Why doesn’t God just bless us? Why does he make the reception of blessings dependent upon our making and keeping covenants? Why is the path he has chosen a covenant path?
Scripture Study
More Scripture Study Features
The Witness of Women
The Jewish holiday of Purim which was celebrated last week, honors Queen Esther, who risked the wrath of her Persian husband-king to save her people. This essay is a tribute to women who have risked much to witness both anciently and in our day.
The Unique Relationship with God We are Promised in the Covenant
Through years of studying the blessings promised to Israel, I came to understand that the first and foremost aspect of the covenant, the concept on which everything hinged and from which everything flowed, was that God wanted an increased relationship with His children.
Why Was Martin Harris Needed to Pay for the Printing of the Book of Mormon?
Martin and Joseph’s meetings with Grandin and other printers in the summer of 1829 were likely “the first time that the sheer magnitude of the cost was fully comprehended by Martin Harris or Joseph Smith." As the various printers explained the complicated and expensive nature of the project, it is easy to see why Martin became overwhelmed at the prospect of paying for the large expenditure.
Moses’ Vision at the Veil
Having traversed the veil, Moses and Abraham experience a comprehensive vision of the earth and its mortal inhabitants through the ages. In both texts, this raises questions for the prophets, but the nature of the questions differs somewhat in Moses 1 than in the Apocalypse of Abraham.
VIDEO: How Do We Know We Are Truly Valued?
It is always of special interest to see how an expert determines the value of an antique or collectible that the owner thought might not be worth anything at all. Ultimately, "it is the price someone is willing to pay for it that reveals its great value". What price has been paid for you? What can we learn about our worth from Doctrine and Covenants 18-19?
Why Did the Lord Command the Three Witnesses to Rely upon His Word?
In June 1829, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris became the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. They testified that they saw an angel, who showed them the golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. Unbeknownst to most who read the witnesses’ official statement, however, David Whitmer indicated late in his life that he and his fellow witnesses were initially reluctant to publish their testimony to the world.