Scriptures
Lehi and the Brass Plates
Lehi was a descendant of Manasseh (son of Joseph) living in Jerusalem among the Jews. He had lived there “all his days.” (1 Nephi 1:4). Why? His predecessors should have been living in the northern kingdom of Israel, and have been carried away captive to Assyria in 721 B.C,
Lehi was born about 643 B.C., which would be the same year that Judah’s king, Manasseh (not Joseph’s son), died. Manasseh had a 55-year reign and filled Jerusalem with blood. (2 Kings 21:16) The worship of Jehovah had a difficult time during Manasseh’s reign. The worship of Jehovah was prohibited, its priests were put down, and all copies of the scriptures were destroyed.
Moroni
There is a well-known painting of Moroni kneeling and praying with his hands clasped over the gold plates prior to his burying them. It’s a wonderful depiction of his actions before placing the plates in the ground where they would lie undisturbed for the next 1400 years.
Read More24 Gold Plates
The book of Ether in the Book of Mormon comprises 31 pages. It was placed there by Moroni. He stated that it was his abridgment (Moroni 1:1) of the 24 gold plates found by the people of king Limhi. In the second-to-last verse of the abridgment he says, “and the hundredth part I have not written.” (Ether 15:33).
Read MoreShem, Ham, and Japheth
The eldest son, down through history, was usually preeminent, and got the birthright. But not always.
In the Book of Mormon Ammon was the leader among the four brothers, but I suspect that Aaron was the eldest. He was the one selected by the people from among the sons of Mosiah to be king Mosiah’s successor. That indicates that he was the firstborn.
Patriarch Timeline
PATRIARCH TIMELINE
Read MoreThe Value of Regular Exercise
Every year, once a year, for many years, I did something to my lower back which would cripple me for a week. I would feel a “ping,” and know that I was in trouble. In a short time I couldn’t stand straight, and became an old man as I tried to move about.
Read MoreI Have Enough
As I sat waiting for the endowment session to begin, I thanked the Lord for providing three temples within a range that makes it possible for us to attend weekly. The closest is a two-and-a-quarter hours’ drive away. The farthest of the three is a two-and-a-half hours’ drive.
Read MoreThe Greatest of All Blessings
This year (2023) I finished and published for the family That Ye May Learn Wisdom. Marjorie and I are reading several articles per day from it. This year we have read all of the other books which preceded it. She’s worried that we’re going through these too fast, and will finish. We are astonished at how inspirational and good the articles are. My opinion is that these books should stand next to the scriptures to be used in teaching my children and grandchildren of every generation. I am grateful beyond words that I wrote these thoughts. I am astounded at what I’ve done. These things have great value. These books contain over a thousand articles.
Read MoreTurning Up the Lights
In 1941 electricity came to our farm west of Haines. I wasn’t around then. Prior to that time my parents lighted their house with kerosene lamps. Dad wired the old house, and hung a single light bulb from the ceiling in the center of each room. A string hung from the bulbs, which you pulled to turn on the lights. My 9-year-old sister and 7-year-old brother spent the next week entertaining themselves by going into a dark room, twirling in circles until their hands contacted and pulled the string, and then exclaiming, “How did we ever even see before?!!” The contrast between the light emitted by a kerosene lamp and a 75-watt bulb was dramatic.
Read MoreAstonishment
This morning I finished reading the book of Luke. I am rereading the New Testament. I am astonished all over again at the wisdom in the gospels, at the acts of Jesus, at His graciousness, at His sacrifice, at His love, and at the wonderful thing which Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John did when they determined to tell Jesus’ story, and sat themselves down to record what they saw and what they knew. Their words are powerful. Their testimonies are believable. Their words are life changing to those whose hearts and minds are open to the Spirit.
Read MoreThe Book of Elijah
It occurs to me that at least one of our major, and most important, prophets left no book that he authored. I think that unusual. I refer to Elijah. Every other major prophet was commanded to write, and left inspired words to guide and teach us.
Read MoreGroping in the Dark
Our former stake patriarch, Elmer Perry, once told of a terrifying experience he had while driving on a dark night on a highway with no center line or shoulder lines during a heavy rain storm. With limited vision, and no lines to guide him, he couldn’t tell whether he was on the road or not.
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 MoreEzekiel
It has been many a year since I last read the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. I am rereading it to see what I may have missed, and to make note of the valuable and usable things that are therein. They are few. Most of the book is a compilation of prophecies against the Jewish nation, and against her enemies, which were long ago fulfilled.
Read MoreYou Have Enough
I’ve complained to my wife that I need more scripture. At the approach of each general conference I wonder if President Nelson might announce the publication of the Brass Plates, or of the writings of Joseph which were on the other papyrus which was discovered with the Egyptian mummies, or perhaps he’ll announce the publication of some other ancient scripture that we have been promised to someday have. I have even prayed for additional scripture.
Read MoreSo Much that We Don’t Know
The scriptures can be maddening. There is so much that we don’t know. Hints are given, but we don’t know the stories behind the hints, and we’re not yet privileged to have the full accounts.
Read MoreTriad of Truth
In the April 2012 general conference Elder L. Tom Perry commented that neither the Bible nor the Book of Mormon is sufficient alone. That made me wonder if the two of them together are sufficient without the words of our modern prophets. My answer is no.
Read MoreWilliam Tyndale
If I was to make a short list of the individuals who have made the most significant, positive impacts upon the world in the past 2000 years, I would list Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Christopher Columbus, and William Tyndale.
Read MoreHelps From Heaven
Our Father in Heaven is fixated upon one primary, ultimate, supreme goal. All of His great love and wisdom is concentrated upon doing all in His power, short of force, to return us, His children, to Him. He says, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39). In our quest to find Him, and learn to implicitly follow and obey Him, He has given us helps, which if properly utilized, cannot help but safely lead us home to His presence.
Read MoreJosiah and Lehi—Contemporaries
Cover of “In a Grove of Aspens”
Read MoreImmersing Ourselves in the Scriptures
The first law of thermodynamics says that energy in a system cannot be created or destroyed. It can, however, be converted into another form, or transferred to another system.
Read MoreStaying Anchored
Family letter 8 March 2006
Abby asked me an interesting question. She wondered if I would prefer to die in a world being flooded by water or in a world being burned by fire.
Enos and His Prayers
I am on my 76th reading of the Book of Mormon. I was astounded, as I read the book of Enos, to gain a whole new perspective on that book.
Read MoreThe Wonder of the Gospels
A certain man sat in his quiet house reading the gospels. He’d read them all before, but this time it was as if he was hearing the stories for the first time.
Read MoreRecommended Reading in the Scriptures
Old Testament = 1,184 pages = 48% of all scripture; New Testament = 403 pages = 16% of all scripture
Read MoreWill a Man Rob God?
In 1974 I graduated from college, and we bought our ranch at the base of the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon.
Read MoreDivine Instruments
It strikes me that throughout scriptural history the Lord has provided mankind with a number of amazingly divine and miraculous instruments
Read MoreOther Ancient Records
The first few sections of the Doctrine and Covenants can be maddeningly tantalizing. Many of those sections talk about the translation of the Nephite record,…
Read MoreSpiritual Stamina
While teaching the Young Single Adults in institute this week I was marveling over how quickly the Nephites could turn from righteousness to rebellion…
Read MoreFormulas For Life
“Repentance needs to be done one step at a time. Humble prayer will facilitate each essential step.
Read MorePreserved
A lesson that I was to teach paired up two passages in the Book of Mormon concerning the reasons that Lehi’s sons were commanded to return to Jerusalem to get the brass plates.
Read MoreTaking Things for Granted
We have so very much, and take it all for granted. Take the scriptures, for example. I am rereading the New Testament…
Read MoreThe Superlative Book
The 1981 Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants states that “…this book (is) of great value…
Read MoreThe Trial That Is the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a trial. It’s not a trial to read it—quite the contrary. It is a joy.
Read MoreSuperlative Books
The Christmas and New Year’s holidays forced a 2-week vacation from Institute. I taught my first Institute lesson of the year last night. I’m now really excited about the new course of study.
Read MoreThe Records
I have a theory that I’ve written about before, which I would like to expand upon. This is conjectural, not doctrinal, but is pieced together from hints given in the scriptures.
Read MoreThere is Always More
As a teenage boy, Nephi heard his father, Lehi, tell about an important dream he had had about the tree of life. Nephi pondered over what his father had said. He sincerely wanted to know what the dream meant, and to know what impact it might have in his own life.
Read MoreAvailability of Scriptures Through the Ages
The people in the days of Noah and the Children of Israel had no stability because they had no scriptures. Are you any better off than them if you have the scriptures and don’t read them?
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