As I prepare to participate in general conference this weekend, I've been thinking about how different forms of revelation interact with one another and support one another. By revelation, I mean messages from God. Here are some forms of revelation that I have been thinking about: Dreams and visions Face to face conversations with angels... Continue Reading →
What Can We Learn from the Crossing of the Red Sea?
The imagery of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea must have been particularly vivid for Nephi and his brothers as they traveled to their promised land. Shortly after leaving Jerusalem, their family set up camp "by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea." Thereafter, they traveled "in the wilderness in the borders which are... 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 Is the Significance of God’s Promise to Nephi?
Like the prophet Abraham, Nephi received a conditional promise from the Lord with an intergenerational impact. After the Lord commanded his father, Lehi, to abandon their home in Jerusalem and "depart into the wilderness" with his family, Nephi's brothers were angry. Nephi must have also been unhappy about the sudden change, but he prayed, and... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Keep” God’s Commandments?
The Hebrew verb shamar (שָׁמַר) means to keep, to guard, or to preserve. Here are the first few appearances of that word in the Bible: God commanded Adam and Eve to cultivate the Garden of Eden and to "keep" it (Genesis 2:15). When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, God placed cherubim and... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Obedience?
Some form of the word "obey" appears 31 times in the Book of Mormon: Book # Occurences 1 Nephi 4 2 Nephi 6 Jacob 5 Mosiah 7 Alma 9 TOTAL 31 "I must obey." Obedience is a very important topic for Nephi, and he frames most of his story in terms of the response of... 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 →
What Does It Mean to Harden Your Heart?
Shortly after Nephi's family left their comfortable home in Jerusalem and began camping in the wilderness, Nephi prayed to understand "the mysteries of God." In response, he tells us that God visited him "and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Be Steadfast?
After the people of King Benjamin prayed and received a remission of their sins, they made a covenant with God to obey His commandments for the rest of their lives. King Benjamin told them that they were now the children of Christ, and he urged them to follow through consistently on the promises they had... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Holy Ghost?
Nephi promised that, if we will receive the Holy Ghost, "it will show unto [us] all things what [we] should do" (2 Nephi 32:5). The Lord told Joseph Smith that the Holy Ghost speaks to our mind and to our heart (D&C 8:2). But it can be hard to distinguish thoughts and feelings which come... Continue Reading →