In an 1833 revelation to Joseph Smith, the Lord said: I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.Doctrine and Covenants 93:19, italics added Worship is an expression... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving
The prophet Amulek taught the poor among the Zoramites to be thankful. These people had approached Amulek and Alma specifically because they were oppressed. Not only were they poor, but they were also "despised of all men because their poverty." They had been excluded from the houses of worship which they had built with their... Continue Reading →
Pray in Faith
Nephi believed that his prayers were heard and would be answered: For I pray continually for [my people] by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.2 Nephi 33:3 Jacob counseled his people to "pray unto [God]... Continue Reading →
“Their Souls Are Precious” – Alma 31:35
As Alma prepared to preach the gospel to the Zoramites, a group of people who "were perverting the ways of the Lord" and who had separated themselves from Alma's people (Alma 31:1-2), he began by praying that he and his missionary companions would have success: Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are... Continue Reading →
The Work, the Sword, the Sickle, and the Prayer
In the first half of 1829, Joseph Smith received a number of revelations on behalf of other people. Four of those revelations begin almost identically, with a set of four biblical concepts, all of which also appear in the Book of Mormon. Why did those four concepts warrant such frequent repetition, and why did the... Continue Reading →
Virtue
In Doctrine and Covenants 4:6, the Lord invites us to develop ten Christlike attributes. Today, I decided to study the second of those attributes: virtue. Here are some of the insights I gained: Insight #1: Virtue is power. The word "virtuous" appears three times in the King James Version of the Old Testament, always as... Continue Reading →
“When They Saw Your Conduct…” – Alma 39:11
Throw a pebble into the water, and you'll see ripples expanding in concentric circles around the point of impact. Our actions are like that. We may only be aware of the first-order consequences of our decisions, but they surely have additional consequences that we cannot see. Alma pointed out to his son Corianton one of... Continue Reading →
“I Am Infirm” – Alma 31:30
Acknowledging our weakness may be a prerequisite to receiving the help we need from God. (See Ether 12:27, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). After hearing the arrogant and exclusive prayer of the wealthy Zoramites, in which they congratulated themselves on being better than other people (Alma 31:15-18), Alma offered his own prayer, pleading that he and his... Continue Reading →
“Never Speaking of Their God Again” – Alma 31:23
What is the role of church meetings in discipleship? I've been thinking about that question today, as I've pondered the religious observance of the wealthy Zoramites. According to Mormon, the Zoramites would gather at their house of worship one day each week and offer thanks to God. But after participating in this collective worship, they... Continue Reading →
“The Preaching of the Word”: Alma 31:5
Early in his ministry, when Alma was troubled by inequality among his people, he resigned his position of political authority and dedicated himself to his ecclesiastical role. "And this he did...that he might preach the word of God unto them...seeing no [other] way that he might reclaim them." He had tremendous confidence in the power... Continue Reading →
