King Benjamin wanted his people to recognize the extraordinary gifts they had received from God. It is impossible to be grateful enough, he said. God has given us far more than we can even adequately acknowledge: If you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created... 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 →
Grace for Grace
Near the beginning of the Gospel of John, there is an unusual statement which describes how we receive the power of God: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.John 1:16 The Greek word rendered "for" in that passage—anti (ἀντί)—actually means "in place of" or "in exchange for." What does it... Continue Reading →
Three Ways the Savior Turns Our Weaknesses Into Strengths – Ether 12:27
When Moroni expressed his anxiety that his "weakness in writing" would cause some people to reject the Book of Mormon, the Savior responded with a reassuring promise: If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me;... Continue Reading →
“Glad Tidings of Great Joy” – Mosiah 3:3
The Greek word euaggelion (εὐαγγέλιον) means "good news" or "glad tidings." It appears 76 times in the New Testament, and it is always translated "gospel" in the King James Version of the Bible. The verb form of the word—euaggelizó (εὐαγγελίζω)—which appears 54 times, is usually translated "preach" or "preach the gospel." But six times, it... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Work Out Your Own Salvation?”
After teaching a group of Zoramites that Jesus Christ would atone for their sins and that they should exercise "faith unto repentance," Amulek made the following plea: I desire that ye should remember these things, and that ye should work out your salvation with fear before God, and that ye should no more deny the... Continue Reading →
What Is “the Immediate Goodness of God?”
When the people of Alma miraculously escaped their captors and arrived in the land of Zarahemla, the people there "knew not what to think" (Mosiah 25:8). They were filled with mixed emotions: They were horrified at the treatment which the people of Alma had endured, but they were grateful for the goodness of God in... Continue Reading →
What Do We Need to Do to Be Saved by Grace?
grace - the free and unmerited favour of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings (Oxford English Dictionary) Are we not all beggars? (Mosiah 4:19) After quoting a sermon by his brother Jacob, followed by thirteen chapters from the Book of Isaiah, all of which were intended to prove... Continue Reading →
How Does the Lord Strengthen Us?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi affirms that God will take care of the people who strive to obey Him. Nephi listed three ways that God does this: "He doth nourish them" - helps them maintain their physical and spiritual health "and strengthen them" - empowers them to do things they couldn't... Continue Reading →
Why Is It Important to Know That God’s Grace Is Sufficient?
While writing a history of the Jaredite people, the prophet Moroni experienced some self-doubt. "The Gentiles will mock at these things," he protested to God. He described the awkwardness of his hands, and compared the words he had written to the eloquent writings of the brother of Jared (Ether 12:23-25). God responded forcefully: "Fools mock,... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 