Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, there is a troubling story. Nephi and his brothers have been sent by their father, Lehi, to retrieve a sacred record engraved on brass plates which are in the possession of a powerful man named Laban. Lehi testifies that this assignment came from God, and Nephi responds... Continue Reading →
How Do Different Forms of Revelation Support One Another?
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 →
How Can I Learn to Recognize the Holy Ghost?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, as Nephi enters the city of Jerusalem to make a third attempt to acquire the brass plates, he tells us, "I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do" (1 Nephi 4:6). He later promises that "If ye will enter in... Continue Reading →
How Can I Teach My Children to Be Resilient?
In the September 2019 issue of the Ensign magazine, Elder Lynn G. Robbins expresses his concern that many young people have not developed sufficient resilience. He defines resilience as “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change,” and he encourages parents to increase their efforts to help their children develop this... 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 Should I Do When I Have Doubts?
To doubt is to vacillate, to be paralyzed by indecision. The word descends from the Latin word dubitare, which is related to duo ("two"). Together with the related words dubiosus ("doubtful"), and dubium ("doubt") it suggests an inability to decide between two incompatible alternatives (Online Etymology Dictionary, "doubt," "dubious"). In the Greek New Testament, one of... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Fear?
Fear is an unpleasant feeling caused by the anticipation of a negative event (Oxford English Dictionary). We feel sadness when something bad has already happened; we feel fear when we think something bad is going to happen . Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi and his brothers find themselves in a treacherous... Continue Reading →
Zoram Did Take Courage at the Words Which I Spake – 1 Nephi 4:28-30, 33, 35
28 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also. 29 And it came to pass that... Continue Reading →
Not Knowing Beforehand – 1 Nephi 4:6
6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. (1 Nephi 4:6) There's an important lesson in this short verse about spiritual knowledge. Sometimes, we must be prepared to act on the limited knowledge we currently have before the Lord will reveal additional knowledge to us. Nephi... Continue Reading →