Alma 38:10 - How can I be DILIGENT and TEMPERATE in all things?

In this chapter, the prophet Alma is giving advice to his son Shiblon and says "I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things." As I read this I wondered, why are "diligent" and "temperate" paired together here? They seem like completely unrelated words!

I looked up the definitions of each word to understand what they mean individually, before I learned why they're paired together several times in scripture.


In the LDS Topical Guide, "temperance" is synonymous with self-mastery. The Virtue First Foundation describes temperance as "moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.;" "habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion." To be temperate means to use moderation in all things or to exercise self-control.

It goes on to say that "temperance is the virtue that moderates our attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of things of this world. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is virtuous."

Temperance is "considered one of the four cardinal virtues, for it is believed that no virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire. Temperance is generally defined by control over excess, so that it has many such classes, such as abstinence, chastity, modesty, humility, prudence, self-regulation, forgiveness and mercy; each of these involves restraining some impulse, such as sexual desire, vanity, or anger."

In the Christian world, temperance is described as one of the "fruits of the Spirit." The Apostle Paul described these fruits of the Spirit as "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance." (Galatians 5:22-23) This means that when we live worthy of the Spirit, we are blessed with a greater sense of temperance, along will all these other virtues. We are able to overcome the natural man and control our desires.

One of the most commonly understood and referenced forms of temperance is self-control of physical desires for food and drink and sexual pleasures. Benjamin Franklin said that temperance "tends to procure that coolness and clearness of head, which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be kept up, and guard maintained against the unremitting attraction of ancient habits, and the force of perpetual temptations. In other words, first attaining self-discipline in the area of food and drink would make adherence to all of the other virtues easier.

"Why is this? Hunger and thirst are some of the most primal of urges, and thus are some of the hardest to control. Therefore, when seeking to gain self-discipline, one must start with the most basic appetites and work up from there. A man must first harness his inward urges, before tackling the more external virtues. A clear mind and a healthy body are prerequisites to the pursuit of the virtuous life."


The Google definition of diligence is "careful and persistent work or effort." Diligence is synonomous with conscientiousness, hard work, rigor, perseverance, persistence, tenacity, dedication, commitment, and tirelessness. 

In Preach My Gospel, the study manual for missionaries, there is a section dedicated to the Christlike quality of "Diligence." This section is directed to missionaries but can apply to anyone.

The section states: "Diligence is steady, consistent, earnest, and energetic effort in doing the Lord's work. The Lord expects you to work diligently--persistently and with great effort and care. A diligent [person] works effectively and efficiently. Diligence . . . is an expression of your love for the Lord and His work. When you are diligent, you find joy and satisfaction in your work.

"Do many good things of your own free will (see D&C 58:27). Don't wait for your leaders to tell you what to do. Continue until you have done all you can, even when you are tired. Focus on the most important things and avoid wasting time. Pray for guidance and strength: plan regularly and effectively. Avoid anything that distracts your thoughts or actions."

As I read the section the words that stick out to be are these: focus, hard work, be smart, steady, consistent, earnest, energetic, persistent, effective & efficient, love, service, prayer, plan. All of these words apply to a diligent person.

In the book of Alma, during a time of war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, the Nephites prospered because of their diligence:

"Yea, and there was continual peace among them, and exceedingly great prosperity in the church because of their heed and diligence which they gave unto the word of God . . ."

They also never stopped working to prepare for future battles. Their leader Moroni "did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should . . . commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites" (Alma 49:30-50:1). They built timbers around the cities to put tall picket frames upon as strongholds, and they built secure towers where people could safely overlook the city and also throw stones at any enemy who approached the wall. "Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land" (verse 6). He also was proactive in leading his armies into the wilderness to drive the Lamanites into their own lands, away from the Nephites' own city. He strengthened every city to "secure their armies and their people from the hands of their enemies" (verse 10). "Thus Moroni, with his armies, which did increase daily because of the assurance of protection which his works did bring forth unto them, did seek to cut off the strength and the power of the Lamanites from the lands of their possessions, that they should have no power upon the lands of their possessions" (verse 12).

We, too, can be proactive in our diligent efforts to fortify ourselves, to protect ourselves from our enemy Satan who constantly seeks to destroy us. Because of their hard work, the Nephites were always prepared. They were strong enough to be able to deal with whatever was to come.

Later in this chapter we see how the Nephites were blessed for their diligence: "And they did prosper exceedingly, and they became exceedingly rich; yea, and they did multiply and wax strong in the land. And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi, saying: Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord" (verses 18-20).

"And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites. But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges" (verses 22-23)
Joshua 22:5 states, "But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."


So we see that to be both temperate and diligent are commandments from God. Why are these two words paired together in scripture? How do they relate?

Another scripture that includes these two virtues, including several others, is 2 Pet. 1:4–7: "Be partakers of the divine nature, … giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

Charles Kingsley once stated, "Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know."

So temperance and diligence work hand in hand. A person must be diligent to maintain self-control--and vice versa, temperance will enable a person to work harder.

In this same chapter of Alma, verse 12 goes on to say "Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness." To "bridle all your passions" is a form of temperance that allows a person to be "filled with love." To "refrain from idleness" is a form of diligence. Reigning in the desires of the natural man, while working hard to avoid laziness, result in a person who is capable of receiving and understanding the Spirit of God. A temperate and diligent person is better able to proactively discern and follow God's will.

The Virtue First Foundation illustrates the story of Hercules at the crossroads, and how he demonstrated temperance and diligence:

Hercules meets two women at a crossroads. These women are the personifications of Virtue (Arete) and Vice (Kakia..the goddess of evil). They both advise Hercules to follow the road they show him. Virtue (Arete), points at a rocky and steep road. This isn’t a nice and easy road, it has on it many trials and tribulations. But at the end there will be a reward of fame and glory. Vice (Kakia) points at a ‘better’, more attractive road, one which is much easier to travel…the path of vice. Hercules can take the easy passable road, that is flat and where he can have a lot of fun, right now. Or the difficult road, with view on a beautiful, but far away future. It is hard to choose. When the women have disappeared, Hercules chooses the hard path of temperance, discipline and self-control……the way Virtue (Arete) showed him. Hercules remains the captain of his soul and the hero. Hercules remains the hero, also in this story.

In a conference talk given by Kent D. Watson, he explained that "being temperate means to carefully examine our expectations and desires, to be diligent and patient in seeking righteous goals."

He related a story of when he was in a car accident and would have been seriously injured had the glass on his windshiled not been tempered: "Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily break into jagged shards that can injure.

"Likewise, a temperate soul—one who is humble and full of love—is also a person of increased spiritual strength. With increased spiritual strength, we are able to develop self-mastery and to live with moderation. We learn to control, or temper, our anger, vanity, and pride. With increased spiritual strength, we can protect ourselves from the dangerous excesses and destructive addictions of today’s world.

"When Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, suffered for us to the extent that He bled from every pore, He did not express anger or revile in suffering. With unsurpassed self-restraint, or temperance, His thoughts were not of Himself but of you and of me. And then, in humility and full of love, He said, 'Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.'"


Ultimately, temperance and diligence protect us from the deceitfulness of the devil. "​Be ​​​sober​, be ​​​vigilant​; because your adversary the ​​​devil​, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). We must be temperate so we can discern between the truth of God and the lies of Satan! If we are "sober and vigilant," we can avoid the destruction of the devil!

Elder Watson gives the clearest reason for applying these two virtues in our lives: "Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things. Peace of mind comes from strengthened faith in Jesus Christ. Happiness comes from being diligent in keeping covenants made at baptism and in the holy temples of the Lord."

2 Nephi 22 / Isaiah 12 - How can we better praise the Lord?

It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget where we receive our daily strength. How can we remember to rely on the Lord for strength, and to praise Him daily?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "praise" as "spoken or written words about the good qualities of someone or something; an expression of approval for someone or something; an expression of thanks to or love and respect for God." Praising involves expression--whether in speaking, writing, or singing. To praise means "to express a favorable judgment of," "to commend," or "to glorify."

God, as a perfect Being full of all goodness, love, and truth, does not need our praise or approval. Rather, our praising Him leads us to emulate Him and reflect His qualities of goodness. Our ultimate goal is to become like Him, and our praising Him only helps us to do so.

A few words and phrases in 2 Nephi 22 / Isaiah 12 give us an idea of actions we can take or attitudes we can hold to praise the Lord: "trust," "not be afraid," "joy," "call upon [God's] name," "declare his doings," "make mention that his name is exalted," "sing unto the Lord," and "cry and shout."

1. Trust
Footnote a in verse 2 takes us to Psalm 36:7, which reinforces the idea of trusting in the Lord. Verses 9-10 state, "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart." These verses imply a responsibility on our part to obey God and follow Him. In order to truly praise Him, we must live our lives according to His will. As we follow His light, our lives will be filled with light; as we come to "know" Him, He will pour out blessings upon us. Mosiah 4:6-7 reinforces this crucial idea, that the way to receive salvation is to "come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in faith even unto the end of his life."

2. Not be afraid
This is consistently a fitting topic in my life. My tendency is to anticipate events before they happen and to try to prepare for every step of the way, without always turning to God first and trusting in Him. I sometimes fear letting go of my own plans and submitting to God's will.

I love the contrast between the ideas of fear and praise. When I think of genuine praise, I think of joy, gratitude, and wonder. There is no fear included in true praise.

Ezra Taft Benson, in some of his teachings, discussed one characteristic that leads us to fear, and that is pride. When we fear men more than God we become prideful, and we are less likely to praise the One who is responsible for all our blessings. The proud who fear the judgments of those around them do not look up to God. When pride overtakes our hearts, "The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost" and "the reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God,"

"Would we not do well to have the pleasing of God as our motive rather than to try to elevate ourselves above our brother and outdo another?" The fear of God rather than men responds to "[God's] judgments and to the needs of those around us." This is humility and leads to true praise of the Holy One.

3. Joy
2 Nephi 22:3 says, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." Water here refers to the living water, or the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Joy. What a beautiful word. Joy is deeper than happiness, Happiness often depends on external circumstances and events, whereas joy is a much deeper internal feeling that is not dependent on external circumstances. In fact, joy can sometimes coincide with emotions other than happiness such as pain or sadness. Joy is a constant that comes when we are grounded in something bigger than ourselves.

I believe true joy comes when we trust in God. We can feel true joy when we consistently praise Our Father in Heaven. Because He is all-knowing and all-powerful and unconditionally loving, we can feel a constant peace and joy that is never destroyed by our circumstances. In fact, it only becomes stronger because we know in whom we trust. We are at peace with ourselves and with our relationship with God.

My grandfather is someone who is a prime example of living by joy. No matter the situation, he always seems to find deep meaning, and he is constantly in awe of life. It's amazing to me that that awe can come from someone who has already experienced so much of life, and could claim he knows everything. He finds himself learning everyday. He is a humble man with so much love and appreciation for life. I hope to someday show joy and love for the Lord the same way he does.

This is one of my favorite topics, because it is so deep and indescribable. I think of the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ and the joy that has brought to millions of people. I came across this simple poem that I think captures the moment of His birth beautifully:

Mary smiles softly.
Joseph kneels in awe.
Starlight points to glory
Within a lowly stall.

Angels sing His splendor.
Shepherds bow in joy.
Wise Men search together
To find the wondrous Boy.

The depth of our joy is dependent on our relationship with God. In a general conference talk by Elder Richard Maynes, he said, "The joy we experience in this life will be in direct proportion to how well our lives are centered on the teachings, example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

Brigham Young asked: "Where is happiness, real happiness? Nowhere but in God. By possessing the spirit of our holy religion, we are happy in the morning, we are happy at noon, [and] we are happy in the evening. . . . Every Latter-day Saint, who has experienced the love of God in his heart, . . . realizes that he is filled with joy . . . happiness, and consolation."

In 2013, Linda K. Burton, the General Relief Society President, gave in a conference talk a specific example of what it means to joyfully keep our covenants, which is one of the most important ways to praise God: "One Sunday a young sister joyfully exclaimed, 'I get to take the sacrament today!' When was the last time we rejoiced in that privilege? And how do we demonstrate it? We do this by always remembering the Savior and always keeping His commandments, which include keeping His Sabbath day holy. We do it by always remembering Him as we always have our personal and family prayers, daily scripture study, and weekly family home evenings. And when we get distracted or casual with these important things, we repent and begin again."

4. Call upon God's name
To me, calling upon God's name is so simple yet something we often forget to do, especially when life is going well. We are quick to call upon God when we are struggling, but what about when we are grateful? When we simply want to praise God?

In 1974 N. Eldon Tanner, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, stated, "All men, whoever they are and wherever they may be, are invited to call upon [God] as their Father which art in heaven. What a glorious thing it is to realize and to know that we can go to our Heavenly Father without appointment, pour out our souls to him in all simplicity and faith, knowing that he is there and can and will hear and answer our prayers. We know that he is a living God who dwells in heaven, that we are his spirit children, and that his Son Jesus Christ has instructed us, regardless of who we are, to call upon God and to acknowledge him as our Father."

When I served as a full-time missionary in Indiana, I remember coming to a realization of how powerful prayer really was. I felt the Spirit more strongly and more often than I ever had before, and I attribute that to how often we prayed throughout the day. We prayed personally in the morning, we prayed before studying, we prayed before leaving the apartment for the day, we prayed before getting out of the car to teach a lesson, we prayed after each lesson, and we often prayed for gratitude after receiving answers to our prayers. The most powerful experiences came when we prayed with sincerity and really searched for answers to our prayers.

We are lucky to be able to speak to our Father in Heaven at any time. We don't need a mediator to take our pleas to God, but we can speak directly to Him as if we were making a telephone call. Joseph F. Smith, one of the former presidents of the LDS Church, taught, "No limit should be or can be set to the offering of prayer and the rendering of praise to the Giver of Good, for we are specially told to pray without ceasing, and no special authority of the Priesthood or standing in the Church is essential to the offering of prayer" (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 205).

He taught that the home is the best place to offer prayer and praises unto God. If we make it a priority to pray and study the word of God together as families, we will be protected spiritually and brought closer together as a family. What better place to praise God and feel the Spirit than with our own families in our homes?

I like to imagine myself standing before my Father in Heaven having a face to face conversation with Him. My prayers become less rote and I feel like I'm truly talking to someone. I picture Him sitting on His throne listening to my gratitude and my questions patiently and lovingly, and then I like to wait and listen.

5. Declare His doings
I had the opportunity to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to individuals and families in Indiana for 18 months. I remember one instance about 6 months into my mission where I realized that I needed to be more bold in sharing my testimony of the gospel. I started sharing with people what I knew to be true, and that was that I knew that God lives, loves us, and is involved in the details of our lives. I shared with people the miracles of God's work on the earth today, that He had restored the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness through a modern prophet, just as in days of old. As I shared these things I received a regular witness through the Spirit that what I taught was good and true. I declared God's doings to people that I loved and saw their lives change for the better as a result.

As outlined by Elder John B. Dickson, a leader in the LDS Church, these are some of the "doings" of God throughout the time people have been on the earth

1. God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have a plan of happiness for the human family.

2. Jesus Christ organized His Church during His mortal ministry (see Eph. 4:13).

3. The Church of Christ and many simple truths were lost (see 2 Thes. 2:3, Amos 8:11, 1 Cor. 11:18, and Acts 20:29).

4. The hearts of men and a location were prepared for a restoration of the gospel.

5. Latter-day events were anticipated by the prophets of old (see Isa. 29:14 and Acts 3:21).

6. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in its fulness (through Joseph Smith in 1830--see Dan. 2:45).

7. Another witness of Christ has been given to our generation (the Book of Mormon).

8. The family can be eternal.

9. People (missionaries) have been called of God to teach the gospel.

10. You can know with assurance that these things are true. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moro. 10:3–5).

For me, the greatest news today is that the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth. We have a living prophet of God who receives revelation for the people on the earth today, just as we did in times of old. As someone who grew up being taught this knowledge, I have always felt a responsibility to share it in order to show my gratitude to God.

D&C 19:29 states, "And thou shalt declare glad tidings, yea, publish it upon the mountains, and upon every high place, and among every people that thou shalt be permitted to see." The gospel is a message of hope, of "glad tidings!" "For we declare that God our Heavenly Father lives, that he hears and answers prayers, that Jesus is the Christ, and that he lives." The best news in the world.

Even if we do not go out and preach the gospel, we can share the gospel and praise God by the way we live. In October 1996 Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "A dictionary defines a Christian as 'one who professes belief in Jesus as the Christ or follows the religion based on [the life and teachings of Jesus],' and 'one who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.' (See American Heritage Dictionary (1992), s.v. “Christian.”) Thus two characteristics identify Christians: (1) they profess belief in a Savior, and (2) they act in harmony with the Savior’s teachings."

One of the best verses in scripture that I think exemplifies why we preach of Christ to praise him is found in 2 Nephi 25:26: "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." As Christians, we want to live according to this scripture!

6. Make mention that His name is exalted
In the scriptural Topical Guide, synonyms for "exalt" are "magnify" or "praise." We are asked to praise God's name, as if we were praising royalty! God is our king and we should respect him as such.

As I have studied this topic, it has changed the way I perceive God. He is not just my Father, He is a King. He is above all, as illustrated in Psalm 57:11: "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth."

Nehemiah 9:5 instructs us to "stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise." Verse 6, referring to the Lord, says "Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee." These scriptures continue on to praise God for all the miracles He has performed and all the reasons He should be praised, but I love in this last verse how it talks about worship.

As Saints of God, we are given opportunities to worship Him. In October 2016 Bishop Dean Davies of the LDS Church said, "Far from being an accidental, happy occurrence, worship is essential and central to our spiritual life. It is something we should yearn for, seek out, and strive to experience."

HOW do we worship? We approach God with reverent love, humility, and adoration. We acknowledge and accept Him. We respect and revere him. We submit ourselves to Him. We pray, cherish his word, rejoice in his grace, and commit to follow Him. We have a sense of majestic awe and profound thanksgiving. There are opportunities to worship every day, especially Sunday when we can attend church, listen to inspired teachings, and gather in gratitude with others in our community.

WHY do we worship? We become more sincere and earnest disciples. We become more understanding, caring, forgiving and loving. It gives us a determination to walk the path of discipleship.

I believe that when we worship God, we are honoring His name as an exalted name.

Jesus Christ is our Savior. We have the opportunity to worship Him because of the incredible sacrifice He offers to us. Philippians 2:5-15 reminds us of this: "5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 

Because of Christ's sacrifice and His exaltation, we are expected to obey Him in order to receive salvation. Verse 12 continues: "12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed . . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

7. Sing unto the Lord
The footnote to 2 Nephi 22:5 leads us to Psalm 57:7-11 which says, "My heart is fixed, O God . . . I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory . . . I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people; I will sing unto thee among the nations." There is no shame about praising God. It must be intentional and open. There is no need to hold back praise to the One who has given us all.

I love the idea of singing praises to praise God. In my mind, this is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to praise God, because there is a special unity and spirit that comes from music. When I sing or listen to good music I feel gratitude and love for God.

When we feel the peace and joy that comes from righteous living, the Spirit fills our hearts when we sing praises unto God. 2 Nephi 8:11 says: "Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and mourning shall flee away." The guiltless will "sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above" (Morm. 7:7).

Since early biblical times, songs have been used to express joy, praise, and worship. Music is a form of prayer. (See GS Music.) D&C 25:12 tells us, "God’s soul delights in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer."

I come from a very musical family, so beautiful music has always been very personal and dear to me. Every time my extended family gets together, we pull out our folders of good music we've gathered over the years and sing together. The harmonies blend together beautifully with each soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voice--I don't often feel the Spirit as strongly as I do when we're singing praises unto God as a family.

Singing is a way to praise God, as illustrated in D&C 136:28: "If thou art ​​​merry​, ​​​praise​ the Lord with singing, with music, with ​​​dancing​, and with a ​​​prayer​ of praise and ​​​thanksgiving​." The scriptures ask us to "sing to [God's] praise" and give thanks to Him (see Alma 26:8). It is one of the best ways to remember our Savior.

In the words of a favorite hymn:
We’ll sing all hail to Jesus’ name,
And praise and honor give. …
Ye Saints, partake and testify
Ye do remember him.

8. Cry and shout

This whole post has been based on six verses of scripture, so I thought it was fitting to post those here:

1 And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.

2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

We have every reason to "cry and shout" for joy because of our Lord and Savior! He is in the very details of our lives!

D&C 128:23 beautifually states, "Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!"


To summarize, these are some of the ways we can praise God:
- Trusting in Him
- Keeping His commandments
- Committing our lives to Him
- Praying to Him
- Sharing His gospel with others
- Serving others
- Worshiping Him
- Singing praises
- Expressing our love and gratitude for Him!

Jacob 3:1-2 - What does it mean to have a "firm" mind?

As I read these scriptures the words "firmness of mind" stuck out to me:

1 But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.

2 O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.

But what does it really mean to have a "firm mind"? In these scriptures, this phrase is associated with actions like "praying unto God with exceeding faith," "receiving the pleasing word of God," and "feasting upon His love." It means putting our trust in God continually (see Alma 57:27). Firmness of mind is linked to opening our minds and hearts to God's will, and accepting His plan for us willingly.

In a commentary on the Book of Mormon, it says that "to look to God with 'firmness of mind' is to be constant and undeterred in one’s progress toward that life which is like God’s; it is to have undimmed vision of the plans and purposes of the Almighty; to enjoy peace and confidence in the Master as the tempests rage on all sides. To look to God with firmness of mind is to be, as Nephi said, steadfast in Christ (see 2 Nephi 31:19-20)—to pursue an undeviating course" (Millet & McConkie, Doctrinal Commentary on BOM, Vol 2, p. 24).


So in order to have a firm mind, we must have unwavering faith in God, and be committed to Him. We can know He will always work things out as we live by faith.

However, this is not something that always comes easy. I used to think it was really easy to have faith, but as I have grown older I have often gotten stuck by pride or fear or simply not wanting to choose God's way. I believe a firm mind is something we must work for every single day. As we are consistent in our efforts to pray, study God's word, and especially apply what we're learning, we'll learn to trust God more and more. Our minds will become more firm and more steadfast. I wish I could say I have always done what God wants me to do, but sometimes I slip. Sometimes I mess up. But the beautiful thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that I can pick right back up and start over again. God is patient and loving, and He will help us trust Him if we so desire.

How can we live the commandments without coming across as judgmental to others?

This is a question I have tried to understand for years and years. I have always held myself to a really high standard with my values, and it has been really difficult figuring out how to avoid being judgmental of others when they make choices I don't agree with. Since being married, I have learned a heck of a lot about how destructive it can be to assume things without knowing the whole story, or to negatively judge or criticize another's actions. Any of my judgmental comments have backfired, even if at the time they sounded "ok" in my head. My studies and application of this topic have really helped me to be more conscious of what I say and how I react to certain situations.

John Lund wrote an incredible book about relationships called For All Eternity. His advice is to go for 24 hours without making one critical comment. If you mess up, you have to start over. He said when he and his wife tried it for the first time, he would get so far, then he would get in the car and start criticizing other drivers without realizing it. He would have to start over. This is a big challenge for most, and something I've thought about trying with my own husband.


Matthew 7:1-5 tells us:

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

This concept is crucial. I can't count how many times I have, with the best intentions, "corrected" someone for something they did, without realizing I do the exact same thing!! It takes a lot of humility to look at ourselves first and accept the things we do wrong before criticizing everyone else around us.


I have associated with several people who expect their spouse to be perfect, and if the spouse doesn't meet the standard, the marriage doesn't last. It is really sad to me how many marriages fail today. I came across a beautiful passage of scriptures that is encouraging to any couple who may be struggling:

"And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy" (1 Corinthians 7:13-14).

What a beautiful thing. Rather than running away from a spouse who is unbelieving or who maybe does things differently than what we might agree with, we can work together to be sanctified as a couple.


When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he wrote about how he was successful in sharing the gospel with some. In 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 he said,

"And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to men, that I might by all means save some."

What an interesting concept. Paul put himself in the place of those he taught in order to understand them better so he could more effectively share the gospel. Christ did the same thing as He spent time with sinners. Other struggled to understand why the Son of God would associate with sinners, but He did it to give all men hope and faith in His ability to forgive and heal. He did not shun those who made wrong choices. He mingled with them and loved them. (See Matthew 9:10-13)


Moroni 6:1-4 illustrates the covenant we make when we are baptized to obey all of God's commandments. One requirement is that we have a broken heart and contrite spirits, that we are humble enough to recognize we are sinners and we must repent. Having this humility allows us to look inside our own hearts and not judge others because they "sin differently" than we do.

President Dieter F. Uchtorf, a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church, spoke on the topic of judging others:

"When it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt.

"The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said that those who pass judgment on others are 'inexcusable.' The moment we judge someone else, he explained, we condemn ourselves, for none is without sin.5 . . .

"This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!

"It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, 'Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.'

"We must recognize that we are all imperfect—that we are beggars before God. Haven’t we all, at one time or another, meekly approached the mercy seat and pleaded for grace? Haven’t we wished with all the energy of our souls for mercy—to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed? . . .

"The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.

"As always, Christ is our exemplar. In His teachings as in His life, He showed us the way. He forgave the wicked, the vulgar, and those who sought to hurt and to do Him harm. . . .

"When our hearts are filled with the love of God, we become 'kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving [each other], even as God for Christ’s sake [forgave us].'11

"The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other.

"My dear brothers and sisters, consider the following questions as a self-test:

Do you harbor a grudge against someone else?

Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true?

Do you exclude, push away, or punish others because of something they have done?

Do you secretly envy another?

Do you wish to cause harm to someone?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to apply the two-word sermon from earlier: stop it!

"In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast stones. But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master and model: 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.'12

"Brothers and sisters, there is enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment. We are not perfect. The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way. Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way. . . .

"Lay your burden at the Savior’s feet. Let go of judgment. Allow Christ’s Atonement to change and heal your heart. Love one another. Forgive one another. The merciful will obtain mercy."

Genesis 2:24 - How can a husband and wife "cleave" unto each other?

Genesis 2:24 tells us, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." What does it mean to "cleave"? I always like to start with definitions, and these were the best definitions I found: "to stick fast to," "to adhere strongly to (a particular pursuit or belief)," or "to become very strongly involved with or emotionally attached to (someone)." These definitions, I believe, help us to understand what it looks like to "cleave" unto a spouse.

Being recently married, I have thought a lot about what it means to "cleave" unto my husband. To "cleave" to him would mean to "adhere strongly" to our marriage, and to "become very strongly involved with or emotionally attached" to him. I want our marriage to the best best it can be, even when we have disagreements or miscommunications. Up to this point I have been able to feel close to my husband even when he's away for work, and I attribute that closeness to certain principles we have followed.

I found many discussions on the topic of "cleaving," so I will share the principles I found that I believe are some of the most important in creating a strong marriage. I will also share some of my personal insights and experiences in hopes that they might give a useful perspective.


In an Ensign article titled "The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood," President Spencer W. Kimball commented on Genesis 2:24:

"The woman occupies the first place [for her husband]. She is preeminent, even above the parents who are so dear to all of us. Even the children must take their proper but significant place.

"I have seen some women who give their children that spot, that preeminence, in their affection and crowd out the father. That is a serious mistake."

An article written by a BYU professor, James Harper, relates this Old Testament passage to our day:

"It is all too common in modern times for husbands and wives to place various people or activities--work, recreation, extended family, even Church service--above their marital bond. This is not necessarily a conscious decision. However, the covenant made by Adam and Eve to leave parents and be one teaches us that successful couples will be careful to place each other first. The greatest gift parents can give children is a united and loving marital bond."

I find it interesting that Bro. Harper includes parents in this topic. Although we cannot control how our parents handle our personal relationships, we can apply this principle to ourselves by giving our own children the freedom to prioritize their relationship with their husband or wife.

The article goes on to say, "Marriage is not just a social contract between man and woman; it involves God as well. God is a witness to all marriage agreements and insists that couples should be devoted and completely faithful to each other." I have always loved the image of a triangle, with the husband and wife on each bottom corner, and God at the top. As the man and woman individually come closer to God, they naturally come closer to each other.

A general conference report given by Spencer W. Kimball as one of the twelve apostles also illustrates the idea of placing the spouse over all else. He refers to D&C 42:22 which reads, "Thou shalt love thy wife with all they heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else." He says, "There are those married people who permit their eyes to wander and their hearts to become vagrant, who think it is not improper to flirt a little, to share their hearts, and have desire for someone other than the wife or the husband. . . . When the Lord says all thy heart, it allows for no sharing nor dividing nor depriving. And, to the woman it is paraphrased: 'Thou shalt love thy husband with all thy heart and shall cleave unto him and none else.' The words none else eliminate everyone and everything. The spouse then becomes preeminent in the life of the husband or wife, and neither social life nor occupational life nor political life nor any other interest nor person nor thing shall ever take precedence over the companion spouse. We sometimes find women who absorb and hover over the children at the expense of the husband, sometimes even estranging them from him. The Lord says to them: '. . . Thou shalt cleave unto him and none else.'

"Marriage presupposes total allegiance and total fidelity. Each spouse takes the partner with the understanding that he or she gives self totally to the spouse: all the heart, strength, loyalty, honor, and affection with all dignity. Any divergence is sin—any sharing the heart is transgression. As we should have "an eye single to the glory of God" (D&C 4:5; D&C 82:19) so should we have an eye, an ear, a heart single to the marriage and the spouse and family."


Matthew Richardson, a leader in the LDS Church, wrote an article about "leaving, cleaving, and becoming one." He illustrates that "cleaving" means to save our treasured feelings for our spouse rather than sharing them with others.

To become one, "differences in communication patterns, reasoning, emotions, and even personal preferences may actually benefit a couple." I have seen this over and over again in my own marriage. Because I am often an emotional thinker, it is so helpful to have a husband who is more logical and can make decisions unemotionally. We both have very different interests--I love music, writing, and administrative work, and he loves guns, trucks, and manual labor. He is a great salesman and has a business-mindset, and I have neither of those skills. I tell him that I don't know how I ever lived without him because I lack all the skills and knowledge he has, and vice versa. We balance each other perfectly, but only when we accept our differences rather than fighting against them.

Another principle that Bro. Richardson teaches is to eliminate the "I" and "my" and replace those with "we" and "our." In our congregation, my husband and I used to teach Sunday School to 7 and 8-year-old children. After one of our lessons my husband asked me, "When you testify, will you use the word we instead of I? I think it is super important that the testimony comes from both of us, because that is so much more powerful, and it makes us more unified." I loved this idea and was grateful that he so respectfully recognized something we could improve. I have remembered this since and make efforts to use "we" language rather than "I" language.


Elder Carl B. Cook, another leader in the LDS Church, discussed ways we can cleave unto each other and unto God. He says that a husband and a wife who cleave unto each other are "the same" or equal. In the scriptures, we read about Adam and Eve and how they always worked together: "Adam began to till the earth . . . and Eve, also, his wife, did labor with him" (Moses 5:1).

Couples can work together by "[giving] highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities" (Handbook 2 Administering the Church 2010, 1.4.1). Bro. Cook says that "we must set aside, and turn away from things that distract us from our marriages and our families. We must simplify our lives, and give highest priority to basic worship activities in our homes. . . . We must spend time with those we love."

Bro. Cook says that "cleaving to each other requires faith, diligence, and persistence." I have known couples who have told me that sometimes they just "stop trying." "It's too much work," or "Sometime's it's just too tiring to do all those little things to keep our marriage strong." I have a firm testimony that by consistently doing the simple tasks that prophets have taught will keep our relationships strong, we will always feel close and connected and our love for each other will deepen. My goal is to avoid the alternative: simply not trying.

In James Harper's article referenced earlier in this post, Elder Marion G. Romney is cited as he discusses the phrase "and Eve ... did labor with [Adam]." He says, “The word with … is very significant. It means more than physical labor. It connotes a common purpose, understanding, cooperation, and love. . . .

"Even when circumstances justify a wife’s working away from home to support her family, she should be laboring ‘with,’ not on her own nor in conflict with her husband. . . .

"In Latter-day Saint families the husband and wife must be one." (Relief Society Magazine, Feb. 1968, pp. 85–86.)

The article concludes that "from what we know of the relationship between Adam and Eve . . . the executive council of husband and wife together is extremely important in the organization of families. Husbands and wives should counsel together in decisions related to communication and activities in the family, rearing and disciplining of children, food storage and other aspects of family welfare, finances, work and career decisions, family work responsibilities, housekeeping tasks, recreation, and all other decisions that affect their bond with each other."


Bro. Harper also addresses the importance of teaching children, and how a couple can do that in unity. "Ideally, as equals before God, deeply devoted and in love with each other, husband and wife [share] together one voice in the training of their children." Spiritual unity in a husband and wife companionship creates an environment for children to feel safe and at peace among the trials of the world.

In the Old Testament, families valued traditions and activities to maintain a strong family identity. Today, as we establish family traditions and participate in family activities, we can maintain strong ties within our immediate and extended families. As a husband and wife work to create a new family, they can work together to establish new traditions, maintain old ones, plan activities, and participate in other planned family activities. Keeping family time as a priority I believe helps to build a stronger connection between a husband and wife.

My husband and I both come from very large families. As a result, we are constantly being invited to birthday parties, dinners, baptisms, church events, holiday activities, and more. We have really strived to maintain balance in the amount of time we spend with each of our families. My husband is really good at knowing when enough is enough, and when we need to spend one-on-one time with each other. When we are able, we give time to each other's families in order to show our love and our commitment to family.


I love Bro. Harper's conclusion: ". . . Examples from the Old Testament help remind us of the importance of the family in Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. The experience of this earth’s first family teaches that marriage is not a social convention but is God-ordained as an eternal partnership. The example of religious and character development in ancient Hebrew families reminds modern parents of the necessity of training children in spiritual areas. The importance the Old Testament places on the extended family and its traditions guides us to seek modern family traditions that link the generations together. Such principles, taught in the Old Testament, can help families in our day forge loving, nurturing bonds to sustain them throughout eternity."


I know that working diligently to "cleave" unto a spouse is one of the most important things we can do in this life. Trials will come, we will make mistakes, we will be required to forgive, but ultimately it is up to us as a couple to work together in love and unity. If we do this, God guarantees that we will have a happy life. As Elder L. Whitney Clayton said, “The promises of the Lord . . . come as the delightful, predictable consequences of faithfully living the gospel of Jesus Christ” (L. Whitney Clayton, “Marriage: Watch and Learn,” Ensign, May 2013).

Jacob 5 - What does the Lord of the vineyard mean when he says he is going to "lay up fruit against the season"?

Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon contains a long parable about the "Lord's vineyard." This vineyard contains both tame and wild olive trees, which represent Israel and the gentiles. One theme to recognize in this parable is how people can be changed so that they who once rejected Christ might be ready for His Second Coming.

The entire chapter represents different time periods:
1. Before Christ (vs 4-15)
2. During the time of Christ (vs 16-28)
3. After Christ, during the Great Apostasy (vs 29-60)
4. The Gathering of Israel (vs. 61-77)

This whole chapter is so rich, but I want to focus on one particular phrase that caught my eye: to "lay up fruit against the season." I noticed this multiple times throughout the chapter, so I took some time to study what that means.

In Jacob 5:41-47 (the section describing the Great Apostasy, or the corruption of the gospel after the time of Jesus Christ), the Lord of the vineyard weeps because of the corruption of His vineyard. He asks multiple times,

"What more could I have done for my vineyard?"

In verse 46 He mourns:

"And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them."

In this context it seems that the Lord of the vineyard was trying to preserve good fruit despite the corrupt surroundings. He did all that He could to care for the trees in every part of the vineyard in order to produce good fruit. To me, this shows an unconditional love and desire that Christ has to bring us back to Him. He does everything He can to lead us to truth and peace, but ultimately it is our choice to follow Him.

Earlier in the chapter (verses 11-14, representing before the time of Christ), the Lord of the vineyard instructs his servant to graft in the natural branches of a tame olive tree into other trees of the vineyard:

"And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing.

"Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according to my words.

"And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.

"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and pleasure."

The "grafting" that the servant of the vineyard refers to the steps that each person must take to receive the full blessings of the kingdom of God: the steps of faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Taking these steps allows people to be nourished by God's word and have a deeper understanding of His truth and His plan. As Jacob 5 illustrates, throughout time the world has gone through periods of corruption and periods of peace. But God has always provided ways for people to find the fulness of the gospel and to again be "grafted" into His family. Throughout time, God has "laid up fruit against the season" to preserve His gospel even during times of corruption.

I am grateful for God's unconditional love and for His desire to bring us back to live with Him again after this life. His main purpose is to help us achieve "immortality and eternal life" (Moses 1:39), and He provides us with a plan to achieve those!

What do some of Isaiah's writings mean as quoted in the Book of Mormon?

One of the prophets in the Book of Mormon, Nephi, built many of his writings around the words of Isaiah. Because of this, we know Isaiah's words are important to study and understand. As I read through Nephi's writings and other references to Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, I pondered how I could understand these verses better.

To be honest, these chapters have taken me months to study and ponder. I have read only one or two verses a day to really understand their deeper meaning. There is no way I could list everything I have learned here, but I want to share some significant highlights that really stood out to me.


1. Nephi quotes Isaiah in 1 Nephi 20 to teach of Christ. As I read this chapter I discovered some powerful commentaries that I will share here.

In 1 Nephi 20:10, the Lord says, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." No person goes through this life without suffering some sort of afflictions. That is why we are here--to struggle and go through trials, and ultimately to learn to turn to our Savior for guidance.

In a talk given in the 1997 BYU Women's Conference, it was said,

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."

In the book All These Shall Give Thee Experience, it states,

"He knows, being omniscient, how we will cope with affliction beforehand. But we do not know this. We need, therefore, the refining that God gives to us, though we do not seek or crave such tribulation.

"Is not our struggling amid suffering and chastening in a way like the efforts of the baby chicken still in the egg? It must painfully and patiently make its own way out of the shell. To help the chick by breaking the egg for it could be to kill it. Unless it struggles itself to break outside its initial constraints, it may not have the strength to survive thereafter.

"Afflictions can soften us and sweeten us, and can be a chastening influence. (See Alma 62:41) We often think of chastening as something being done to punish us, such as by a mortal tutor who is angry and peevish with us. Divine chastening, however, is a form of learning as it is administered at the hands of a loving Father. (See Helaman 12:3.)

"Elder James E. Faust of the Council of the Twelve has said, 'In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through the refiner's fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong.' (Ensign, May 1979, p. 53.) Elder Faust continued, 'This change comes about through a refining process which often seems cruel and hard. In this way the soul can become like soft clay in the hands of the Master.'"

I love the idea that we are soft clay in Christ's hands. He gives us afflictions to shape us and mold us, to help us grow into the Christlike beings He wants us to become.


2. Later in the Book of Mormon, Abinadi preaches repentance using the words of Isaiah. As I read about the atonement of Jesus Christ in Mosiah 14, I loved this commentary that I found from Elder Melvin J. Ballard:

"'In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even He could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so He bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when He might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that He did not fail us, for He had not only the love of his Son in mind, but He also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men."

Continuing to read Mosiah 15, I found more commentaries about the great sacrifice of our Savior. One comes from Tad R. Callister in his book The Infinite Atonement: 

"Oh, the magnitude of that sacrifice, that condescension! That night, God the Son traded his heavenly home with all its celestial adornments for a mortal abode with all its primitive trappings. He, the King of heaven (Alma 5:50), the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth (Mosiah 3:5), left a throne to inherit a manger. He exchanged the dominion of a god for the dependence of a babe. He gave up wealth, power, dominion, and the fullness of his glory—for what?—for taunting, mocking, humiliation, and subjection. It was a trade of unparalleled dimension, a condescension of incredible proportions, a descent of incalculable depth. And so, the great Jehovah, creator of worlds without number, infinite in virtue and power, made his entry into this world in swaddling clothes and a manger."

Incredible.

3. Mosiah 15:2-3 caught my eye because I have heard confusion around the concept of Christ being the Father and the Son. I wanted to understand better this concept, and here is the insights I found through my research (through multiple resources that I did not record...Anybody who is interested in researching this topic more can ask me for resources):

• The roles of Father and Son when referring to Christ are symbolic rather than biological. 
• To the House of Israel, Christ is Father because the people become His sons and daughters. 
• To God the Father, Christ is Son because He subjects His will to the Father.
• What the Father does for His Son, the Son does for His sons and daughters.
• Christ is the Father:
• Of those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is made possible through His atonement.
• Of this earth--He created the earth under the direction of the Father.
• Because He has been given the power to represent and act for His Father on the earth.
• In the sense of the dictionary definitions of "father": "one to whom respect is due," "one who cares as a father might," "an originator, source, or prototype," and "one who claims or accepts responsibility."
• Christ is the Son:
• Because He was the Firstborn of God in the Spirit.
• As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh.
• Because He submitted His will to His Father.

Christ's will was completely swallowed up in the will of His Father. (See Mosiah 15:7.) In his book That Ye May Believe, Neal A. Maxwell said that this means "being totally enveloped--without question, protest, reservation, or resentment. It is 'all the way,' not halfway. Choosing such spiritual submission is the highest act of deliberate, individual will."

Because Christ submitted completely to His Father's will, He represented His Father on earth and thus can be referred to as the "Father." This research really helped me to understand the concept of Christ taking the roles of both the Father and the Son.

4. In Mosiah 16:3, Abinadi teaches about the Fall of Adam and Eve, and how that requires us to use the atonement of Jesus Christ to be saved. I learned that the Fall was not a fall from God's grace, but a fall from innocence. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they "fell" into a state of knowledge. That necessary knowledge came at a price, but that knowledge gave them power. In the book Gospel Doctrine, Bryan Richards explains this idea further:

"Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve lacked the power that they had after they had learned the difference between good and evil. Similarly, a child is powerless, spiritually speaking, compared to the servant who is spiritually mature and yet has become as a little child, meek, submissive, etc. For Adam and Eve and us, it is a long road through the wilderness of the carnal, sensual, and devilish to return the innocence we had as a child (and that Adam and Eve had in the garden). But this is all according to the wisdom and knowledge of God. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he…becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father (Mosiah 3:19). The Lord loves purity and innocence, but He would rather we make this difficult journey, from childhood innocence to the innocence of the childlike servant because the virtuous servant is so much more powerful. This power comes by virtue of his knowledge of good and mastery over evil."

5. Because Christ overcame both physical and spiritual death (both effects of the Fall; see Mosiah 16:7-8), these are the comforts we can receive when we experience the "sting of death" (as illustrated by Bryan Richards again):

• The compassion and mercy of Christ when someone loses a loved one.
• The knowledge of God's plan of salvation.
• Sealing ordinances of the temple.
• Death not being frightful or painful to the righteous (see D&C 42:46).
• The atonement. The sting of death is sin, and Christ has already overcome all the effects of sin, so when we repent before we die, we can rest from all of our trials and sins.

6. Anybody familiar with scripture knows that Jesus Christ is often referred to as the "light of the world." In what ways is He a "light"? In Bryan Richards' Gospel Doctrine, he explained:

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). How many ways is Christ the light and the life of the world? He is the light of truth, the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not (D&C 6:21). He is the intelligence of the world, for The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth (D&C 93:36). He gives all of us the light of Christ, the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings (D&C 88:11). He is the literal giver of life through his light, The light…giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God (D&C 88:13). He is the giver of life by virtue of the resurrection, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (Jn 11:25). Christ is the literal source of power for the light of the sun, moon, and stars, he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made (D&C 88:7-9). Lastly, he will replace the sun as the source of light for the inhabitants of the celestial kingdom, the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof (Rev 21:23).

The prophet Joseph F. Smith told us:

"But the thing for us to do is to live according to the light and intelligence that God has revealed to us in this dispensation, that we may be in harmony with the heavenly powers and with heavenly beings, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ, who stands at our head, who is our lawgiver, our exemplar, and the way of life and salvation to all the world, through whom we may enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and without whom we can never enter that state of glory worlds without end. He is the way, the light and life of the world; and whosoever will obey the commandments He has given, and do the works which he has done, and commanded us to do, shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have in them the light of life.” (Journal of Discourses, vol 22, Jan. 29, 1882)


I hope these random insights help somebody out there in some way :) They sure helped me.