We generally think of order as a good thing and its opposite—disarray, mismanagement, or chaos—as a bad thing. Most of us work hard to organize our lives and to fulfill our responsibilities in an orderly way. Furthermore, when we participate in an organization, we want to see evidence that things have been thought through, that... Continue Reading →
Who Is the House of Israel?
The word Israel appears 213 times in the Book of Mormon, almost always preceded by the word "of." Here are the phrases in which it most commonly appears: Phrase # Appearances house of Israel 122 Holy One of Israel 40 God of Israel 11 children of Israel 8 tribes of Israel 6 What is the... Continue Reading →
How Should I Deal with Anxiety?
Anxiety can be helpful or harmful. Multiple prophets in the Book of Mormon acknowledge feelings of anxiety, and those feelings are generally caused by their love for others. When Lehi spoke with his sons near the end of his life, he shared with them the confidence he felt: "The Lord hath redeemed my soul from... Continue Reading →
Why Is Isaiah So Difficult to Understand?
Near the beginning of his book, Isaiah describes how he was called as a prophet. In a vision, he saw the Lord sitting on a throne surrounded by angels. Isaiah must have arrived in the middle of a meeting, because the Lord asks the assembled group without explanation, “Whom shall I send, and who will go... Continue Reading →
Why Is Isaiah Quoted So Much in the Book of Mormon?
After Lehi's family left Jerusalem and began to travel toward the promised land, the Lord commanded him to send his four sons back to Jerusalem to retrieve a set of sacred writings engraved on brass plates. Lehi's son Nephi tells us that these plates contained the five books of Moses, additional historical records, and the... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Fear?
Fear is an unpleasant feeling caused by the anticipation of a negative event (Oxford English Dictionary). We feel sadness when something bad has already happened; we feel fear when we think something bad is going to happen . Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi and his brothers find themselves in a treacherous... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Consecrate Something?
To consecrate something is to make it sacred, to set it apart for a holy purpose (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary). The opposite is to desecrate something, which means literally to "divest it of [its] sacred character," or to "treat it with sacrilege" (Online Etymology Dictionary). In the Book of Mormon, the word consecrate is used several ways: Priests... Continue Reading →
What Is the Significance of the Title “the Mighty One of Jacob?”
Jesus Christ is the same God who delivered Joseph from slavery and from prison and who rescued his family from famine.
How Do Book of Mormon Prophets Use the Title “Savior?”
The atonement of Jesus Christ is universal. He saves us by revealing the gospel to us and entering into a covenant relationship with us. He is both willing and able to save us.
What Does It Mean for Jesus to Be Our “Redeemer?”
The Hebrew word "go'el" is sometimes translated "redeemer" and sometimes "near kinsman." When we enter a covenant relationship with Jesus, He becomes the "near kinsman" who will deliver us from bondage, even bondage of our own making.