With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.Job 12:12 There are many reasons for us to love and respect Adam and Eve. As the first man and woman on the earth, they pioneered the way for us, learning by experience so many things which we take for granted.They made our mortal experience possible, making... 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 →
Endure in Faith
Persevering through hardship is an essential component of discipleship. Fifteen times in the Book of Mormon, we are promised that those who endure to the end will be saved and will receive eternal life (1 Nephi 13:37, 1 Nephi 22:31, 2 Nephi 9:24, 2 Nephi 31:15, 16, 20, 2 Nephi 33:4, Omni 1:26, Alma 32:13, 15,... Continue Reading →
Rich and Poor
How much wealth we accumulate doesn't matter very much in the end, but our attitude toward wealth and the resulting actions matter very much. The prophet Jacob gave the following warning: Wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and... Continue Reading →
Family Financial Management and Section 48
As I studied section 48 of the Doctrine and Covenants today, I noticed that the Lord instructed members of the church to do three things in relation to their assets: give generously, save aggressively, and buy carefully. Joseph Smith received this revelation after asking the Lord what to do about the influx of members of... Continue Reading →
Paradise
As He hung on the cross, the Savior spoke words of compassion to a man being crucified beside him: "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). The Greek word paradeisos (παράδεισος) comes from an ancient Persian word for a garden or a park. It specifically refers... Continue Reading →
Promises to Covenant Israel
Nephi told us that God "loveth those who will have him to be their God." As an example, "he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made" (1 Nephi 17:40). In August of 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation in... Continue Reading →
“That Ye May Not Shrink” – 2 Nephi 9:46
Sometimes, in order to be successful in life, we must face difficult challenges head-on. Avoiding those challenges simply won't work, and half-hearted participation will not produce satisfactory outcomes. The prophet Jacob used the word "shrink" to describe the natural instinct to recoil from painful experiences. "It grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with... Continue Reading →
Wisdom and Knowledge – Moroni 10:9-10
Moroni begins his list of spiritual gifts with two which sound similar, but which he makes clear are not the same: For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom;And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;Moroni 10:9-10, italics added The apostle Paul made the... 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 →
