift

of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith,

so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing. We're excited to explore

this most coveted gift from the heavens today. Hello, we're Scott and Moring Proctor,

and this is Meridian Magazine's Come Follow Me podcast. This week's lesson is entitled

ye are the body of Christ, and includes first Corinthians chapters 8 through 13.

These readings from Paul's letters are becoming more and more delicious, aren't they?

Moring, as you know, I had the immense privilege of spending part of my growing up years in Turkey.

My parents and brothers and I lived in Ankara, and we traveled all the time. Our American

school there considered travel and excused absence, and they encouraged us to take advantage

of this rich historical place where we lived. Ankara is practically in the heart of ancient

Asia Minor, so our family took it upon ourselves to follow in the footsteps of Paul the Apostle.

We tried to visit every place significant to his life, teachings, and letters. The first time

I visited Corinth, I was mostly mesmerized by the Corinth Canal. Though it was not ancient,

eight different ancient leaders that we know of, starting in the 8th century BC,

considered or even began work on a canal to cross-cut the isthmus of Greece.

The modern canal was completed recently, in 1893, and connects, of course, the Gulf of Corinth

on the west, with the Aegean Sea on the east, and saves ships a treacherous 430 mile journey around

the Peloponnese Peninsula. 11,000 ships each year passed through the canal. Again, all this points

to the fact that Corinth was an extremely important trade center. It was a crossroads of numerous

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