I have grown closer to God through my study of the Old Testament this year. Here are some of the treasures I've found: Genesis: Hagar and the hidden well When I've read Genesis previously, I've focused on Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. This time, for some reason, I was drawn to Hagar. I appreciated her experience... Continue Reading →
What I Learned from Daniel through Malachi, November-December 2022
After the lengthy books written by Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, the Old Testament closes with thirteen shorter prophetic books. Here are some things I learned as I studied those books in 2022. I've organized these insights in roughly chronological order: Amos: Listen carefully. From the earliest of these prophets, I learned that it's important to... Continue Reading →
What I Learned from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, September-October 2022
The last 17 books in the Old Testament contain the writings of prophets. The first three of those prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—wrote four books containing 171 chapters. The remaining 13 prophets—Daniel through Malachi—wrote 79 chapters. During the months of September and October, I studied the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel. Here's some of... Continue Reading →
What I Learned from Job Through Ecclesiastes, August 2022
As I studied the Poetic Books in the Old Testament this year, I gained a greater appreciation for what it means to praise God. I was also reminded of the importance of letting go of temporary things and focusing on the eternal. Expanding our perspective can help us better understand God, which enables us to... Continue Reading →
What I Learned from Judges Through Esther, June-July 2022
The books of Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther summarize about 800 years of Israelite history, from their early days in the land of Canaan, through the reigns of the kings and their captivity, to the eventual return of the southern tribes to the promised land. This summer, following... Continue Reading →
What I Learned from Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua, May 2022
Today I reviewed what I've written this month about the last three books of Moses and the first of the historical books in the Old Testament. Here are some concepts that have become clearer to me during that time: 1. We must worship in the Lord's way, and we must teach in a way that... Continue Reading →
What I Learned from Exodus, April 2022
The book of Exodus recounts the story of Israel's deliverance from bondage. In my study of Exodus this year, I have also discovered new freedoms. I've learned to adopt more flexible patterns of thought, to view personal religious practices as gifts rather than restrictions, and to let God handle things I can't control. 1. Freedom... Continue Reading →
What I (Really) Learned from Genesis, Q1 2022
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post called Lessons from Genesis, which summarized my posts from the first three months of this year, grouping them by category. While that may serve a useful purpose, I've concluded that it doesn't answer the question, "What did I actually learn during that time?" This post is... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 