After urging his people to take upon themselves the name of Christ, informing them that this is the name by which God will call them, and reminding them that they needed to serve Him in order to know Him, King Benjamin ended his final sermon by expressing his hope that the people would be "steadfast... Continue Reading →
“Blotted Out” – Mosiah 1:12, Mosiah 5:11
King Benjamin told his son Mosiah that he was going to give his people "a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression" (Mosiah 1:12). When the people gathered, Benjamin shared some things he had learned from an angel. Among the teachings of the angel was the importance of the name... Continue Reading →
“Take upon You the Name of Christ” – Mosiah 5:8
King Benjamin told his son Mosiah that he had two reasons to call the people together: to declare that Mosiah was now the king, and to give the people "a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression" (Mosiah 1:12). After the people heard his message about Jesus Christ, they repented... Continue Reading →
“He Changed Their Hearts” – Alma 5:7
This past Sunday, Elder David A. Bednar taught us about the central role of our hearts in the gospel of Jesus Christ: The word heart is used over 1,000 times in the standard works. This simple but significant word often denotes the inner feelings of an individual. Our hearts—the sum total of our desires, affections,... Continue Reading →
Justice and Mercy
Today I've been pondering the relationship between two of God's attributes: justice and mercy. Multiple Book of Mormon prophets teach us that God is both just and merciful, including Lehi (2 Nephi 2:12), Nephi (2 Nephi 11:5), Jacob (Jacob 4:10), King Benjamin (Mosiah 5:15), Alma (Alma 42:15), and Mormon (3 Nephi 26:5, Mormon 6:22). It's... Continue Reading →
How Can I “Always Abound in Good Works?”
We are all imperfect. We make mistakes every day, and we all wish we had more knowledge, more skill, and more wisdom. But even in our imperfect state, we are all capable of doing good works. After the people of King Benjamin prayed and received a forgiveness of their sins, Benjamin taught them that they... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Become the Sons and Daughters of Christ?
After the people of King Benjamin received a remission of their sins and entered a covenant with God, he told them that they had become the sons and daughters of Christ: Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this... Continue Reading →
What Should I Teach My Children?
In the Book of Mormon we read what fathers like Lehi and Alma taught their children. We also read about men and women—including Enos, Alma, and Abish—benefitting from things they had learned years before from their parents. Today, I pondered some instructions from a prophet about what parents should teach their children. After the people... Continue Reading →
What Should I Think About?
One test of integrity is what you choose to do when no one is watching. So a powerful indication of our character is what we choose to think about. We generally assume that our thoughts are private, that no one else knows what we're thinking unless we tell them. Of course that may not be... 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 →