At the end of the Sunday Morning session of the April 2023 General Conference, LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson expressed concern about the loss of civility and decency in the world. Civility and decency seem to have disappeared during this era of polarization and passionate disagreements. Vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking of others are … Read more
Our institutions of democracy and law have been under vicious attack for years now – that is from within, not from without the United States. And these vicious attacks are unsustainable and unendurable. They’ve already taken their toll on American democracy and American law in their impact, and the consequence of their impact, on the … 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
People do not usually grow more open and flexible as they age. We tend to become settled in our habits of behavior and in our opinions. We cluster comfortably into groups of like-minded folks and shake our heads at those who live, think, and behave differently than we do. Because we find safety in the … 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