A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 40:22-26 Ezekiel 37:6-14 - This prophecy of Ezekiel is a key indicator of divine priority. These last few verses at the end of the chapter are a testimony of the reality and nature of the resurrection, and the consignments of the wicked and the righteous thereafter. What questions should I be asking about these verses? Continue in verse 26 tomorrow. There are a number of footnotes on "the death of the wicked," or that death which "pertains to the things of righteousness." So I have spent the morning studying this death of the wicked, by reading the footnotes on "death" as referenced in title of this post, or "an awful death of the wicked."  Doctrine and Covenants 29:41 truly illustrates the seriousness of that predicament. He first is talking about the spiritual death that came upon Adam when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden: ...wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is ...

Alma 40:15-21 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/resurrection?lang=eng The New Testament, after the Resurrection of Christ, is replete with testimony by the apostles of the reality of that very thing. I took a pause from this study to reflect over in John 6 . At least twice within that passage, the phrase "the resurrection of the just" had been added back into the passage in the Joseph Smith Translation. No man can come unto me, except he doeth the will of my Father who hath sent me. And this is the will of him who hath sent me, that ye receive the Son; for the Father beareth record of him; and he who receiveth the testimony, and doeth the will of him who sent me, I will raise up in the resurrection of the just. ( JST - John 6:44 ) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just at the last day. ( John 6:54 ) Why, among other doctrines, does the adversary or the world want to suppress...

Alma 40:11-14 Deep consideration of the realities articulated in these verses has brought a very strong spiritual confirmation to me this morning. This doctrine is familiar to me, both because of the numerous times that I have studied these verses before, but also because of the eternal realities that cause my soul to resonate with the Spirit of the Lord. Verse 11 , which I learned and memorized as a youth, especially rings deep and true. We are taken back to God after this amazing and terrible* mortal experience. And then there is a separation between wicked and righteous. In a realm dominated by the Light, there is a separation. It is also curious to note how the same Being, God, can induce such dramatically different responses in individuals based upon their choices. *I use terrible in the sense of "extremely unpleasant or disagreeable" or to illustrate the extreme hardships that are an inevitable part of this experience. --- In verses 12-14 , the states of the r...

Mosiah 29:39-47 Verse 39 states that the people "were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them." I've looked up the footnote on liberty, and it has brought me to review and consider a couple of passages from the New Testament teachings of Paul. 1 Corinthians 8:9 - This is Paul's teaching on "Christian Liberty," a reminder to be careful of the freedoms afforded us, lest they be misinterpreted by those around us and become a "stumbling block" for them. Galatians 5 - In this chapter, the purpose of God-granted freedom is afford us the ability to learn to walk after the Spirit. Verse 16 of this chapter reminds me to "Walk in the Spirit." Something that I had missed in previous days of studying these verses is that the deeper feelings of appreciation and love that the people felt towards king Mosiah was a result of putting into practice his recommendations to change the government over to a system of jud...

2 Nephi 9:10-18 These verses contain a very vivid description of the division between the wicked and the righteousness in the eternal realms and the reasons for this division. This group of verses starts with perhaps the clearest definition of death and hell in all of holy writ. Death ( vs. 11 ) - A temporal death, also known as the grave. This is what holds our bodies separate from our spirits when we die. Hell ( vs. 12 ) - Also called spiritual death. This is the holding space for those captive spirits separated from their body. Earlier in this chapter, it was already established that separated from the presence of God, our spirits would be as the devil, consigned to a fallen, disembodied state. This is hell. In verse 18 , the culmination of the blessings of the resurrection are extended to the righteous. "But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despise...

2 Nephi 4:28-35 This last part of this chapter has been difficult for me to get my mind around. I have had some distractions these past few days that have made it harder for me to focus on my studies when I've made them. Verse 34 stands out as important this go around. I've poured over the verses that reference "trusted" and "trust" in that verse. Ezekiel 33:13 - "When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it." These verse of scripture are a reprimand to me this morning, lovingly extended from a righteous Father in Heaven. I'm gliding too much, trusting too much in my own righteousness... which in all reality is DEATH. For he that truly puts his trust in God shall be prospered in the land (see Helaman 12:1 )

With the flood tide news of the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, perhaps it's only fitting that I take an entry to express some thoughts related. President Spencer W. Kimball is the first prophet that I have recollections of in my early childhood, followed by President Ezra Taft Benson, and then briefly President Howard W. Hunter. But by far, President Hinckley is the living prophet whose teachings have had the most impact upon my life and the direction that I've taken. I was seventeen when he became the prophet. It was the decisive year of my youth. The major life changes that have affected who I am today have been made during his tenure as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I choose to serve a full-time mission at the tender age of nineteen. When I received my call to serve a mission, his signature was on the paper that sent me to spend two years of my life serving the people of Costa Rica. This was a decision that has had a more profound i...