Joseph reassured his brothers, "Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves." Guilt serves a valuable purpose in motivating change, but when that purpose has been accomplished, it's time to let the guilt go. We should avoid obsessing over past mistakes and look instead toward a bright future.
Inheriting the Covenant, Part I: Isaac and the God of Abraham
Isaac inherited God's promises to Abraham. When God renewed those promises, He explicitly tied them back to Abraham's faithfulness. God also introduces Himself to Isaac as the God of Abraham. Isaac knew God largely through His relationship with Isaac's father. Our parents' prayers and promises can accrue to us.
Let God Prevail
With a name that means "the heel catcher," Jacob struggled his whole life to get ahead. At Peniel, God dislocated his hip with a touch and then blessed him anyway. Jacob learned that he could prevail by letting God prevail.
“Calm as a Summer’s Morning”
Paul, Moroni, and Joseph Smith faced death with serenity, hope, and confidence in Christ. Their examples invite us to see the Final Judgment as a joyful and triumphant reunion with God, not as an event to be feared.
Mahaleel and Our Times of Awakening
Doctrine and Covenants 107 reveals that Adam's posterity received the priesthood at widely different ages. We are all on different spiritual timelines. There is no prescribed time to find God. Some find Him early, some later. We can all afford to be patient and hopeful, supporting one another through every phase of our journey.
Seeing the Face of God
The first verse of Doctrine and Covenants 93 lays out a simple formula: Those who follow Christ will come to know Him. He promises that we will "see [His] face and know that [He is]," which implies far more than being in His presence. It means that we will understand and recognize Him.
Being Bound
No one likes to have their agency curtailed, but some forms of "binding" actually increase our freedom, confidence, and joy. God sets the example, promising that He is bound when we follow His commandments. He invites us to bind ourselves in a similar way, by making and keeping covenants with Him.
That Through Him All Might Be Saved
In Jerusalem and in the Americas, Jesus proclaimed, "I will draw all men unto me." In 1832, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon learned more about the meaning of that promise. Jesus offers salvation to all of God's children, meaning that He makes available to us all of the glory which we are willing to receive.
Tradition!
Traditions—repeated activities which carry a deeper meaning—can help us instill values in the next generation. However, the Book of Mormon points out that incorrect traditions can inhibit growth, and modern prophets emphasize that traditions alone are insufficient. We should cultivate faith-building traditions which encourage people to open their hearts and receive God's grace.
Girt with Truth
Telling the truth isn’t always easy, but it beats the alternative. Paul taught that honesty is like a belt which holds our spiritual armor in place. God is perfectly truthful, and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies were distinguished by their honesty. Choose to be honest with yourself and others. Gird yourself with truth.