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Practical Applications of Christ’s Teachings I wish I had better words for what I want to say today. Going into this week’s study, I knew that I would not be able to clarify anything the Savior taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Instead, I will share my thoughts about what these teachings have done […]

Semantics, Salvation, Symbols, and Spirit Today’s message will focus on four different but related themes. Before I get into the meat of my thoughts, I want to mention the beginning of the miracles; turning water into wine. This miracle, along with the miracle of the loaves and fishes, baffles me. It is easier for me

Preparing For Temptation As I read about the Savior’s forty days in the wilderness and subsequent temptations, I was impressed with how he handled each of them. First, having eaten nothing for that extended period would devastate him and make him desperate for relief. Those conditions made him most vulnerable to temptation, and Satan pounced.

Into The Wilderness This week we read about John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. The extent to which John was in tune with the Spirit is evidenced by the fact that he immediately recognized the Savior as the Lamb of God. Then after the baptism, he saw the Holy Ghost, “a bodily shape,”

Words: Unimaginable Power Of the four Gospels, John is my favorite because it takes away the ambiguities of the Godhead and our relationship with each member. Great thinkers and theologians seem baffled about how to describe God, but the words of Jesus found in John’s gospel are unambiguous. If I have to choose between centuries

If You Are Wise, You Will Look To The Star This week as I read the account of the wise men in Matthew chapter two, I was struck by their ability to observe the heavens, see the new star, and connect it with the prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah. After doing a little

Faith and Impossibility Today I will be very brief and start on a personal note. This week has been very different for me. It has been horrible, but maybe in a good way. I don’t know how much I will share publicly if any. I will simply say that I understood myself less than I

For The Power Is In Them A few years ago, I became aware that many people fail to think for themselves. Every society in every country has a set of norms that are promoted in educational, cultural, and religious practices (or lack thereof) that program their citizens to fit into their ideologies. People want to

The Condescension of God In a vision, the prophet Nephi sees an angel of the Lord that says to him, “Nephi, what beholdest thou?” Nephi responded, “A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.” Then the angel asked, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” This vision was given to Nephi when he wanted

The Corrupting Influence of Familiarity The first chapter of Malachi describes how people, loved by the Lord, fail to love and respect him in return. Verses six and thirteen describe it this way, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if