There is an unusual chapter in the Book of Mormon in which Alma reflects on his missionary experiences. Mormon quotes this passage (Alma 29) without introduction, and it is only from the text itself that we can tell it was written by Alma the Younger. For seventeen verses, Alma shares his deepest feelings, including his misgivings... Continue Reading →
What Is a “Preparatory Redemption?”
In the middle of Alma's remarks to the people of Ammonihah, he uses a phrase which appears no where else in the scriptures: "a preparatory redemption." What did he mean by that? In order to understand this phrase, we will need to examine the entire passage (Alma 13:1-3), one verse at a time: And again,... Continue Reading →
Why Did Jared Ask His Brother to Pray Instead of Praying Himself?
Yesterday, I wrote about the lessons we can learn about coming unto Christ from the brother of Jared. Today, I'd like to explore a more specific question: why did Jared ask his brother to pray for him? Why didn't he just offer those prayers himself? Jared and his brother lived at the time of the... Continue Reading →
What Can We Learn About Coming Unto Christ from the Brother of Jared?
The Book of Mormon tells the story of a family who traveled across the ocean to the American continent just after human languages were confounded at the Tower of Babel. The family was led by a man named Jared and by his brother, who is simply called "the brother of Jared" throughout the narrative. The... Continue Reading →
What Are Some Examples of People Coming Unto Christ?
There are several experiences in the Book of Mormon in which people sought the Savior and found His healing power. Today, I want to look at three of those experiences and consider what we can learn from them. Enos had what he called a "wrestle...before God" before receiving a remission of his sins. His father... Continue Reading →
What Do Book of Mormon Prophets Teach Us About Coming Unto the Savior?
Over the last two days, I've looked at invitations to come unto Christ in the Book of Mormon. Two days ago, we reviewed Amaleki's and Moroni's final admonitions to "come unto Christ." Yesterday, we looked at passages where the Savior says, "come unto me." Today, I'm pondering the passages where prophets use the phrase "come... Continue Reading →
How Does the Savior Invite Us to Come Unto Him?
I mentioned yesterday that the phrase "come unto Christ" appears only five times in the scriptures. In contrast, the Savior says "come unto me" 39 times in the scriptures: once in the Old Testament, six times in the New Testament, four times in the Doctrine and Covenants, and 28 times in the Book of Mormon.... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Come Unto Christ?”
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi tells us that his only purpose in writing is to persuade people to "come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved" (1 Nephi 6:4). Nephi later explains to his brothers that the purpose... Continue Reading →
Why Did God Prevent Adam and Eve from Partaking of the Tree of Life?
After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, God placed "cherubim and a flaming sword" on the east side of the Garden of Eden. These heavenly sentinels ensured that Adam and Eve could not approach the tree of life and partake of its fruit (Moses 4:31, Genesis 3:24). Why was that... Continue Reading →
Which Fruit in the Garden of Eden Was Bitter, and Which Was Sweet?
Lehi had a clear message for his son Jacob: The adversity and the afflictions we experience in life don't have to drag us down. They can lift us up. Lehi acknowledged that Jacob had faced many trials but assured him that God would "consecrate [those] afflictions to [his] gain" (2 Nephi 2:1-2). He described a... Continue Reading →