Jesus said, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48). In 1832, Joseph Smith received a revelation for the church in which the Lord taught the same principle: "For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive... Continue Reading →
“Will Ye Persist in Supposing That Ye Are Better One Than Another?” – Alma 5:54
Equality is a core principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Alma resigned as chief judge and dedicated himself to the ministry because of the inequality he saw among his people. Members of the church were becoming proud, wearing expensive clothing, being "scornful, one towards another," and persecuting those who believed differently from them (Alma... Continue Reading →
“They Were Awakened to a Remembrance of Their Duty” – Alma 4:3
A few weeks ago, a colleague at work asked me, "What good could possibly come from the COVID-19 pandemic?" I can't remember what I said which prompted this question, but I remember not having an immediate answer. In subsequent weeks, a number of answers have come to mind. One of them, which I've been pondering... Continue Reading →
What Is a “Remission” of Your Sins?
The word aphesis (ἄφεσις) appears 17 times in the Greek New Testament. It literally means "letting go" or "setting at liberty." When Jesus reads the prophecy from Isaiah 61 that the Messiah would "preach deliverance to the captives, and...set at liberty them that are bruised," He used the word aphesis twice. (See Luke 4:18 on biblehub.com.)... Continue Reading →
What Is an Elder?
When Moses saw the burning bush on Mount Horeb, God commanded him to return to Egypt and lead his people out of slavery. Moses was somewhat concerned about fulfilling this assignment alone. But God explained that he wouldn't be alone: Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God... Continue Reading →
What Is the Priesthood?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines priesthood simply as "the office or position of a priest." This is the everyday meaning of the word. When Mormon tells us that Alma gave up his position as chief judge and "confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God" (Alma 4:20), he is simply... Continue Reading →
How Can I Teach My Children to Be Resilient?
In the September 2019 issue of the Ensign magazine, Elder Lynn G. Robbins expresses his concern that many young people have not developed sufficient resilience. He defines resilience as “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change,” and he encourages parents to increase their efforts to help their children develop this... Continue Reading →
What Is Pride?
Today, I reviewed the 77 appearances of the words "pride" and "proud" in the Book of Mormon. Here is what I learned: Pride means thinking too highly of yourself, failing to acknowledge your limitations. Throughout the Book of Mormon, prophets use phrases like "lifted up" or "puffed up" to describe proud people. For example, Nephi... Continue Reading →
How Can I Manage Time More Effectively?
We are all stewards of the resources God has given to us. One of those resources is time. I've been thinking today about how I spend my time and how I can make better use of it. Here are some thoughts which were inspired by the Book of Mormon: Don't try to do more than... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Consecrate Something?
To consecrate something is to make it sacred, to set it apart for a holy purpose (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary). The opposite is to desecrate something, which means literally to "divest it of [its] sacred character," or to "treat it with sacrilege" (Online Etymology Dictionary). In the Book of Mormon, the word consecrate is used several ways: Priests... Continue Reading →