Post archive: page 8

It's never just a little

A few particular points of the law

In 67 or 66 BC, the Nephites had things pretty good. As far as the military goes, they'd been winning wars left an right. And they didn't even lose a single soldier in the most recent battle. Plus, things were great at home, too. They'd built a lot of cities and there were peace and prosperity in the land:

And in...

When brothers become enemies

Often called the "Psalm of Nephi" because it follows the rich Hebraic poetic structure of the Psalms of David and Solomon, 2 Nephi 4 is one of the most emotive and power chapters is one of the most emotive and powerful chapters in all of Scripture in my opinion.

Personal Conversion, Personal Savior

Every man for himself!

In this Church, we take seriously God's command to watch out for each other "both temporally and spiritually." We contribute fast offerings. We clean yards. We home and visit teach, ahem, minister to each other. We know that it is our duty to be our brother's keeper and that we must work together as wards, stakes, quorums, classes, and families to assist in the...

Noised abroad immediately

Christ first appeared to the Nephites in 3 Nephi 11. That initial visit lasted all day and concluded with His ascension into heaven at the end of chapter 18 with the promise to return the next day. Chapter 19 records the response of the Nephites, starting with "And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ascended into heaven, …" But before I continue with what that chapter actually...

Satan can't hit a moving target

I don't know why the war chapters get such a bad rap. I hear people complain about them all the time, lumping them right up there with the genealogy and "compare Isaiah" chapters. I don't think that's really fair. I love the war chapters. Chapter after chapter of doctrinal exposition gets kind of overwhelming (and or boring) after a while and I start to wish I could just read a...

The Immediate Atonement

The Atonement of Christ is the center of our faith. But it's also the principle of our faith that is probably hardest to understand. Not just because it's infinite beyond the scope of our mortal minds, but because the whole notion that Christ could pay for sins He didn't commit just kind of blows our minds. I don't know anyone who has claimed to look at the calculus of the...

Even among the Lamanites

It was 18 BC. Nephi, the prophet, had recently returned from his mission to the land of the North, only to find that the Gadianton robbers had taken control of the government. The Nephites were in a very spiritually low place, to say the least. Nephi miraculously announced the murder of the chief judge, but it had little to no effect on the hearts of the people (signs never...

Fun movie. Serious spiritual lessons.

On Friday night, my wife and I were able to get out of the house and go on a date. And despite being really tired, we didn't just grab a bite to eat and come home to crash this time. It was a real date. Dinner and a movie. It was wonderful. When my wife and I got home, it was pretty late, and we were back to feeling tired....

That time Pres. Nelson fulfilled a prophecy

A little while ago, I stumbled across this prophecy of Isaiah, repeated by Christ to the Nephite multitudes. Foretelling the expansion of the Gospel during this last dispensation, He quoted:

And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

–...

Visited in our afflictions

Enduring wrong

Things have been difficult for me and my family recently. We've been hit by deaths, cancer, mental health problems, and a lot of other bad news from friends and family we know and love. These situations weigh heavily on the minds of my immediate, extended, and ward family. And then there's the awful Florida school shooting, rising international tensions, and increasing level of vitriol and hatred from...

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