Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.Psalm 24:9-10 What is glory? The word appears 225 times in the King James Version of the Old Testament,... Continue Reading →
The Living Christ and the Book of Mormon
The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles is a proclamation published by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1 January 2000. The document speaks of the Savior's mission before birth, during His mortal ministry, and after His death and resurrection, including in our day. It also testifies that He... Continue Reading →
“Many Great and Important Things”
Commenting on the words of Isaiah, the prophet Nephi wrote: Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a... Continue Reading →
Mother Eve
Among the biblical characters Joseph F. Smith saw in his vision of the Redemption of the Dead, was "our glorious Mother Eve" (Doctrine and Covenants 138:39). In the Hebrew Bible, her name appears as Chavvah (חַוָּה), which means "life." She was given this name because she was "the mother of all living," or in other... Continue Reading →
Knowledge
Education is very important. Nephi opens the Book of Mormon by expressing gratitude that he had been "taught somewhat in all the learning of [his] father" (1 Nephi 1:1). Jacob tells us that it is good to be learned, as long as we remain humble and follow the commandments of God (2 Nephi 9:29). Alma... Continue Reading →
The Ancient of Days
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 →
Wheat and Tares
In one of the Savior's parables, a farmer plants wheat in his field. In the middle of the night when no one is watching, his enemy plants tares in the same field. A tare is "an injurious weed resembling wheat when young" (Oxford English Dictionary). When the farmer's servants realize what has happened, they ask... Continue Reading →
“Ye Are Gods”
In one of the Psalms, after urging us to see other people as God sees them, the author (Asaph) makes the following startling assertion: I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.Psalm 82:6 Most people who believe in God would agree that we are His children. But the first half of the... Continue Reading →
“Spoken with Care”
Jesus said, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36). The word "idle" in this passage suggests carelessness or thoughtlessness. The speakers may not have intended to cause harm, but should have known better than to say what they did. A little more caution and restraint could have prevented the damage.... 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 →