It's relatively easy to discount a testimony from a stranger. When a friend or neighbor shares their personal experience, it can be more impactful. Like Amulek, we can help our friends open their hearts to God by sharing our experiences with the gospel.
“Thou Hast Great Cause to Rejoice”
After Alma was kicked out of Ammonihah, he was weighed down with sorrow. The angel who sent him back told him that he had "great cause to rejoice." Our confidence and patience can grow when we focus on the reasons we have to be joyful.
Where You Want Me to Go
Missionaries adapt to new assignments regularly. Paul and Barnabas traveled to many cities and quickly began serving the people as they arrived. Alma did the same. We can follow their example by being willing to adapt to guidance we receive from God.
Their Angels
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 →