Revelation is often incremental, building on what we already know and adding clarity to concepts we are already familiar with. One example of this iterative process is the Council in Heaven. Earlier references in the scriptural canon are somewhat opaque, while more recent additions add valuable details and context about this important event.
Contents of the Brass Plates
Eight of the 39 books in the Old Testament were definitely in the brass plates, and another 16 may have been included. For Book of Mormon prophets, the brass plates were an essential part of their identity: connecting them to intergenerational covenants, testifying of the Savior, and bringing them closer to God.
Biblical References in Doctrine and Covenants 76
The revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 76 was prompted by meditation about a single Bible verse, but it contains an enormous number of biblical paraphrases and allusions. The revelation demonstrates the unity of God's word as revealed to many prophets and apostles throughout history.
Noah, Babylon, and the Slipperiness of Political Power
King Noah trusted too much in his political power and failed to recognize the real dangers he and his people faced. When his power failed, it was sudden and dramatic. The king of Babylon suffered a similar fate. Worldly power and influence is temporary.
The Lord of Hosts Hath Purposed
Isaiah assures us that God's purposes will be fulfilled. That may be hard to see in the middle of a difficult experience, but we can draw strength from our conviction that He is in charge and that He will intervene at the right time and in the right way.
The Lord Hath Founded Zion
Nephi quotes thirteen chapters in a row from the book of Isaiah (chapters 2-14). At the end of this extended quotation, there is a verse which reads like the moral of the story: What shall then answer the messengers of the nations? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall... 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 →
The Earth Shall Rest
Contention is exhausting. Any parent will tell you: When your children aren't getting along with each other, it saps your energy. As Enoch saw a vision of the tumultuous future of the world, he heard a complaint from an unlikely source: the earth itself: "Wo, wo is me, the mother of men," she said; "I... Continue Reading →
“Go Ye Forth of Babylon” – 1 Nephi 20:20
"The world is too much with us," wrote the poet William Wordsworth. He meant that our lives are influenced more than we realize by the society in which we live, leaving us unable to properly perceive "things as they really are" (Jacob 4:13). As Elder David R. Stone explained: Our culture tends to determine what... Continue Reading →
The Star
Why is a star such a powerful symbol for the birth of the Savior? Stars represent us. The Lord referred to stars to illustrate for the vast number of descendants he would have. "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy... Continue Reading →