Episodes
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January 27-February 2
Joseph does not shy away from humbly including Section 3 in the Doctrine and Covenants, where he is severely chastened by the Lord for a failing. He could have hid it or polished it up to preserve his image, but because he is so honest, we not only get to see firsthand, the spiritual development of a prophet, but he also gives us all a deep teaching: “You should not have feared man more than God” (Doctrine and Covenants 3:7).
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Missing episodes?
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January 13-19
In every dispensation of the world a witness is called to testify to the people of that day and age that he has seen God and has talked with Him and has received instructions and guidance from Him. That witness is called to testify in his day that God lives, that He is real, that He cares about His children, that He hears and answers our prayers and that He has a work for us to do. Faith comes and is increased by listening to and heeding the testimony of that witness. In our day, in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, that witness is Joseph Smith.
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January 6-12
Hasn’t this been a glorious year in carefully studying the Book of Mormon as individuals and families? Did you notice time and time again that the lesson for that week was just the answer you needed for yourself, your family or for the current situation in the world? Have you found that you have drawn closer to Christ in this past year of study? It’s hard to leave our intense Book of Mormon studies behind, but we are now given the immense privilege of studying the Doctrine and Covenants and the early history of the Church and the Restoration of God’s Kingdom here upon the earth in our day. What could be more exciting?
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December 16-22
I think it’s fascinating that Moroni starts out chapter 10 by saying that he’d like to send these words to his brethren, the Lamanites. That is a fascinating view of Moroni’s heart. He has seen the Lamanites completely destroy his nation. Because of the Lamanites, he remains alone. Because of the Lamanites, his father has been killed and all of his kinfolk and family are dead. Now, despite all this, he writes this most important message to his brethren, the Lamanites. How can any human be so full of the love of Christ?
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December 9-15
Moroni Chapter 7 is a powerful sermon on faith, hope, and charity given by Mormon, but when? You can’t help but wonder. He was born in AD 310, was made a general at the age of 16 and knew war most of his life until he had seen his whole nation destroyed. Was this sermon given at the time when he gave up leading the army? Isn’t it fascinating that there were still enough faithful followers of Christ that he could preach in a synagogue? Who were these people and did they become wicked too, even with this powerful preaching? It is so hard to know, but what we do know is Moroni was wise to give us this significant teaching from his father.
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December 2-8
Moroni did not know when he would die, attacked by Lamanites or some other deadly surprise, in his 36-year wandering. He tells his latter-day readers goodbye more than once on the plates. Yet even living with that insecurity, not knowing his own mortal future, Moroni trudges on with absolute faith.
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November 11-17
Moroni told us in Mormon 8, “Behold, I would write…if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none”, so there is an untold story between these verses and the book of Ether. Somehow Moroni was able to get more ore and create plates because he gave us the marvelous book of Ether that introduces us to a whole new world.
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October 28-November 3
Every time I read the Book of Mormon and get to these chapters, I always hope that the Nephites will repent and that their civilization and people will be spared—and then it happens every time! They are destroyed. And then another entire civilization, the Jaredites, are destroyed for the same reasons. We can’t change their outcomes, but how about ours? Is there a message in here for us, right now, in our day?
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October 21-27
When President Russell M. Nelson taught us that we needed to use the true name of the Church going forward, he was teaching us something deeper than we might have understood at the time. Something, in fact that can open up whole new realms of gospel understanding. Let’s explore in this episode.
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October 14-20
If you knew that the Lord Jesus Christ would spend the day with you and all who would come to the occasion from your home stake, what do you think He would teach you? What do you think He would do? What would be the most important truths He could communicate with you? What would YOU want to know from Him? Let’s explore these thoughts and explore the record of actual witnesses to such a day.
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October 7-13
Can you imagine the joy that would fill your souls if you were witnesses to the visitation of the Lord Jesus Christ? How could you possibly describe your feelings? How could you even handle the happiness that would overwhelm your whole being? The faithful who had gathered at the ancient temple in Bountiful had spent a number of hours with the Lord Jesus Christ and now it was time for Him to go. Carefully searching the record, we have some sense of how the people felt, but even more importantly we have an amazing view of the Savior’s joy, His compassion and His love for His people.
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September 30-October 6
If you were to do a survey to determine the most influential talk or sermon in history, surely the results would point to the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. Here are contained the eternal “beatitudes;” here is contained the Lord’s Prayer spoken each week by untold millions of Christ’s followers throughout the world; here we have “the golden rule.” The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most densely packed three chapters in all of holy writ. As an added bonus, when the Lord visited His other sheep in the ancient Americas, one of the first things He did was gave the same Sermon on the Mount text with some additional insights. When the Lord purposely repeats something, I think He really wants our attention!
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September 23-29
How can you not be just thrilled with this week’s readings? The entire Book of Mormon has been centered on one Person—Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer—and His coming to the earth and the promised visit to this righteous branch of the tribe of Joseph in the Americas. Lehi testified He would come. Nephi saw in vision that He would come. Jacob gave bold witness of His mission and His coming. King Benjamin, Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Himni, Helaman—and many more—they all testified that HE, the Lord Jesus Christ, would come—and in this week’s exciting readings—HE CAME!
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September 16-22
I was pondering very early this morning as I looked out the window: “What if at 4:00 in the morning on a fall day I looked out the window and it was as bright as day? Would my heart take a leap and would I think: What is going on?!” It was pitch dark when I peered out my window and yet, we have record of an event in this week’s reading, where untold thousands of people could not help but see this incredible, unforgettable sign of a day, a night and a day wherein there was no darkness. The righteous rejoiced and the wicked were struck with fear. We’re going to look at a lot of contrasts together in this week’s lesson.
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September 9-15
In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites always think of themselves as the good guys. In a movie, they’d ride in wearing the white hat or the gold star, signifying their goodness. Yet, the Book of Mormon demonstrates that often the Nephites are relentlessly blind to their own wickedness and it is the Lamanites who are the most faithful and true. Enter the scene into the wicked Nephite city of Zarahemla: Samuel the Lamanite. The point is clear.
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