This is a very difficult passage in the New Testament. My contention is that the earliest Christians were Jews, otherwise Christianity would not have evolved in the synagogues for the first decades of its existence. Christianity came out of the Jewish synagogue. These were the very people that Paul preachedContinue Reading

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me (John 5:39). From my reading of the text, Jesus disapproves of searching the scriptures while he addresses “the Jews” (John 5:18) who question him. The reason for this in thisContinue Reading

I appreciate the verse in Matthew 24 when the Savior says, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:19) What is a great application of these passages? What would we be doing if and when the SavorContinue Reading

The Translation Process of the Book of Mormon Daniel C. Peterson wrote an excellent article in which he cites witnesses to the Book of Mormon translation process, giving modern readers insight into what eyewitnesses saw regarding how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. I cite just a few ofContinue Reading

Moses 1; Abraham 3 – Podcast Moses 1; Abraham 3 Quotes and Notes The Book of Abraham A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri – John Gee What do we mean by “translation”? The Gospel Topics Essay on Abraham Why is the Book of Abraham not on the Joseph SmithContinue Reading

Moses 1; Abraham 3 – Podcast Moses 1; Abraham 3 Quotes and Notes How we got the Book of Moses, by Robert J. Mathews Book of Moses History of the Book of Moses, by Kent Jackson Moses 1 – Identity Gospel Doctrine notes on Moses 1 The Creation and AncientContinue Reading

The Jubilee Year is explained in Leviticus 25:8-24 where it is stated that 49 years are to be counted (it seems that there are discrepancies as to when this countdown actually began) 1 and every 50th year was to be declared a special year in which the land would remainContinue Reading

Make Your Calling and Election Sure Elder Bruce R. McConkie Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, volume 3:323-355 Among those who have received the gospel, and who are seeking diligently to live its laws and gain eternal life, there is an instinctive and determined desire to make their calling and election sure.Continue Reading

In John 14, Jesus speaks to the Twelve about the Comforter, the paraclete, calling it the Holy Ghost (see John 14:26). He also speaks of “another Comforter,” teaching that that “he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (see John 14:16-17). Later he says, speaking of himself and hisContinue Reading

Nephite Temple Worship Compared to Israelite Texts The following is a portion of an article by Don Bradley entitled “Piercing the Veil: Temple Worship in the Lost 116 Pages.” This was a presentation given at the FairMormon Conference in 2012. Don’s position is that the Nephites worked to replicate theContinue Reading