“Pethor is thought to have been near Haran; descendants of Abraham’s brother, Nahor,and his son, Laban, lived there in the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; remnant of their culture may have remained (PGP, Abraham 2:1-6; Genesis 11:31-32; 22:20-24; 28-31). ” (A Latter-Day Commentary on the Old Testament. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1993, 160).

“It is significant that Balaam is never referred to as a prophet in the scriptures, but rather as a soothsayer or diviner, somewhat on the order of Simeon of the New Testament (Joshua 13:22; Acts 8:9-24).

“One of the remarkable things about Balaam’s blessing of Israel is the Messianic promise of Christ (see Numbers 24:14, 17, 19).” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980, [Second Edition, Revised, 1981], 209).

“The rebuke received by Balaam from an animal wrought upon by the spirit of God is a singular event in history. Speculation on how the deed was accomplished is useless. It is certain that the beast spoke in a way understandable to Balaam. Other scriptures indicate that when animals are filled with the divine spirit and celestialized they will be able to express themselves in ways presently denied them (see Revelations 4:6, 9; D&C 77:2-4). Balaam is not recorded as showing surprise at this phenomenon, which circumstance has led some to suggest that Balaam’s mind was troubled because of his attempt to serve both God and mammon. Had he been more thoughtful, the unusual behavior of his otherwise obedient mount would have caused him to look about to discover the trouble. Then perchance he would have discovered the angel’s presence.” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980, [Second Edition, Revised, 1981], 209-210).

“God speaks through any means that serve his divine purpose. Thus a voice and words come from a bush (as in the case of Moses) or from a donkey (as in the case of Balaam). Also, the same God who created the animal world in the first place could surely enable a donkey to see something (in this case an angel) that might not be perceived by man.” (A Companion To Your Study Of The Old Testament. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981, 181).

“Examples include:

“1. A child, unhappy with an answer from one parent, goes to the other parent, hoping for a different answer.

“2. A member of the Church, unsatisfied with the counsel of a priesthood leader, goes to another priesthood leader.

“3. A member of the Church rationalizes that a commitment doesn’t apply to him or her as it does to other members.” (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1996, [2001], 74-75).

“The incident was sufficient to carry out the Lord’s purposes, however, Balaam was shown that it was not the journey in itself that was displeasing to God, but the feelings and intentions he harbored. The entire incident seems to have been brought about to sharpen his conscience and sober his mind that he might speak only the word of God.” (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1996, [2001], 74-75).

“Some years ago, John was accepted at a prestigious Japanese university. He would be part of the international student program with many other top students from around the world….

“Soon after John’s arrival, word of a party to be held on the rooftop at a private residence spread among the foreign student population. That evening, John and two friends made their way to the advertised address…

“As the night wore on, the atmosphere then changed. The noise, music volume, and alcohol amplified, as did John’s uneasiness. Then suddenly someone began organizing the students into a large circle with the intent of sharing marijuana cigarettes. John grimaced and quickly informed his two friends that it was time to leave. Almost in ridicule, one of them replied, ‘John, this is easy–we’ll just stand in the circle, and when it is our turn, we’ll just pass it along rather than smoke it. That way we won’t have to embarrass ourselves in front of everyone by leaving.’ This sounded easy to John, but it did not sound right. He knew he had to announce his intention and act. In a moment, he mustered his courage and told them that they could do as they wished, but he was leaving. One friend decided to stay and joined the circle; the other reluctantly followed John down the stairs to board the elevator. Much to their surprise, when the elevator doors opened, Japanese police poured out and hurried to ascend the stairs to the rooftop. John and his friend boarded the elevator and departed.

“When the police appeared at the top of the stairs, the students quickly threw the illegal drugs off the roof so they wouldn’t be caught. After securing the stairway, however, the officers lined up everyone on the roof and asked each student to extend both hands. The officers then walked down the line, carefully smelling each student’s thumbs and index fingers. All who had held the marijuana, whether they had smoked it or not, were presumed guilty, and there were huge consequences. Almost without exception, the students who had remained on the rooftop were expelled from their respective universities, and those convicted of a crime were likely deported from Japan. Dreams of an education, years of preparation, and the possibility of future employment in Japan were dashed in a moment.

“Now let me tell you what happened to these three friends. The friend who stayed on the roof was expelled from the university in Japan to which he had worked so hard to be accepted and was required to return home. The friend who left the party that night with John finished school in Japan and went on to earn degrees from two top-tier universities in the United States. His career took him back to Asia, where had enjoyed immense professional success. He remains grateful to this day for John’s courageous example. As for John, the consequences in his life have been immeasurable. His time in Japan that year led him to a happy marriage and the subsequent birth of two sons. He has been a very successful businessman and recently became a professor at a Japanese university. Imagine how different his life would have been had he not had the courage to leave the party on the important evening in Japan.” (Be Valiant in Courage, Strength, and Activity,” in Ensign, November, 2012, 53).

“17. I shall see him, but not now. Or, ‘I shall see him, he is not now.’ I shall behold him, but not nigh-I shall have a full view of him, but the time is yet distant. That is, the person of whom I am not prophesying does not at present exist among these Israelites, nor shall he appear in this generation. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel-a person eminent for wisdom, and formidable for strength and power, shall arise as king among this people. He shall smite the corners of Moab-he shall bring the Moabites perfectly under subjection (see 2 Samuel 8:2). and destroy all the children of Sheth.

19. “Out of Jacob shall come. This is supposed to refer to Christ, because of what is said in Genesis 49:10.” (Adam Clark’s Commentary on the Bible. Abridged by Ralphe Earle. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1967, [Nineteenth printing, March, 1991], 196).

“The record [Numbers] next describes the whoredoms Israel committed with the daughters of Moab; that is, Israel joined the women of Moab in worshipping Baal-peor, a fertility god, including offering sacrifices to the god and indulging in sexual immorality. What is not mentioned here, but is explained later (Numbers 31:16) is that Balaam advised the Moabites in this action. Evidently, when he saw that he could not earn Balak’s commission by cursing Israel directly, he told Balak that God would only bless Israel when they were righteous. If the Moabites could seduce Israel into idol worship, they would lose God’s power.” (Old Testament Institute Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980, [Second Edition, Revised, 1981], 209-210).

“The twin sins of idolatry and adultery were later causes of Israel’s apostasy, overthrow, and exile.” (A Latter-Day Commentary on the Old Testament. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1993, 161).

“Although Balaam obeyed the Lord’s commands to bless rather than curse Israel, in his heart he wanted earthly honors and rewards. To receive these rewards [from King Balak], he suggested tempting Israel to sin, [thereby] causing them to lose God’s protection.” (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1996, [2001], 75).

“Members of the Church who seek earthly rewards and honors, who seek exceptions to God’ s counsel and commandments, or who try to introduce worldly ideas, practices, or standards into the Church are following Balaam’s unrighteous example. This is… known [even today] as the “doctrine of Balaam” (Revelations 2:14).” (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1996, [2001], 75).

“What a story this is! Here is a prophet of God who is firmly committed to declare only what the Lord of heaven directs. There does not seem to be the slightest doubt in his mind about the course he should pursue. He represents the Lord, and neither a house full of gold and silver nor high honors offered by the king can sway him from his determined course…

“But greed for wealth and lust for honor beckon him. How marvelous it would be [for him] to be rich and powerful…Perhaps the Lord would let him compromise his standards and have some worldly prosperity and power….I wonder how often some of us get our direction from the Church and then, Balaam-like, plead for some worldly rewards…

“Balaam,….inspired and mighty as he once was, lost his soul in the end because he set his heart on the things of the world rather than the riches of eternity.” (“The Story of a Prophet’s Madness,” in New Era, April 1972, 7).