Sometimes we need to be reminded just how unequal our relationship with God is. King Benjamin taught that if we serve God with all of our souls for the rest of our lives, we would still be "unprofitable servants." God has already given us far more than we could ever hope to repay, and the... Continue Reading →
“There Failed Not Ought”
The author of the book of Joshua summarizes the message of the book in this way: The Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their... Continue Reading →
Joshua and the Book of Mormon
This week, I reviewed the book of Joshua, summarizing the content of each chapter and identifying related Book of Mormon passages. The book can be divided into four parts: The children of Israel prepare to enter the promised land (chapters 1-5)With divine intervention, they conquer various cities in the land of Canaan (chapters 6-12)Land is... Continue Reading →
Glory
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.Psalm 24:9-10 What is glory? The word appears 225 times in the King James Version of the Old Testament,... Continue Reading →
“Their Bounds Are Set”
Freedom to choose is not the same thing as unlimited power. That seems pretty obvious, but in our pursuit of freedom, we sometimes fail to acknowledge our constraints. And when other people are misbehaving, we may forget that they, too, operate within constraints, seen or unseen. Job pointed out that the ultimate constraint on every... Continue Reading →
“I Will Fight Your Battles”
We all face battles that we can't fight alone. Whether it be people who oppose us, health issues, financial burdens, or other challenges, we all have frequent reminders of our limitations and of our need for help. Isaiah captured this quandary eloquently with the following poetic query: "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty,... Continue Reading →
Knowledge and Power
As he worked on his translation of the Bible, Joseph Smith sought guidance from the Lord many times about the meaning of specific passages. As he studied the book of Revelation, Joseph asked about the four beasts described in Revelation 4:6-9. These beasts each have 6 wings, reminiscent of the seraphim in Isaiah's vision (Isaiah... Continue Reading →
“Thine Is the Kingdom”
Near the end of King David's life, he called together all the leaders of his people, announced that his son Solomon would be king, and urged them to build the temple under Solomon's leadership. The people willingly donated the materials required to construct it. While the congregation was still together, David offered a prayer which... Continue Reading →
Was Alma Translated?
Mormon's description of the end of Alma's life is mysterious: He departed out of the land of Zarahemla, as if to go into the land of Melek. And it came to pass that he was never heard of more; as to his death or burial we know not of (Alma 45:18). Those are the facts.... Continue Reading →
“All Power, All Wisdom, and All Understanding” – Alma 26:35
As Ammon reviewed with his brothers their fourteen-year mission among the Lamanites, he enumerated the blessings they had received from God. Fearing that Ammon was letting their success go to his head, his brother Aaron cautioned him not to boast (Alma 26:10). But Ammon replied that he was praising God, not himself. If rejoicing in... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 