Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi describes a dream to his family. The focal point of this dream is "a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10). Every character in the dream is defined by his or her response to the tree. Lehi tastes the... Continue Reading →
What Do We Know About God’s Love for Us?
Yesterday, I received a question about one of my posts, entitled Willing to Submit – Mosiah 3:19. Here is the question: God is love right? So how can love inflict when the term inflict has to do with punishment. Surely love knows how to be persuasive. This is such an important question that I've decided to... Continue Reading →
What Does the “Great and Spacious Building” Represent?
In Lehi's dream, after arriving at the tree of life and tasting its sweet fruit, after guiding family members to the same tree, and after seeing many other people arrive at that tree by following a rod of iron through a mist of darkness, Lehi saw something which perplexed him. Some of the people who... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Ponder?
Near the end of the first day of the Savior's ministry on the American continent, He announced that it was time for Him to leave. He promised to return the following day, and He gave them the following guidance about how to spend their time that evening: Go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Cast Out Devils?”
Twenty-four times in the New Testament we read about devils being "cast out" of people. All of these passages appear in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The gospel of Mark even ends with the Savior promising that those who believe in Him will have power to cast out devils (Mark 16:17). The... Continue Reading →
What Is Pride?
Today, I reviewed the 77 appearances of the words "pride" and "proud" in the Book of Mormon. Here is what I learned: Pride means thinking too highly of yourself, failing to acknowledge your limitations. Throughout the Book of Mormon, prophets use phrases like "lifted up" or "puffed up" to describe proud people. For example, Nephi... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Minister?
In the Book of Mormon, the word "minister" is often a synonym for "teach." It also refers to other forms of service. A person who ministers is eager to serve "in an active practical way."
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Happiness?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi tells his family about a spiritual dream he has experienced. The central symbol in this dream was "a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10). Lehi's focus for the rest of the dream was on inviting his family to... Continue Reading →
Why Is Firsthand Spiritual Knowledge Important?
After the first prophet in the Book of Mormon, Lehi, described a dream or a vision which he had experienced, one of his sons—Nephi—wanted to have the same experience. He tells us that he wanted "to see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost" (1 Nephi 10:17). Later,... Continue Reading →
What Can We Learn About Prayer From Nephi?
Near the end of his second book, the prophet Nephi pleads with us to pray. He tells us that we should "pray always, and not faint." He counsels us not to do anything without asking God to consecrate our actions "for the welfare of [our souls]" (2 Nephi 32:9). Nephi's sincerity is credible because prayer... Continue Reading →