Jesus said, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48). In 1832, Joseph Smith received a revelation for the church in which the Lord taught the same principle: "For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive... Continue Reading →
“I Will Praise Thee” – 2 Nephi 4:30
In the middle of Nephi's psalm, after lamenting his susceptibility to temptation and after commanding himself to do better, Nephi begins to talk directly to God. To me, this is the turning point in the psalm—the moment when he acknowledges that he can't do this on his own, that he needs help. Notice how his... Continue Reading →
“Which Easily Doth Beset You” – Alma 7:15
The word euperistatos (εὐπερίστατος) only appears once in the Greek New Testament. The word means "to easily surround," "to encircle," or to "thwart." It carries the connotation of something that overpowers you, grabs hold of you and prevents you from moving forward. In the King James Version, this word is translated "beset." Here is the... Continue Reading →
“My Heart Pondereth Continually” – 2 Nephi 4:15-16
When I read the Psalm of Nephi, I generally focus on his main message: He is discouraged by his sins and recognizes that only God can help him overcome them. But today, I've been thinking about how he begins the psalm: with pondering. "My soul delighteth in the scriptures," he says, "and my heart pondereth... Continue Reading →
The Arm of Flesh – 2 Nephi 4:34
Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.... Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is (Jeremiah 17:5, 7). As Nephi lamented his own sins and weaknesses, he recognized the need to turn to God and... Continue Reading →
How Does the Savior Bring Us Peace?
The angels who appeared to the shepherds expressed their hopes for us with these words: "On earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). At the end of His life, the Savior said to His apostles: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto... Continue Reading →
What Do We Know About God’s Love for Us?
Yesterday, I received a question about one of my posts, entitled Willing to Submit – Mosiah 3:19. Here is the question: God is love right? So how can love inflict when the term inflict has to do with punishment. Surely love knows how to be persuasive. This is such an important question that I've decided to... Continue Reading →
How Can I Be a Both a Defender of Truth and a Peacemaker?
Disciples of Jesus Christ have an obligation to tell the truth, even when others don't want to hear it. Our promise to "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9) is a promise to speak up, to share our convictions with others, to say what... Continue Reading →
What Is the Relationship Between the Family and the Church?
Elder D. Todd Christofferson has pointed out that the gospel was originally taught in families. The organization of the church came later: Beginning with Adam, the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached, and the essential ordinances of salvation, such as baptism, were administered through a family-based priesthood order. As societies grew more complex than simply... Continue Reading →
What Is the Ministering of Angels?
When John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, he told them that the Aaronic Priesthood held "the keys of the ministering of angels" (Joseph Smith—History 1:69). What does that mean? In the Book of Mormon, there are many references to the ministering of angels. Nephi and his brother Jacob both tell us... Continue Reading →
