Are we increasing other people's burdens or lightening them? That's a pretty good heuristic for many of the decisions we make. Jacob and his family thrived in Egypt, with the support of his son Joseph, who was governor over the land, second only to Pharaoh. (See Genesis 41:40-41.) But a few generations later, a new... Continue Reading →
Jacob, Ammon, and the Prodigal Son
What could be more joyful than to be with loved ones? And when you've been separated for a time, how joyful is your reunion? After more than twenty years apart from his twin brother, Esau was enthusiastic to see him again. He had been angry the last time they were together, but his heart had... Continue Reading →
Bereaved
"Thou shalt live together in love," said the Lord, "insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die" (Doctrine and Covenants 42:45). And President Russell M. Nelson said, "The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life" ("Doors of Death," General Conference, April 1992). The word "bereaved" means deprived of... Continue Reading →
Finding Favor
Luke tells us that as a young man, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man" (Luke 2:52). He was following in the footsteps of his mother. The angel Gabriel had assured her, "Thou hast found favour with God" (Luke 1:28-30). What is God's favor, and how can we find... Continue Reading →
The Face of God
After Jacob's all-night wrestle before God, he named the place "Peniel" (פְּנִיאֵ֑ל), or "Penuel" ( פְנוּאֵל), because, he explained, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:30). He had seen God in a dream twenty years earlier (Genesis 28:12-15), but this experience must have been more vivid, more real. Like his father Isaac... Continue Reading →
Breaking a Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam placed on the necks of two animals so that they can pull together. That's the literal definition. Throughout the scriptures, the term is also used metaphorically to represent servitude or oppression. Perhaps that's because the Hebrew word for yoke—ol (עֹל)—is related to the verb alal (עָלַל), which means to... Continue Reading →
Affection
When Enoch saw God weeping, he asked how it was possible for a perfect Being to feel sorrow. God explained by emphasizing the gap between His hopes for His children and their actual behavior: Unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their... Continue Reading →
My Brother’s Keeper
What happened to Cain? He was the son of Adam and Eve, devout parents who taught their children to worship God. (See Moses 5:1-12.) Yet after his brother's offering was accepted and his was not, Cain became angry. "Why art thou wroth?" asked the Lord. "and why is thy countenance fallen?" (Genesis 4:6, Moses 5:22).... Continue Reading →
The Sanctity of Life
A disciple of Jesus Christ has a reverence and respect for living things. "Thou shalt not kill," God commanded on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17, Mosiah 13:21). And Jesus extended that commandment to less violent offenses: don't get angry; don't say unkind things. (See Matthew 5:21, 3 Nephi 12:21.) When we recognize that all... Continue Reading →
Edifying
It's a lot easier to destroy things than to build them. That imbalance creates one of the conundrums of life: you can spend an awfully lot of time and energy creating something which can be demolished with very little effort. "Destroy this temple," said Jesus, "and in three days I will raise it up" (John... Continue Reading →