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

Joseph served as a type for Christ in the following ways: Both were granted a new name: Joseph was denominated Zaphnath-paaneah by Pharaoh (Gen. 41:45) Jesus’ divine name was Christ. Both were good shepherds. Both were known as the most loved of their father. Both were clothed in authority andContinue Reading

I believe that as we read the Old Testament, looking for ways that the events and stories therein show a similarity to the Savior Jesus Christ, that we are reading the text as Nephi directs when he said,  “Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth ofContinue Reading

The final ending of Genesis 37 takes some time to get to, with the reunification of the brothers happening in Genesis 45:1-15. A theme that I emphasize when teaching Genesis 37 and 38 is that the Lord can take something destructive or sinful and use it for his purposes andContinue Reading

Christ’s love is so deep that He took upon Himself the sins and afflictions of all mankind. Only in that way could He both pay for our sins and empathize with us enough to truly succor us—that is, run to us—with so much empathy that we can have complete confidenceContinue Reading

God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!… If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to makeContinue Reading