Talk is cheap. It's easy to say something, and in many circumstances the speaker pays no price if their words are inaccurate. When we need more certainty that a person is telling the truth, we take formal steps to increase our confidence. For example, in court, we have witnesses swear an oath before they testify,... Continue Reading →
Elias
I've been thinking today about two Old Testament prophecies, both of which are associated with John the Baptist, but both of which have much broader applicability. Isaiah prophesied that, following the Babylonian captivity, there would be a voice in the wilderness, crying "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a... Continue Reading →
“At All Times” – Mosiah 18:9
The credibility of a witness depends on their consistency over time. If they testify that something is true one day, you would expect them to stand behind what they said at a later time. When Alma invited a group of people to be baptized in the waters of Mormon, he told them that they were... Continue Reading →
“We Do Not Doubt Our Mothers Knew It” – Alma 56:48
Just before their first battle, Helaman asks his 2,000 young soldiers if they will take a risk and attack the Lamanite army which has been pursuing them. These young warriors (whom he called his "sons") respond with great faith: Our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let... Continue Reading →
Martyrdom
A martyr is a witness. The word "martyr" appears three times in the King James version of the Bible. It is a translation of the Greek word martus (μάρτυς), which is translated many other places as "witness." Perhaps standing up for what is right always requires some courage, but when a person is willing to... Continue Reading →
The Legacies of Limhi’s People and Alma’s People
Sometimes it's only in retrospect that we recognize the significance of our experiences, both in terms of our own spiritual growth and in terms of their influence on other people. We've been studying this week about two groups of people—the people of Limhi and the people of Alma—both of whom endured a difficult period of... Continue Reading →
Will Ye Not Declare Them? – 1 Nephi 20:6
The very first passage from Isaiah which Nephi quotes opens with an indictment. The prophet addresses himself to the people who claim to be the covenant people of God but who aren't acting like it: Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth... Continue Reading →
Witnesses
Today, I've been thinking about the people who saw the golden plates containing the original text of the Book of Mormon. Their experiences differed from one another dramatically, and I think we can learn a lot from those differences: The Three Witnesses—Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris—all participated in the translation of the Book... Continue Reading →
With Words of Soberness
Today, I've been pondering the Testimony of Three Witnesses and the Testimony of Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. In both cases, I'm impressed with their earnestness and with their courage. Witnesses share what they know, not what other people want to hear. Witnesses are not entertainers, and they are not salespeople. Their objective... Continue Reading →
What Can We Learn from the Women in the Book of Mormon?
Today, I have been pondering the lessons I have learned from some of the women in the Book of Mormon. Here are a few of those lessons: "Now I know of a surety..." Sariah trusted the revelations received by her husband, Lehi. She, along with the rest of the family, abandoned her home in Jerusalem... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 