Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams—seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine—but perhaps more importantly, he was able to give good advice: Let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.And let them gather all the food of those good years... Continue Reading →
Day by Day
When it was time for Lehi and his family to begin their journey in the wilderness, God gave them a tool to help them steer a straight course toward their destination. Nephi refers to it as "a round ball of curious workmanship" (1 Nephi 16:10). Alma later explains to his son Helaman that it was... Continue Reading →
“Seek Me Early”
When something is important to you, you want to do it right away. You prioritize it over other things. The Hebrew word shachar (שָׁחַר) means "dawn" or "morning." Twelve times in the Old Testament, it appears as a verb instead of a noun. What does it mean to "dawn" something? It means to do it... Continue Reading →
“The Way Whither We Should Go” – 1 Nephi 16:10
After living in a tent for some time, Lehi and his family were commanded to begin their journey to the promised land. The following morning, they were given some assistance in the form of a mysterious device—"a round ball of curious workmanship" made of brass. The ball contained two spindles, one of which pointed "pointed the... Continue Reading →
Entrusted
Part of Heavenly Father's plan for our eternal happiness is to give us responsibilities and then to help us live up to the trust He has placed in us. Generations of record-keepers in the Book of Mormon conscientiously preserved and added to the sacred records containing the history of their people. When Alma passed those... Continue Reading →
One Eternal Round
After losing the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith was devastated. "All is lost!" he exclaimed to his family. "What shall I do?" (Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, page 131). Shortly after, the Lord reassured him that His work would continue to move forward. God emphasized this point by saying that... Continue Reading →
“They Must Retain Their Brightness” – Alma 37:5
When Nephi and his brothers returned to the camp of their family in the wilderness, their father, Lehi, examined the sacred writings contained on brass plates which they had retrieved. After searching the record and learning about its contents, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and began to prophesy: That these plates... Continue Reading →
Gazelem – Alma 37:23
The record of the Jaredite people was engraved on twenty-four plates (Ether 1:2). The Lord gave the brother of Jared two stones to store with the plates. He explained that those stones would enable future readers to understand the words he would write. For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore... Continue Reading →
“A Wise Purpose” – Alma 37:2, 12, 14, 18
An important element of faith is trusting that God has good reasons for what He does, even when we don't understand those reasons. Nephi tells us that the Lord commanded him to create a record of his ministry "for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not" (1 Nephi 9:5). Later, he learned... Continue Reading →
What Are the Mysteries of God?
A knowledge of the mysteries of God was important to Nephi. He knew that he was "highly favored of the Lord" because he "had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God" (1 Nephi 1:1). His first recorded spiritual experience came because he had "great desires to know of the mysteries of... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 