And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, … Read more
There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated-And when we receive any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it was predicated. Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 In an Elder’s Quorum lesson recently, we were discussing the scripture above … Read more
When he grew old, the Old Testament prophet Samuel appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Unfortunately, they “turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgement” (1 Samuel 8:3). Weary of corrupt government, the elders of Israel came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king to rule over them. (1 … Read more
In the Sermon on the Mount, immediately after Jesus tells His followers to lay up treasures in heaven, not Earth, and says “Ye cannot serve God AND mammon,” He told his followers to stop worrying about food and clothing. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or … Read more
The Sermon on the Mount contains some disturbing messages for people who want to identify as Christian but do not want to change their lives. Jesus makes it very clear that one must choose between following Him or pursuing the material things of this world. No man can serve two masters: for either he will … Read more
The “Golden Rule” is often considered to be a one sentence summary of what Christianity is all about. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12 Jesus said this in the context of promising that … Read more
The Beatitudes are the eight blessings pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Each one begins with the words “Blessed are…” If you count Matthew 5:11 separately, there are nine beatitudes, but most commentators consider verse eleven to be an extension of verse 10. Definition of “Blessed” Among other definitions, the Oxford dictionary … Read more
This week in Sunday School we discussed the event in Luke 4:16-30 when Jesus read Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue in Nazareth and announced that the scripture was fulfilled that day in him. Sunday School classes typically emphasize the “no prophet is accepted in his own country” (Matthew 4:24) part of the story and the … Read more