Callings can be challenging. They can stretch us in unexpected ways. They can make us uncomfortable or anxious. They can also reveal latent talents, spark new relationships, and expand our perspectives. Moses was hesitant to accept the call to free his people from bondage. "Who am I?" he asked the Lord (Exodus 3:11). Enoch protested... Continue Reading →
Sweet Is the Work
Based on: Psalm 92 Core message: Simplifying our service will increase our happiness. Related Book of Mormon passage: Alma 29:9
Cyrus
About a hundred years before the Babylonian Captivity, Isaiah described how it would end. He named a specific individual who would send the people back to Jerusalem and support them in rebuilding the temple: Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb...That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to... Continue Reading →
Some Great Thing
Naaman was used to commanding respect. As the leader of the Syrian army, he was surrounded by people who would do his bidding. So when the prophet Elisha sent a messenger with instructions on how to be healed, and when those instructions seemed ridiculous, he was angry. "Behold," he complained, "I thought, He will surely... Continue Reading →
Thousands vs. Ten Thousands
How easily we can become unsettled when we compare ourselves with others. Saul, who was king of Israel, heard that women across his country were singing, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." How could this be? He was the king; he was supposed to get the most "likes." He thought to himself,... Continue Reading →
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He didn't introduce Himself as the Creator of the Universe or as the Father of all people. He didn't say where He lives or what He is trying to accomplish. Instead, He introduced Himself in terms of three of Moses's ancestors: I am the God of thy father, the God... Continue Reading →
Glory
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 Desire of Their Hearts
Only by educating and training our desires can they become our allies instead of our enemies!Neal A. Maxwell, "According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts," General Conference, October 1996 To the ancient prophet Jeremiah, God said, "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways" (Jeremiah 17:10). Alma reaffirmed this principle: "I know... Continue Reading →
Room Enough
Alma wished he could speak with the thunderous voice of the angel who had called him to repentance. (See Alma 29:1-2, Mosiah 27:11.) As he saw his friends, the sons of King Mosiah, return home from a fourteen year mission with thousands of converts, it would have been natural to compare their success with his... Continue Reading →
“The Work to Which I Have Been Called” – Alma 29:6
Contributing to a greater cause is fulfilling, but it requires us to set aside our ego, be modest in our expectations, and recognize the contributions of others. Alma was so committed to bring others to Christ that he wrote, "O that I were an angel!" He wanted to "speak with the trump of God, with... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 