Sometimes the very things which seem on the surface to make our lives harder are actually lightening our burdens.
Chaff
A winnowing fan is a kind of basket used to throw chaff and grain into the air. The chaff blows away, and the heavier grain remains. Chaff can represent our sins. If we are willing to let them go, they will blow away as the Savior winnows us.
God Gave Them Knowledge
It's tempting to think of physical health, mental/emotional health, and spiritual health as separate categories of well-being, with separate practices required to maintain each. But we know it's not that simple. All of those categories of health are interconnected. For example, it may be impossible to hear the voice of the Spirit, which speaks to... Continue Reading →
Joshua and the Book of Mormon
This week, I reviewed the book of Joshua, summarizing the content of each chapter and identifying related Book of Mormon passages. The book can be divided into four parts: The children of Israel prepare to enter the promised land (chapters 1-5)With divine intervention, they conquer various cities in the land of Canaan (chapters 6-12)Land is... Continue Reading →
There Was Bread
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 →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 