John 1 teaches important principles about Jesus Christ using poetic language. Many phrases from this chapter are repeated in an 1833 revelation to Joseph Smith (Doctrine and Covenants 93) and in the Savior's words to the Nephites and Lamanites in 3 Nephi 9. Here is a side-by-side comparison of those passages.
Bullish
Prophets have foretold difficult days ahead, but they have also encouraged us to be confident and enthusiastic about the future. That's because the Savior has promised to give us power which will enable us to overcome the challenges we face.
How Did Jesus Use Questions?
In January 2023, I reviewed and categorized the 190 questions asked by the Savior, as recorded in the four Gospels and in 3 Nephi. Here's what I learned about the ways Jesus used questions.
“Yet Have Ye Not Returned Unto Me”
There's an interesting refrain in Amos 4. Five times, the Lord describes calamities which the children of Israel have experienced, and five times, he repeats the same words of lamentation: "Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord" (Amos 4:6-11). It's an interesting pattern, and it says something about the Lord's motivation in allowing us to... Continue Reading →
“I Desired Ḥesed”
A little over a month ago, I wrote a blog post about the Hebrew word ḥesed (חֵסֵד), which appears 250 times in the Old Testament and which has no exact equivalent in English. In that post, I relied heavily on President Russell M. Nelson's discussion of the term in his article “The Everlasting Covenant” (Liahona,... Continue Reading →
“I Am for You”
It's a good feeling to have someone on your team, someone rooting for you and supporting you. Two years ago, when I ran a marathon, it was incredibly motivating to see my wife and two of my daughters at various points along the race, cheering me on. I thought about that kind of support as... Continue Reading →
A Balm in Gilead
When Jacob and his family fled from the home of his father-in-law, Laban pursued him. They met in a mountainous region, and after a difficult conversation, they were reconciled. Together, they built a stone pillar to memorialize their healed relationship. Laban suggested they call the pillar Jegar-sahadutha (יְגַר שׂהֲדוּתָא), "the heap of the testimony," but... Continue Reading →
The Book of Psalms and the Book of Mormon
The brass plates which Lehi and his family carried from Jerusalem contained a lot of content which overlaps with the Old Testament. Nephi describes three categories of writings, which correspond with three of the four groupings of books in the Old Testament: "The five books of Moses" - The Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy)"A record of... Continue Reading →
The Lord Is My Light
Based on: Psalm 27 Core message: Some hymns represent a personal testimony, even though we sing them as a group. "The Lord is my light," not "The Lord is the light." Related Book of Mormon passage: 2 Nephi 22:2
“I Will Heal Thee”
Hezekiah was very ill. The prophet, Isaiah, visited him and told him that he would not recover. He was going to die. But Hezekiah wasn't willing to accept that answer. Laying on his bed, he turned toward the wall and offered the following heartfelt prayer: "I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked... Continue Reading →