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 →
“Thou Mighty Man of Valour”
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has shared the following words of advice: I learned in my life that we don’t need to be “more” of anything to start to become the person God intended us to become.God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is... Continue Reading →
“Not for Thy Righteousness”
As the children of Israel prepared to enter the promised land, Moses warned them not to attribute God's blessings to their own goodness: After the Lord your God has driven [the Canaanites] out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is... Continue Reading →
“Wells…Which Thou Diggedst Not”
It's easy to take the good things in our lives for granted. Gratitude helps us stay humble and reminds us of our obligation bless the lives of others. At the end of Moses' life, as his people prepared to enter the promised land, he warned them not to forget the source of their blessings: When... Continue Reading →
Unhewn
After delivering the Ten Commandments to Moses, the Lord provided a rather surprising instruction regarding formal worship: If thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.Exodus 20:25 Hewn stones are stones that have been cut or shaped.... Continue Reading →
The Bitter Cup
King David described the agony of having no one to comfort you in your adversity: I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.Psalm 69:20-21 Jesus repeatedly spoke of a cup filled with bitter liquid... Continue Reading →
Hardened Hearts
Why would the leader of a nation continue to pursue a harmful course of action in the face of increasing punishments? I'm not talking about Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine in spite of severe international sanctions; I'm talking about Pharaoh's unwillingness to let the Israelites go free while his country was pummeled by plagues.... Continue Reading →
Nothingness
Moses stood in God's presence. He was only able to survive the experience because God's glory strengthened Him. When God departed, Moses fell to the earth, too weak to stand. He learned an important lesson from that experience. "For this cause," he said, "I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed"... Continue Reading →
Receive Counsel
In Zenos's Allegory of the Olive Tree, there is a scene in which one of the servants questions a decision made by the Lord of the Vineyard. "How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree?" he asks. "For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of... Continue Reading →
Called and Chosen
Twice in the Gospel of Matthew, the Savior makes a distinction between being called or invited (kletoi in Greek) and being chosen or selected (eklektoi). "Many are called," He says, "but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14; see also Matthew 22:16). Several Book of Mormon passages emphasize the principle that a person can be called without... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 