Moses explained that manna taught an important principle: We need more than physical food. Our spirits also need the word of God. Book of Mormon prophets taught the same principle, inviting us to "feast" on the word of God, by hearing, pondering, and acting.
Climbing the Ladder
Jacob saw in vision a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending. Lehi similarly saw a path leading to the tree of life marked by an iron rod. God has prepared a way for us to return to Him, and He invites us to climb the ladder and follow the path.
The Integrity of His Heart
The Lord loves integrity of heart. Integrity means wholeness, completeness, or purity. We can achieve and maintain it just as building inspectors ensure structural integrity—by looking for "cracks" in our discipleship and repairing them before they become large enough to threaten our spiritual foundation.
Infusing the Light of Christ into My Life
When Lamoni accepted the gospel, "the light of the glory of God ... infused ... joy into his soul." Sister Amy A. Wright has urged us to "infuse the Light of Jesus Christ into every corner of our lives." We do this by opening our hearts to Him and by testifying of His power to save.
True and Faithful
God and his words are called "true and faithful" multiple times in the scriptures. "True" means honest—telling the truth. "Faithful" means reliable—keeping your commitments. We all need friends who are both true and faithful, and we all need to strive to be true and faithful as disciples of Jesus Christ.
No Guile
It’s nice when you can take someone at face value, without wondering about hidden agendas or ulterior motives. Scripture praises those without guile, whose hearts are pure before God, including Nathanael and Edward Partridge. Life’s injuries can harden us, but we can evaluate and improve our guilelessness by asking soul-searching questions and answering with honesty.
Book of Mormon Elements in Doctrine and Covenants 20
The Articles and Covenants of the Church (D&C 20) outline core doctrines and priesthood duties, drawing heavily from the Book of Mormon. Some passages are quoted directly, while others synthesize multiple passages to affirm core doctrines. By relying on the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery grounded the restored Church on Christ’s gospel.
Authority Restored
Heavenly messengers gave Joseph Smith authority. God delegates different types of authority to different people, so that we can all contribute to His work. The heavenly messengers all lived previously on earth. Our work is not limited to our mortal lives.
What Do You Delight In?
Mormon said his people "delighted in everything save that which is good." When we delight in something, we immerse ourselves in it and savor it. So what delights you, and how can you adjust your actions and attitudes to be more delighted by good things?
Endure
Nephi warned us that we have to keep moving along the path if we want to reach our destination. In Agile software methodology, there's an aphorism, "Stop starting, start finishing." We need to maintain our focus on the goal and avoid distractions.