The Hebrew word shalam (שָׁלַם) means to make something complete or whole. It is sometimes translated into English as "make restitution." The word appears many times in the context of our obligation to repair the damage we do. Consider the following specific examples: ReferenceActionConsequenceExodus 22:5If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be... Continue Reading →
Judah’s Transformation
When Joseph's brothers found him in Egypt, they had all matured, but none more dramatically than Judah. About twenty-two years earlier, Judah had pleaded with the other brothers not to kill their younger brother Joseph. Reuben, the oldest, had tried to save Joseph's life "to deliver him to his father again," but Judah had proposed... Continue Reading →
“I Did Eat”
The first step in abandoning a sin is recognizing that it exists. If we are unwilling to admit that we have done something wrong, we are likely to continue making the same mistake over and over again. When God approached Adam and Eve after their transgression in the Garden of Eden, He gave them the... Continue Reading →
“Any of Them”
In his dedicatory prayer for the ancient temple in Jerusalem, Solomon raised a series of hypothetical situations, asking God for specific blessings in each of them. Here is one of those situations: When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and... Continue Reading →
“Clean But Not All”
At the Last Supper, when the meal was finished, Jesus washed the feet of each of His apostles, apparently without explaining why. When it was Peter's turn, he refused to allow the Savior to wash his feet. Jesus responded, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Peter responded impulsively: "Lord, not my feet... Continue Reading →
Holy
To ancient Israel, the Lord said, "Sanctify yourselves...and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 20:7). The apostle Peter later reiterated this admonition: "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [and behavior]. Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). And Moroni described an... Continue Reading →
“My Soul Did Rest” – Enos 1:17
Faith in God can help us manage anxiety and recover from discouragement. When Enos prayed all day and into the night, the Lord answered him with the assurance that his sins were forgiven. Enos said, "I knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away" (Enos 1:6). Notice that his trust in... Continue Reading →
“In Part, but Not All”
In 1831, the Lord instructed Leman Copley, a recent convert, to return to his former congregation and share with them the truths he had learned in his new faith. The Lord described his former colleagues as being partly, but not fully, receptive: They desire to know the truth in part, but not all, for they... Continue Reading →
“Ye Are Clean, but Not All”
At the Last Supper, before beginning the meal, the Savior washed the feet of His disciples. Emphasizing the symbolic nature of this action to them, He said, "Ye are clean, but not all" (John 13:10). John explained that this statement referred to Judas Iscariot, who was among them, but who had already committed to betray... Continue Reading →
“Their Souls Are Precious” – Alma 31:35
As Alma prepared to preach the gospel to the Zoramites, a group of people who "were perverting the ways of the Lord" and who had separated themselves from Alma's people (Alma 31:1-2), he began by praying that he and his missionary companions would have success: Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 