Three lessons from the Parable of the Leaven: 1. Leaven has to be in the dough to work, so participate actively. 2. Leaven works over time, so be patient. 3. Leaven is distributed across the dough, so trust that your work is part of something greater.
Receive, Find, Be Opened
God answers our prayers in multiple ways. Sometimes we simply receive an answer. Sometimes, He helps us find an answer. And sometimes, doors are opened to us which we must exercise faith to enter. We can be grateful for all three kinds of answers.
Bread
We all respond regularly to physical hunger, but we may not be as aware of our spiritual hunger. Moses taught that we don't live by bread alone, and Jesus quoted that teaching when Satan tempted Him. We need to nourish our spirits as we do our bodies.
Asking Better Questions: Learning from Alma 5
A few years ago, I prepared to participate in a general conference of the Church by writing a list of questions. Some were quite open-ended, such as "How can I be a better father?" or "What can I do to minister to others more effectively?" Others involved specific projects I was working on or specific... Continue Reading →
“I Only Remain”
Elijah was lonely. After initiating a famine, he went into hiding, living in the wilderness with ravens bringing him food (1 Kings 17:1-7), and then traveling to the Phoenician city of Zarephath and staying with a poor widow and her son (1 Kings 17:8-9). After three years evading the servants of King Ahab, who had... Continue Reading →
Finding Grace
When Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, arrived in Bethlehem, they needed a way to obtain food. Ruth said, "Let me now go to the field, and glean [fallen grain] after him in whose sight I shall find grace" (Ruth 2:2). Even though the law required farmers to leave their extra grain for the poor, she... Continue Reading →
“The Lord Maketh Poor, and Maketh Rich”
After Hannah finally gave birth to Samuel and then "lent" him to the Lord forever (1 Samuel 1:28), she offered a prayer in the form of a psalm. One brief verse from that psalm caught my attention today: The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.1 Samuel 2:7 This verse reminded me of the... Continue Reading →
Another Generation
How long does it take to lose our spiritual connection with God? After the ministry of Jesus Christ on the American continent, the people lived in peace and righteousness for several generations. (See 4 Nephi 1:22-24, 1 Nephi 12:12, 2 Nephi 26:9, Alma 45:10-12, 3 Nephi 27:32.) But at other times in their history, the... Continue Reading →
“Keep Thy Soul Diligently”
Remembering spiritual experiences and staying faithful to them doesn't just happen. It requires intentional effort on our part. As the children of Israel prepared to enter the promised land, Moses gave them a warning: Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy... Continue Reading →
“The Lord Bless Thee, and Keep Thee”
While the Israelites lived in the wilderness, God instructed Aaron and his sons to offer the following blessing on the people: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.Numbers 6:24-26 I've been focused... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 