In the poem "The Theologian's Tale; the Legend Beautiful," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow relates a story of a monk who experiences a supernal vision in which he sees the Savior. During this experience, he hears the poor outside the gate of the convent, and he wonders whether he dares to leave the divine presence in order... Continue Reading →
Ascension, Descension, and Comprehension
In the sixty-eighth psalm, King David offers the following words of praise to God: Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.Psalm 68:18-19 Verse 19 is somewhat ambiguous in the original Hebrew. It... Continue Reading →
A House of Prayer
Through the prophet Isaiah, God made the following promise to all those who reverence sacred things: "Them I will bring unto my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:7). Years later, the prophet Jeremiah stood at the doorway to the temple and denounced the wickedness of the people, who... Continue Reading →
Elias
I've been thinking today about two Old Testament prophecies, both of which are associated with John the Baptist, but both of which have much broader applicability. Isaiah prophesied that, following the Babylonian captivity, there would be a voice in the wilderness, crying "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a... 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 →
Mary
When Nephi needed to understand God's love, he saw Mary. About 600 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Nephi's father shared with the family a dream he had experienced while they were traveling in the wilderness. The central symbol in that dream was "a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10). Intrigued by... Continue Reading →
“My Time Is at Hand” – 3 Nephi 17:1
Near the end of the first day of the Savior's ministry on the American continent, He announced to the people that it would soon be time for Him to leave. "Behold, my time is at hand," He said, explaining that He was returning to His Father before going to visit another group of people (3... Continue Reading →
Pains, Afflictions, Temptations, Infirmities – Alma 7:11-12
In his sermon to the people of Gideon, Alma testified that the Son of God would live a mortal life, subjecting Himself to the same challenges and constraints that we experience: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith... 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 →
“The Pains and the Sicknesses” – Alma 7:11-12
Today, I've been pondering the following description of the Savior's mortal life, given by the prophet Alma: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And... Continue Reading →
