Acts 18:23-20:38; Galatians

Jacob 5-7

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Recognizing the role that poetic tools play in the scriptures deepens our connection to the sacred text.

In working as a religious educator for almost four decades, I have been delighted to witness a significant rise in what might be called scriptural literacy or gospel scholarship among the young people of the Church. This is a tribute to devoted mothers and fathers, advisers and teachers, seminary and institute instructors. Our members are simply more capable and adept at utilizing the standard works in finding answers to their questions, seeking divine guidance, and explaining or defending the teachings of the restored gospel to those not of our faith.

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the calls of nine new General Authority Seventies and 58 Area Seventies during the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2020 general conference. He also announced a new Young Men General Presidency to replace Brother Stephen W. Owen, Brother Douglas D. Holmes and Brother M. Joseph Brough, who have served as a presidency for five years. Brother Steven J. Lund is the new president, with Brother Ahmad Corbitt and Brother Bradley (Brad) R. Wilcox as his counselors.

Sometimes life doesn't make sense—especially if we expect God to simply “deliver the goods” once we’ve made some required spiritual deposit. These five scriptures can help make sense of things while we wait for our “eventually.”

Among the revelators who experienced assurance that restoration was on the way, were women including Sarah Pierrepont Edwards and Lucy Mack Smith.

Thirty years ago, students began moving into the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. Today it is considered by members and nonmembers alike to be a stunning addition to the Holy City’s landscape, but it didn’t start out that way. In fact, plans to build the Jerusalem Center caused so much controversy that the “Mormon issue” nearly caused the collapse of the Israeli government—on more than one occasion.

Ezekiel 38–39 contains a vision that exhibits some important traits of apocalyptic revelation. It depicts an invasion of "Israel" by a foreign power called "Gog" of the land of "Magog," the "chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" (Ezek. 38:2). Gog and his forces will attack the "mountains of Israel," whose people will have been "brought forth out of the nations" (Ezek. 38:8). Like "a cloud to cover the land," Gog and his allies—"a great company, and a mighty army"—will advance on the Lord's people (Ezek. 38:15–16). But the Lord will not allow them to succeed. With earthquake, sword, pestilence, blood, rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone, the Lord will intervene to stop Gog's attack; he and his armies will be slaughtered (see Ezek. 38:19–39:8). So massive will be Gog's armies, and so thorough their defeat, that for seven years the people of Israel will gather the weapons of their defeated enemies and use them for fuel. Their corpses will be so abundant that it will take seven months to bury them. Even after that, individuals will be employed to go through the land to find the bodies not yet buried (see Ezek. 39:9–16). Next is depicted a huge feast, at which birds and animals will gorge themselves on the blood and flesh of the slain (see Ezek. 39:17–20; see also D&C 29:20).