Obedience
Survivors
It is fascinating to think that the sole survivors of the Jaredite and Nephite civilizations were both prophets of the Lord. Why was that so?
It was not accidental. It was by design and was orchestrated by the Lord. It was done so that a record could be left as an aid and a guide for future generations.
When Angels Speak
When angels speak, we would do well
To quickly go, for who can tell
What might befall if we delay
Go do it now, this very day.
Joseph
“Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.
Spiritual Lay-ups
If you’re a good basketball player, and are tall enough, and can jump high enough, you can do a lay-up. You accomplish a lay-up when you leap three feet into the air and simply dunk the basketball into the 10-foot-high net. The crowd cheers, and you run down the floor with the feeling that you’ve done something great.
Read MoreImmediate Obedience
I just got this wonderful email from Heidi in response to an article that I sent to the family. This is very reinforcing. It thrills me to think that I’m reaching and influencing a 9-year-old grandson.
“We feel so blessed to have your writings and are inspired by them regularly! They are a part of our morning devotionals. What a gift to us and all the generations to come!
From Last Place to First
The Kentucky Derby in 2022 was won by a horse named Rich Strike. The top 20 horses in the country qualify to enter the derby. Rich Strike was number 21; but just before the derby began, one of the 20 other horses had to drop out, putting Rich Strike in. He was rated last, and was late getting out of the gate. He was initially one of the last three horses in the pack. He wove in and out among the horses, and passed one after another until there were only two running ahead of him. He put on a burst of speed, and passed them by a length to win the Kentucky Derby. It was a hugely exciting race.
Read MoreKeeping the Sabbath
Rocky made a very hopeful beginning, but eventually became too busy to attend church. He looked for excuses to not keep and observe other church practices. He purchased a classic Chevrolet Malibu, and gave it a beautiful black and gold paint job. He put the car up for sale, and immediately got a response. The man was coming on Sunday to see it, and would definitely buy it. Rocky said that he’d hold it for him. Many calls were received thereafter from others who were interested, but he told them all that he had already sold the car.
Read MoreCOVID Test
When Jesus appeared to the Nephites He first identified Himself and invited the multitude to come forward to feel His wounds and to verify that He was, indeed, the crucified Savior. He then called twelve disciples and gave them authority to baptize and to be His representatives in preaching and administering His doctrine. He turned His attention to the multitude and declared these words which have profound implications for our own day:
Read MoreRoping the Bear
Each Friday morning we four siblings get together to walk and visit. Today Ellen repeated a story about our father that, surprisingly, neither Tim nor Mac had ever heard.
Read MoreOld Testament Observations
Today, 27 December 2020, I completed a reading of the Old Testament. It has taken a long time. I read the Old Testament in the left-over days between scheduled readings of the Book of Mormon. On numerous occasions I have undertaken other readings of the Old Testament, have gotten halfway through, and have had to quit because my spirit wasn’t being fed. This time I stopped and started many times, but always resumed where I’d left off.
Read MoreIf You Look for It, You’ll Find It
Across the freeway from the tiny community of Perry, Oregon is a high cliff. If you’re traveling north on the freeway and scan the cliff to your left, you’ll likely see mountain goats. They like those cliffs because there is plenty of greenery for them to eat; and predators, like cougars, don’t go there. It’s perfect goat habitat.
Read MoreThe Fulness of Mine Intent
Nephi wrote that “the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto (God).” (1 Nephi 6:4).
What is the fulness of mine intent? What is yours?
Do It Now
Marjorie attended BYU’s 2008 Education Week. One lecturer told how his father-in-law called home one day and asked if his teenagers were snowmobiling. A daughter answered the phone, and told him that they were. He told her that he had an uneasy feeling about it, and asked her to go tell them to put the snow mobiles away.
Read MoreWhat Good Would That Do?
Ralph Swenson was once filling potholes with asphalt when a voice asked him, “Do you have your year’s supply?”
Read MoreIn the World but not of it
Sunday I went early to church to see a member of an earlier ward, and then sat in my pickup finishing the lesson preparation for my 11-year-old Primary class. With the front of my pickup nosed into the bushes that line the east fence of the parking lot, I became aware of rustlings in the dry leaves, and of the soft noises that quail make as they talk to one another.
Read MoreIllusions of Greatness
I just arose from a very disturbing dream. I was told that one of my good friends and Church members was now a general in the adversary’s army. He came riding by on a horse at the head of this army. He was way in advance of the army, so he was the only individual that I saw. But I caught a glimpse of his face. This is what was so disturbing about the dream. I initially couldn’t believe that he could have fallen so far as to lead Satan’s army, but it was him all right. I could recognize his former self and former countenance, but it had changed so much as to be almost unbelievable. The shine was gone. His strength and vitality and handsomeness were gone. He was ugly. He had aged dramatically. He couldn’t keep his head upright. It tilted badly to the side, and there was an inner trembling and shakiness evident.
Read MoreWhere Am I in this Picture?
I’d like to paint some pictures for you, and ask you a question. The first picture is actually already painted. It’s the picture of Noah standing on a pile of logs, with arms upraised, as he harangues the jeering and mocking crowd that has gathered to make fun of him for building a huge boat up on a wooded mountain. He’s plainly exasperated by their hard-headedness and hard-heartedness, and they’re plainly convinced that he is out of his mind.
Read MoreThe Dam Has Broken
I would like to tell of two events which took place in my neighborhood. Just over a century ago a tragedy occurred about five miles south of my house. On a night in June 1896 the seven members of the Clark French family retired to their beds in their home at
Read MoreFollow the Prophet
Listening to prophets and paying heed to their counsels can save us physically as well as spiritually.
Read MoreAfter the Manner of Men
Nephi was not a natural man. Neither was he an unnatural man. He might more properly be called a supernatural man.
Read MoreFormulas For Life
“Repentance needs to be done one step at a time. Humble prayer will facilitate each essential step.
Read MoreZoram—Essential to the Plan
As I begin another reading of the Book of Mormon my attention is drawn to Zoram and to the key role that he played in the saga.
Read MoreThe Yoke of Christ
My piano-playing wife has a new, favorite composer. Through all of our married life she has daily been at the piano playing Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Scott Joplin, and the like.
Read MoreExodus Events
As I read about the events leading up to the destructions of the Nephites and the Jaredites, I always wonder why some of the people didn’t see what was coming and run.
Read MoreThe Lord Doth Immediately Bless You
In my reading this morning, a word has arrested my attention. The word is “immediate.” The verse I read said, “And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God.” (Mosiah 25:10).
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