On March 31, 2018, I recorded the following brief entry in my journal after Russell M. Nelson was sustained as the 17th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “I had a powerful experience during the solemn assembly this morning. I absolutely know that Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God.”…
Tag: following the prophet
4 Promises about Reading the Book of Mormon from Latter-day Prophets
There are many blessings that come from reading the Book of Mormon. In my lifetime, I specifically remember heeding the challenges quoted below and receiving the promised blessings.
Brazen
[Note: This post was inspired by an insightful text from my brother who wrote to me—“It’s all about looking at the serpent on the staff. It may not solve everything, but we did get the miracle we needed…we’re just not accepting it. And good people are passing because of it.”] After Moses led the people…
Distort. Turn from truth. Twist. Pervert.
Context is important. I was intrigued by a recent article that accused someone of “quote mining”. A new term to me, it basically means to purposefully take “quotes out of context in order to make them seemingly agree with the point of view you are trying to get across.”1 I thought of the quote mining article…
What Do You Refuse to Know?
One verse stands out to me in Alma 10. Amulek, speaking of the reasons he was not fully engaged as a member before he was commanded by an angel to return home, take care of Alma, and be blessed by him: “Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and…
King Noah’s New Clothes
King Noah almost listened to Abinadi. Then the voices around him drowned out the truth with exactly what he wanted to hear. His story raises an uncomfortable question for us: When God challenges what we already believe, are we willing to listen, or do we simply find more agreeable voices?
Give the Lord Equal Time
The voices competing for our attention can be persuasive, intelligent, and sincere. Jacob’s encounter with Sherem suggests that discernment begins somewhere deeper: becoming familiar with the Lord’s voice. His simple explanation for why he could not be shaken offers a powerful pattern for navigating our own noisy world today.
A Formula for Hope
When the commotion of the world starts to overwhelm us, Nephi offers a surprisingly simple pattern for finding hope. It begins with more than reading scripture. It asks us to listen, apply what we learn, and allow those truths to lead us toward the One who gives us reason to hope.
We Follow Because We Can See
Disputing or Inquiring? In a previous post, I wrote about how Laman’s and Lemuel’s troubles stemmed from a lack of testimony. As Nephi’s record unfolds, that reality becomes increasingly evident. At the beginning of 1 Nephi 15, Nephi comes upon Laman and Lemuel “disputing one with another” (read: arguing — or at best, debating) about…