When the ark of the covenant arrived in Jerusalem, the people gathered and King David delivered a psalm, which included the following words of praise: O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.1 Chronicles 16:34 Many years later, when the temple of Solomon was completed, the occasion was marked by music: singers, cymbals, psalteries,... Continue Reading →
“Open His Eyes”
When Elisha's young servant arose early one morning, he was alarmed to see the city Dothan surrounded by horses and chariots. Syria was at war with Israel, and the king of Syria had heard that Elisha was helping the king of Israel, much like Alma would later help Nephite military leaders (2 Kings 6:8-12; see... Continue Reading →
“Vaunteth Not Itself”
The word "vaunt" appears twice in the Bible: once when the Lord tells Gideon to reduce the size of his army, "lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me" (Judges 7:2), and again when the apostle Paul tells the Corinthians, "Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up...seeketh not her... Continue Reading →
Willing Hearted
On Mount Sinai, the Lord directed Moses to request an offering from the people. He made it clear that He cared about not only what they gave, but also how they gave: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my... Continue Reading →
A Prophet
When God called Moses, He didn't say, "I will make you a prophet." Instead, He described the work He needed Moses to do: tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and tell the children of Israel that God had sent him to lead them out of Egypt. (See Exodus 3.) He said, "I will be... Continue Reading →
Cleave
After creating Adam and Eve, God established the institution of marriage with these words: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.Genesis 2:24, Moses 3:24, Abraham 5:18 "Cleave" is an unusual word; it has two nearly opposite meanings, depending on the context: To split or sever something: "The mount of... Continue Reading →
Glory
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.Psalm 24:9-10 What is glory? The word appears 225 times in the King James Version of the Old Testament,... Continue Reading →
We Believe All Things
A person who has charity, according to the apostle Paul, "believeth all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7). Mormon made the same assertion in a sermon on faith, hope, and charity. (See Moroni 7:45.) And Joseph Smith included the statement in one of the Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: "We... Continue Reading →
Peacemakers
Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9, 3 Nephi 12:9). And the apostle Paul made this plea in his epistle to the Romans: "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). The prophet Mormon applied that teaching to... Continue Reading →
Angels
An angel is a messenger. The Greek word aggelos (ἄγγελος) is probably derived from the verb agó (ἄγω) which means "to bring," so an angel is someone who brings a message from God. Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi sees an expansive vision narrated by an angel. (See 1 Nephi 11-14.) Jacob... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 