The gathering of Israel is more than the recovery of the people who were lost. It is the recovery of all of God's children who want to be found. God is working to gather all His children, and we can help by being welcoming and accepting of all.
The New Testament and the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon can enrich your study of the New Testament. Here is a list of connections between the books to help you incorporate the Book of Mormon into your New Testament study.
“My Covenant”
A covenant is an alliance, a formal relationship, with a promise that the relationship will endure. When David and Jonathan became close friends, "their souls were knit together," and Jonathan loved David "as his own soul." As an acknowledgement of that love and as a promise of continued friendship, they made a covenant with each... Continue Reading →
Three Covenants
One of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is for us to "know the covenants of the Lord" (Title Page). The Savior emphasized three of those covenants during His visit to the American continent, following His death and resurrection: Israel will be gathered: "Then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth;... 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 →
“With the Voice Together Shall They Sing”
The Book of Mormon opens with music. In the opening scene, Lehi sees in a vision: God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.1 Nephi 1:8 The prophet Isaiah associated singing with expressions of joy and gratitude. For example: "Sing, O heavens; and... Continue Reading →
“I Know My Sheep, and They Are Numbered” – 3 Nephi 18:31
The Hebrew word paqad (פְקַד) has multiple meanings. It means "to count" or "to number," and the word appears many times in conjunction with the Israelite census recorded in the Book of Numbers. It also means "to visit" or "to attend to." After promising Abraham that his wife Sarah would bear a son, "the Lord... Continue Reading →
“Blessed Are the Gentiles” – 3 Nephi 16:6
One of the things I learned in this most recent reading of the Book of Mormon was how much God loves all of His children in every nation. - Dallin H. Oaks, "All Men Everywhere," General Conference, April 2006 During the Savior's ministry on the American continent, He spoke a lot about Gentiles. After delivering... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Fulfill?
This is the fourth of six posts answering a series of questions suggested by President Russell M. Nelson. So far I have written about what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms, and what it refutes. Today, I am writing about what it fulfills. "The eyes of the blind" The prophet Isaiah wrote about... Continue Reading →
What Is the Role of Music in the Gospel?
In his description of church meetings, Moroni listed a number of activities which leaders were inspired to include: "As the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done" (Moroni 6:9). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has urged... Continue Reading →