God wants His children to marry and raise children. When that is not possible, we can follow the example of Adam and Eve while they were still in the Garden of Eden: multiplying and replenishing the earth by tending the personal gardens in which God has placed us.
Blossoming, Flourishing, and Rejoicing
God loves us and wants us to flourish. He uses that word, and the words "blossom" and "rejoice," to describe Jacob, the Lamanites and Zion, echoing Isaiah's prophecy that the desert would "blossom as the rose." We help our loved ones flourish by accentuating the positive, teaching correct principles, and fostering independence.
“Thou Hast Been Enlightened”
We may receive an answer to a prayer before we realize that we have received an answer to a prayer. God explained to Oliver Cowdery that he had been enlightened many times by the Spirit of Truth. Jesus declared that a group of Lamanites had been baptized by fire without being aware of it. They had experienced the miracle, but they didn't yet have the gospel context to fully grasp its meaning.
A Job Description for Servants of God
Doctrine and Covenants 4 reads like a job description. It states the need, the expectations, the compensation, and two lists of qualifications. We don't need all of those qualifications to get started. With God's help, we can develop them as we serve.
Your Awful Situation
A secret combination is a group of people who are oath-bound to hide one another's sins. Moroni warned us to be aware of these groups and not to let them spread. We do this by valuing integrity over loyalty and by not hiding or rationalizing wrongdoing.
The Prosperity of the Church
How can you tell when the church is doing well? Its members are growing closer to the Savior and therefore experiencing increased joy and becoming more holy. Other people want to be part of it. Growth in numbers is matched by individual spiritual growth.
“An Exceedingly Curious Man”
Mormon called Hagoth "an exceedingly curious man," but credited him with initiating an enormous Nephite migration northward. The lesson: Don't be dismissive of curious people with unusual ideas. Those ideas may be just what you need to move forward.
A Tower to Get to Heaven
Sometime after the Great Flood, the descendants of Noah were gathered in a place called Shinar, which later became known as Babylonia. They collectively resolved to build "a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven." They viewed this project as a way to avoid being "scattered abroad upon the face of the... Continue Reading →
My Brother’s Keeper
What happened to Cain? He was the son of Adam and Eve, devout parents who taught their children to worship God. (See Moses 5:1-12.) Yet after his brother's offering was accepted and his was not, Cain became angry. "Why art thou wroth?" asked the Lord. "and why is thy countenance fallen?" (Genesis 4:6, Moses 5:22).... Continue Reading →
Mother Eve
Among the biblical characters Joseph F. Smith saw in his vision of the Redemption of the Dead, was "our glorious Mother Eve" (Doctrine and Covenants 138:39). In the Hebrew Bible, her name appears as Chavvah (חַוָּה), which means "life." She was given this name because she was "the mother of all living," or in other... Continue Reading →