When the Old Testament Kingdoms of Israel and Judah were on the brink of destruction, the Lord through His prophets described a condition wherein He would refuse to hear the prayers of the people. 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even … Read more
A baby. Christmas is all about a baby. A baby is the essence of human potential; and this baby housed the immortal spirit that created this world, unleashed the Flood, tested Abraham, and gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they … Read more
Angels do not come on trivial errands, to deliver books for occasional light reading to people whom they do not really concern. The matter in the Book of Mormon was selected, as we are often reminded, with scrupulous care and with particular readers in mind. For some reason there has been chosen for our attention … Read more
When the early church began to grow in power and influence and worldliness, the ancient doctrine of the Two Ways was quickly replaced by the doctrine of the Two Parties. The former specified that there lies before every mortal, at every moment of his life, a choice between the Way of Light and the Way … Read more
In the earliest Hebrew religion there were several Gods. El Elyon (God Most High, El), His wife, El Shaddai (Elat, Asherah, Wisdom, Sophia), and their Son, Jehovah (The Lord God). In Proverbs, chapter 8, the female Goddess, Wisdom, speaks about how she, too, was present at the creation. When he prepared the heavens, I was … Read more
This past Sunday, I taught a lesson on the martyrdom of Joseph Smith to the Gospel Doctrine class in my ward. Rather than use the manual, I created a timeline using the History of the Church, Volume 6, as my primary source. (I have added this timeline, and the related class resources I compiled, to … Read more