Jesus warned us not to despise children, because "their angels do always behold the face of God." Who are these angels? Nephi, Jacob, and Alma all had angels minister to them. We also may receive heavenly help from angels whom we do not see.
Straightway
Mark tells us that when Jesus called Peter and Andrew to be His disciples, "They straightway left their nets and followed him." We likewise often need to act straightway, without unnecessary delays or detours.
Rise to the Call
Callings can be challenging. They can stretch us in unexpected ways. They can make us uncomfortable or anxious. They can also reveal latent talents, spark new relationships, and expand our perspectives. Moses was hesitant to accept the call to free his people from bondage. "Who am I?" he asked the Lord (Exodus 3:11). Enoch protested... Continue Reading →
“Give Me to Drink”
Today, I've been thinking about three incidents in which a representative of God, or the Savior Himself, asked a stranger for sustenance: During a severe drought, the prophet Elijah approached a poor widow near the gate of the city of Zarephath. "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may... Continue Reading →
“Shew Thyself Unto Ahab”
Sometimes God directs us to participate in difficult conversations. Elijah initiated a famine by declaring to King Ahab, "There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word" (1 Kings 17:1). Three years later, there was no doubt in Ahab's mind that Elijah had caused the famine and that only Elijah could end it.... Continue Reading →
Moses Besought the Lord
Some of the work of a leader is done out of sight, away from the people he or she leads. Even before Moses descended from Sinai and saw the golden calf, he had an opportunity to advocate on behalf of his people. The Lord told him what was happening at the bottom of the mountain:... Continue Reading →
Wrestling
As Jacob prepared to meet his estranged brother the next day, he spent the night alone. The biblical record says that he wrestled with a man all night and persisted even when his thigh was knocked out of joint. At daybreak, he told the man he would not let him go until he received a... Continue Reading →
The Raven, the Dove, and the Olive Leaf, or How Did Noah Know?
After being confined to the ark for many months, Noah and his family must have been anxious for freedom. About five months after they entered the ark, it rested on a mountaintop (Genesis 8:4). A little more than two months later, the tops of some nearby mountains became visible (Genesis 8:5). Noah now faced a... Continue Reading →
Not Separated
An Israelite woman named Naomi lived in Moab for many years. Both of her sons married Moabite women. After her husband and both sons died, Naomi decided to return home, and she encouraged both of her daughters-in-law to return to their families. One of them, Orpah, agreed and affectionately bid farewell to Naomi. But Ruth... Continue Reading →
Spirit
Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.Luke 24:39 Thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ, a prophet known as the brother of Jared saw and spoke with Him. After pointing out that He looked like a human being, Jesus explained: Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 