When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, he explained not only the events which the dreams foretold but also the effect of those events on the people. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten... Continue Reading →
Spirit
Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.Luke 24:39 Thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ, a prophet known as the brother of Jared saw and spoke with Him. After pointing out that He looked like a human being, Jesus explained: Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man... Continue Reading →
Poured Out
As Jacob traveled to Padan-aram to live with his uncle, he had a dream in which the Lord renewed the promise He had made to Jacob's father and grandfather. Waking the next morning, Jacob built a stone pillar and poured oil on it as a form of worship. (See Genesis 28:18.) Years later, after Jacob... Continue Reading →
Filled with Joy, Filled with Sorrow – Mosiah 25:8-11
The apostle Paul gave the following admonition to followers of Jesus Christ: "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep" (Romans 12:15). Alma gave a similar admonition to his people at the waters of Mormon. He told them that their baptism included a promise to "mourn with those that mourn" (Mosiah... Continue Reading →
The Legacies of Limhi’s People and Alma’s People
Sometimes it's only in retrospect that we recognize the significance of our experiences, both in terms of our own spiritual growth and in terms of their influence on other people. We've been studying this week about two groups of people—the people of Limhi and the people of Alma—both of whom endured a difficult period of... Continue Reading →
Ammon Was a Mulekite.
Several hundred years after Nephi fled from his brothers "into the wilderness, with all those who would go with [him]" (2 Nephi 5:5), a man named Mosiah was warned by God to do the same. We don't have a lot of details about him, but he lived in the land of Nephi, which had been... Continue Reading →
What Should I Be Thankful For?
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States. In preparation for that holiday, I have been thinking about some of the things I am thankful for. Here are some ideas that occurred to me as I studied the Book of Mormon today: I'm grateful to be alive (Mosiah 2:20-21, Mosiah 7:12). I'm grateful for food and... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Be Ordained?
We generally think of order as a good thing and its opposite—disarray, mismanagement, or chaos—as a bad thing. Most of us work hard to organize our lives and to fulfill our responsibilities in an orderly way. Furthermore, when we participate in an organization, we want to see evidence that things have been thought through, that... Continue Reading →
What Is a High Priest?
After leading the children of Israel out of slavery, Moses consecrated his brother Aaron and Aaron's sons to serve as priests. They were given special clothing to wear, but Aaron's clothing was distinct from the others. He wore a vest or apron called the ephod (אֵפוֹד). He wore a breastplate which contained the Urim and... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Relationship Between Church and State?
Before the time of King Mosiah, religion and government were commingled in Nephite society. Mosiah's father, King Benjamin, had served not only as the political leader but also as the spiritual leader of his people, and Mosiah had followed suit. But when Alma arrived with a group of people whom he had organized into a... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 