Today, I studied all 56 passages in the Book of Mormon which use some form of the word "diligent." To be diligent is to "[show] care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties" (Oxford English Dictionary). The word also carries a connotation of eagerness. It comes from the Latin word diligere, which means to "esteem,"... Continue Reading →
Why Were Laman and Lemuel Unable to Overcome Their Negativity?
It was difficult for Lehi and Sariah to lead their family from their comfortable home in Jerusalem to an undefined destination. Their two oldest sons, Laman and Lemuel, didn't make it any easier. According to their younger brother, Nephi: They did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Fulfill” God’s Commandments?
Fulfill (or fulfil) - put into effect, meet the requirements of, measure up to, bring to an end, develop the full potentialities of, convert to reality (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) I wrote last week about the concept of "keeping" God's commandments. A friend of mine pointed out that in Spanish, the word "keep" is sometimes translated "guardar" (to... Continue Reading →
What Should I Do When I Feel Guilty?
Today, I spent some time looking at the passages in the Book of Mormon that talk about guilt. Here is what I learned: There is a human tendency to suppress feelings of guilt. We know intuitively when we have done something wrong, but because feelings of guilt are unpleasant, we often ignore or deny them... Continue Reading →
What Is the Liahona?
When God commanded Lehi to leave the city of Jerusalem, he obeyed immediately. He took his family three days' journey into the wilderness and set up camp by a river in a valley. The family camped in that valley for a long time: long enough for Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem twice—once... Continue Reading →
What’s Wrong with Seeking Signs?
The prophet Zenos foretold a sign which would coincide with the Savior's death hundreds of years later. Some members of the house of Israel, who would be living on "the isles of the sea," would experience three days of darkness (1 Nephi 19:10). Just five years before the Savior's birth, a prophet on the American... Continue Reading →
How Can I Be More Humble?
It’s hard to feel that you are sufficiently humble. If you did, you might not be. — Henry B. Eyring, "Come Unto Christ," BYU Speeches, 29 Oct 1989 The word "humble" (or "humbled") appears 68 times in the Book of Mormon. About 2/3 of the time (42 occurrences), the word functions as a reflexive verb:... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Anger?
As we've discussed the last couple of days: We feel sadness when something bad happens to us or to someone we love. We feel fear when we think something bad is likely to happen to us or to someone we love. Anger is also triggered by a negative experience. But unlike sadness and fear, anger... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Sadness?
Yesterday, I wrote about what the Book of Mormon teaches us about happiness. Today, I would like to consider what the Book of Mormon teaches us about sadness. 1. Sadness is a fact of life. Alma referred to mortal life as "this vale of sorrow" (Alma 37:45). Jacob said that he and his people "did... Continue Reading →
Is It Wrong to Complain?
Lehi's journey to the American continent mirrors Moses's earlier journey to the land of Israel in many ways. One of those similarities is the incessant murmuring by some people during the journey. The children of Israel complained about bitter water (Exodus 15:23-25), about a lack of food (Exodus 16:1-15), and about a lack of water... Continue Reading →