Throughout the scriptures, we are counseled to overcome our fears. God told Abraham, Hagar, and Jacob to "fear not" as they passed through troubling experiences (Genesis 15:1, Genesis 21:17, Genesis 46:3). Moses told the Israelites not to be afraid when they saw the glory of the Lord on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:20). Then, as they... Continue Reading →
The Book of Judges and the Book of Mormon
Did the authors of the Book of Mormon have access to the book of Judges? They did have the brass plates, which contained "the five books of Moses...and also a record of the Jews...and also the prophecies of the holy prophets" (1 Nephi 5:10-13). It seems reasonable to assume that some version of the book... Continue Reading →
God Remembered Rachel
Rachel was in love. At least, that's what I infer from the biblical text. We read that Jacob loved Rachel and that he worked seven years for the right to marry her, "and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her" (Genesis 29:20). But after her father tricked Jacob into also marrying... Continue Reading →
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He didn't introduce Himself as the Creator of the Universe or as the Father of all people. He didn't say where He lives or what He is trying to accomplish. Instead, He introduced Himself in terms of three of Moses's ancestors: I am the God of thy father, the God... Continue Reading →
“I Did Eat”
The first step in abandoning a sin is recognizing that it exists. If we are unwilling to admit that we have done something wrong, we are likely to continue making the same mistake over and over again. When God approached Adam and Eve after their transgression in the Garden of Eden, He gave them the... 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 →
Preside
After Alma organized the church at the waters of Mormon, he and his people fled for their lives from the armies of King Noah. Arriving in a new land, which they called the land of Helam, they began to organize themselves as an independent community. After warning his people to be careful whom they chose... Continue Reading →
“Build Up Cities”
When the Lord warned Nephi to flee from his brothers, he did not go alone. He took with him everyone who "believed in the warnings and the revelations of God" (1 Nephi 5:5-6). They traveled many days in the wilderness and chose a place to settle, where they constructed buildings, planted crops, and established a new community.... Continue Reading →
After Much Tribulation
Hard times happen for a reason. The changes we need to make, the growth God wants us to experience, don't come easily. When life seems particularly difficult, we may be experiencing a "growth spurt." When the prophet Abinadi was executed by King Noah, Alma, who had been one of Noah's priests, was horrified at what... Continue Reading →
The High Council of the Church of Christ
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.Proverbs 11:14 Alma was troubled. As the high priest over the church, he had taught church members "that there should be no contention one with another," but that they should have "their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another" (Mosiah 18:21). He taught them... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 