In the middle of a message of hope and optimism, Jeremiah pauses to paint a picture of a devastated mother observing the suffering of her children: Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Jeremiah 31:15 Ramah was a... Continue Reading →
“When Thou Sittest in Thine House”
Teaching doesn't just happen in a classroom. In fact, some of the most important teaching happens spontaneously, as a by-product of other activities. At the end of Moses' life, he delivered three discourses to the children of Israel in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Near the beginning of the second discourse, he... Continue Reading →
Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
To ancient Israel, the Lord declared, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour" (Exodus 20:16, Deuteronomy 5:20, Mosiah 13:23). He subsequently elaborated on this commandment: You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are... 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 →
Multigenerational Promises
God keeps His promises—even over long time horizons. Enos made a very specific request of God. If his people, the Nephites were to be destroyed at some point in the future (as his uncle Nephi had seen in a vision), would God preserve their records for the benefit of their enemies, the Lamanites? This event... Continue Reading →
A Book of Remembrance
Nephi opens the Book of Mormon by expressing gratitude to his parents for, among other things, the gift of literacy. He writes his record in his parents' language, which consists of "the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians" (1 Nephi 1:2). Nephi's nephew, Enos, also expresses gratitude that his father taught... Continue Reading →
Nurture
The word "nurture" appears twice in the scriptures: once in the New Testament and once in the Book of Mormon. The apostle Paul wrote: Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.Ephesians 6:4 And the prophet Enos used the same phrase to describe his own upbringing: Behold, it... Continue Reading →
Poured Out
As Jacob traveled to Padan-aram to live with his uncle, he had a dream in which the Lord renewed the promise He had made to Jacob's father and grandfather. Waking the next morning, Jacob built a stone pillar and poured oil on it as a form of worship. (See Genesis 28:18.) Years later, after Jacob... Continue Reading →
“Be Still”
Near the end of the 46th psalm, there is a curious sentence. The rest of the psalm is narrated by a person who reassures us that God is has all power. Even though terrible things might happen—"the earth be removed," "mountains be carried into the midst of the sea," "the heathen [rage]," and "kingdoms [be]... Continue Reading →
In Light and Truth
In May 1833, God taught Joseph Smith about several interrelated concepts: light, truth, spirit, and intelligence (Doctrine and Covenants 93:1-40). After explaining that everyone on earth has received the light of Christ (v. 2), that truth is knowledge of the way things really are (v. 24), that obedience to God's commandments invites truth and light... Continue Reading →