After receiving poor advice from Memucan and dealing with a power-hungry prince named Haman, King Ahasuerus must have been relieved to find Mordecai, a humble man of integrity. Even though the main character in the book of Esther is the queen herself, her cousin and mentor Mordecai is a constant presence throughout the book, acting... Continue Reading →
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 →
“They Had Sworn in Their Hearts That They Would Return” – Mosiah 19:19
Sometimes the hardest part of repentance is facing the social consequences of what you have done. I was thinking yesterday about the men who obeyed King Noah's order to abandon their wives and children when the Lamanites attacked (Mosiah 19:11). The decision was instinctive, made under chaotic and confusing circumstances. It was a cowardly decision,... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Serve God “with All Diligence of Mind?”
The people of King Limhi had every reason to feel hopeless. Their enemies, the Lamanites, had conquered their city. They were required to pay half of all they possessed as tribute to the Lamanite king (Mosiah 19:26). Three times, they had attacked the Lamanite armies, hoping to regain their freedom. Three times, they had been... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Obedience?
Some form of the word "obey" appears 31 times in the Book of Mormon: Book # Occurences 1 Nephi 4 2 Nephi 6 Jacob 5 Mosiah 7 Alma 9 TOTAL 31 "I must obey." Obedience is a very important topic for Nephi, and he frames most of his story in terms of the response of... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Anger?
As we've discussed the last couple of days: We feel sadness when something bad happens to us or to someone we love. We feel fear when we think something bad is likely to happen to us or to someone we love. Anger is also triggered by a negative experience. But unlike sadness and fear, anger... Continue Reading →
There Were Many That Would Not Leave Them – Mosiah 19:11-12
11 Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites. 12 Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them. And the rest left their wives and their children and... Continue Reading →
There Were Many that Would Not Leave Them – Mosiah 19:11-12
11 Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites.12 Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them. And the rest left their wives and their children and fled.(Mosiah... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 