Insights from my daily study of the scriptures
"Passage of the Jews through the Red Sea" (detail) by Ivan Aivazovsky Crossing the Red Sea One of the most dramatic miracles recorded in the scriptures is the passages of thousands of Israelites through the Red Sea on dry ground. The author of Exodus records that "the waters were a wall unto them on their... Continue Reading →
Joseph's brothers had plenty of reasons to be unhappy with themselves. They had treated Joseph badly—threatening him with death and selling him into slavery—and had never fully reckoned with the consequences of their actions. The guilt they carried with them colored their reaction to the adversity they were now experiencing in a time of famine.... Continue Reading →
Joseph shared with his family two dreams that seemed rather self-serving. Both dreams ended with the family bowing down to him. His brothers reacted badly. They were already annoyed with the preferential treatment his father had shown toward him. Now, "they hated him yet the more" (Genesis 37:5). His father, Jacob, was also displeased, and... Continue Reading →
When Abraham sent his most senior servant on a difficult mission—to find a wife for his son Isaac—the servant had some concerns. But Abraham reassured him that he would not be alone: The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto... Continue Reading →
Before Noah boarded the ark, he warned his neighbors: Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come in upon... Continue Reading →
Sometime after the Great Flood, the descendants of Noah were gathered in a place called Shinar, which later became known as Babylonia. They collectively resolved to build "a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven." They viewed this project as a way to avoid being "scattered abroad upon the face of the... Continue Reading →
Jesus Christ sets us free. Early in His earthly ministry, He quoted a passage from Isaiah describing His mission. One aspect of that mission was "to preach deliverance to the captives" (Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1). One thing which holds us captive is our sins. Paraphrasing another passage from Isaiah, the apostle Paul rejoices that Jesus... Continue Reading →
I am excited about the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2022, which will focus on the Old Testament. The Book of Mormon is not a commentary on the Bible, but it does build on the foundation of the Bible. Near the beginning of the book, Nephi appeals many times to the experiences of Moses and... Continue Reading →
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 →
Speaking to God, King David testified, "In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11). After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the apostle Peter quoted this passage to a diverse group of people on the day of Pentacost. Here is how he phrased it:... Continue Reading →