Several passages in the book of Proverbs are directed to parents, reminding them of their responsibilities toward their children. Here is my favorite one: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 There is so much hope and optimism in that statement—parents' efforts... Continue Reading →
We Love Thy House
Based on: Psalm 26 Core message: We long to be in sacred spaces because we look forward to being in God's presence. Related Book of Mormon passages: 2 Nephi 12, 2 Nephi 19:2-3
“Set Thine House in Order”
King Hezekiah provided steady, fearless leadership to his people during the invasion of the Assyrian army, the same army which had destroyed their northern neighbors. After the Assyrians withdrew, Hezekiah faced a more personal challenge: He became ill and was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, who had fortified Hezekiah's faith throughout the invasion, now... Continue Reading →
My Ebenezer
Near the end of Joshua's life, he called his people together and challenged them to commit to follow God. They made a covenant to obey and serve God. In order to remind them of their covenant, Joshua "took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord." He told... Continue Reading →
“Keep Thy Soul Diligently”
Remembering spiritual experiences and staying faithful to them doesn't just happen. It requires intentional effort on our part. As the children of Israel prepared to enter the promised land, Moses gave them a warning: Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy... Continue Reading →
Thou Shalt Not Covet
The first nine commandments are all about our behavior, but the tenth commandment is about our desires. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.Exodus 20:17, Mosiah 13:24 The word "covet" can mean simply to... Continue Reading →
There Was Bread
Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams—seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine—but perhaps more importantly, he was able to give good advice: Let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.And let them gather all the food of those good years... Continue Reading →
Being Created
First, three premises: To create something doesn't mean to bring it into existence. It means to organize preexisting materials in a new way. (See Joseph Smith's explanation of the Hebrew word bara' (בָּרָא) as recorded by William Clayton, General Conference, April 1844.)The Creation isn't an event that occurred in the past. It is ongoing. (See... Continue Reading →
Nothingness
Moses stood in God's presence. He was only able to survive the experience because God's glory strengthened Him. When God departed, Moses fell to the earth, too weak to stand. He learned an important lesson from that experience. "For this cause," he said, "I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed"... Continue Reading →
Edifying
It's a lot easier to destroy things than to build them. That imbalance creates one of the conundrums of life: you can spend an awfully lot of time and energy creating something which can be demolished with very little effort. "Destroy this temple," said Jesus, "and in three days I will raise it up" (John... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 