God loves hard work. Jesus taught that the laborer is worthy of his hire. Missionaries like Alma and the sons of Mosiah received eternal rewards for their service. God promised two rewards to Thomas B. Marsh for his service: forgiveness of sins and joy with those whom he served.
“I Will Drink of the Fruit of the Vine with You”
At the Last Supper, Jesus promised to partake of the sacrament again with His disciples. A revelation to Joseph Smith expanded on this future event, naming twelve ancient prophets who will join Him. All of God's children, past, present, and future, need Christ’s grace. The sacrament symbolizes His universal Atonement.
“All Men [and Women] Everywhere”
God's universal love is manifest in many ways. One of those ways is via a universal commandment to repent. This commandment is really an invitation to change and experience His healing and transformative power.
Your Awful Situation
A secret combination is a group of people who are oath-bound to hide one another's sins. Moroni warned us to be aware of these groups and not to let them spread. We do this by valuing integrity over loyalty and by not hiding or rationalizing wrongdoing.
For Our Welfare and Happiness
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught that the first great truth of the gospel is that God loves us. Mormon testified that God does "all things for the welfare and happiness of his people." It's reassuring to know that God is actively working for our happiness.
Equal Rights, Shared Responsibilities
Mosiah wanted his people to have equal rights and privileges. They understood that rights and responsibilities are interconnected, and they accepted not only new freedoms but also increased accountability for their actions.
Stumbling Blocks
A stumbling block is anything that causes you to lose your balance and stop moving forward. The removal of plain and precious truths from the scriptures was a stumbling block to many. So was pride. God can help us overcome every stumbling block we face.
Nephi’s Vision and Nephi’s Prophecy
Many themes from Nephi's vision (1 Nephi 11-14) also appear in Nephi's prophecy (2 Nephi 25-30): 1. Jesus Christ would be crucified. 2. Nephi's descendants would write scripture. 3. God will do a work which will bless the whole world.
Jesus Is the Christ
The Greek word Christos means "the Anointed One." It is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Mashiach (Messiah). Lehi taught his children that the Messiah would be the Savior of the World. Nephi and Mormon testified that Jesus is the Christ.
The Title Page and Nephi
Although Moroni wrote the Title Page of the Book of Mormon, he was heavily influenced by Nephi. In this post, I show many parallel phrases between the Title Page and Nephi's words. From start to end, the Book of Mormon has a consistent message and purpose