Religious Thoughts
Sharing my favorite scriptures and ways that I see scriptural passages and the gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Isaiah’s Understanding of the Atonement and Resurrection
As we celebrate Easter today throughout the Christian world, we have great reason to turn to the New Testament accounts of what is commonly referred to as Holy Week. Beginning with Palm Sunday is commemorated Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. During this week,...
The Word of the Lord is Verified
When reading through chapters of scripture there are often little gems that strike you at certain times. Right now, the passage in Jarom stood out to me where he expressed in his writing that “the word of the lord was verified” (Jarom 1:9). It was timely as I looked...
Keeping My Spirits Up – Optimistic
These are unprecedented times that we are in. Last week my wife and I returned from traveling along the Central California Coast. We were not concerned when we left, but things got real in the middle of our trip. The Church canceled church services around the world...
Obtaining the Word of God: A Look at 1 Nephi 3-4
As sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, He wants us to learn of Him. He desires that we understand what we need to do to become like Him and return to Him to obtain a fulness of joy. As we study As we studied 1 Nephi 1-7 these past weeks in Come Follow Me,...
Partaking of the Tree of Life: Based on Lehi’s Dream in 1 Nephi 8
When Nephi recounted the dream that his father had of the tree of life, he shares a description of four distinct groups and how they responded to their surroundings. How we react to the events of our mortal lives has as much to do with how we developed in the...
The Power of Deliverance
The ancient Book of Mormon prophet Nephi was well acquainted to speak about God's power of deliverance. His experiences were much like Moses or Joseph of Egypt or anyone else in the history of the world. There were many times that he needed to draw on this power. He...
A Pearl of Great Price – Divinely Revealed From God
The Lord told Nephi in his great vision, "And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the...
A Look Back at 2017
This past year has indeed been a roller coaster. As I reflect on the year that has been I must pour out my heart in gratitude to the Almighty for the many blessings and great prosperity that we have experienced. As the chapter turns over to a new year I reflect on...
The Gift of Christmas
Every year we shop and consume to find the best gifts that will bring smiles to the faces of those that we love. We do all this in the spirit of giving and love. Amidst this season of spending and giving do we remember the real celebration and the why? I remember the...
Tuning our Hearts
The scriptures teach us a many example of a still small voice. We learn in 1 Kings of Elijah on the mountain top where the Lord was not in the earthquake or the thunder or the wind but it was a still voice. We learn from Oliver Cowdrey's experience that He will tell...
Give Me This Mountain
While serving as a missionary in the Missouri St. Louis Mission, my mission president held the mission motto based on Joshua 14:12 where Joshua declares in his old age, "therefore give me this mountain." This piece is rich in meaning and representation. Much of what...
To Act or to Be Acted Upon
While teaching his son, Jacob, Lehi iterates some essential truths of the great Plan of Salvation. He shows us the need for opposition and Adam?s Fall. Along with these we explore the power of having a choice of trees to partake of give to Adam and Eve. This stands as...