Old Testament

There are many mothers in the scriptures with valuable stories—here are just five from the Old Testament that we have a lot to learn from.

Pelicans, peacocks, and owls? See which birds mentioned in the Bible you’re familiar with and which ones you may have never heard of before.

Astrology's popularity is on the rise. What does the Church have to say about it?

You know that little feeling of joy that comes from opening a Christmas card and reading a loved one's reflections from the past year? Well, this week's “Come, Follow Me” lesson is a Christmas card of sorts, beginning with an invitation to consider how the Old Testament has strengthened your testimony of the Savior this year. On this week's episode, we'll hear from past guests and a few listeners who share how the Old Testament has strengthened their testimony of Christ. As you listen, we hope that you, too, will reflect on how your relationship with the Savior has grown and that you find joy in the process.

How do you know God loves you? Maybe you feel His love through simple things, like sunsets or the existence of your favorite ice cream. Or maybe tenderly answered prayers assure you that He cares. Gaining a testimony of God’s love isn’t a journey only relevant in today’s world—the people in Malachi’s day wrestled with the same thing. This week’s lesson in Malachi gives us many truths to “lay to heart” (Malachi 2:2) and is a perfect finale to what we’ve learned all year long: no matter what, God loves us.

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “the apple of my eye”? Did you (or they) know they were quoting the prophet Zechariah? We may be approaching the end of our Old Testament study for the year, but we still have a lot to learn. The books of Haggai and Zechariah are full of wisdom regarding temples, repentance, and the sweet reminder that God’s children are always the apple of His eye. These two prophets taught their people the same truth we like to say at the end of every podcast episode: you are God’s favorite.

Imagine being in a courtroom and holding your breath before a sentence is given to someone. You might experience a similar feeling studying the books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. While these books may be short in length, they are rich in passion and conviction as prophets of old pronounce sentences on the people they have been sent to save. So as we dive into the scriptures this week, we invite you to sit in on these cases to watch and learn as the prophets’ judgments unfold.

Sometimes we find the Old Testament relatable not because of the stories where people have everything figured out, but because of the stories where they don't. Like us, these individuals are imperfect—and occasionally, they might even have a bit of a rebellious streak. This week’s story is about one such prophet. Jonah sacrificed everything to go and do, but when he got his call to serve, he ran in the opposite direction. Eventually, though, he repented and served with his whole heart. Our study today is in the books of Jonah and Micah, where we learn the stories of normal people who answered the call to be prophets.

The prophet Amos’s name has a Hebrew translation that we find fascinating; Amos means being burdened or troubled. At first that seems like an odd name for a prophet, but when you consider the weighty responsibilities God’s chosen servants carry, the name makes sense. In this week’s study of Amos and Obadiah, we’ll learn about the vital role of prophets and why they are asked to carry such a heavy burden. We will also find the comforting reassurance that the Lord “will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

This year our Come, Follow Me study concludes with the “minor prophets”—though sometimes obscure, they’re just as full of eternal truths.

Courses are taught by experts in their fields and range from how to improve your scripture study to overcoming doubts to talking to your kids about tough topics like pornography.

Opinions and beliefs about the mother of the human race are wide and varied, especially from religion to religion. Here are five insights from Latter-Day Saint leaders that may influence how you think about our glorious Mother Eve.

“There has never been a better time for us to search—not skim, not skip, not avoid—but really search Isaiah.”

The Isaiah Map is the tool you never knew you needed—let it help you study and teach this tricky book of scripture.

In preparing for this week’s Come, Follow Me lesson, I keep accidentally typing “virtual” instead of “virtuous.” Which got me thinking, what would it mean to be a virtually virtuous woman or man?

When depression and anxiety robbed my ability to feel the Spirit, I learned how to choose to trust God even when I couldn’t feel Him.

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

You may have been surprised to discover that the calendar lists the book of Psalms for our “Come, Follow Me” study for the next three weeks. Here are some interesting facts you might not have known about this book of scripture.

Shiphrah and Puah saved him, his mother saved him, and then Miriam, his older sister, is going to save him.

Maybe you recently sat down to read a chapter of the Old Testament and wondered how on earth it applies to you. But don’t give up—first, you might want to try out this way of approaching your scripture study.

In the midst of my emotional distress, the story of Elijah and the juniper tree taught me it’s OK to rest.

"I found some new gems in the story of Ruth and Naomi that have changed my outlook on my own female friendships."

Hannah’s story represents the feelings of many couples in our own day who suffer similar concerns.

Both in-person and online, see the iconic works of James Tissot, whose art was feature in Rob Gardner’s ‘Lamb of God.’

As the story goes, if you looked upon a brass serpent Moses fashioned and placed on a pole, you could be healed. If you didn’t look—well, you died.

A number of animals—red heifers, lambs, goats, turtledoves, bulls, pigeons, and a bronze serpent—serve as symbols of Jesus Christ’s atonement or sacrifice.

The children of Israel were well aware that the hand of the Lord was with Moses and He had sanctioned their exodus. Gratefully, the Lord did not leave them comfortless.

Who wouldn’t want to have a Sunday School lesson on Joseph in Egypt taught by Donny Osmond himself?

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” story of Joseph in Egypt can teach us how to choose love over fear or anger.

If you’re looking for a unique depiction of this week’s Come, Follow Me material, check out this new short film produced by Book of Mormon Central and Messages of Christ.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also the God of Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah, and the wives of the patriarchs offer powerful examples of righteous living in difficult times.

Understanding these Hebrew words may bring some unexpected insights into your Old Testament study this year.

Was the flood really the "baptism" of the earth? And how does the Joseph Smith Translation help us understand the flood?

It’s encouraging to see that even in the midst of natural disasters, God is always merciful and loving.

Though Adam and Eve would leave divinity’s immediate presence, in a very tangible way, Christ would leave with them.

A former full-time seminary and institute teacher, Tammy loves digging into gospel and shared a profound insight on scripture study.

Want your child to get the most out of this year’s “Come, Follow Me” study? Here are some resources that might help.

Here are five names of Christ from the Old Testament that remind me He is real, approachable, and unfailingly compassionate.

The book of Job is the perfect place to go for a case study of someone who was visited with problems that just plain didn’t make sense.

Do you know all the names of God or what the 10 plagues of Egypt are? Find out this and more with these awesome new resources for next year’s Gospel Doctrine Old Testament study.

We recently asked Freeman about her family, her faith, and what makes her excited to study the Old Testament next year.

Last week I was asked a question by a friend: “What did your parents do to teach you to tolerate nothing less than respect from men?”

A number of years ago, someone asked me, “If the Book of Mormon is such a critical witness of the Savior, why isn’t the Book of Mormon prophesied of by name in the Bible?”

I will never have a “normal” life, but I have found a way to live a happy life by relying on the Lord, and looking to the narratives in the scriptures that continue to guide my journey to this day.

We know from the scriptures that there were people who did not "taste of death" or who were "taken up by the spirit." But what does it really mean to be translated?