Jesus told the twelve and the seventy that they should accept the generosity of others because "the laborer is worthy of his hire." This phrase can be seen as an admonition: Work hard. Be a laborer. Hard work can bring great joy.
Cast Thy Bread Upon the Waters
The writer of Ecclesiastes teaches us an important principle through a vivid metaphor: Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Ecclesiastes 11:1 I don't have a lot of experience throwing bread into water (other than feeding ducks) but this metaphor rings true to me. There is something uncontrollable about water,... Continue Reading →
Gleaning
The law which God gave to the Israelites included a provision for caring for the poor among them: When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave... Continue Reading →
Up!
When Deborah, the leader of Israel, instructed a man named Barak to recruit an army and fight against their Canaanite oppressors, Barak responded with trepidation but with confidence in her leadership. "If thou wilt go with me," he said, "then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not... Continue Reading →
Givers
Adam Grant, a professor of organizational psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, has studied the affect of interpersonal styles on professional success. He divides people into three categories, according to how they approach interactions with others at work: Givers are willing to help others without expecting anything in return.Matchers help others selectively. They try to... Continue Reading →
“Build Up Cities”
When the Lord warned Nephi to flee from his brothers, he did not go alone. He took with him everyone who "believed in the warnings and the revelations of God" (1 Nephi 5:5-6). They traveled many days in the wilderness and chose a place to settle, where they constructed buildings, planted crops, and established a new community.... Continue Reading →
Duty
In the poem "The Theologian's Tale; the Legend Beautiful," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow relates a story of a monk who experiences a supernal vision in which he sees the Savior. During this experience, he hears the poor outside the gate of the convent, and he wonders whether he dares to leave the divine presence in order... Continue Reading →
“A Lively Member”
When Frederick G. Williams became a member of the First Presidency of the church, he also became part of an organization called the United Firm, which had been established to help fund the work of the church. After instructing existing members of the Firm to "receive him into the order," the Lord directed Brother Williams... Continue Reading →
“Ye Cannot Go Amiss”
Last week and the first part of this week, I was on vacation. So when I logged on to my work computer yesterday, I had a large number of emails to work through. My first instinct was to create a plan. Should I sort the emails by sender or by date? Should I handle the... Continue Reading →
Valiant
The Hebrew word chayil (חַיִל) appears 224 times in the Old Testament. It is sometimes translated "army," sometimes "wealth" or "goods," and sometimes "strength," "might," or "valour." It carries a connotation of power or force that is used to accomplish a purpose. It is not latent power but active power—power in motion. Balaam prophesied, "Israel... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 