In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John repeatedly uses four words to convey the expansiveness of God's saving work: He sees heavenly beings worshipping Jesus Christ and acknowledging that He has redeemed them "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Revelation 5:9).He later sees a huge crowd, "of all nations, and kindreds,... Continue Reading →
Invite
The Savior has introduced Himself multiple times with a variation of the following statement: I came unto my own, and my own received me not.3 Nephi 9:16 (See also Doctrine and Covenants 6:21, 10:57, 11:29, 39:3, 45:8.) He knows what it is like to be rejected by the very people He is trying to help. He... Continue Reading →
With a Loud Voice
Good news deserves to be shared. In Lehi's dream, when he tasted the fruit of the tree, he immediately wanted his family to enjoy it as well. "I beckoned unto them," he said, "and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit,... Continue Reading →
Sheaves
The Harvest (1895), by Edwin Evans After preaching among the Lamanites for fourteen years, Ammon met with his fellow missionaries to review their experiences and the outcomes. Thousands of people had been converted to the gospel and were now united by their love of God and their commitment to live righteously. Ammon compares the results of... Continue Reading →
The Sound of Rejoicing
A few years ago, I had the responsibility to recruit some volunteers to help a family move between Christmas and New Year's Day. Knowing that it was a time of year when people are spending time with their families, and being somewhat self-conscious about making this request on short notice, I emphasized the negative aspects... Continue Reading →
Declare Repentance
Both John Whitmer and his brother Peter asked God many times what they could do which would be of the greatest worth. His response to both of them was the same: The thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with... Continue Reading →
The Work, the Sword, the Sickle, and the Prayer
In the first half of 1829, Joseph Smith received a number of revelations on behalf of other people. Four of those revelations begin almost identically, with a set of four biblical concepts, all of which also appear in the Book of Mormon. Why did those four concepts warrant such frequent repetition, and why did the... Continue Reading →
“And Thus We See…”
Periodically, as Mormon relates the history of his people, he interrupts the narrative to share a lesson he hopes we're learning. He often begins these editorial notes with the phrase, "and thus we see." Many of these editorial notes appear during the Lamanite mission of the sons of Mosiah. Here are some of them: "And... Continue Reading →
Finding Our Amuleks
After being forced to leave the city of Ammonihah, Alma saw an angel who commanded him to go back. The angel didn't explain how things would be different this time, just that he should return and preach to the people of Ammonihah again. In response, he returned "speedily" (Alma 8:8-18). Arriving at the city, Alma... Continue Reading →
Motivated by Love
When we experience a change of heart, we want others to have that experience too. After Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah were miraculously converted to the gospel, they got to work immediately: And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people, and those who... Continue Reading →
