This is the third of six posts answering a series of questions raised by President Russell M. Nelson in the October 2017 general conference. So far, I have discussed what the Book of Mormon is and what it affirms. Today, I am listing some of the fallacies it refutes. It refutes the concept of original sin,... Continue Reading →
What Is Meekness?
Mormon identified meekness as the foundational virtue: [A man] cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Be “Ripe in Iniquity?”
In this life, there is a space between choices and consequences. That’s what makes it a period of probation. We are not trained animals, taking actions with the expectation of immediate rewards or punishments. Instead, we are often left alone, to see what we will choose to do in the absence of either positive or... Continue Reading →
What Is the “Great and Abominable Church?”
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi sees many future events in a vision, including the formation of an organization which he calls a "great and abominable church" (1 Nephi 13:6). Nephi tells us several things about this organization: It murders, tortures, and imprisons good people (1 Nephi 13:5). It was... Continue Reading →
How Can I Recognize the Hand of the Lord in My Life?
After warning the people of Jerusalem of their imminent destruction, Lehi was commanded by the Lord to take his family out of the city into the wilderness (1 Nephi 2:1-2). He had to defend this decision many times as the family undertook a difficult journey across the land and the sea to a promised land... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Cast Out Devils?”
Twenty-four times in the New Testament we read about devils being "cast out" of people. All of these passages appear in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The gospel of Mark even ends with the Savior promising that those who believe in Him will have power to cast out devils (Mark 16:17). The... Continue Reading →
How Can I Make Better Decisions?
Today, I learned that the word "prudent" is a contraction of the word "provident," which is related to the word "provide." All of these words descend from the Latin compound word providere "to look ahead, prepare, act with foresight." (The prefix pro- means "ahead" or "in advance," and videre means "to see.") (See "prudent," Online Etymology Dictionary.)... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Be “Puffed Up?”
The Greek word phusioo (φυσιόω) means "to puff or blow up." It comes from the word phusa which means "bellows." Some form of the word appears five times in Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians and once in his epistle to the Colossians. In the King James Version of the Bible, it is always translated as "puffed... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Education?
This week marks the beginning of a new school year. As my children return to school, I've been thinking about what the Book of Mormon teaches about education. Here are a few key principles: Principle #1: Education begins at home. In the very first sentence of the Book of Mormon, Nephi praises his parents and... Continue Reading →
