The hymn "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" elaborates on the types of service described in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. As we serve others and meet their needs, we are blessed immediately, and we become more prepared to return to God's presence.
“He Sought to See Jesus Who He Was”
Zacchaeus wanted to see the Savior as He really is. Jesus, in turn, saw Zacchaeus as he really is. He can teach us to see others as they really are and as they can become. We can also learn to help them see their own potential.
Rivers of Living Water
Jesus testified that He is the source of "living water," which is the love of God. When we come to Him, He not only quenches our thirst, He also makes it possible for us to share that living water with others.
How to Love a Samaritan
We tend to develop rivalries with people similar to us. The Jews and the Samaritans, like the Nephites and the Lamanites, had much more in common than the things which divided them. Here are some ways to build bridges with our "Samaritans."
A Little Leaven
Three lessons from the Parable of the Leaven: 1. Leaven has to be in the dough to work, so participate actively. 2. Leaven works over time, so be patient. 3. Leaven is distributed across the dough, so trust that your work is part of something greater.
“My Beloved Son”
When our Father in Heaven has introduced Jesus Christ, He has consistently called Him, "my Beloved Son." We can follow this example by expressing love for our family members regularly.
Room in the Inn
In contrast with the inn which turned away Mary and Joseph, the wounded traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan was welcomed into a place of comfort and healing. The Savior invites us to make His Inn (the Church) a welcoming place for wounded and weary travelers.
One Father, One God
The prophet Malachi asks a rhetorical question: "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?" Most people would agree that we are all children of God. But Malachi's follow-up question is much more challenging: "Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?" (Malachi 2:10). In the next chapter, Malachi declares that when... Continue Reading →
“I Desired Ḥesed”
A little over a month ago, I wrote a blog post about the Hebrew word ḥesed (חֵסֵד), which appears 250 times in the Old Testament and which has no exact equivalent in English. In that post, I relied heavily on President Russell M. Nelson's discussion of the term in his article “The Everlasting Covenant” (Liahona,... Continue Reading →
One of a City, and Two of a Family
The gathering of Israel sounds like a massive family reunion, but it's actually something quite different. Israel was scattered thousands of years ago. They have intermarried with other nations, and their descendants are everywhere. Furthermore, as Nephi clarified, "As many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord" (2 Nephi... Continue Reading →