Haggai prophesied that all things will shake and that only unshakable things will remain. Several Book of Mormon prophets taught us that we can develop "unshaken" faith, which will enable us to endure significant turbulence.
Running the Race
We can learn a lot about the race of life from the more localized races we run. We need to keep going even it gets hard. We need to pace ourselves. We need to set aside unnecessary burdens. And we need to keep our eye on the goal.
Abide
Jesus taught us that abiding is a two-way street. We abide in Him, and He abides in us. To abide is to remain. We sing, "Abide with Me!" We might consider adding these words of commitment: "I will abide in Thee!"
Endure in Faith
Persevering through hardship is an essential component of discipleship. Fifteen times in the Book of Mormon, we are promised that those who endure to the end will be saved and will receive eternal life (1 Nephi 13:37, 1 Nephi 22:31, 2 Nephi 9:24, 2 Nephi 31:15, 16, 20, 2 Nephi 33:4, Omni 1:26, Alma 32:13, 15,... Continue Reading →
Cumorah
Mormon was 73 years old when he gathered his people for their final battle (Mormon 6:5). He had begun leading Nephite armies nearly 60 years earlier, at the age of 15 (Mormon 2:2). He had seen a lifetime of battles, and he knew the likely outcome of this conflict, but he believed that his people's... Continue Reading →
“Steadfast and Immovable” – Alma 1:25
About 90 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, a group of believers on the American continent endured substantial mistreatment by non-believers. They had been taught not to fight back, but to patiently endure their afflictions, and so they carried on, "steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience... Continue Reading →
How Can I Teach My Children to Be Resilient?
In the September 2019 issue of the Ensign magazine, Elder Lynn G. Robbins expresses his concern that many young people have not developed sufficient resilience. He defines resilience as “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change,” and he encourages parents to increase their efforts to help their children develop this... Continue Reading →
Why Are We Blessed When We Are Reviled?
At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lists a number of unlikely scenarios in which we should consider ourselves fortunate. One of those goes like this: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Jacob (Israel)?
Soon after Lehi led his family into the wilderness, he sent his four sons back to Jerusalem to retrieve a sacred record engraved on brass plates (1 Nephi 3:2-3). When they returned with the plates, he found that they contained the five books of Moses, a history of the Jews, and the writings of many... Continue Reading →
How Can We Be Open to Change While Being “Steadfast and Immovable?”
Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of being steadfast as disciples of Jesus Christ. When we are converted to the gospel, we make covenants with God. Those covenants anchor us in our faith and cement our new relationship with Him. By making sacred promises, we intentionally constrain our future decisions. We speak on behalf of... Continue Reading →