This week, I reviewed the book of Joshua, summarizing the content of each chapter and identifying related Book of Mormon passages. The book can be divided into four parts: The children of Israel prepare to enter the promised land (chapters 1-5)With divine intervention, they conquer various cities in the land of Canaan (chapters 6-12)Land is... Continue Reading →
Jeshurun Waxed Fat
Just before the children of Israel entered the promised land, Moses shared with them a song. In the song, he expressed sorrow for the fate of future generations: But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and... Continue Reading →
Being Created
First, three premises: To create something doesn't mean to bring it into existence. It means to organize preexisting materials in a new way. (See Joseph Smith's explanation of the Hebrew word bara' (בָּרָא) as recorded by William Clayton, General Conference, April 1844.) The Creation isn't an event that occurred in the past. It is ongoing.... Continue Reading →
In the Day of Their Peace…
Why are we so prone to be complacent? Speaking for the Lord, the prophet Jeremiah expressed frustration with people who had failed to listen when everything was going well: I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth.Jeremiah 22:21 The prophet Mormon lamented our tendency to... Continue Reading →
“Whom I Love I Also Chasten”
In June 1833, the Lord provided corrective feedback to church members in Kirtland, Ohio. He opened the revelation with the following explanation: Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and... Continue Reading →
Grace for Grace
Near the beginning of the Gospel of John, there is an unusual statement which describes how we receive the power of God: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.John 1:16 The Greek word rendered "for" in that passage—anti (ἀντί)—actually means "in place of" or "in exchange for." What does it... Continue Reading →
Wisdom’s Paths – Helaman 12:5
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in the right paths.Proverbs 4:11 King Limhi lamented the fact that people are often unwilling to put forth the effort to gain wisdom. He further sorrowed that people often failed to follow the wisdom they had already received. "They will not seek... Continue Reading →
“Those Who Put Their Trust in Him” – Helaman 12:1
As he begins his lament about the unsteadiness and inconstancy of human beings, Mormon reiterates a core gospel principle: God is steady. God is constant. We can always rely on Him. Here is how Mormon put it: The Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him. Helaman 12:1 Some form... Continue Reading →
What Is Wisdom?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob gives us the following counsel: "O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:12). Near the end of the book, the prophet Moroni advises us, "Be wise in the days of your probation" (Mormon 9:28). The words "wisdom" and "wise" appear exactly 100... Continue Reading →
What Are the Roles of Persuasion and Punishment in Motivating Good Behavior?
This is the third of three posts in response to a question I received last week. The first post discussed God's love for us. The second discussed why God would "inflict" things on us. Today's post discusses the roles of persuasion and of punishment from God's perspective. The questioner wants to understand why a loving... Continue Reading →