The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.Proverbs 4:18 Through the prophet Nephi, the Lord gave the following promise: "Unto him that receiveth I will give more" (2 Nephi 28:30). Alma taught the same principle in the city of Ammonihah: He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word,... Continue Reading →
“A Little Sin” – 2 Nephi 28:8
The prophet Nephi identified two common strategies the devil uses to tempt us: Strategy #1: Don't worry about the future. Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.2 Nephi 28:7 (See also Isaiah 22:13, Luke 12:16-21.) It is good... Continue Reading →
How to “Come unto Christ”
Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 The phrase "come unto Christ" only appears three times in the Book of Mormon. Jacob tells us that he labored diligently to persuade his people to come unto Christ (Jacob 1:7). Amaleki ends the small plates of Nephi with... Continue Reading →
“Deny Not the Power of God” – Moroni 10:7
Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). It's also often easier to give than to receive, particularly when the gift is viewed as necessary. No one wants to be a "project" or a "charity case." We all want to be viewed as self-sufficient and capable. But when we need... Continue Reading →
“He Hath Lied Unto Us” – Alma 10:28, Alma 12:3
The Book of Mormon teaches plainly that lying is wrong (2 Nephi 9:34, 2 Nephi 26:32, 2 Nephi 28:8, Alma 16:18, 3 Nephi 30:2, 4 Nephi 1:16, Mormon 8:31). God does not tell lies (Enos 1:6, 3 Nephi 27:18, Ether 3:12). The devil is "the father of all lies" (2 Nephi 2:18, 2 Nephi 9:9,... Continue Reading →
“Revealed…Manifest…Loosed” – 2 Nephi 30:17
As we've studied 2 Nephi 26-30 this week, I've noticed a pattern. Every one of these chapters affirms God's desire to bless us with knowledge: "He manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 26:13). "The Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words... Continue Reading →
Overcoming Resistance to Change – 2 Nephi 28 & 29
When you are confident that your worldview is complete, it can be easy to ignore or reject inconvenient facts which fail to conform to your theories. That's human nature. We prefer for the data to fit neatly into our preconceived notions rather than to have to question those notions. But this resistance to change can... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Refute?
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 →
