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 →
Confounded
After prophesying of difficult days ahead, the prophet Isaiah foretold a time of prosperity and peace, when the children of Israel would be protected from both physical and verbal abuse: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of... Continue Reading →
Stripped of Pride, Stripped of Envy
There are some things we need to acquire as we prepare to meet God. There are also things we need to abandon. As Alma spoke to the people of Zarahemla, he specifically identified two things they needed to eliminate from their lives in order to be ready to be with God: Behold, are ye stripped... Continue Reading →
“Songs of Everlasting Joy”
Isaiah prophesied of a time when the children of Israel would be delivered from bondage and would gather to Zion. This would not only be a day of joy; it would be the beginning of an eternity of joy: The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,... Continue Reading →
“Fear Ye Not the Reproach of Men” – 2 Nephi 8:7
Faith in God includes prioritizing His words over the words of other people. To ancient Israel, through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord counseled, "Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings" (2 Nephi 8:7, Isaiah 51:7). Then He asked the following rhetorical question: Who art thou, that thou shouldst... Continue Reading →
“Suffer None of These Things to Enter into Your Heart” – 3 Nephi 12:29
Near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, after sharing the Beatitudes and encouraging His disciples to let their light shine, Jesus gave six examples of commandments or traditions which the people had interpreted too narrowly. In all six cases, He encouraged them to expand their perspective and live according to a higher law.... Continue Reading →
Blessed – 3 Nephi 12:1-12
At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior lists eight qualities which will bring a person joy. This list is known as the Beatitudes, because the Latin word translated "blessed" is beati. This word—and the original Greek word makarios (μακάριος)—literally mean "happy," but with a connotation of "having great reason to be... Continue Reading →
“Turn Ye, Turn Ye” – Helaman 7:17
Nephi caught the attention of a group of people by praying on a tower in his garden beside a busy highway. They not only stopped to hear his prayer. They ran and gathered other people. When Nephi completed his prayer, a large crowd had gathered (Helaman 7:10-12). So he spoke to them, sharing his sorrow... Continue Reading →
“I Will Ease Your Mind Somewhat” – Alma 39:17
King Benjamin taught his people that they should administer to the relief of others "both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants" (Mosiah 4:26). Alma gave the same commandment to the members of the newly organized church at the waters of Mormon (Mosiah 18:27-29). What does it mean to administer relief spiritually? One example might... Continue Reading →
“Swallowed Up” – Alma 27:28
Isaiah prophesied that God would "swallow up death in victory" (Isaiah 25:8). Aaron borrowed this terminology when he taught the king of the Lamanites that Christ would "[break] the bands of death,,,and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory" (Alma 22:14). This was more than a theoretical concept.... Continue Reading →