Raising children is too hard to do alone and requires more knowledge than any parents have. Like Joseph and Mary or Lehi and Sariah, we can receive revelation from God about how to lead our families "in love and righteousness."
Family Revelation
Rachel Weeping
In the middle of a message of hope and optimism, Jeremiah pauses to paint a picture of a devastated mother observing the suffering of her children: Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Jeremiah 31:15 Ramah was a... Continue Reading →
Train Up a Child
Several passages in the book of Proverbs are directed to parents, reminding them of their responsibilities toward their children. Here is my favorite one: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 There is so much hope and optimism in that statement—parents' efforts... Continue Reading →
“Set Thine House in Order”
King Hezekiah provided steady, fearless leadership to his people during the invasion of the Assyrian army, the same army which had destroyed their northern neighbors. After the Assyrians withdrew, Hezekiah faced a more personal challenge: He became ill and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, who had fortified Hezekiah's faith throughout the invasion, now... Continue Reading →
“When Thou Sittest in Thine House”
Teaching doesn't just happen in a classroom. In fact, some of the most important teaching happens spontaneously, as a by-product of other activities. At the end of Moses' life, he delivered three discourses to the children of Israel in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Near the beginning of the second discourse, he... Continue Reading →
Patriarchs and Matriarchs
The Amidah, a prayer that is central to Jewish worship, invokes the memory of three significant men known as the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In some reformed Jewish congregations, the matriarchs—Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel—are also mentioned. (See "Full Text of the First Blessing of the Amidah," on myjewishlearning.com.) The word "patriarch" appears only... 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 →
Father of Many
Why did God change Abram's name? The name Abram (a variant of Abiram) consists of two parts: ab (אָב), meaning "father," and rum (רוּם), meaning "exalted" or "lifted up." You could translate the name as "exalted father," or "father who is respected and admired." When Abram was 90 years old, God appeared to him and... Continue Reading →
Nurture
The word "nurture" appears twice in the scriptures: once in the New Testament and once in the Book of Mormon. The apostle Paul wrote: Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.Ephesians 6:4 And the prophet Enos used the same phrase to describe his own upbringing: Behold, it... Continue Reading →
An Heritage of the Lord
In a psalm apparently written by David for his son Solomon, we read that we need God's help to achieve meaningful goals: Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.Psalm 127:1 David goes on to say that this perspective can help us avoid burning ourselves out, becoming... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 