My nephew, who is currently serving as a missionary in Idaho, wrote today about Omni 1:17. In this verse, the prophet Amaleki describes the state of a group of people called the Mulekites when King Mosiah and his people found them. The Mulekites had left Jerusalem at about the same time that Lehi and his... Continue Reading →
How Were the Small Plates of Nephi Preserved for So Long?
Nephi created two sets of plates. One set contained a record of the history of his people (the large plates) and the other set contained a record of his ministry (the small plates) (1 Nephi 6:3-6, 1 Nephi 9:2-4). Before Nephi's death, he delivered the small plates to his younger brother Jacob, with instructions to... Continue Reading →
“Fasting and Praying” – Omni 1:26
I've been thinking about fasting today, partly because President Nelson has invited us to participate in a worldwide fast this weekend and to pray for "relief from the physical, emotional, and economic effects" of COVID-19. I was drawn to the following plea from Amaleki, the last writer in the small plates of Nephi: Come unto... Continue Reading →
What Are the Purposes of Fasting?
Yesterday, I wrote about how the Savior's sacrifice sanctifies us—makes us holy. I also wrote that we receive the blessings of that sacrifice by offering our own sacrifices to him in a spirit of humility and contrition. Today, I've studied a specific kind of sacrifice which both predated the Savior's atonement and continues today: fasting.... Continue Reading →
How Can I Recognize the Hand of the Lord in My Life?
After warning the people of Jerusalem of their imminent destruction, Lehi was commanded by the Lord to take his family out of the city into the wilderness (1 Nephi 2:1-2). He had to defend this decision many times as the family undertook a difficult journey across the land and the sea to a promised land... Continue Reading →
What Is the Ministering of Angels?
When John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, he told them that the Aaronic Priesthood held "the keys of the ministering of angels" (Joseph Smith—History 1:69). What does that mean? In the Book of Mormon, there are many references to the ministering of angels. Nephi and his brother Jacob both tell us... Continue Reading →
What Is the Significance of God’s Promise to Nephi?
Like the prophet Abraham, Nephi received a conditional promise from the Lord with an intergenerational impact. After the Lord commanded his father, Lehi, to abandon their home in Jerusalem and "depart into the wilderness" with his family, Nephi's brothers were angry. Nephi must have also been unhappy about the sudden change, but he prayed, and... Continue Reading →
Why Is Family History Important?
Heavenly Father wants us to build strong relationships with each other, and those relationships are not limited to people who are currently living. After Lehi left Jerusalem with his family, He sent his sons back on a dangerous mission. They were to acquire a valuable spiritual record engraved on brass plates which were in the... Continue Reading →
What Do We Know About the Jaredite Plates?
Like a play within a play, the Book of Mormon, an ancient record translated by the power of God, contains a story of another ancient record which was translated by the power of God. The first mention of this record appears in the Book of Omni, near the end of the Small Plates of Nephi.... Continue Reading →
What Do Book of Mormon Prophets Teach Us About Coming Unto the Savior?
Over the last two days, I've looked at invitations to come unto Christ in the Book of Mormon. Two days ago, we reviewed Amaleki's and Moroni's final admonitions to "come unto Christ." Yesterday, we looked at passages where the Savior says, "come unto me." Today, I'm pondering the passages where prophets use the phrase "come... Continue Reading →