Speaking on behalf of the Lord, Haggai prophesied: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:6-7 In the King James... Continue Reading →
At Ease in Zion
Amos decried the complacency he saw among the inhabitants of Israel. Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! Amos 6:1 He went on to describe them lying on beds of ivory, eating, drinking, and using expensive ointments, but not... Continue Reading →
Joseph, Daniel, and Nephi: Dream-Interpreters
Not all dreams are revelations from God, but some are. Joseph was a dreamer, and he clearly believed that some of his dreams were messages from God. (See Genesis 37:5-11.) Perhaps because of that experience, he was attuned to the dreams of others, and he was able to interpret the cryptic dreams of Pharaoh's chief... Continue Reading →
God Gave Them Knowledge
It's tempting to think of physical health, mental/emotional health, and spiritual health as separate categories of well-being, with separate practices required to maintain each. But we know it's not that simple. All of those categories of health are interconnected. For example, it may be impossible to hear the voice of the Spirit, which speaks to... Continue Reading →
Finding God in the Book of Esther
There is no mention of God in the book of Esther. None of His names appears in the book. The miraculous events of the book are shared with no attribution; it is up to the reader to recognize God's hand in these events. Perhaps this is appropriate for the story of a woman who had... Continue Reading →
Machpelah: Paying Full Price
When Sarah died, Abraham wanted to give her a proper burial. Although he was wealthy and highly regarded among his neighbors, and although he had lived in Canaan for many years, he still felt like an immigrant. "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you," he said to his neighbors. "Give me a possession... Continue Reading →
Line upon Line
"Precept must be upon precept," wrote the prophet Isaiah, "precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line" (Isaiah 28:10, 13). If this passage sounds repetitive in English, it is even more so in Hebrew. The words for precept (tsav - צַו) and line (qav - קַו) are not only monosyllabic but they rhyme with... Continue Reading →
“Many Great and Important Things”
Commenting on the words of Isaiah, the prophet Nephi wrote: Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a... Continue Reading →
Grace for Grace
Near the beginning of the Gospel of John, there is an unusual statement which describes how we receive the power of God: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.John 1:16 The Greek word rendered "for" in that passage—anti (ἀντί)—actually means "in place of" or "in exchange for." What does it... Continue Reading →
Brimstone
When God warned Abraham that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed, Abraham pleaded with Him to spare the righteous. God agreed. If there be ten righteous people in those cities, He promised, I will not destroy them. (See Genesis 18:17-32.) Messengers from God subsequently warned Lot and and his family to leave... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 