For the next two weeks, instead of having a specific reading assignment, we will prepare for Easter Sunday by studying the life, death, resurrection, and atoning power of Jesus Christ. Here are some passages from the Book of Mormon which teach about these topics:
- 1 Nephi 10:4-11 – Lehi prophesies about the Savior’s life
- 1 Nephi 11:13-34 – Nephi sees the Savior’s life in a vision
- 2 Nephi 2 – Lehi teaches how the Messiah overcomes the effects of the Fall of Adam and Eve
- 2 Nephi 9:4-27 – Jacob teaches how the atonement overcomes death and hell
- Mosiah 3 – King Benjamin discusses the life of the Savior and the power of His atonement
- Mosiah 14 – Isaiah prophesies that the Savior would be “despised and rejected of men” but that He would be “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities.”
- Mosiah 15 – Abinadi teaches that the Savior would make intercession for our sins and would bring about the resurrection
- Alma 7:9-15 – Alma clarifies that the Savior would not only take upon Himself our sins but also all of our pains, sicknesses, and infirmities.
- Alma 11:39-45 – Amulek testifies of the resurrection: “The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form.”
- Alma 34:2-16 – Amulek explains why only an infinite Being could carry out the atonement.
- Alma 42 – Alma explains to his son Corianton that the atonement of Jesus Christ enables God to be “a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.”
- Helaman 14 – Samuel the Lamanite prophesies of the Savior and gives the signs of His birth and death.
- 3 Nephi 11:1-17 – Jesus Christ appears to the people at the temple in Bountiful. They feel the wounds in His hands and in His feet.
- 3 Nephi 27:13-19 – Jesus teaches the people how His crucifixion can lift us up to the Father.
- Moroni 10:32-33 – Moroni teaches that we can be sanctified—made perfect in Christ by the grace of God.
Blog Posts about the Life, Death, Resurrection, and Atoning Power of Jesus Christ
- With Healing in His Wings – 3 Nephi 25:1-3
- What Is the Significance of the Name “Jesus?”
- What Does It Mean for Jesus to Be Our Advocate?
- Why Is Jesus Called the Great Mediator?
- Who Is the “Prophet” that Moses Promised Would Come?
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Resurrection?
- What Does the Book of Mormon Add to Our Understanding of the Resurrection?
- And Also from Everlasting Death – 2 Nephi 10:25
- How Is Christ Like a “Refiner’s Fire” and “Fuller’s Soap?”
- What Does It Mean for Jesus to Be Our “Redeemer?”
- What Is the Significance of the Title “the Lamb of God?”
- What Is the Significance of the Savior Bleeding “from Every Pore?”
- What Does It Mean for Our Garments to Be “Washed White Through the Blood of the Lamb?”
- What Does It Mean to “Apply the Atoning Blood of Christ?”
- How Is the Word “Atonement” Used in the Book of Mormon?
- What Does It Mean to Be Saved “In and Through” the Grace of God?
Blog Posts: April 1-12
“He Was Despised” – Mosiah 14:3
Today, I was pondering a prophecy of the Savior written by Isaiah and later quoted by Abinadi (Isaiah 53:3-6, Mosiah 14:3-6). I was thinking about the contrast between worldly power and spiritual power as illustrated by the Savior’s experience. Isaiah dramatizes it by juxtaposing the Savior’s experience with our natural response to it: What He…
“Which Easily Doth Beset You” – Alma 7:15
The word euperistatos (εὐπερίστατος) only appears once in the Greek New Testament. The word means “to easily surround,” “to encircle,” or to “thwart.” It carries the connotation of something that overpowers you, grabs hold of you and prevents you from moving forward. In the King James Version, this word is translated “beset.” Here is the…
“He Suffereth It” – 1 Nephi 19:9
I’ve been thinking today about one of Nephi’s prophecies. After lamenting that people often ignore or even reject things of great worth, Nephi explained that the Savior would be persecuted during his mortal life but would willingly suffer rejection and abuse because of His love for us: And the world, because of their iniquity, shall…
Justice and Mercy
Today I’ve been pondering the relationship between two of God’s attributes: justice and mercy. Multiple Book of Mormon prophets teach us that God is both just and merciful, including Lehi (2 Nephi 2:12), Nephi (2 Nephi 11:5), Jacob (Jacob 4:10), King Benjamin (Mosiah 5:15), Alma (Alma 42:15), and Mormon (3 Nephi 26:5, Mormon 6:22). It’s…
The Arms of Mercy
All 26 verses of Psalm 136 end with the same phrase: “For his mercy endureth forever.” Here is one of the verses from that psalm, which celebrates the Lord’s power to deliver the children of Israel from captivity in Egypt: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for…
Hosanna
Psalm 118 contains the following poignant expression of adoration and pleading: Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. (Psalm 118:25, New Living Translation) This pleading is followed by an expression of confidence in the one who can provide this salvation: “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord”…
“I Will Praise Thee” – 2 Nephi 4:30
In the middle of Nephi’s psalm, after lamenting his susceptibility to temptation and after commanding himself to do better, Nephi begins to talk directly to God. To me, this is the turning point in the psalm—the moment when he acknowledges that he can’t do this on his own, that he needs help. Notice how his…
Hearken
When King Benjamin called his people together near the end of his life, he began his sermon by urging them to listen carefully to what he had to say: I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and…
“The Pains and the Sicknesses” – Alma 7:11-12
Today, I’ve been pondering the following description of the Savior’s mortal life, given by the prophet Alma: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And…
“He Changed Their Hearts” – Alma 5:7
This past Sunday, Elder David A. Bednar taught us about the central role of our hearts in the gospel of Jesus Christ: The word heart is used over 1,000 times in the standard works. This simple but significant word often denotes the inner feelings of an individual. Our hearts—the sum total of our desires, affections,…
“I Could Remember My Pains No More” – Alma 36:19
Is the Atonement of Jesus Christ about individual salvation or about collective salvation? Yes. Through the Savior’s Atonement, we can each individually be purified—our sins can be washed away and we can be made worthy to return to God’s presence. Because we must each choose to receive that gift, we can’t do it for anyone…
Redeemed, Reunited, Restored, Resurrected – Alma 11:40-45
Amulek’s testimony in the city of Ammonihah used for words beginning with “re-” to describe what the Savior has done for us. The overall message is that Christ can fix things that aren’t right, including physical, emotional, and spiritual conditions.
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