As Jacob traveled to Padan-aram to live with his uncle, he had a dream in which the Lord renewed the promise He had made to Jacob's father and grandfather. Waking the next morning, Jacob built a stone pillar and poured oil on it as a form of worship. (See Genesis 28:18.) Years later, after Jacob... Continue Reading →
Spare Not
The Lord told Isaiah to preach the gospel whole-heartedly, holding nothing back. "Cry aloud," He said, "spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet" (Isaiah 58:1). In another passage, he instructs the children of Israel to prepare for massive growth and prosperity: Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the... Continue Reading →
Impart of Your Substance
King Benjamin urged his people to "administer of [their] substance unto him that standeth in need." He told them not to judge beggars, but to share what they could with those who needed their help. If they were unable to give, he encouraged them to say in their hearts, "I give not because I have not, but if I... Continue Reading →
Immersion
The word "baptism" comes from the Greek word baptisma (βάπτισμα), which refers to dipping or submerging something. Jesus instructed His disciples on the American continent how to perform baptisms. They should stand in the water with the person being baptized, call the person by name, pronounce some specific words, and then "immerse them in the water,... Continue Reading →
“If Thine Eye Be Single” – 3 Nephi 13:22
Jesus said, "The light of the body is the eye." Therefore, He added, "if...thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." But He added this warning: "If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness" (Matthew 6:22-23, 3 Nephi 13:22-23). The Greek word translated as "single" in... Continue Reading →
How Can I Follow the Savior with “Full Purpose of Heart?”
Nephi tells us near the end of his writings that we can receive the Holy Ghost by following the Son "with full purpose of heart." He goes on to clarify his meaning: "acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent" (2 Nephi 31:13). In subsequent passages, Jacob and Limhi use the... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Consecrate Something?
To consecrate something is to make it sacred, to set it apart for a holy purpose (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary). The opposite is to desecrate something, which means literally to "divest it of [its] sacred character," or to "treat it with sacrilege" (Online Etymology Dictionary). In the Book of Mormon, the word consecrate is used several ways: Priests... Continue Reading →
Having Sealed the Truth of His Words – Mosiah 17:20
20 And now, when Abinadi had said these words, he fell, having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he would not deny the commandments of God, having sealed the truth of his words by his death.(Mosiah 17:20)You can tell how much you value something by how much you are willing... Continue Reading →
Willing to Submit – Mosiah 3:19
19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a... Continue Reading →
Offer Your Whole Souls – Omni 1:26
26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to... Continue Reading →
