The Flood narrative as a composite text The Flood narrative is an account of two sources, something that is explained by what biblical scholars call the Documentary Hypothesis. This hypothesis explains that two of the sources for this flood narrative are the Priestly and the Yahwist (P and J) –Continue Reading

Signs of the Times “Our loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jehovah, with a knowledge of the end from the beginning, opened the heavens and a new dispensation to offset the calamities that They knew would come. The Apostle Paul described the forthcoming calamities as “perilous times.” For me, thisContinue Reading

I like to teach Exodus 25-31 by first starting out talking about why the Lord wanted them to have a tabernacle in the first place, and then liken this to our day to show why the Lord has us build temples today. Exodus 29:42-45 and D&C 97:15-17 are excellent versesContinue Reading

The longest allegory in scripture is Zenos’ allegory of the olive, which is found in Jacob 5. In Jacob 5:3, Zenos explains to his hearers that the tame olive tree represents the house of Israel. From this interpretation, we can draw some conclusions about the other symbols in Zenos’ allegory.Continue Reading

From 91 B.C. to A.D. 31, the Nephites were governed by a series of judges. This time period gives many examples of the of how the Nephites constantly fluctuated in their level of commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. This overview of the Nephite cycle of righteousness and wickedness canContinue Reading

I love the allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5. It can be read so many ways. I will be posting a podcast to this text that will hopefully be helpful to all of us in the next few days. Zeno’s Allegory of the Tame and Wild Olive Trees,Continue Reading

I really like this chart that visually shows how Jacob illustrates the two paths that we can choose while in mortality. 2 Nephi 9 is such a great chapter of the Book of Mormon, and this chart is a great way to “see” it in a different light.Continue Reading

The Atonement of Jesus Christ A. God governs the universe by law. 1. To bring about his eternal purposes, God instituted laws to govern his children (see D&C 130:20–21; 132:5; 2 Nephi 2:13). 2. Sin is the willful breaking of the law (see 1 John 3:4; James 4:17). 3. God’sContinue Reading

There is much to cover in Alma 40-42. It is good to emphasize one or two doctrines when teaching Alma 40-41. I focused on the fact that there is a resurrection, that many witnesses have testified of this reality, and that the scriptures have much to share regarding the orderContinue Reading

These notes contain links to a few books that have helped me understand the context and content of the scriptures. As an Amazon Affiliate, I do earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you). Click here to see all of my favorite books on Amazon. Mosiah 25-28Continue Reading