Brad Wilcox

Brother Brad Wilcox: Three things you need to know about patriarchal blessings

By Brad Wilcox

August 02, 2021 10:49 AM MDT

There are no restrictions on preparing for patriarchal blessings and helping others prepare. Here are three ideas that can help.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

What we've misunderstood about grace and how to unlock its power in our lives

By Brad Wilcox

April 21, 2021 12:02 PM MDT

The following excerpt originally ran on LDS Living in April 2017. Changed through His Grace is now available as a Pocket Gospel Classic.

7 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Brad Wilcox: 5 Tips for Teaching About the Atonement

By Brad Wilcox

February 12, 2020 07:00 PM MST

Editor's note: This week's Come, Follow Me study includes 2 Nephi 9 which teaches about the Atonement. We wanted to reshare this article from our 2015 archives that gives more insights on this important topic.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Brad Wilcox: Grace—Common Ground or Battleground?

By Brad Wilcox

January 10, 2020 10:56 PM MST

A newlywed couple was discussing comfort food. The bride said, “My family loves Shepherd’s Pie.” The groom had never heard of that. He said, “One of my family’s favorites is Hamburger Bean Casserole.” The wife scrunched up her nose and responded, “I don’t think I would like that.” Little did they know that they were using different names for the exact same dish. How sad it would be if the couple began to argue about whose family’s comfort food was best!

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Brad Wilcox Explains How the Angel’s Visit to Mary Can Strengthen Our Testimony of Joseph Smith

By Brad Wilcox

December 23, 2019 11:05 AM MST

My wife’s ancestors Parshall and Hannah Terry lived in Palmyra, New York, and knew the Prophet Joseph Smith. Their son Jacob was the exact same age as Joseph and was his schoolmate and friend. In 1817, three years before the First Vision, the Terry family moved from New York to Canada and lost contact with the Smiths until 1837, when missionaries taught them. The family was amazed to learn about all that had transpired with the Smith family. The Terrys were baptized the following year and moved to Missouri, anxious to reconnect with their friends the Smiths. Instead, they got there just in time to be expelled from the state because of the extermination order.

4 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

One Life-Changing Question from the Book of Mormon (and the Answer)

By Brad Wilcox

August 03, 2019 02:00 PM MDT

Over the last couple centuries, a lot of questions have surrounded the Book of Mormon—queries about its origins, its authenticity, and its teachings have been perpetuated by skeptic and believer alike. The book's contents are no different. From the first writings of Nephi to the dying testimony of Moroni, the Book of Mormon contains questions from an astounding 61 individuals—including prophets, missionaries, investigators, and apostates. Alma the Younger asked a grand total of 103 questions, Nephi posed 41, and the Savior Himself included 35 questions during his short ministry among the Nephites.

4 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Brad Wilcox: 3 Things Latter-day Saints Should Know About the Tribes of Israel

By Brad Wilcox

July 16, 2019 09:01 AM MDT

The Lord made a covenant with Adam, the head of the first dispensation, and renewed that covenant in successive dispensations with Enoch and Noah. Next came Abraham, who sought after the knowledge, blessings, and promises “belonging to the fathers” (Abraham 1:2). The Lord renewed the same covenant with him and told him that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed (see Genesis 18:18; Abraham 2:9). The same covenant was made with Abraham’s son Isaac (see Genesis 26:1–4, 24) and with Isaac’s son Jacob (see Genesis 28:14; 35:9–13), who was given a new name: Israel (see Genesis 35:9–13). Thus, Israel is not just a country but the name of a man and his posterity. The house of Israel is the great big family of Jacob.

6 Min Read

What Our Birthright Is and Has Always Been as Members of the Church

By Brad Wilcox

July 05, 2019 11:00 AM MDT

Imagine a wealthy family in Old Testament times: father, mother, four sons, and three daughters. Who gets the money when Dad dies? Most would point to the firstborn son, but that’s just partly right. If Dad has four sons, his estate is divided into five equal shares. All the sons receive a portion, but the eldest, who has the birthright, receives two—a double portion. The three younger brothers leave with their portions, but the eldest doesn’t go anywhere because with his extra portion comes added responsibility. He is expected to care for his mother and provide dowries so his sisters can be properly married. Even after his mother and sisters are gone, he will stay to govern the affairs of his father’s estate. Of course he will marry and have his own family, but he will spend the rest of his life fulfilling his birthright responsibilities.

7 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How the Temple Endowment Represents Christ's Atonement

By Brad Wilcox

May 01, 2019 07:26 PM MDT

After receiving her endowment, one sister said to me, “I was disappointed I didn’t see more about Christ’s Atonement.” I was stunned. She may as well have said she just walked through a forest and didn’t see any trees. As our discussion continued, it became clear she had expected to see portrayals of Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, pictures of Him on the cross, and depictions of His empty tomb, so she was surprised when none of these were presented directly.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

What One Woman Learned by Helping Her Dying Mother Take the Sacrament for the Last Time

By Brad Wilcox

January 22, 2019 10:00 PM MST

My sister-in-law Cheryl Harward Wilcox came to value the sacrament much more as she helped care for her mother, Melva, until she passed away at age 92. Melva was in the hospital in Payson, Utah, when it was decided that there was nothing more that could be done except to keep her as comfortable as possible until she passed on. As preparations were being made to transport her back to her home, two brethren from a local ward came into the room and asked Cheryl if her mother would like the sacrament. At first, Cheryl told them, “No, thank you.” Her mom could hardly swallow. Then Cheryl said, “On second thought, let me ask her.” Cheryl leaned close to her mother’s ear and said, “There are two priesthood holders here. Would you like to try to take the sacrament?”

3 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

One Scriptural Phrase That Will Help You Look to the Future with Faith

By Brad Wilcox

December 31, 2018 01:43 PM MST

One question that Alma asked the people of Zarahemla is “Do you look forward with an eye of faith?” (Alma 5:15). What does this mean, and how can we look forward with an eye of faith?

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The Prompting That Saved a Girl from Abuse and Shows How God Loves Us Individually

By Brad Wilcox

December 08, 2018 01:47 PM MST

Christ cares for us individually. The inverted five-point stars found on the Nauvoo Temple are symbols of Christ, the “bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16), reaching down to earth and inviting us to reach up to Him. . . .

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How Did the Wise Men Know to Look for a Star?

By Brad Wilcox

December 05, 2018 10:00 PM MST

In Matthew we read of wise men of the East (see Matthew 2:1-12) who followed a star to bring gifts to the child Jesus. The Bible Dictionary explains that these were not scholars or astrologers but spiritually sensitive and knowledgeable "prophets on a divine errand." God led the prophet Lehi and his family to the Americas. Is it not possible that He led other faithful Israelites to other parts of the world? We have the sticks of Judah and Joseph, but we will one day have the sticks of other tribes as well. Wherever the wise men were and whatever tribe they were from, they, like Lehi and Nephi, knew of Christ and were looking forward to His coming.

3 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The Touching Meaning Behind Poinsettias and How It Relates to Latter-day Saints

By Brad Wilcox

December 01, 2018 02:00 PM MST

Are we allowed to choose a favorite Christmas symbol? It’s almost as tricky as picking a favorite general authority, scripture, or hymn. Nevertheless, I choose poinsettias. I love the vivid green and red colors that surround us each December. I even love poinsettias when they are white, pink, or marbled. Most of all, I love the legend of how we got poinsettias in the first place.

4 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

3 Insights from the Holy Land to Deepen Your Understanding of Christ's Title as the "Good Shepherd"

By Brad Wilcox

November 28, 2018 10:49 PM MST

One December, I saw a clever sign on the marquee of a Christian church: “Christmas is not your birthday!” I got their point, but I still had to disagree because I was born right on December 25th. When I was younger, my parents were afraid my birthday would get overlooked in the holiday rush, so they made a big banner that hung in our home: “Happy Birthday to Jesus and Brad!” They also started a tradition of putting up two trees—one for Jesus and one for me. The idea was that my brothers would put a present for me under each tree—a plan that worked well until my older brother bought me a pair of mittens. He placed one mitten under the Christmas tree and the other under the birthday tree, and everything went downhill from there. These days, most of my gifts come with a “Merry Birthday” card to cover both occasions. Here’s one I received from my cousin:

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Brad Wilcox's Profound Answer to a Prayer and What It Teaches Us About God's Love Even When We Feel Overwhelmed

By Brad Wilcox

July 09, 2018 12:00 PM MDT

When I was a young father struggling to balance the demands of school with work, callings, and raising my family, I sometimes found myself feeling overwhelmed. One day I read in the scriptures about the foreknowledge of God—He knows the end from the beginning (Abraham 2:8; Helaman 8:8)—and the thought bothered me a great deal. I kept thinking if all things are present before His eyes (Acts 17:26; Doctrine and Covenants 38:2), then that meant God knew right then how my life would turn out. He knew whether or not I would enter the celestial kingdom, and sadly, I didn’t think I would.

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Brad Wilcox: 8 Things the Atonement Is Not

By Brad Wilcox

March 07, 2018 05:34 PM MST

All my life I thought Big Ben was a famous clock tower in London. I was absolutely sure of it and had even taught that fact to others. Then I went to London and found out that Big Ben is actually the nickname of the largest bell inside the tower, which is now called the Elizabeth Tower in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. And if we are going to get picky, it’s not even officially in London, but rather in Westminster. In that moment, the bell and the tower had not changed, but my understanding certainly did.

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

What a Young Man Fascinated by Anti-Mormon Books Taught Me About the Atonement, Repentance

By Brad Wilcox

February 19, 2018 02:08 PM MST

In place of faith in Christ, some choose disbelief. When people say, “There is no God,” or, “The Church isn’t true,” their words can put us on the defensive. However, such comments are sometimes attempts to justify poor choices and avoid change. When we listen beyond the words, the message really being communicated in such cases is, “I’ve sinned and don’t want to repent.”

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

When God Doesn't Give Clear Answers to Prayers: One Analogy That Might Change How You See Personal Revelation

By Brad Wilcox

January 04, 2018 10:00 PM MST

After Nephi had experienced his great vision of the tree of life and the ministry of Jesus Christ, his older brothers approached him. They didn’t understand some of the teachings of their father, and when they asked Nephi to explain them, he asked, “Have ye inquired of the Lord?” (1 Nephi 15:8).

8 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The Surprising Meanings Behind "Enos" and "Noah": Insights into Book of Mormon Names

By Brad Wilcox

October 14, 2017 08:57 AM MDT

Ancient scripture writers often used the literary pattern of paronomasia (word plays and word puns) to convey significant theological messages (see hereand here). Bible and Book of Mormon authors used names of individuals as a means to teach core principles. If we could read the original Hebrew and Egyptian texts of the Book of Mormon, we’d find names repeated thematically throughout the text. Just as a modern persuasive writer today will repeat their thesis statement in multiple ways throughout their writing, so too, ancient prophets used names and derivatives of names to reinforce in meaningful ways the major idea they wished for readers to see in the text.

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Brad Wilcox: 6 Ways Our Savior's Grace Saves Us

By Brad Wilcox

August 31, 2017 03:21 PM MDT

The following is an excerpt from Brad Wilcox's book, Changed Through His Grace:

10 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

"Grace Is Power": Brad Wilcox Explains What Grace Is and Is Not in a Powerful Way Every Latter-day Saints Can Understand

By Brad Wilcox

May 30, 2017 12:06 PM MDT

While the concept of grace is often associated with a description of God’s attributes, grace also encompasses divine strength given by a loving Heavenly Father to assist us as we strive to become like Him. The following is an excerpt from Brad Wilcox’s book, Changed through His Grace.

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

What "Sariah" and "Moroni" Actually Mean: Insights into Book of Mormon Names

By Taylor Halverson

February 05, 2017 10:00 PM MST

Old Testament writers used the meanings of names to help people remember the key idea of a story.

4 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The Actual Meaning of “Nephi” and 3 Other Book of Mormon Names

By Taylor Halverson

January 01, 2017 10:00 PM MST

Readers of the Book of Mormon encounter hundreds of unique names not found elsewhere. Critics dismiss these names as gibberish or the creative invention of Joseph Smith. However, those willing to look deeper find that not only do many of the names fit within patterns of ancient Semitic languages but they can also have great personal meaning for each of us.

6 Min Read