God is unchanging. Therefore, if He performed miracles in the past, he can perform miracles today. This is a core message of the Book of Mormon. Nephi repeatedly appeals to scriptural accounts of miracles as evidence that his family can expect miracles in their lives. "The Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and... Continue Reading →
“I Shall Be Healed”
As Jesus approached a paralyzed man lying near the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, He asked an unusual question: "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6). The answer seems obvious. People with physical ailments gathered at that pool specifically because they believed in its healing powers. But Jesus wanted to gauge the man's willingness and... Continue Reading →
“Them That Honour Me I Will Honour”
God loves all of His children, but that doesn't mean He is pleased with all of our decisions. Does He love us when we do wrong? Yes, more than we can imagine. He values us. He sees our potential, and He wants to help us achieve it. But He does not condone our wrong choices,... Continue Reading →
The Manna Ceased
Sometimes we receive a little extra help temporarily. It's wonderful while it lasts, but there comes a point when we need to stand on our own two feet again and be more self-sufficient. While the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, they ate manna, a food which miraculously appeared each morning, six days a... Continue Reading →
Joshua and the Book of Mormon
This week, I reviewed the book of Joshua, summarizing the content of each chapter and identifying related Book of Mormon passages. The book can be divided into four parts: The children of Israel prepare to enter the promised land (chapters 1-5)With divine intervention, they conquer various cities in the land of Canaan (chapters 6-12)Land is... Continue Reading →
“Not for Thy Righteousness”
As the children of Israel prepared to enter the promised land, Moses warned them not to attribute God's blessings to their own goodness: After the Lord your God has driven [the Canaanites] out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is... Continue Reading →
“There Shall Be a Place”
Does it matter where we worship? As the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, they carried a portable sanctuary, called the Tabernacle. Their worship was undoubtedly affected in many ways by their transient state. But as they approached the promised land, God explained to them that some things would need to... Continue Reading →
Another Spirit
A shoe manufacturer sends two employees to a remote region to evaluate prospects for expanding its business. The first employee writes, "Situation hopeless. No one wears shoes." The second employee writes, "Glorious business opportunity! They have no shoes!" (Adapted from The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, Harvard Business School Press,... Continue Reading →
No Graves in Egypt
Frustration and fear can narrow our thinking, reducing the number of outcomes that we perceive to be possible. Sometimes, we express this narrow thinking as a false dilemma, in which we articulate multiple bad outcomes and attempt to select the least bad, instead of searching for a better one. As the children of Israel approached... Continue Reading →
Hardened Hearts
Why would the leader of a nation continue to pursue a harmful course of action in the face of increasing punishments? I'm not talking about Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine in spite of severe international sanctions; I'm talking about Pharaoh's unwillingness to let the Israelites go free while his country was pummeled by plagues.... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 