In a 1997 regional conference, President Hinckley said “It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out.” That is the message of this week’s discussion of Ezra and Nehemiah. As bad as things were for the Israelites, things worked out with God’s help and with God’s help things will work out for us too.
In your desperate moment of need who do you turn to? And what has worked? Today’s discussion talks about the desperate moments during the time of kings in the Old Testament books of Chronicles. We’ll find some remarkable stories about what works and some unexpected ways the people received help from the Lord.
Who could use some good advice? 2 Kings 16–25 has advice from the Lord to the Southern Kingdom of Israel. And the good news for us is that praying, going to the temple, seeking counsel from the prophet, and more advice found in these chapters are timeless wisdoms. Whatever you are going through we can find solace in the words of the scriptures.
The Book of Mormon prophet Mormon asked the question, “Has the day of miracles ceased?” President Oaks answered in our day, “Many miracles happen every day in the work of our Church and in the lives of our members. Many of you have witnessed miracles, perhaps more than you realize.” If miracles are happening today then maybe in order to see them, we need to seek the faith that Elisha had when he prayed on behalf of his fearful young servant: “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see”
The House of Israel is in total disarray. This week’s discussion of 1 Kings 12–22 will teach us what the Lord did for His people living on both sides of a conflict. Miracles didn’t cease and God proved it to whoever would listen to both the boasting of confident faith and a still small voice.
Would you say that with age comes wisdom? What about with experience comes wisdom? How about with the imperfections of others, comes wisdom? The Book of Mormon prophet Moroni said, “Give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been” (Mormon 9:31). Today’s discussion of 2 Samuel 11–12 and 1 Kings 1–11 contain stories of the imperfection and contrition which when combined, can definitely make us all “more wise than we have been.”
This week’s Come Follow Me lesson ends with David becoming king, being favored of the Lord, wanting to build the Lord a temple, and some dancing. To find out how he got there, we have to go back and discover who the young boy David was before becoming a young king. 1 Samuel 17–31 and 2 Samuel 1–7 show the heart of young David and the story he’d like to be remembered for.
David and Saul came from different backgrounds and appeared different at first glance. But both led Israel, were favored of the Lord, and also had secrets they tried to hide. But as we learn in 1 Samuel 8–16, God looks past our outward appearance and sees our heart.
Ruth and Hannah were strong figures in the Old Testament who demonstrated faith and established a righteous lineage. This week we are paying special attention to what we can learn about God’s pattern of revelation in Ruth and 1 Samuel 1-7. Sometimes the Lord asks hard things, but when we know it comes from God, it makes it worth it to obey.
Reading about the Atonement is one thing but truly feeling it is another. This visual could make a difference.
2 Min Read
“The more we know these prophecies, the more we can step forward with courage and strength and do hard things and help gather Israel.”
1 Min Read
A verse from the Book of Mormon shows how hopeful this phrase truly is.
1 Min Read
This principle from 3 Nephi (and some help from my stopwatch) reveals an empowering truth.
3 Min Read
“Most of the best people who ever lived weren’t very famous either. Serve and grow, faithfully and quietly.”
3 Min Read
God wants us to live with joy, not guilt that we are not doing enough. Find peace by noticing the subtle signs of progress in your life.
5 Min Read
Alma's son Corianton pursued a harlot and had significant concerns about the gospel. What can we learn from what Alma chose to say to him?
4 Min Read
Did you know Alma chapters 30–35 were originally one chapter? Reading the text as one block reveals an important question (and inspiring answer).
4 Min Read
I’ve realized Amulek is poignant inspiration to anyone feeling like their life is falling apart even though they chose to do what was right.
3 Min Read
This summer, the Sunday on Monday podcast has decided to prove the scripture and see how we can truly “count it all joy.”
2 Min Read
Sometimes when you come across a very familiar verse, it can be easy to just gloss it over because you know it so well.
1 Min Read
In Mosiah 9, the Lamanites were trying to skip right to the easy part.
2 Min Read
This week’s “Come, Follow Me” nugget is more the size of a rock, but there is just so much that King Benjamin teaches in Mosiah 4.
2 Min Read
We know we are the spirit children of Heavenly Father, so how is it that we can also be the children of Christ? The answer is wonderfully ennobling.
2 Min Read
Our challenge today is not a lack of access, but a lack of attention.
2 Min Read
We love Enos for his heartfelt prayers. Here are a few details about how he prays you may’ve not noticed but that can help you in life.
4 Min Read
A debt paid? Understanding? Protection? Comfort? For any definition of the word “cover,” you can find a solution for it in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
2 Min Read
The journey back to God usually isn’t as simple as moving from point A to point B.
2 Min Read
There is a segment in this week’s “Come, Follow Me” reading that captures the spirit of the “Visitors Welcome” signs found on every Latter-day Saint church building.
2 Min Read
Nephi writes like someone who intends for his words to be read, and 2 Nephi 25 is like he’s stretching his arm through the fourth wall to tell us what’s important.
1 Min Read
2 Nephi 18 talks about the Lord—and the temple—being a sanctuary. So how can we find that same peace in our busy lives today?
2 Min Read
“God has His hand in everything. Every page of the Book of Mormon is evidence of that.”
2 Min Read
Studying Jacob may help you see how both deep sorrow and anxiety can coexist with God’s goodness.
4 Min Read
Moses, Nephi, and Joseph Smith are all names on the page for us today. But their struggles and faith were real. And we can learn from their lessons.
2 Min Read
In the middle of Lehi’s message to Jacob, we get a small but powerful message that “all things must needs be a compound in one.”
2 Min Read
With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’ve chosen our favorite podcast episodes to help you find ideas to love others more deeply as the Savior would.
5 Min Read
Has the promise of prospering in the land led us to believe that if we keep the commandments, life will be easy?
5 Min Read
The moments in my life where the scriptures have come alive the most are in casual conversations with roommates or family. That’s when the application happens.
3 Min Read
When nothing else makes sense and you are confused by what you hear, start there. Start with knowing God loves you.
2 Min Read
“Falling down” at the feet of Jesus can become an instructive, beautiful, inspiring detail in Lehi’s vision of the tree of life.
4 Min Read
My ah-ha moment from this week’s reading came from one word found in the family conflict immediately preceding Lehi’s vision.
2 Min Read
There are many ways we can learn about God throughout our lives, two of which are through the scriptures and our family.
2 Min Read
Sometimes knowing leads to doing, and other times doing leads to knowing.
4 Min Read
A new year brings new resolutions and a new ‘Come, Follow Me’ curriculum. Let’s dive into our 2024 study of the Book of Mormon.
3 Min Read
The world is pretty different than it was in January 2020, but we are back to reading the Book of Mormon together and there are a few new perks for 'Sunday on Monday' podcast listeners.
2 Min Read
Busy week? Me too. LDS Living is here to catch you up and get you ready for discussions on Sunday. Here’s a nugget of wisdom from this week’s Come, Follow Me study of The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.
2 Min Read
Doctrine and Covenants 50 carries an invitation from the Lord that we accept every time we study, listen to a podcast, or go to church: “Let us reason together.” For today’s discussion on sections 49 and 50, we are joined by two educated women who are familiar with reasoning about the scriptures. And their insight will help us all be “edified and rejoice together.”
The early Church didn’t have manuals or study guides—they didn’t even have enough copies of the Book of Mormon to go around. But what they did have was ongoing revelation. Doctrine and Covenants 42–56 deal with organizing the Church better, resolving disputes between members, and combating deception. You could almost say these sections are like the earliest General Handbook for the Church. Sections 46–48 contain doctrine so vital to the organization of Christ’s Church that we still rely on it today.
According to the Title Page of the Book of Mormon, the book’s purpose is to convince all people that “Jesus is the Christ.” During this Christmas season, as believers worldwide celebrate God’s goodness and love in sending His Son, we decided to ponder how the Book of Mormon has strengthened our faith in Christ. We asked our study group guests to think about His birth, reflecting on why He came and how His coming has changed their lives. As you listen to this week’s episode, we hope you experience the true joy of Christmas—our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our study of the Book of Mormon this year has been incredible. For 52 weeks we have dug into this book and changed. Hopefully your love of the Book of Mormon has grown. The prophet Moroni loved it too and one of the last things he wrote is for us to consider this book, all that it contains and to discover for ourselves if it is not true. He wants us to challenge the book and to learn for ourselves if it is true. As we study Moroni 10 together, listen and notice the spiritual impressions you receive as the Holy Ghost helps you discover or rediscover the truthfulness of this book and how merciful the Lord hath been to all of us, His people that he loves.
Moroni 7–9 are teachings and 2 letters from Mormon that Moroni decided to include on the plates. They describe overwhelmingly sad circumstances, and yet the council is to have hope. How can we have hope, and faith, and charity regardless of our circumstances?
Do you remember the magazines they used to have for kids with Seek and Find games? These would have a list of items hidden in the picture that you had to find. Today as we study Moroni 1–6 we are trying out a seek and find podcast where we look for questions and the administrative details that can point us to the answers.