Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It’s our faith that he experienced everything–absolutely everything. Sometimes we don’t think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don’t experienceContinue Reading

All of the anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon have essentially the same goal: to get their listeners to not believe in Jesus Christ and get them off the path that leads back to God. Despite this, they certainly would not get along with each other if gathered in theContinue Reading

Understanding Deuteronomy’s treatment of the Divine Council The ways that the Tanakh (Old Testament) was read by followers of Yahweh (Jehovah) over the centuries leading up to the life of Jesus Christ changed over time. Because the early Israelites that wrote their sacred texts had a view of a divineContinue Reading

Ephesians 1 is all about who we were in the Pre-earth Council and who God the Father is in relation to us… this is set in the context of First Temple Israelite religion and in the modern Holy Temple I discuss many of these ideas with my colleague Bryce DunfordContinue 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

The Hymn of the Pearl and the Cosmic Myth The Cosmic Myth is a story that teaches of eternal truths even though it may or may not be totally historically accurate.[1]Michael Fishbane, Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking, Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 11. Fishbane stated, “we shall understand the word ‘Myth’Continue Reading

THE PROBATIONARY TEST OF MORTALITY Elder Bruce R. McConkie Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Address given at the University of Utah Institute of Religion January 10, 1982 I’m very pleased and honored to have this opportunity to meet and worship with you on this special occasion. Earlier, PresidentContinue Reading