Meridian Magazine–Come Follow Me Latter-day Saint Podcast

August 26-September 1

In Helaman chapters 1-6, the Lamanites become the righteous and the Nephites the wicked. How does this switch come about? And the new enemy are the Gadianton robbers, who capture the allegiance of many of the Nephites. Things happen fast in the Book of Mormon, a roller coaster of righteousness and wickedness. I used to think it was hard to imagine such reversals and drama in such a short period of time, until we all entered these tumultuous times in our own nation.

August 19-25

The ten chapters that we look at today are about both the low and high points of the Nephite nation. This is a time of continual war, brought on in large part by the “contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity of the people of Nephi” (Alma 62:40) At the same time, just as the light shines more clearly in a darkened world, we see the power of goodness in Helaman’s 2060 stripling warriors. The image of these young men carrying the banner of freedom and faith with such unflinching goodness is one that shines right into our hearts today.

August 12-18

You may get to the so-called war chapters in the Book of Mormon and wonder why Mormon bothered to include so many of them. Yet, he was a prophet who’d seen our day and if ever there were chapters as fresh and relevant as today’s news headlines, here they are. They are filled with the best heroes, like Moroni, who hoist the title of liberty, the darkest villains, like Amalickiah who prosper by deceit and betrayal, and underscoring it all is an existential question: what is the price of freedom?

August 5-11

With only 239 chapters in the Book of Mormon and only 531 pages, would you take four of those chapters and 8 pages just to talk about one wayward missionary’s story who committed a grievous sexual sin?  Why would the Prophet Mormon think it was so important to include this story for our day?  Let’s explore this together.

July 29-August 4

We see many conversations in the Book of Mormon where fathers teach their sons and their impact changes not only their son’s life, but the generations that follow. The lessons are profound. The impact overwhelming. If there was ever scripture that calls out for fathers to step into their parenting role with power, the Book of Mormon is it.

July 22-28

Alma has a hidden message in this week’s readings.  You all are familiar with the concept he teaches of having a particle of faith and planting a seed and nurturing it that it may grow.  But what is that seed to grow into?  What is the metaphor he wants us to understand?  As we read and study this week’s material you might think Alma the Younger is one of Lehi’s students—he takes a chapter right out of the vision of the tree of life—and if you miss that part of the lesson, you miss one of the greatest teachings in the scriptures.  Let’s explore further.

July 15-21

It is surprising that an idea can at once be so popular, attracting people to give it passionate devotion, and at the same time be completely false. Why are people so often crazy enough to jump on a trend that is destructive or just plain foolish against their own best interests? Again and again, the Book of Mormon presents us smooth talking, powerful, intellectuals whose words corrupt the nation.

July 8-14

It’s intriguing to me to ponder about why the great abridger of the ancient records, the Prophet Mormon, included some stories and not others in the text.  No one in ancient times had the Book of Mormon.  This book was written for us—for our day—for our time.  So, why did Mormon include the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis?  What possible application does this have for our time?  What are we to learn from this almost unbelievable group of people who turned their whole souls to the Lord Jesus Christ and never waived thereafter?  Let’s explore this further.

July 1-7

Can you imagine if today you opened a mission call and it was for a 14-year mission to a violent people whose aim was to destroy you? You might think twice about that kind of call. Yet, the sons of Mosiah, Nephite princes who could have had a very different life, chose to go to preach to the Lamanites, a people described as “wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites” (Alma 17:14). No wonder Mosiah was concerned about the safety of his sons, and sought counsel from the Lord, who gave him a promise.

June 24-30

Have you ever thought about Alma and Amulek watching the believers in Ammonihah burn? It is not just the pain that these are their tender converts. Could it be that Amulek’s own family was among that group because he is in particular anguish after the event?

June 17-23

Here’s an irony. In our day, when someone wants to change everything that is wrong with the world, they run for president. In the Book of Mormon, Alma, hoping to pull down the pride and craftiness and contentions among his people, saw no way to reclaim them except to give up his office.

June 10-16

I’ve always loved Alma chapter 5.  It could be taken as the most introspective chapter in all of holy writ.  Alma asks more than 40 questions of his listeners and really wants them to probe their spirituality in a deep way.  But Alma wasn’t just talking to the people in Zarahemla—he is talking to us.  So, to put it in our language and context today:  If you have received a witness of this great work, if you have felt those wonderful feelings of the Spirit in your life, if you came to know something was true at some point in your life; can you feel so now?  Let’s explore Alma’s teachings together.

June 3-9

Hugh Nibley calls Mosiah 29 one of the most important treatises on political power ever written. In fact, the Book of Mormon has plenty to say about good and bad political leaders. Why does a spiritual book have so much to say about politics? We’ll find out today.

May 27-June 2

When I was growing up and first learning about the story of Alma the Younger’s conversion in the Book of Mormon, I always pictured him as a rebellious teenager who hung out with the four sons of Mosiah and together, the five of them wreaked havoc on the Church.  If you look closely at the record and put the facts together, you come to know something altogether different.

May 20-26

I have often wondered what was on Abinadi’s mind as the fire that would engulf and kill him burned hotter and hotter.  Did he wonder if he’d been a good missionary, because after all, there wasn’t a rush of converts from King Noah’s court.

May 13-19

There are many times in our lives when we just have to stand up for the truth and, sometimes we stand alone. Has that ever happened in your life?  Has it happened in the lives of your ancestors or the lives of your children?  President Nelson said recently: “Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested.” (Nelson, Russell M., The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming, Ensign, April 2020.)

May 6-12

Elder Richard G. Scott said, “Help from the Lord always follows eternal law. The better you understand that law, the easier it is to receive His help.” The chapters that we are studying in this episode demonstrate just that.

April 29-May 5

Over our years of studies of the first 6 chapters of Mosiah we have all come to love King Benjamin and his marvelous teachings.  We have the whole thing in our minds, don’t we? The aged King Benjamin; the anointing of his son Mosiah to be the new king; the innumerable hosts of tents surrounding the temple and families in breathless attention to their servant King.  We have the setting down pat, but what about the setting in our hearts—if King Benjamin were to send a text message to all of us, desiring to know if WE believed the words which he has spoken to US, what would be our answer? And what would be our proof?

April 22-28

Elder Neal A. Maxwell called the chapters we are studying today the “Manual of Discipleship”. Since Mormon could include only the hundredth part of the records he had available to him, this may be the reason he zeroed right in on King Benjamin’s address and gave us so much of it. He knew we in the latter days would want to learn discipleship too.

April 15-21

I remember, following Enos’s example, of going to the woods to pray in my life, in fact, more than once. Then, I recently was talking about Enos with a friend, and he said he, too, had gone to the woods to pray. I know Scot took Enos’s example, but went to a mountain. I don’t think the location matters because it can be right in our own bedroom, but there is something magnificent to learn about prayer from Enos in his book.

April 8-14

One of my favorite olive trees in the entire world is inside the walls of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in Jerusalem.  I remember Truman Madsen telling us all about how it was long-lined from a helicopter all the way from the Galilee to the center.  They were concerned about the shock of its journey, but they promptly planted it.  And then it died…at least they thought it did.  We’ll tell you all about it.

April 1-7

When Jacob speaks at the temple in the book named after him, it is with both anxiety and boldness, setting an example for all us who have to teach the people we love in this difficult world. It is not a time to shy away from the truth.

March 25-31

I love the season of spring.  I love the newness of life.  I love the crocus, the daffodils and tulips just popping through the winter-hardened earth.  I love the buds that magically appear on all the trees.  I especially love the redbuds and the dogwoods that were the first to show in my home-state of Missouri on our forested farm.  Most of all, though, I love the fact that “all things are created and made to bear record of [Jesus Christ]…things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of [Him].” (See Moses 6:63) What an exciting thing to talk about this week: the newness of life that comes and the celebration of Easter—the atoning sacrifice, death and resurrection of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

We wanted to take a few minutes just to relax with you, our amazing and loving listeners, and talk about faith, peace, calm and listening to the promptings and whisperings of the Spirit. 

March 18-24

Any returned missionary will recognize the chapters we are studying this week.  We used. many of these verses when it came time to challenge a serious investigator to make the commitment to be baptized.  In all our readings and studies of 2 Nephi chapters 31-33, have we possibly missed some critical teachings for our own spiritual progress?  Let’s study together and see what we can find out.

March 11-17

Nephi, of course is heartbroken because he has seen in revelation the destruction of his people. He says, “O the pain, and the anguish of my soul for the loss of the slain of my people” (2 Nephi 26:7). He says it consumes him. But he is given a promise of comfort. What is it? We’ll talk about it in this episode.

March 4-10

I love that language of Nephi as he adds so much of Isaiah into his small plates. He says that he delights in the covenants of the Lord. (pause) That’s certainly a theme throughout the Book of Mormon. He delights in the Lord’s grace, justice, power and mercy. This is all code language for rejoicing in the atonement of Jesus Christ. And Nephi delights in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death. These expressions of joy are in relation to the words and writings of Isaiah. That should get us excited about the materials we are studying this week!

February 26-March 3

There was a story told of a man in war and in the heat of the battle he was shot in the chest. By a miracle he was spared being killed. As he was taken back to the safety of the nearby camp, he was examined and he had a small copy of the Book of Mormon he had been carrying in his uniform. They opened the book and the bullet had penetrated only into about the middle of 2 Nephi—right in the heart of the Isaiah chapters. It was said that even a speeding bullet couldn’t get through Isaiah—well, let’s try to prove that wrong today. Let’s have some fun studying these seemingly difficult chapters together!

February 19-25

Do you know how many times the word “plan” shows up in the Book of Mormon? 66 times! How about in the Old Testament—only three times, and none of these is talking about the plan of salvation. The New Testament has no mention of “plan” at all.

February 12-18

One of the most exciting discoveries in reading the Book of Mormon is when we come upon quotations and extracts from the plates of brass! This is that ancient, sacred record that the sons of Lehi returned to Jerusalem and risked their lives to obtain. This is a record much larger than our Old Testament and it contains the prophecies, promises and covenants of the Lord from ancient times. And this week, we get to study one of the most significant prophecies given by Joseph of Egypt that we have record of.

February 5-11

How can Lehi who has suffered so much in the wilderness journey, including the murderous rejection of his own sons, Laman and Lemuel, possibly write that man is that he might have joy? Does he know something that we sometimes forget? We’ll find out as we study together.

January 29-February 4

A theme is so prevalent throughout scripture, and especially in the Book of Mormon, that you would think we would never miss it, and yet we do. What is that elusive theme? We’ll tell you in this episode.

January 22-28

After Lehi had his dream of the tree of life, his sons had some choices, and, based on those, in the next few hours had radically different experiences. Laman and Lemuel went to their tent and fought about the meaning of the dream, and Nephi was swept up to a mountain and given a vision. What Laman and Lemuel missed out on in insisting on their war of words!

January 15-21

I remember once being so tired as we made our way out of a remote area of the Sinai Desert in Egypt.  It was night and we wanted to drive all the way back to Cairo but we were just too exhausted from having hiked Mt. Sinai at 2:00 o’clock that morning.  We pulled over to rest.  We got off the main road and pulled up onto a small hill.  We watched from our perch, as an occasional car would go by.  And then it happened.  We watched as a dark mist or fog rolled in like a slow-motion wave of the sea.  We were both wide awake now—the mist completely obscured our view of the road below us—we could no longer see headlights or anything.  It was almost an inky black. This was the mist of darkness Lehi had talked about!

January 8-14

We all know the 1st book of Nephi so well, you may wonder if there is still more to learn. Welcome to the inexhaustible Book of Mormon that always surprises us with its spiritual richness and historical authenticity. You may know these stories, but we are about to enter a treasure room.

January 1-January 7

I was reading a very short notice this past week in a local newspaper that was just over 300 words long.  This is not a well-known national periodical, in fact, it’s quite obscure—but the notice I read is probably the most important thing ever published in the news.  The paper was The Wayne Sentinel and the date was Friday, March 26, 1830.  This was the first announcement that The Book of Mormon was now available to the world.

December 25-31

Here’s the latest breaking news:  The major war that was going on in the pre-mortal world between the forces of Lucifer and the forces of Michael has continued—but it has changed locations.  All of Lucifer’s forces have been moved to this earth and continue to wage war against the Saints and the followers of Christ and His Gospel.

December 18-24

For a few minutes you can leave the hustle of the season behind, while we take you to Bethlehem, a place we’ve spent much time. Come on an armchair journey.

December 4-10

There is often a certain dread that comes over us as we approach a thorough study of John’s Book of Revelation.  “How will I ever understand this book?  How can I figure out all the symbols and mysterious beasts?  Is there application in this book for me personally?”  In this week’s podcast and in one more lesson on Revelation to follow, we will give you some tools and some thoughts that will help you unlock this great book.

November 27-December 3

John is described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, and it may be no surprise that he gives us a deeper look into what it means to love and how it is done. Of all the things I want and hope for in this world, it is to learn how to be a person filled with love, but self creeps in at every turn. Let’s turn to John for help.

November 20-26

We know so much about the apostle Peter.  He is a hero to many of us.  He is the one who stepped so quickly forward to action.  He is the one who boldly testified that Jesus is the Christ.  He is the one who healed the sick and the lame and raised the dead. But how much do we know about the two epistles that he wrote before his martyrdom?  Let’s do some exploring and see what we can learn together.

November 13-19

Of the three men named James in the New Testament, which one wrote the Book of James? And another question: Is James actually a Hebrew name anyway?

November 6-12

When I was in college, my great desire was to develop an unshakeable faith, and so I tried many things. I went up the canyon hoping to be alone with God and pray for an hour, but I ran out of things to say in ten minutes. Then, a speaker came to my college ward who struck me as a woman with wonderful faith, and so I asked if I could go visit with her at her home and if she could teach me what she knew. But things began to open up for me when I read what Paul wrote in the magnificent Hebrews 11 about faith. Let’s explore today.

October 30-November 5

Who wrote the epistle to the Hebrews—Paul or somebody else? It has been a centuries old debate that Joseph Smith had an answer for.

October 23-29

What would you say to your beloved friends and followers if you knew this was the last time you would ever speak to them?  Such is the case with 2 Timothy as Paul has his last words penned by a scribe from a dungeon in Rome.  Paul’s words to Timothy, and of course from his other letters, would change the entire world.

October 16-22

We have many sicknesses today in our tumultuous world, but Paul aptly labels one of the most pervasive and contagious. We’ll call it the “shaken in mind” syndrome. Being “shaken in mind” is as deadly as it sounds, like something that would make you really sick. It is where stillness and stability and a sure foundation have fled. 

October 9-15

Paul’s letters, or the Pauline epistles, are arranged in the New Testament in descending order of their length—with the exception of The Book of Hebrews.  These 14 letters comprise 173 pages, just about 43% of the entire New Testament.  This week we will be looking at the small epistle of Paul to the Philippians—those converts living in Philippi in the region of Macedonia, Greece and another even smaller epistle to the Colossians—those living in Colossae, a celebrated city of Phrygia just 100 miles east of Ephesus in modern day Turkey. And we will be looking at one particular very wonderful thing Paul taught:  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

October 2-8

What does it mean to be a “stranger in the world”? That’s a lonely idea, right up there with one of the saddest words in our language—homeless.  Paul tells the Gentile converts, “Now, therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the Saints” (Ephesians 2:19). Being a stranger in the world is what it means to be without Christ in our journey. A stranger in the world is exiled from Him and from home. That would be lonely, indeed.

September 25-October 1

The Book of Galatians is little known among us.  It’s only 6 chapters, in 149 verses and a total of 3,084 words.  Can we glean some eternal lessons from this brief letter of the Apostle Paul?  We certainly can!  In today’s podcast we will draw out some of Paul’s teachings that we think will bless all of our lives.

September 18-24

In this book of 2 Corinthians we come nearest to the inner feelings of Paul than in any other of his writings. As one writer said, here Paul reveals his “joy and depression, anxiety and hope, trust and resentment, anger and love.” We see his human qualities. Some writers have suggested that one of the best words to describe 2 Corinthians is that it is a defense. What would Paul have to defend? We'll discuss that this week.

Septebmer 11-17

This mortal experience was never meant to be easy—it was meant to be a school—but a school full of joy and wonderful learning.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians:  We are troubled on every side (have you ever felt that way?), yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” (See 2 Corinthians 4: 8-9) Paul sounds like he is talking to us in our day—not to the people living in Corinth in the 1st Century A.D.  Or was he talking to both?  Let’s explore this together.

September 4-10

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing early converts to the Church who brought with them baggage and false ideas from their previous beliefs. To make matters even more difficult, they were far away from any central administration of the Church and so old ideas, firmly entrenched in their minds could clash with the gospel. Among these new converts were polytheistic Gentiles who had once worshipped idols, Jews who held to the Mosaic law, and all of the ideas influenced by the philosophies of Greece. How did Paul handle this whirlwind of opinions?

August 28-September 3

This week’s readings include some of the most important teachings in all the scriptures.  You’re familiar with them:  Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I AM NOTHING.  We’re excited to explore this most coveted gift from the heavens.

August 21-27

Corinth was the powerful, bustling, and wicked trade center of the Roman province of Achaia. When Paul wrote what we call 1 Corinthians, to the members there, it wasn’t his first letter to them. That one is lost to us in time, but this second letter, that we call first, was motivated in part, by the concerns of a woman named Chloe and her household, who had written him. We’ll tell you why.

 August 14-20

The Apostle Paul begins in this week’s readings with a bulls-eye on the struggles we have in this mortal experience and then tells us how to free ourselves from this bondage.

August 7-13

The book of Romans has some scriptures that are so familiar to us like “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ”, and at the same time, we may sometimes find it hard to understand what Paul is saying beyond those scriptures we know well.  Let’s dive in and see if we can unwind some of the mystery.

July 31-August 6

In this week’s lesson we find the prophecy of Saul bearing witness of the Lord before Kings already being fulfilled. Paul’s testimony would reverberate throughout the world.

July 24-30

Why does Joseph Smith directly compare himself to Paul? What did he see in Paul’s experience that made him feel that the two held so much in common?

July 17-23

Preaching the gospel had been restricted during Christ ministry, with few exceptions, to the House and children of Israel.  In a series of days on the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean Sea—all that would change.  It reminds us of a very special day in June of 1978—a day never to be forgotten.

July 10-16

What is this surprise in the nature of Paul that he can go from “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ” one day and be a submissive disciple of Christ the next? Of course he had this stupendous vision on the road to Damascus, but is there something more we can learn about the life of Paul, itself, that can give us clues to his energy and passion?

July 3-9

For many people, one of the most enigmatic and mysterious parts of the life of Christ, comes after His resurrection when He spent forty days teaching the Apostles. What was the instruction that He gave them and is there some way to learn more? Do any sources give us a window into that teaching?

June 26-July 2

We’ve all been studying the life and mortal mission of Jesus Christ for the past six months.  Don’t you agree that you feel closer to the Savior now than you did at the beginning of your studies?  This week’s lesson has some surprises and is the culmination of the Savior’s perfect ministry.  How would you have felt if you had come to the tomb early that Sunday morning after your own pain and sorrow at the loss of Jesus—and you looked in only to find it empty?

June 19-25

After his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, another kind of agony was about to begin for Jesus who was already exhausted with the weight He had borne. Before the night was finished, He would be betrayed, falsely charged, scourged, spit upon and maligned in a trial that was utterly illegal. Why illegal? And who is the only mortal on record that Jesus refused to speak to? We will tell you in this week's podcast.

June 12-18

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.”

June 5-11

Did you know that the preparation for the Last Supper began with a miracle?  It’s subtle, and most readers of the account will not see it—but when you understand the culture and the setting of the time, it’s obvious and it’s amazing.

May 22-28

We have two questions for you:  1) Which chapter in the New Testament did Joseph Smith make the most changes to? It’s Matthew 24 where Christ during his last week on earth told his apostles just what to expect before He would return. Here’s the next question: 2)  Do we have any precedent in the Gospel or in history where a people were preparing for the coming of the Lord; they knew He was coming; they knew where He was coming; they even prepared a place for Him to come—and then He came?  Of course we see this in the Book of Mormon—but is the same pattern happening in our time?  We’re going to explore this question in this podcast.

May 15-21

Jesus once told Mary at Cana that “Mine hour hath not yet come,” but now as we start this lesson that has changed as we take you to the beginning of the last week of His mortal life. Now he will say, “Mine hour hath come,” a statement that will break His followers hearts and have implications for every one of us.

May 8-14

Many questions were posed to the Savior during His mortal ministry.  If you had the chance to ask Him one question, in person, what would that question be? In this week’s lesson we have a very powerful question asked of the Lord face to face in his ministry and it’s worth all of us pondering about this specific question.

May 1-7

Have you ever given a party, invited many people, and no one came? In this week’s chapters, we’ll explore a parable about a great feast and how, when invited, many people found shoddy excuses not to attend. As we hear this story, it seems so strange that anyone would find any reason to miss a marvelous feast put on by the Lord, but he is talking to us. Are we, knowingly or unknowingly, rejecting wonderful invitations that the Lord offers?

April 24-30

Have you ever wondered why John the Beloved included the story of the woman taken in adultery in his record?  Surely he had hundreds of stories he could have chosen to complete his testimony—why this particular story?  We’re going to explore at least three things about this tender encounter that you

April 17-23

The Lord often requires us to do things that we think sound impossible. Forgive seventy times seven? This does not mean 490 times, but boundless forgiveness, that we travel with forgiveness for those who have wronged us. Forgiveness is not always easy, especially when we have been deeply hurt or wronged or if we live in a situation where we are poorly treated continually, but the Lord’s command to forgive is one that can free and heal our hearts and cultivate boundless love for our neighbors.

April 3-9

We love Easter as the most important celebration of the year because it is Jesus Christ’s atonement and resurrection that answers every uncertainty, loosens every bond and supplies every hope for our mortal experience. More people saw the resurrected Jesus than we sometimes realize, including John Murdock, an early convert to The Church of Jesus Christ in Kirtland. He described what Jesus looked like in detail and then said this, “It left on my mind the impression of love, for months, that I never felt before to that degree.”

March 27-April 1

Not all of the moments and sayings in the life of Jesus can we read as a sequence of events. We have stories and sayings that we can’t always connect. But in today’s study we can see things in sequence, which adds meaning to the story. This includes the feeding of the 5,000, the rescue of the apostles while they are struggling against great winds on the Sea of Galilee, and the Bread of Life speech which motivated many of Jesus’s followers to desert Him.

March 20-26

Jesus taught in parables both to reveal and conceal truths. There is more in even apparently simple statements than immediately meets the eye in what Jesus taught. What for instance does it mean, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father”?

March 6-12

This episode of the Come Follow Me podcast relates many stories that you probably haven’t heard into the calling of an apostle and what today’s apostles say about their own special witness of Jesus Christ. You will also come to know, by tradition, how each of the Twelve that Christ called eventually died.

As mortals we are on a journey to move from being broken to healed, and it is the Lord who is our attending physician. The stories in the New Testament are not only about the halt, the blind, and the person afflicted with leprosy. They are about us, and our universal need for his healing touch.

February 20-26

How can we become better at praying? It is a question that most of us ask ourselves as serious disciples of Jesus Christ. In these chapters from the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Himself teaches us how to pray. If the Lord says this is how we should pray, then, there is something deep to learn.

Other interesting questions arise in these chapters. What does it mean to judge not? How can I beware of false prophets without making judgment calls? And what is my duty to forgive others?

February 13-19

The Sermon on the Mount was called by President Joseph Fielding Smith, “The greatest sermon that was ever preached, so far as we know,” and President Harold B. Lee called it “the constitution for a perfect life”. In this 30-minute podcast, Scot and Maurine Proctor explore the rich meanings behind the Sermon on the Mount that invite us to change the entire way we consider life.

February 6-12

John’s gospel is so beautifully structured to reveal eternal truths to his audience who are Church members. One story reinforces and points back or forward to the next. For instance, both the wedding at Cana and the visit to Nicodemus at night are teaching the same thing—an idea the casual reader might miss.

January 30-February 5

Sometimes we don’t look deep enough at the time Jesus was tempted of Satan. We think He went into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan. No, He went into the wilderness for 40 days to be with His Father and afterwards He was left to be tempted of Satan. The voice of the Father had declared at His baptism, “This is my beloved Son.” Now Satan attacked that heavenly manifestation by saying, “IF thou be the Son of God.” Let’s look at this together.

January 23-29

This week's lesson is about John the Baptist. What a radiant, powerful voice that attracted crowds to leave Jerusalem and come to the wilderness to hear him. Both John the Baptist and Joseph Smith share something, and that is that they weren't influenced as much by the paradigms and teachings and education of their times because they were set apart. John spoke after four hundred years of silence. Joseph spoke after numerous centuries of silence.

Two different men named John give us their testimonies of Jesus of Nazareth. How can we resist studying these eyewitness accounts from men called the Baptist and the Beloved? We’ll see one of the best missionary tools in history, an approach that can’t help but bring curiosity to the seeker of truth. Let’s study John, Chapter 1 together.

January 9-15

The chapters in this week’s podcast are familiar to us because we have recited them so many times at Christmas. The surprise is that there are hidden gems and ideas in these chapters we might not have seen before. The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) also adds new dimensions to the old story we love so well.  Come and join us again this week.

January 2-8

You know, it's important that you add the Joseph Smith Translation to all of your studies in the coming year because Joseph gives us so many insights into the New Testament. We'll talk about them here and there, and you just need to pay attention to those. One of the very first ones that we need to look at is just the fact that Joseph changed the name of the books—those four Gospels— that we call The Gospel According to Matthew to The Testimony of Matthew, and The Testimony of Mark, The Testimony of Luke, and The Testimony of John. That makes a real difference.

After four years of Come Follow Me, Meridian Magazine’s founders, Scot and Maurine Proctor, are excited to continue bringing you our 30-minute podcast on the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum for the week. This is so you can listen with your scriptures in hand, or while you are about life’s many other duties. If you want some thoughts about teaching your family or in Church lessons, this can be a place to turn. If you live alone, let us study with you. This week's lesson:  "We are responsible for our own learning."

December 19-25

It’s never easy to comprehend that another year has flown past us and it’s Christmas again. Don’t the days seem to go quicker than they used to? With this glorious season upon us, we are blessed to be able to talk about this day of days and this time of times when the Savior came to this earth to experience mortality and to wrought the Atonement in our behalf. Do we realize that this entire last year of study has truly been about God’s people anticipating His arrival? Let’s talk about that.

December 12-18

Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers is one of the most important works in mortality. It has been the burden of the ages and is especially critical in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. This scripture is mentioned in the Old Testament (Mal. 4:5:6); the New Testament (Luke 1:17); The Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 25:5,6), The Doctrine and Covenants (see Section 2) and the Pearl of Great Price (JS History 1: 38,39). We think the Lord is trying to get our attention. Come this week and explore the promises of tithing and the joy of family history work.

December 5-11

You remember that the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and carried away many to Babylon. Well, then Babylon got their due and in 538 B.C. they were overthrown by the Persian empire under Cyrus the Great. He then ended the exile of the Jews and allowed them to start returning to Jerusalem around 537 B.C. Frankly, not everyone wanted to go back and the return happened in waves. Do we get too entrenched in Babylon ourselves? Are we reluctant to come unto the Savior and give our all to Him? Do we understand what he really wants from us? Let’s talk about this.

November 28-December

We’ve been studying the Old Testament all year and now we are coming upon prophets that we know little about. These three prophets: Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, likely contemporaries with our friend Lehi, may be deemed by some as only prophets of doom, but, as the Lord always does, before there is imminent destruction of a people who have rejected His commandments, He sends His servants the prophets to warn them and invite them to come to the only One Who can keep them safe: Jesus Christ Himself. Let’s look together today at the Lord’s everlasting ways and explore some thoughts about justice and mercy.

November 21-27

Jonah is much more than a fish story, but the story of a man who is cast down into a boat, down into the hull of the boat, down into a big fish, and at last, covered in seaweed in the utter darkness is rescued. We may see ourselves here when life bears down on us, and we know who the ultimate rescuer is.

November 14-20

Why does it matter so much that we live in a time when a prophet is on the earth? How is it the Lord’s lovingkindness to us? Why does the Lord make known all of his secrets to His prophets? Duane Boyce and Kimberly White tell us why it matters.

November 7-13

Hosea may not be a book you have spent much time in, but this prophet gives us the description of the covenant relationship that perfectly reflects that a covenant with the Lord is not just a contract (You promise and I promise), but so much more. The covenant people are His bride, and He seeks a connection with us that is more profound and total than we sometimes know. Patrick Degn joins us to speak on a subject he loves.

October 31-November 6

King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem in 605 BC and began his first deportation of Jews to Babylon. He chose the elect to deport first, so this group included “the king’s seed, and of the princes.” Among this group was someone who was most likely a teenager at the time, a young man named Daniel and three of his friends. They were all true and faithful to the living God. Daniel, a Jewish prophet, would serve in the courts of Babylon and then Persia until he was more than 80 years old. Today we’ll tell you the rest of the story.

October 24-30

The Lord promises the most remarkable thing to His children—even to those who seem to be cast away, like the Jewish captives in Babylon. “A new heart…will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

October 17-23

In earlier Jeremiah chapters, the prophet lists the woes that will befall apostate covenant Israel, but he doesn’t leave it there. Only the Lord knows how to turn this level of desolation and mourning to joy.

October 10-16

Jeremiah was foreordained for the tough prophetic job he was called to do. The Lord said, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). We often point to those verses as a reminder that the Bible does refer to a pre-mortal existence, but something else strikes us additionally here. It is as if the Lord said, “Jeremiah, I am going to send you one of the toughest, most heart-rending missions that a prophet can have, preaching to a society who have obstinately doomed themselves, and who will never listen to you, but I have chosen you, because I know you. My eye has been upon you. I’ve seen you from the beginning and I trust you for this mighty, unpopular and sometimes agonizing calling.

October 3-9

Isn’t it amazing that Isaiah’s prophecies date back more than 2,700 years and they are so completely applicable today! No wonder the Lord Jesus Christ commanded the Nephites and the Lamanites: "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel…" (3 Nephi 23:1-2). Isaiah is speaking to us today and let’s see what he has to say about fasting, keeping the Sabbath Day holy and the last days we are in.

September 26-October 2

Scot and Maurine Proctor are joined by scripture scholar Jeffrey Bradshaw to share why Isaiah 53 is the crown jewel of the New Testament. It is not only unforgettable in its beauty, but stunning in increasing our understanding of what the Savior did for each of us personally. When the discussion is expanded to include Isaiah 50-57, we see how deeply Isaiah speaks of the Messiah and why we have a glorious future and do not need to be afraid.

September 19-25

Isaiah’s very name means The Lord is Salvation. In this week’s chapters (40-49) we get a clear message that there is no other God but Jehovah, who is Jesus Christ. We cannot turn to the world, we cannot turn to idols, we cannot turn to those around us, we can only turn to the one true God. He has made a covenant with His chosen servants (those who will follow Him), the posterity and adopted ones of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Spirit of the Lord is poured out upon all those who keep the covenant and they will also receive the Lord’s protection and covenant blessings. We welcome our dear friend, Dr. Kerry Muhlestein, this week as we dive deep into Isaiah.

September 12-18

I love that we get to study parts of Isaiah 29 this week where the Lord speaks with this language: "Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid," (Isaiah 29:14). I am taken by the word marvelous. Elder LeGrand Richards published a book in 1950 that many of you have read called A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. This used to be standard reading material for full-time missionaries. That word marvelous is used in Section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants, “Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men,” (Doctrine and Covenants 4:1). But that same word is used in Section 6, Section 8, Section 11, Section 12, Section 14 and Section 18. I think the Lord means to astound us.

September 5-11

We are spending the next five weeks studying Isaiah. The prophet asking us to focus on Isaiah for this long is a message to us. We need to know Isaiah and his prophecies! Join us with guest Dr. Kerry Muhlestein as we dive into the first 12 chapters.

August 29-September 4

We used to pass around Chinese proverbs like, "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step." My parents used to say that when I was faced with a semester paper I had to write and I was feeling overwhelmed. Here's another one: "He who asks is a fool for five minutes but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." And of course one of my favorites is this, "Man who waits for roast duck to fly into his mouth must wait a very, very long time." These are fun and can be very meaningful, but this week we study the Proverbs of Solomon and we have much to learn.

August 22-28

We know that faith is a power stronger than electricity or lightning or the flooding of many waters. It is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things. So, of course we seek how to develop it in ourselves. In Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith teaches us: “Three things are necessary for any rational and intelligent being to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.

“First, the idea that he actually exists:

“Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes;

“And thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which one is pursuing is according to His will.”

August 15-21

There is nothing so joyful as seeing the Saints gather to see the beautiful Houses of the Lord dedicated and made available for the work of the dead and the living. No matter where we are or what language is spoken, the unifying feeling comes from the music that is sung both outside and inside the temple and the Spirit that follows. Well, in order to understand more clearly our study of the Psalms, you have to realize the Psalms were mostly sung, and most of the time at the Temple in ancient times!

August 8-14

Today we begin study of the largest book in the Old Testament. Surprisingly, it is Psalms with 97 pages of moving poetry that particularly explores our inner journey in seeking to find God. These are prayers, prophecy, wisdom, exultations, laments and pleadings for relief. It is a very ancient book where we can find immense comfort today.

August 1-7

When we lead our tours to the Holy Land, we will inevitably pull out some humor from the Biblical sources, attempting to create memories of laughter in remote parts of the tour. Our Bible jokes are many and varied and of a quality that only a dad could appreciate. “Who is the great tennis player of the Bible? Of course, everyone knows it’s Joseph, because he served in Pharoah’s courts! And who was the great comedian of the Bible? It was Sampson. He brought the house down! And what kind of man was Boaz before he got married? Ruthless! … I’m waiting for all of you to finish laughing. And then we pull out the most obvious one: Who was the greatest doctor of the Bible? Some contend it was Job, because he had a lot of ‘patience.’ But most would agree it’s Moses because he delivered all the children of Israel! All humor aside, we know that the greatest physician in the Bible is the Savior Himself—the one who can heal each of us. This week we will see some of the ways that Job reminds us of Jesus and leads us to Him.

July 25-31

As a scholar said, “Once it happened that the crafty was taken in his own trap, the falsely condemned were saved, and the worthy were rewarded. It is not always so.” Perhaps [the] story [in Esther which we study today] has endured because it has given the comfort of hope to other oppressed people” [and demonstrates God in the details of our lives.] Although God is not expressly mentioned in the book of Esther, there appears to be evidence in it of the God whom Job describes, who can "set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety. (Job 5:11-12).Ellis Rasmussen, Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament.

July 18-24

I’ve tried to contemplate the feelings of our ancient brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, who, after 371 years of having a glorious temple, watched as the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his forces, and those who survived the destructions were taken captive to Babylon. The temple was the holiest place for them, a place where they drew near unto God, a place where they offered sacrifices and renewed their covenants and commitments to Jehovah. How their hearts were broken, their hopes dashed in an instant.

July 11-17

Some events from the past are tipping points, that is, if they had had a different outcome than they did, our world would be utterly and completely different, maybe unrecognizable to us. The events in the scriptures we talk about today are one of those key tipping points in history where the entire future of the world hung in the balance. We’ll talk about that earth-shaking, ancient tipping point in the world’s history today.

July 4-10

Join us with McKay Christensen who has served as Managing Director of External Relations at BYU and management strategy instructor at the BYU Marriott School of Business as we explore the mantle being passed from Elijah to Elisha. What do we mean by a mantle in the Church? Are mantles for more than prophets and missionaries? 

June 27-July 3

Join us with guest Patrick Degn who has been an instructor in the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion for more than 25 years. In this episode we will explore the story of King Ahab and Jezebel and the abrupt introduction of the man who tried to counteract their influence: Elijah.

June 20-26

We are amazed as we go through the Old Testament how applicable these lessons are today. You'd think that a book that is thousands of years old would not have that kind of application, but we have been blown away. These chapters break your heart as we learn more about David, his love for the Lord and the events that lead to his downfall. How can someone so faithful and true turn from God so deliberately? We will discuss this today. 

We have with us today a special guest, Mark Matthews. Together we discuss Israel’s desire for a king and Saul’s rise to the position, and how he loses his way. We also discuss the story of David facing Goliath and how it can represent much more than we often think about.

June 6–12
Ruth is a happy interlude in these chapters. It’s not a story of a prophet, a war, or a dramatic intervention by the Lord. It’s a family story, a private story in some ways, but it’s the family story of the family of the Savior. Additionally, we discuss the story of Hannah and her faithful commitment to give up her son--the son she waited so long for--to the service of the Lord.

May 30-June 5

We’ve just spent 35 days in the Middle East leading three tours in the Holy Land, Egypt and Jordan. Of course, you cannot go to these places and lead a spiritual tour without constantly referring to the Old Testament. On this particular journey with all these amazing people, the thing that struck me over and over again was this: When John the Beloved quoted Jesus Christ in chapter 5, verse 39 where He said: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” Jesus was sending the people to the Old Testament to find Him. When Lehi opened the Plates of Brass for the first time and searched them from the beginning (see 1 Nephi 5:10) and then he “was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed (see 1 Nephi 5:17) he was immersed in the Old Testament. When Nephi says, “For my soul delighteth in the scriptures and my heart pondereth them…” he was talking about the Old Testament. When Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni converted seven cities of the Lamanites and brought untold thousands to the Savior, they were using only the Old Testament in their teaching! What a treasure we have in the Old Testament!

May 23-29

The story of the Abrahamic covenant is your family story. Kerry Muhlestein says, “We don’t often think of it in that manner.” But our grandfather Abraham grew up in a turbulent time, where “his own father was steeped in idolatry. He saw his immediate family involved in horrible practices, including human sacrifice, but he knew there was a better way. Records had come down from his forefathers and foremothers, from Adam and Eve, Seth and Enoch, and Abraham reached for the heavens hoping to join his answers in the covenant. “Then one starry night, God came to him, putting His hand over him, opening his eyes, and pouring out the power and blessings of the covenant upon him, welcoming Abraham and Sarah into the community of God and those who were bound to him. They had sought God and now they had found him.” These are the covenants offered to you.

May 16-22

Scot and Maurine Proctor are joined by Kerry Muhlestein, an Egyptologist, professor at Brigham Young University and author of many books including most recently God Will Prevail, and Let’s Talk about the Book of Abraham. Readers often skip chapters in Deuteronomy, but we’ll tell you why it is one of most important books in the Old Testament to understand the covenant. 

Deuteronomy also contains in Chapter 6, some of the most oft-repeated verses. We get a clear sense here of what the covenant blessings are and a sense of what happens when covenant makers turn away and the Spirit withdraws. 

Why was it so seductive to the Children of Israel to turn to other gods? What was the appeal?

May 9-15

Scot and Maurine Proctor are joined today by John Hilton lll, who is a professor of Religious Education at Brigham Young University, an author and humanitarian. In our lesson today, the Children of Israel are in the thick of the wilderness journey, and if hunger and thirst, were not enough to bear, now there are fiery, flying serpents to contend with, and a powerful, spiritual solution which few of the people are willing to do. Why won’t they do this simple thing?

The Children of Israel have also come to the promised land, and while it is indeed a land flowing with milk and honey, ten of the spies who have gone in to take a look, come back into camp terrified. They feel like grasshoppers among giants in this new land, and, therefore, anyone over twenty, except Joshua and Caleb, will wander and die in this wilderness rather than having the abundance the Lord was willing to offer them, if they had just trusted Him.

May 2-8

Elder Tad R. Callister joins Scot and Maurine Proctor today. He was in the Presidency of the First Quorum of Seventy and is the author of a number of books including The Blueprint of Christ’s Church; A Case for the Book of Mormon; America’s Choice: A Nation Under God or Without God?  We talk together about what it means to be holy and what the Lord is asking of us. We note how the Savior’s atonement is the thread that binds all of the events of the Old Testament together.

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was in the very center of Israel’s camp. What does that mean and how did Joseph Smith reveal a divine pattern for temples that is similar to the Tabernacle?

April 25-May 1

Scot and Maurine Proctor are joined in the podcast today by Kerry Muhlestein, BYU professor, Egyptologist, author of God Will Prevail and many other books. He is passionate about teaching people to understand the Old Testament and appreciate its ground-breaking content. The Lord offers the Children of Israel to see Him, but they are fearful. After all they have seen of God’s miracles, why would they molten a golden calf to worship? What corrupts them so quickly?

April 18-24

Egyptologist, BYU professor, and author Kerry Muhlestein joins Scot and Maurine Proctor today to talk about the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai, and the remarkable visions, thunderings and lightenings that happen on that holy mountain. The Lord said, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings and brought you unto myself.” God’s intent is to make His people a “peculiar treasure” and a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” First, however, they must know what God will expect of them to be offered these good gifts.

April 11-17

Elder Bruce C. Hafen, former member of the Seventy and an author, joins Scot and Maurine Proctor today to look more deeply and understand with greater clarity the magnificence and personal nature of the Savior’s atonement. He helps us see how the atonement is not just for sinners, but for the range of human weakness, miscalculation, negligence and error that humanity in a fallen world are liable to. He teaches us what the place of grace is in our lives and how the Savior’s sacrifice can help us see our weaknesses and be transformed through Him. Daily repentance can become a daily refreshment.

Elder Hafen is the author of The Broken Heart; Faith is Not Blind, any many other significant books.

April 4-10

Why are the Children of Israel continually complaining and murmuring against Moses? Though they’ve seen the miracles that brought them out of Egypt, and then watched the Red Sea part so they could cross on dry ground, they still say: “Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, well-known for his extensive commentaries on the Book of Moses and Genesis,  joins Scot and Maurine Proctor today to talk about strength or fear, firm or wavering in the face of our personal Red Seas.

March 28-April 3

Scot and Maurine Proctor are joined today by Daniel C. Peterson, retired professor of Islamic Studies and leader of the Middle Eastern texts project at Brigham Young University. In Egypt, there are more gods than you can count, and Jehovah makes it clear that not only is He God, but He is the only one who can deliver the covenant people out of bondage. Moses is gradually transformed from one who quakes to think of going before Pharoah to one who has the spiritual strength to lead an enormous group of people into a barren desert and part the Red Sea, with confidence that God is with him.

March 21-27

Daniel C. Peterson, retired professor of Islamic Studies and founder and editor-in-chief of the Interpreter Foundation, and producer of the film Witnesses, joins Scot and Maurine to explore Moses’s profound encounter with the burning bush and the charge he was given to confront Pharoah with the message to “Let my people go.” This explores the story in a way you may have not heard before. Among other things we ask, what does “I AM’ mean?

March 14-20

When Joseph became vizier of Egypt, second only to Pharoah and wearing his ring of authority, he also got a new name that doesn’t exactly roll off our English-speaking tongues. It is Zaphnath-paaneah and what it lacks in clarity, it more than makes up in its meaning which is “savior of the world.” Yes, his starving family will come from Canaan, hoping to buy the corn that Joseph has stored in Egypt, but his name signifies even more than that. We’ll tell you in this episode.

March 7-13

Children can tell the story of Joseph being sold into Egypt. We know it well, with nasty brothers, slave dealers, false accusations, pits of despair and drama galore. What’s most important about this story, however, may not be obvious, and that’s what we are talking about in this episode.

February 28-March 6

The story of Jacob in the Bible has all the elements of high drama. True love thwarted, family division, a deceiving father-in-law, a tight escape. If it was a movie you’d want to watch it, but it’s much better than a movie because over arching all, it is the story of the covenant in the lives of real people.

February 21-27

In the chapters in Genesis that should be about Isaac, he hardly shows up. He plays a surprisingly passive role, which leads you to think how much we’re missing in his story. After all this is the son, who willingly went with Abraham to be sacrificed and therefore was a similitude of the Savior. This is the son his parents longed for through decades, and then, when we might get a chance to meet him, he is whisked off the stage. 

February 14-20

I remember the first time I visited the massive, ancient building erected by Herod the Great in Hebron. He had it built over the Cave of Machpelah more than 2,000 years ago to mark and protect the sacred resting place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. I walked into the building as a ten-year-old with a covering over my head and my parents, brothers and a number of friends at my side. There was one place where you could go to your knees and carefully look through a brass grate and see into the cave below. A small lamp was burning there. A feeling came over me at that moment, not only that this was a sacred place, but that I was connected to Abraham. He was my direct-line grandfather. I have never forgotten that moment.

February 7-13

In Genesis, we soar through the stories of generations in a few pages, as if we were flying thousands of feet above them and getting the merest glimpse. Then suddenly we drop for a closer view for many chapters of one man and his family—Abraham.

January 31-February 6

The greatest potential for danger is one that we cannot afford to close our eyes to and miss. That is the growing wickedness around us that is seeping into our lives without announcement or warning flare. It just crawls on clawed feet into the hearts of ourselves and our children, as quietly as that asteroid did that swept close to earth. But wickedness is not a near miss. It is targeted, upon us, and more destructive than we have ever supposed.

January 24-30

The Prophet Joseph said: “The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory; it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward the Latter-day glory.” What can we be doing to help to establish Zion? We’re going to talk it in this episode.

January 17-23

When you read the Genesis account you might think this is just a boring genealogy. If you were to think that, you would be wrong. Let’s do some exploring together as we look at our brave and majestic First Parents, Adam and Eve and their family, the first family of sons and daughters of God on earth.

January 10-16

Some people feel like this woman who said: “If you can show me why the Fall matters—in this moment—then maybe I’ll listen.  If not, the kids are crying, and I have reality to deal with.” We will help you understand why the Fall is so vital in this episode.

January 3-9

Today are we going back to the beginning, to cosmic explosions and brilliant flashes of light and creation that is primordial, at the very core of our existence. We have four accounts of it, in Genesis, Moses, Abraham, and in the temple. Those who attend the temple have their minds drawn back to creation continually, and we might wonder as Latter-day Saints why we are shown the creation so often. We’ll talk about why it matters so much in this episode.

Dec 27 - Jan 2
Don’t all of us have a secret desire to be on the stage, dressed in amazing costumes, involved in a play with a Director, with our own starring roles, with a character-driven plot and lots of intrigue and excitement in our story? Imagine then that you ARE intimately involved in an award-winning three act play and you are already quite far into Act 2. But here’s the catch, you can only fully understand Act 2 if you have a knowledge of Act 1—and when you finished Act 1, the curtains were dropped and you can not only NOT look back on that part of the play, you can’t even remember it. Do we know anything about Act 1 at all? Yes, we do—quite a bit, actually. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

December 20-26

Since I was a child, on Christmas Eve, I yearned to be in that very stable in Bethlehem and see the Christ-child lying in a manger.  I just wanted to be close to that glowing presence and feel the heavenly love and hear the angel chorus. It was a yearning that was soul deep, undeniable, breath-taking and heart-felt, and it seemed that somewhere, some how that event was happening again on that magic night, if I could just go to Bethlehem, and defy time and find the right place. That was the magic of it all. I could talk to the baby, the Christ-child and He would look at me with knowing, smiling eyes and heart would be satisfied. It was more compelling to me than what Santa Claus would bring me or all the lights and festivities of Christmas. I am not alone in that yearning.

December 13-19

Part of the gift of a prophet, seer and revelator is to see what’s coming. That’s the see-er part of seer. On September 23, 1995, President Hinckley announced and read The Family—A Proclamation to the World to the women of the church in a General Relief Society meeting. It reaffirmed so many things that are precious to us. God’s eternal plan is about families. The plan of salvation is a family story.

Dec 6-12

We know that the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote the Articles of Faith as part of a larger request from Mr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the Chicago Democrat, a brand-new newspaper in the young, bustling city of Chicago. The Democrat would be published for just seven years, from 1842 to 1849. Mr. Wentworth wanted a concise history of the fledgling Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he wanted it written by its founder, Joseph Smith. The piece was also to be a part of the history of New Hampshire, being compiled by a Mr. George Barstow, a friend of John Wentworth. Joseph agreed to write the piece with this agreement: “As Mr. Barstow has taken the proper steps to obtain correct information, all that I shall ask at his hands is that he publish the account entire, ungarnished, and without misrepresentation.” Joseph carefully compiled the letter but it was never published in the newspaper or any history of New Hampshire. But this letter has become one of the great treasures of Church History.

November 29–December 5

Something surprised Joseph in his vision of the celestial kingdom, and we’ll tell you what that is in this episode.

November 22-28

Maurine and I lead a church history tour every year. We've done this for 30 years. We take our many participants through two days of Revolutionary War and the foundations of freedom. Then we go to Sharon, Vermont and begin Joseph Smith's life chronologically and naturally we end the two weeks in the Carthage Jail. It's an unbelievable experience. We always have a testimony meeting that last day after the emotional experience of the Carthage Jail. I’ll never forget one year, one of the brothers on the tour, who had been especially attentive throughout that two-week period, said emphatically in his testimony, while still on the Jail grounds, “I’m so angry. I’m just so angry!” Since we had never heard that as part of a testimony before and he gave a rather long pause, I cut in and asked aloud, “Why?” He said, “Because they killed him. They killed Joseph Smith. It was unjust. It was wrong. It was so wrong. I’m just so angry.” And that was his final testimony. And it stuck with me. Let’s explore the historical, emotional and passionate ending of Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s lives in this episode.

November 15-21

The Book of Mormon is indeed a special witness for our times. It is the story of a people who centered their lives on the prophecies of the coming of a Messiah, who is Jesus Christ the Lord. They put their hopes in His Coming and in His Atoning Sacrifice that would be wrought. They anxiously awaited His Coming. They prepared a place for Him to come. They waited for six hundred years for His arrival. And then He came as promised! We are no different in our day. We know that He is coming. Many prophecies of His Coming have been given in our day. A place has been prepared for Him to come. And He will come! Section 133 gives us much to think about to prepare for His inevitable and glorious arrival. Let’s explore this together.

November 8-14

The lesson we study today has some of the most transcendent and astonishing teachings that Joseph Smith gave us, opening our ideas to what really is in the eternities and how we can obtain the blessings, we desire. We will also be talking about what is sometimes a challenging principle, that has puzzled many for a lifetime, and at least once, led me to tears—polygamy.

November 1-7

As the Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel continued to unfold in the early 1840’s, one revealed doctrine thrilled the Latter-day Saints beyond imagination. Yes, there were some references to this doctrine in the Holy Bible, but no Christian denomination at that time understood it, and none practiced it. When the Prophet Joseph first made public this amazing truth on Saturday, August 15, 1840, many of the Saints present were so excited, they immediately ran to the Mississippi River to begin the practice. And what is this doctrine? Baptism for the Dead. In this episode, we’ll talk about this glorious truth in detail.

October 25-31

What happened during the nearly two years that elapsed between the reception of Section 123 and Section 124 of the Doctrine and Covenants? As it turns out, plenty. We’ll talk about that in this episode.

October 18-24

So, here’s a question: In the midst of all the challenges, trials, privations and difficulties the Saints experienced in Missouri, how is it that when the Church really needed the leadership of the Prophet Joseph, God allowed him to be put in an obscure and remote Jail, ironically called Liberty? Why would God do that? This is the Kingdom of God on the earth. Isn’t the God of the Universe watching out for His chosen Prophet? Let’s explore that question in this episode.

October 11-17

I stand in Far West, a rather obscure place in northern Missouri, and as far as I can see, where once there was a bustling community of Latter-day Saints with homes, shops and a school, there are only empty fields. What happened to the people who once were here and why is only silence left behind? How could it possibly be that a sitting governor could order an extermination order on a group of people? Here in America? Unthinkable. It’s a human, heart-breaking story that gives us context for this episode.

October 4-10

As you begin this week’s reading assignment, and you don’t skip over the headnotes in Section 111, you realize this revelation was given in Salem, Massachusetts. Isn’t the central leadership of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio? What is the First Presidency doing in Salem nearly 650 miles to the east and a whopping 1,500 miles from Western Missouri? Isn’t this the same city of the famous Salem Witch Trials 144 years before in 1692? This will all make sense as we study together in this episode.

September 27-October 3

The building of the Kirtland temple marked a pivotal moment in the history of the earth, a time yearned for for centuries, when this key part of the covenant would be restored to the earth. The Lord said, "I gave unto you a commandment, that you should build an house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen, with power from on high" (Sec. 95:8).” That power was manifest in astonishing ways that we will talk in this episode.

September 20-26

If you do a cursory reading of Section 107 of the Doctrine and Covenants, you might think this is just a revelation of priesthood quorums and councils, more like a manual or a handbook. Don’t be deceived! Yes, there are tremendous organizing aids and guidance for all the quorums and councils of the Church, but there are hidden gems and mysteries throughout this amazing section and we will explore some of those together.

September 13–19

The material we talk about today gives us specifics about a dramatic, heart-rending series of events from the 19th century, but is also so relevant for our times, as if the story was written just for us. It simply could not be more to the point.

September 6-12

How would it feel to move a thousand miles by foot and wagon, taking all your belongings you could carry—with a mission to gather to a specific place and build a community and society called Zion. You’ve barely been introduced to the concept of Zion—a people of one heart, striving with all their might to stay close to God and live the commandments He has given them. You’ve gathered in families and close-knit friend groups. You’ve purchased beautiful, verdant, fertile lands to build your homes and raise your crops. It’s truly an idyllic setting and situation. Except, what happens when opposition is introduced in the form of hundreds of people who don’t want you there are will do anything, including kill you, to get you out of their county?

August 30-September 5

How important are temples to the Lord? When Joseph Smith was on his first mission to Missouri in the summer of 1831, only 17 months after the Church was organized, on August 3, 1831, he received a revelation about a temple to be built in Independence in Jackson County. (D&C 57:3). Then, on December 27, 1832 in Section 88 (v. 119), the Lord revealed that a temple was to be built in Kirtland. So, the Saints had been commanded to build two temples, one in Jackson County and one in Kirtland, but, honestly, in mortal eyes, it was a task that looked impossible.

August 23-29

In this marvelous book of scripture, the Doctrine and Covenants, we learn things that we can know from no other source, including in rich measure the doctrine of pre-mortality, that we lived with Heavenly Parents, before this world was. In this week’s lesson we will explore the purpose of mortality and this, one of the least known doctrines in the world of religion, the reality of a pre-mortal existence.

August 16-22

In Section 89, the Lord gave Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which we often take to be a list of do’s and don’ts about how to care for our bodies, but there is more deep doctrine there then we often see, and we will share some of those ah-ha’s and surprises with you in this episode, two of which you may have never considered before.

August 9-15

Maurine, I used to look forward to the tail end of our Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts in Missouri because my Dad, a brilliant and world-renowned geologist and geological engineer, and Darrell Ownby, part of our family and a world-class ceramic engineer, and Nord Gale, a celebrated, favorite professor and brilliant microbiologist and Harold Romero, also a brilliant physicist, would stay at the table and discuss deep gospel questions. Many times, the conversations would go way over my head, as they talked about creation, celestial worlds, spirit elements, atomic elements and the qualities of light—but I tried to follow along as best I could. Hey, I was only 12 years old! But this was the beginning of my yearning, thirst and hunger for knowledge. I could not get enough of it. These discussions around the table were amazing. And then I was introduced to Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants. I was blown away. This deep water is the subject of this episode.

August 2-8

How distressingly human it is that some people want to build Zion and want an inheritance in Zion, but don’t want to keep the very laws that create Zion. That’s like saying, I want to live in the Lord’s kingdom, but I want to do it my way. That’s what was happening to some people who went to build Zion in Missouri, and that is the context behind one of the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that we will look at in this episode.

July 26-August 1

We were just in Nauvoo a few days ago leading a tour. On Sunday morning we attended Church with all the missionaries serving there. It was a beautiful sight to see! They were full of joy, enthusiasm, radiance, happiness and just plain excitement for being there. We talked to a number of the senior couples for a few minutes. “Oh, this is our seventh mission,” one sister said. “We love this work so much.” Another said, “Our only regret is we only get to serve here for two years. We so wish it could be longer!” Could these missionaries in Nauvoo be a testimony to the fulfillment of promises given by the Lord in Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants? We’ll talk about that in this episode.

July 19-25

“Peter may have given the best description of the Savior’s mortal ministry in five words when he referred to Jesus, “who went about doing good” (M. Russell Ballard, Precious Gifts). You want to know what to do with your life? There it is, simply put. If we are to be like him, we go about doing good. In Doctrine and Covenants Section 81, we are given the same charge with more detail: “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hand down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5). That is a very vivid picture.

July 12-18

In the last two podcasts we have talked about the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible and the tremendous blessings that came to the Prophet Joseph and to Sidney Rigdon as they carefully studied, pondered and meticulously prayed over the Bible. One of the great blessings that came was The Vision of the Three Degrees of Glory. In this week’s lesson we get a micro-specific peek into the process of coming to understand a very difficult passage of scripture. The Prophet is asking the Lord very specific questions about Chapters 4 and 7 through 11 in the book of Revelation. And it’s not so much what was revealed to Joseph that was important to us as it was the pattern for studying the scriptures and receiving personal revelation.

July 5-11

Though Joseph Smith received many visions and revelations, one of these was so sweeping, so mind-expanding, so glorious that the early Saints simply called it “the Vision.” It not only clarifies who we are and why we’re here and where we’re going but demonstrated yet again what a powerful and loving Father we have in God. He is the ultimately successful parent and the vast majority of His children receive a glory that right now they cannot begin to comprehend.

June 28-July 4

Joseph Smith was tasked by the Lord to do something rather unique for a backwoods, upstate New York farmer now living in Northern Ohio. The Prophet Nephi had seen a vision some two thousand four hundred years before that many of the plain and precious things which were in the Bible had been taken out by the great and abominable Church, and because those plain and precious things were taken away, “an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.” (See 1 Nephi 13: 26-29) This commandment from the Lord and branch of Joseph’s calling would be to carefully go through the Bible and begin to restore many of those plain and precious things that were lost. He was commanded to translate the Bible. And the results would be astounding. We’ll talk about this in detail in this episode.

June 21-27

It was November 1831, and Joseph Smith and others have convened a conference where the major task was to publish the revelations that had come to Joseph Smith in a new book of scripture that they would call the Book of Commandments and we would now call, with its additions, the Doctrine and Covenants. Joseph Smith, of course, had published the Book of Mormon, but publishing his own revelations as scripture? This is new territory.

June 14-20

Many years ago, I read Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo: the unabridged version which is 1,463 pages long. Next to the scriptures, it was the greatest reading experience of any book I have ever had. I became so close to the characters, Jean Valjean, Monsieur Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel—the Bishop of Digne (‘deen’), Fantine, Cosette, Gavroche, Marius, Javert and many others that I wept for a long time after I finished the book because I was so sad, I would not be able to meet them in the Spirit World! Maurine reminded me they were fictional characters. I was completely transported into their hearts, their world, their times, their pain, their burdens. Maurine and I even went to Victor Hugo’s home in Guernsey Island off the coast of Normandy in the English Channel to get a sense of where he wrote this classic novel. Do you want to know my very favorite moment from the entire 1,463 pages? It has to do with this episode.

June 7-13
Why is it that a sign from the Lord does not necessarily convince people to join the Church? In fact, could it be true that a sign may not even bolster faith that much? Could it actually be, instead, that a faith based on signs alone may be a weak one? We’ll explore this apparent contradiction in this episode.

May 31-June 6

Sometimes we project our modern-day experiences on those early days in the Church and we can’t figure out why somebody did something the way they did it, or why didn’t so-and-so talk to the Prophet Joseph about this or that. We really cannot do this. In our studies this week we will be talking about some of those early elders who had traveled a thousand miles to get to Western Missouri, had fulfilled a small mission, held a special conference, had dedicated the land of Zion and a temple site in Independence, Missouri, had buried the first person to die in Zion and now, they were turning around and making their way back the thousand miles to Kirtland. You can learn a lot in 2,000 miles of walking and traversing in a wilderness land, which we will see over and over again in the early history of the Church.

May 24-30

Can you imagine living in a world where people did not hurt each other or become angry or divided ? Can you imagine families with total harmony and marriages with no contention? Can you imagine a world where everyone watched out for each other and people were there to help you when you needed it? Can you imagine a place so pure that God could be there? It may sound too good to imagine, but that is the Zion that the Lord envisions for us and that’s what we hope to build.

In these sections we’ve read this week, it’s clear that the Lord entrusts individuals with specific stewardships and it’s not always just land. It can be a mission to perform, books to write, places to go, people to teach, an assignment to fulfill—but these are all sacred stewardships, given by the Lord with the expectation that we will fulfill them faithfully and wholeheartedly.

May 10-16

When you read Doctrine and Covenants Sections 49 and 50, it helps to have the rest of the story. Why should you care about Leman Copley or the Shakers and what’s this talk about false spirits? We will have some fun and give you the context in this episode.

May 3-9

“We must remember that to every man [or woman] is given a gift by the Spirit of God. It is our right and responsibility to accept our gifts and to share them. God’s gifts and powers are available to all of us.” (Ashton, Marvin J., There are Many Gifts, General Conference, October 1987)

Each of us has at least one spiritual gift. Some people have many, but the Prophet Joseph Smith had them all. We will learn about them in this episode.

April 26-May2
The Second Coming is a topic of endless interest to us, especially in light of the worldwide pandemic we are still battling and the social unrest that is truly troubling. You probably feel as I do, that you have never seen a time like this in your life. The prophet has spoken often of preparing for the Second Coming of the Lord, so let’s turn to Section 45 to learn about this transcendent event and the harrowing events that precede it.

April 19-25

We live in a time when the Church of Jesus Christ has been well established and we are used to talking in terms of large numbers, general conferences translated into scores of languages simultaneously, missionaries serving in diverse countries all over the world and the Kingdom of God on the earth organized unlike any worldly entity. We are used to thinking in terms of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Church Headquarters, the Conference Center, Temple Square—but in the era we are talking about today, the early part of 1831, none of these things were yet a reality. When Joseph and Emma arrived in Kirtland, Ohio in February, 1831, the successful missionary efforts of Parley P. Pratt and his companions had just doubled the entire membership of the Church to about 250 people!

April 12-18

Robert Matthews said, “Many have supposed that the translation of the Bible [what we call the JST] was only a sideline, a matter of personal, but passing interest to the Prophet Joseph.”

We agree that too many misunderstand the importance of this work. How many in the Church understand what the JST is or use it regularly?

But, as Matthews said, to neglect or ignore that is mistaken. “Joseph Smith was commanded of the Lord to do this great work; that it was central to the Restoration, to the establishment of the dispensation of the fulness of times; and that to neglect or ignore the role of the JST is to miss a major dimension of the work of God in this dispensation”.

April 5-11

Parley Parker Pratt was 16 months younger than the Prophet Joseph and he was born about 140 miles east of Palmyra, New York. Parley was born curious about religion. He said to his father one day when he was 18 years old and they were laboring together in the forest:

"Father, how is it there is so manifest a difference between the ancient and modern disciples of Jesus Christ and their doctrines? If, for instance, I had lived in the days of the Apostles, and believed in Jesus Christ, and had manifested a wish to become his disciple, Peter or his brethren would have said to me, 'Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for REMISSION OF SINS, and you SHALL receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' I should then have known definitely and precisely what to do to be saved. 

"Now, father…I believe in Jesus; I wish to serve him and keep his commandments… How…can I observe the ordinances of God and keep his commandments?"

“To these inquiries my father could give no satisfactory answer…I still continued to ponder upon these things, and to search the Scriptures to learn how to be saved.” (Pratt, Parley P. Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Revised and Enhanced Edition, edited by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 2000, pp 10-11.)

Parley would not rest until he could discover the right path to the Lord Jesus Christ.

March 29-April 4

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.

“So today we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced, every sorrow we have ever known, every discouragement we have ever had, every fear we have ever faced—to say nothing of our resurrection from death and forgiveness for our sins.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Where Justice Love and Mercy Meet)

By the time Section 29 of the Doctrine and Covenants was given, the fledgling Church was just over five months old. Rumors and false claims were circulating faster than convert numbers. What a strategic time for the adversary of all righteousness to attack the young flock and scatter them as fast as he could—to try to stop this little flock from growing. The Church only had less than 100 members. But, as we have said in the past, out of small things proceedeth that which is great. The Lord knows how to work with small numbers!

In August of 1830, Newel Knight and his wife Sally visited Joseph and Emma in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Since neither woman had yet been confirmed, they agreed to perform the ordinance and have the sacrament together. Joseph set out to buy some wine for the occasion, when after he had traveled only a short distance, he was met by a heavenly messenger with a new instruction. The Church was rolling forth with understanding coming line upon line.

March 8-14

After the sacred gathering of nearly four dozen Saints in the Whitmer Home in Fayette, New York on Tuesday, April 6, 1830, this little, no, tiny band was given the commission to take the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world. What an overwhelming task! How could so few bless so many? And yet, the Lord knew who He was calling and what various converts would do. One eager young man, twenty-two-year-old Samuel Harrison Smith, younger brother of the Prophet Joseph, stepped forward and volunteered to start the work. And within 100 days, a remarkable woman was called to give her gifts and talents to the kingdom—Emma Hale Smith.

March 1-7

When that group of 40 or more gathered in the 20 by 30-foot Whitmer cabin that April 6, 1830 to organize the “only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30), they could not have entirely foreseen what lay ahead for this church that would, as the prophet Daniel said, “roll forth to fill the whole earth” (See Daniel 2: 31-45), but they did know they were about a great work inspired by God Himself. Let’s take you to that scene today.

February 22-28

The Doctrine and Covenants is a book full of affirmations that individuals count—that each of us is important in the sight of God. Message after message is to individuals, some we have heard of like Oliver Cowdery or Hyrum Smith, and some to less familiar people like Leman Copley or Northrop Sweet, but then the Lord often adds this note: What I say unto one, I say unto all (see for example D&C 1:2; D&C 11:27; D&C 25:16; D&C 61:18).  But if that is not enough to let us know WE count; He gives us these 12 words in our lesson this week—and I memorized this scripture 45 years ago:  “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” (D&C 18:10)

February 15-21

How do we know about the reality of things we cannot see? How do we know about God whose face we can’t remember? How do we develop faith in spiritual things that are real, but invisible to our eye? We begin to learn these things because of the witness of others. Today we are going to talk about the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and tell you things you may not know about how firmly they stood in their testimonies against the toughest opposition. These are amazing stories.

February 8-14

The more carefully you study the translation and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the more you are amazed at the gift and power of God that was given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as they translated the record. These are two very young men: Joseph is 23 and Oliver is 22 years old!

February 1-7

As you read the Doctrine and Covenants, section 10 seems out of place chronologically. Since it talks about Martin Harris and the translation of the 116 pages, shouldn’t it come after Section 3?  What happened? We’ll tell you today.

January 25-31

Just a few months after the 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Lehi were lost, a young man arrived in Manchester, New York.  He was five feet five inches tall, with dark brown eyes, a slight build, a prominent lower jaw, high forehead and, as one described, a roman nose.  He was hired to be a teacher in New York’s Joint District 11. The small frame schoolhouse was located just about a mile south of the Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith Farm on Stafford Road. In this first teaching job, he had 107 little “scholars.”  Little did he know he would become a teacher for millions yet unborn. His name…was Oliver Cowdery.

January 18-24

Joseph does not shy away from humbly including Section 3 in the Doctrine and Covenants, where he is severely chastened by the Lord for a failing. He could have hid it or polished it up to preserve his image, but because he is so honest, we not only get to see firsthand, the spiritual development of a prophet, but he also gives us all a deep teaching: “You should not have feared man more than God” (Doctrine and Covenants 3:7).

January 11-17

Do we know every scripture that Moroni told Joseph Smith on his September 21 visit in 1823? Our first answer is, “They are listed right here in Joseph Smith’s history.” Yet Oliver Cowdery told us there are many more. And here’s another surprise—all but two are from the Old Testament.

January 4-10

In every dispensation of the world a witness is called to testify to the people of that day and age that he has seen God and has talked with Him and has received instructions and guidance from Him.  That witness is called to testify in his day that God lives, that He is real, that He cares about His children, that He hears and answers our prayers and that He has a work for us to do. Faith comes and is increased by listening to and heeding the testimony of that witness.  In our day, in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, that witness is Joseph Smith.

December 28-January 3

Hasn’t this been a glorious year in carefully studying the Book of Mormon as individuals and families? Did you notice time and time again that the lesson for that week was just the answer you needed for yourself, your family or for the current situation in the world? Have you found that you have drawn closer to Christ in this past year of study? It’s hard to leave our intense Book of Mormon studies behind, but we are now given the immense privilege of studying the Doctrine and Covenants and the early history of the Church and the Restoration of God’s Kingdom here upon the earth in our day. What could be more exciting?

December 21-27

This year we have an event in the skies that hasn’t happened since March 4, 1226, nearly 800 years ago. People have been calling it the “Christmas Star” or the “Star of Bethlehem. We’ll tell you what it in this episode.

Photo Credit NASA/ Bill Ingalls

December 14-20

I think it’s fascinating that Moroni starts out chapter 10 by saying that he’d like to send these words to his brethren, the Lamanites. That is a fascinating view of Moroni’s heart. He has seen the Lamanites completely destroy his nation. Because of the Lamanites, he remains alone. Because of the Lamanites, his father has been killed and all of his kinfolk and family are dead. Now, despite all this, he writes this most important message to his brethren, the Lamanites. How can any human be so full of the love of Christ?

December 7-13

Moroni Chapter 7 is a powerful sermon on faith, hope, and charity given by Mormon, but when? You can't help but wonder. He was born in AD 310, was made a general at the age of 16 and knew war most of his life until he had seen his whole nation decimated. Was this sermon given at the time when he gave up leading the army? Isn't it fascinating that there were still enough faithful followers of Christ that he could preach in a synagogue? Who were these people and did they become wicked too, even with this powerful preaching? It is so hard to know, but what we do know is Moroni was wise to give us this significant teaching from his father.

November 30-December 6

Moroni did not know when he would die, attacked by Lamanites or some other deadly surprise, in his 36-year wandering. He tells his latter-day readers goodbye more than once on the plates. Yet even living with that insecurity, not knowing his own mortal future, Moroni trudges on with absolute faith.

November 23-29

Moroni may complain about his weakness with words, but he has given us one of the most insightful chapters on faith in all of scripture. We will study it in this episode.

November 16-22

We go to a scene of spirits in the premortal world, anticipating. with perhaps some concern, their descent to a darkened world. We knew we would be taking a journey and must have wondered how we could make it across the wilderness where so much would be insecure.

November 9-15

Moroni told us in Mormon 8, “Behold, I would write…if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none”, so there is an untold story between these verses and the book of Ether. Somehow Moroni was able to get more ore and create plates because he gave us the marvelous book of Ether that introduces us to a whole new world.

November 2-8

As we start our studies today on Mormon 7-9, Moroni has taken over the record from his father and is in a tragic position. He has seen his culture decimated and he is the last survivor of what was once a thriving world . Could anything be sadder than this?

October 26-November 1

Every time I read the Book of Mormon and get to these chapters, I always hope that the Nephites will repent and that their civilization and people will be spared—and then it happens every time! They are destroyed.  And then another entire civilization, the Jaredites, are destroyed for the same reasons.  We can’t change their outcomes, but how about ours?  Is there a message in here for us, right now, in our day?

October 19-25

When President Russell M. Nelson taught us that we needed to use the true name of the Church going forward, he was teaching us something deeper than we might have understood at the time. Something, in fact that can open up whole new realms of gospel understanding. Let’s explore that today.

October 12-18

If you knew that the Lord Jesus Christ would spend the day with you and all who would come to the occasion from your home stake, what do you think He would teach you?  What do you think He would do?  What would be the most important truths He could communicate with you?  What would YOU want to know from Him?  Let’s explore these thoughts and explore the record of actual witnesses to such a day.

September 28-October 11

Can you imagine the joy that would fill your souls if you were witnesses to the visitation of the Lord Jesus Christ?  How could you possibly describe your feelings?  How could you even handle the happiness that would overwhelm your whole being?  The faithful who had gathered at the ancient temple in Bountiful had spent a number of hours with the Lord Jesus Christ and now it was time for Him to go. Carefully searching the record, we have some sense of how the people felt, but even more importantly we have an amazing view of the Savior’s joy, His compassion and His love for His people.

September 21-27

If you were to do a survey to determine the most influential talk or sermon in history, surely the results would point to the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.  Here are contained the eternal “beatitudes;” here is contained the Lord’s Prayer spoken each week by untold millions of Christ’s followers throughout the world; here we have “the golden rule.”  The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most densely packed three chapters in all of holy writ.  As an added bonus, when the Lord visited His other sheep in the ancient Americas, one of the first things He did was gave the same Sermon on the Mount text with some additional insights.  When the Lord purposely repeats something, I think He really wants our attention!

September 14-20

How can you not be just thrilled with this week’s readings?  The entire Book of Mormon has been centered on one Person—Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer—and His coming to the earth and the promised visit to this righteous branch of the tribe of Joseph in the Americas.  Lehi testified He would come. Nephi saw Him in vision that He would come. Jacob gave bold witness of His mission and His coming. King Benjamin, Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Himni, Helaman—and many more—they all testified that HE, the Lord Jesus Christ, would come—and in this week’s exciting readings—HE CAME!

September 7-13

I was just pondering very early this morning as I looked out the window: “What if at 4:00 in the morning on a fall day I looked out the window and it was as bright as day?  Would my heart take a leap and would I think: What is going on?!”  It was pitch dark when I peered out my window and yet, we have record of an event in this week’s reading, where untold thousands of people could not help but see this incredible, unforgettable sign of a day, a night and a day wherein there was no darkness.  The righteous rejoiced and the wicked were struck with fear.  We’re going to look at a lot of contrasts together in this week’s lesson.

August 31-September 6

In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites always think of themselves as the good guys. In a movie, they’d ride in wearing the white hat or the gold star, signifying their goodness. Yet, the Book of Mormon demonstrates that often the Nephites are relentlessly blind to their own wickedness and it is the Lamanites who are the most faithful and true. Enter the scene into the wicked Nephite city of Zarahemla: Samuel the Lamanite. The point is clear.

August 24-30

As Helaman chapter 7 opens, we see a prophet pleading with God for his people in great agony and heaviness of Spirit. The Gadianton robbers had usurped legitimate authority and taken over much of the government, the people have become corrupted and Nephi is deeply grieved for the wickedness which abounds. In a video for General Conference a little girl asked President Russell M. Nelson, “Is it hard to be a prophet? Are you, like, really busy?” He said, “Of course it’s hard.”

August 17-23

In Helaman chapters 1-6, the Lamanites become the righteous and the Nephites the wicked. How does this switch come about? And the new enemy are the Gadianton robbers, who capture the allegiance of many of the Nephites. Things happen fast in the Book of Mormon, a roller coaster of righteousness and wickedness. I used to think it was hard to imagine such reversals and drama in such a short period of time, until we all entered these tumultuous times in our own nation.

August 10-16

The ten chapters that we look at today are about both the low and high points of the Nephite nation. This is a time of continual war, brought on in large part by the “contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity of the people of Nephi” (Alma 62:40) At the same time, just as the light shines more clearly in a darkened world, we see the power of goodness in Helaman’s 2060 stripling warriors. The image of these young men carrying the banner of freedom and faith with such unflinching goodness is one that shines right into our hearts today.

August 3-9

You may get to the so-called war chapters in the Book of Mormon and wonder why Mormon bothered to include so many of them. Yet, he was a prophet who’d seen our day and if ever there were chapters as fresh and relevant as today’s news headlines, here they are. They are filled with the best heroes, like Moroni, who hoist the title of liberty, the darkest villains, like Amalickiah who prosper by deceit and betrayal, and underscoring it all is an existential question: what is the price of freedom?

July 27-August 2

With only 239 chapters in the Book of Mormon and only 531 pages, would you take four of those chapters and 8 pages just to talk about one wayward missionary’s story who committed a grievous sexual sin?  Why would the Prophet Mormon think it was so important to include this story for our day?  Let’s explore this together.

July 20-26

We see many conversations in the Book of Mormon where fathers teach their sons and their impact changes not only their son’s life, but the generations that follow. The lessons are profound. The impact overwhelming. If there was ever scripture that calls out for fathers to step into their parenting role with power, the Book of Mormon is it.

July 13-19

Alma has a hidden message in this week’s readings.  You all are familiar with the concept he teaches of having a particle of faith and planting a seed and nurturing it that it may grow.  But what is that seed to grow into?  What is the metaphor he wants us to understand?  As we read and study this week’s material you might think Alma the Younger is one of Lehi’s students—he takes a chapter right out of the vision of the tree of life—and if you miss that part of the lesson, you miss one of the greatest teachings in the scriptures.  Let’s explore further.

July 6-12

It is surprising  that an idea can at once be so popular, attracting people to give it passionate devotion, and at the same time be completely false. Why are people so often crazy enough to jump on a trend that is destructive or just plain foolish against their own best interests? Again and again, the Book of Mormon presents us smooth talking, powerful, intellectuals whose words corrupt the nation. Every one of them grabbed power and the hearts of many people, reminding us that there is nothing more dangerous than a lie preached with power.

June 29-July 5

It’s intriguing to me to ponder about why the great abridger of the ancient records, the Prophet Mormon, included some stories and not others in the text.  No one in ancient times had the Book of Mormon.  This book was written for us—for our day—for our time.  So, why did Mormon include the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis?  What possible application does this have for our time?  What are we to learn from this almost unbelievable group of people who turned their whole souls to the Lord Jesus Christ and never waived thereafter?  Let’s explore this further.

June 22-28

Can you imagine if today you opened a mission call and it was for a 14-year mission to a violent people whose aim was to destroy you? You might think twice about that kind of call. Yet, the sons of Mosiah, Nephite princes who could have had a very different life, chose to go to preach to the Lamanites, a people described as “wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites” (Alma 17:14). No wonder Mosiah was concerned about the safety of his sons, and sought counsel from the Lord, who gave him a promise. 

“Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will adeliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites’ (Mosiah 28:7). They would need it.

June 15-21

Have you ever thought about Alma and Amulek watching the believers in Ammonihah burn? It is not just the pain that these are their tender converts. Could it be that Amulek’s own family was among that group because he is in particular anguish after the event?

June 8-14

Here’s an irony. In our day, when someone wants to change everything that is wrong with the world, they run for president.  In the Book of Mormon, Alma hoping to pull down the pride and craftiness and contentions among his people, saw no way to reclaim them except to give up his office.

June 1-7

I’ve always loved Alma chapter 5.  It could be taken as the most introspective chapter in all of holy writ.  Alma asks more than 40 questions of his listeners and really wants them to probe their spirituality in a deep way.  But Alma wasn’t just talking to the people in Zarahemla—he is talking to us!  So, to put it in our language and context today:  If you have received a witness of this great work, if you have felt those wonderful feelings of the Spirit in your life, if you came to know something was true at some point in your life; can you feel so now?  Let’s explore Alma’s teachings together.

May 25-31

Hugh Nibley calls Mosiah 29 one of the most important treatises on political power ever written. In fact, the Book of Mormon has plenty to say about good and bad political leaders. Why does a spiritual book have so much to say about politics? We’ll find out in this episode.

May 18-24

When I was growing up and first learning about the story of Alma the Younger’s conversion in the Book of Mormon, I always pictured him as a rebellious teenager who hung out with the four sons of Mosiah and together, the five of them wreaked havoc on the Church.  If you look closely at the record and put the facts together, you come to know something altogether different.

May 11-17

I have often wondered what was on Abinadi’s mind as the fire that would engulf and kill him burned hotter and hotter.  Did he wonder if he’d been a good missionary, because after all, there wasn’t a rush of converts from King Noah’s court.

May 4-10

There are many times in our lives when we just have to stand up for the truth and, sometimes we stand alone. Has that ever happened in your life?  Has it happened in the lives of your ancestors or the lives of your children?  President Nelson said recently: “Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested.” This week’s material is a great lesson on boldness, standing up for the truth and being faithful when it is not too popular.

April 27-May 3

Elder Richard G. Scott said, “Help from the Lord always follows eternal law. The better you understand that law, the easier it is to receive His help.” The chapters that we are studying in this podcast demonstrate just that.

April 20-26

Over our years of studies of the first 6 chapters of Mosiah we have all come to love King Benjamin and his marvelous teachings.  We have the whole thing in our minds, don’t we?  The aged King Benjamin; the anointing of his son Mosiah to be the new king; the innumerable hosts of tents surrounding the temple and families in breathless attention to their servant King.  We have the setting down pat, but what about the setting in our hearts—if King Benjamin were to send a text message to all of us, desiring to know if WE believed the words which he has spoken to US, what would be our answer?  And what would be our proof?

April 13-19

Elder Neal A. Maxwell called the chapters we are studying in this episode the “Manual of Discipleship”. Since Mormon could include only the hundredth part of the records he had available to him, this may be the reason he zeroed right in on King Benjamin’s address and gave us so much of it. He knew we in the latter days would want to learn discipleship too.

March 30-April 12

I love the season of spring.  I love the newness of life.  I love the crocus, daffodils and tulips just popping through the winter-hardened earth.  I love the buds that magically appear on all the trees.  I especially love the redbuds and the dogwoods that were the first to show in my home-state of Missouri on our forested farm.  Most of all, though, I love the fact that “all things are created and made to bear record of [Jesus Christ]…things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of [Him].” (See Moses 6:63) What an exciting thing to talk about this week: the newness of life that comes and the celebration of Easter—the atoning sacrifice, death and resurrection of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

This has been an unprecedented time in the history of our nation, our world and the Church.  With news of the Corona Virus dominating the headlines and our mind space, we wanted to take a few minutes just to just relax with you, our amazing and loving listeners, and talk about faith, peace, calm and listening to the promptings and whisperings of the Spirit.  You might be listening to this on the Sabbath—or it might be some other day of the week—either way, let’s just sit down together and talk.

March 23-29

I remember, following Enos’s example, of going to the woods to pray in my life, in fact, more than once. Then, I recently was talking about Enos with a friend, and he said he, too, had gone to the woods to pray. I know, Scot, that you took Enos’s example, but went to a mountain. I don’t think the location matters because it can be right in our own bedroom, but there is something magnificent to learn about prayer from Enos in his book.

March 16-22

One of my favorite olive trees in the entire world is inside the walls of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in Jerusalem.  I remember Truman Madsen telling us all about how it was long-lined from a helicopter all the way from the Galilee to the center.  They were concerned about the shock of its journey, but they promptly planted it.  And then it died…at least they thought it did.  We’ll tell you all about it.

March 9-15

When Jacob speaks at the temple in the book named after him, it is with both anxiety and boldness, setting an example for all us who have to teach the people we love in this difficult world. It is not a time to shy away from the truth.

March 2-8

Any returned missionary will recognize the chapters we are studying this week.  We used many of these verses when it came time to challenge a serious investigator to make the commitment to be baptized.  In all our readings and studies of 2 Nephi 31-33, have we possibly missed some critical teachings for our own spiritual progress?  Let’s study together and see what we can find out.

February 24-March 2

Nephi, of course is heartbroken because he has seen in revelation the destruction of his people. He says, “O the pain, and the anguish of my soul for the loss of the slain of my people” (2 Nephi 26:7). He says it consumes him. But he is given a promise of comfort. What is it? We’ll talk about it in this episode.

February 17-23

There was a story told of a man in war and in the heat of the battle he was shot in the chest. By a miracle he was spared being killed. As he was taken back to the safety of the nearby camp, he was examined and he had a small copy of the Book of Mormon he had been carrying in his uniform. They opened the book and the bullet had penetrated only into about the middle of 2 Nephi—right in the heart of the Isaiah chapters. It was said that even a speeding bullet couldn’t get through Isaiah—well, let’s try to prove that wrong today. Let’s have some fun studying these seemingly difficult chapters together!

February 10-16

Do you know how many times the word “plan” shows up in the Book of Mormon? 66 times! How about in the Old Testament—only three times, and none of these is talking about the plan of salvation. The New Testament has no mention of “plan” at all.

February 3-9

How can Lehi who has suffered so much in the wilderness journey, including the murderous rejection of his own sons, Laman and Lemuel, possibly write that man is that he might have joy? Does he know something that we sometimes forget? We’ll find out as we study together.

January 27-February 2

A theme is so prevalent throughout scripture, and especially in the Book of Mormon, that you would think we would never miss it, and yet we do. What is that elusive theme? We’ll tell you in this episode.

January 20-26

After Lehi had his dream of the tree of life, his sons had some choices, and, based on those, in the next few hours had radically different experiences. Laman and Lemuel went to their tent and fought about the meaning of the dream, and Nephi was swept up to a mountain and given a vision. What Laman and Lemuel missed out on in insisting on their war of words!

January 13-19

I remember once being so tired as we made our way out of a remote area of the Sinai Desert in Egypt.  It was night and we wanted to drive all the way back to Cairo but we were just too exhausted from having hiked Mt. Sinai at 2:00 o’clock that morning.  We pulled over to rest.  We got off the main road and pulled up onto a small hill.  We watched from our perch, as an occasional car would go by.  And then it happened.  We watched as a dark mist or fog rolled in like a slow-motion wave of the sea.  We were both wide awake now—the mist completely obscured our view of the road below us—we could no longer see headlights or anything.  It was almost an inky black. This was the mist of darkness Lehi had talked about!

January 6-12

We all know the 1st book of Nephi so well, you may wonder if there is still more to learn. Welcome to the inexhaustible Book of Mormon that always surprises us with its spiritual richness and historical authenticity. You may know these stories, but we are about to enter a treasure room.

December 30-January 5

I was reading a very short notice this past week in a local newspaper that was just over 300 words long.  This is not a well-known national periodical, in fact, it’s quite obscure—but the notice I read is probably the most important thing ever published in the news.  The paper was The Wayne Sentinel and the date was Friday, March 26, 1830.  This was the first announcement that The Book of Mormon was now available to the world.

December 23-29

Here’s the latest breaking news:  The major war that was going on in the pre-mortal world between the forces of Lucifer and the forces of Michael has continued—but it has changed locations.  All of Lucifer’s forces have been moved to this earth and continue to wage war against the Saints and the followers of Christ and His Gospel.

December 16-22

For a few minutes you can leave the hustle of the season behind, while we take you to Bethlehem, a place we’ve spent much time. Come on an armchair journey.

December 9-15

There is often a certain dread that comes over us as we approach a thorough study of John’s Book of Revelation.  “How will I ever understand this book?  How can I figure out all the symbols and mysterious beasts?  Is there application in this book for me personally?”  In this week’s podcast and in one more lesson on Revelation to follow, we will give you some tools and some thoughts that will help you unlock this great book.

December 2-8

John is described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, and it may be no surprise that he gives us a deeper look into what it means to love and how it is done. Of all the things I want and hope for in this world, it is to learn how to be a person filled with love, but self creeps in at every turn. Let’s turn to John for help.

November 25-December 1

We know so much about the apostle Peter.  He is a hero to many of us.  He is the one who stepped so quickly forward to action.  He is the one who boldly testified that Jesus is the Christ.  He is the one who healed the sick and the lame and raised the dead. But how much do we know about the two epistles that he wrote before his martyrdom?  Let’s do some exploring and see what we can learn together.

November 18-24

Of the three men named James in the New Testament, which one wrote the Book of James? And another question: Is James actually a Hebrew name anyway?

November 11-17

When I was in college, my great desire was to develop an unshakeable faith, and so I tried many things. I went up the canyon hoping to be alone with God and pray for an hour, but I ran out of things to say in ten minutes. Then, a speaker came to my college ward who struck me as a woman with wonderful faith, and so I asked if I could go visit with her at her home and if she could teach me what she knew. But things began to open up for me when I read what Paul wrote in the magnificent Hebrews 11 about faith. Let’s explore today.

November 4-10

Who wrote the epistle to the Hebrews—Paul or somebody else? It has been a centuries old debate that Joseph Smith had an answer for.

October 28 - November 3

What would you say to your beloved friends and followers if you knew this was the last time you would ever speak to them?  Such is the case with 2 Timothy as Paul has his last words penned by a scribe from a dungeon in Rome.  Paul’s words to Timothy, and of course from his other letters, would change the entire world.

October 21-27

We have many sicknesses today in our tumultuous world, but Paul aptly labels one of the most pervasive and contagious. We’ll call it the “shaken in mind” syndrome. Being “shaken in mind” is as deadly as it sounds, like something that would make you really sick. It is where stillness and stability and a sure foundation have fled. 

October 14-20

Paul’s letters, or the Pauline epistles, are arranged in the New Testament in descending order of their length—with the exception of The Book of Hebrews.  These 14 letters comprise 173 pages, just about 43% of the entire New Testament.  This week we will be looking at the small epistle of Paul to the Philippians—those converts living in Philippi in the region of Macedonia, Greece and another even smaller epistle to the Colossians—those living in Colossae, a celebrated city of Phrygia just 100 miles east of Ephesus in modern day Turkey. And we will be looking at one particular very wonderful thing Paul taught:  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

September 30–October 13

What does it mean to be a “stranger in the world”? That’s a lonely idea, right up there with one of the saddest words in our language—homeless.  Paul tells the Gentile converts, “Now, therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the Saints” (Ephesians 2:19). Being a stranger in the world is what it means to be without Christ in our journey. A stranger in the world is exiled from Him and from home. That would be lonely, indeed.

September 23–29

The Book of Galatians is little known among us.  It’s only 6 chapters, in 149 verses and a total of 3,084 words.  Can we glean some eternal lessons from this brief letter of the Apostle Paul?  We certainly can!  In today’s podcast we will draw out some of Paul’s teachings that we think will bless all of our lives.

September 16-22

In this book of 2 Corinthians we come nearest to the inner feelings of Paul than in any other of his writings. As one writer said, here Paul reveals his “joy and depression, anxiety and hope, trust and resentment, anger and love.” We see his human qualities. Some writers have suggested that one of the best words to describe 2 Corinthians is that it is a defense. What would Paul have to defend? We'll discuss that this week.

This mortal experience was never meant to be easy—it was meant to be a school—but a school full of joy and wonderful learning.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians:  We are troubled on every side (have you ever felt that way?), yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” (See 2 Corinthians 4: 8-9) Paul sounds like he is talking to us in our day—not to the people living in Corinth in the 1st Century A.D.  Or was he talking to both?  Let’s explore this together.

September 2-8

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing early converts to the Church who brought with them baggage and false ideas from their previous beliefs. To make matters even more difficult, they were far away from any central administration of the Church and so old ideas, firmly entrenched in their minds could clash with the gospel. Among these new converts were polytheistic Gentiles who had once worshipped idols, Jews who held to the Mosaic law, and all of the ideas influenced by the philosophies of Greece. How did Paul handle this whirlwind of opinions?

August 26-September 1

This week’s readings include some of the most important teachings in all the scriptures.  You’re familiar with them:  Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I AM NOTHING.  We’re excited to explore this most coveted gift from the heavens.

August 19-25

Corinth was the powerful, bustling, and wicked trade center of the Roman province of Achaia. When Paul wrote what we call 1 Corinthians, to the members there, it wasn’t his first letter to them. That one is lost to us in time, but this second letter, that we call first, was motivated in part, by the concerns of a woman named Chloe and her household, who had written him. We’ll tell you why.

 August 12-18

The Apostle Paul begins in this week’s readings with a bulls-eye on the struggles we have in this mortal experience and then tells us how to free ourselves from this bondage.

The book of Romans has some scriptures that are so familiar to us like “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ”, and at the same time, we may sometimes find it hard to understand what Paul is saying beyond those scriptures we know well.  Let’s dive in and see if we can unwind some of the mystery.

July 29 - Aug 4

In this week’s lesson we find the prophecy of Saul bearing witness of the Lord before Kings already being fulfilled. Paul’s testimony would reverberate throughout the world.

 July 22-28

Why does Joseph Smith directly compare himself to Paul? What did he see in Paul’s experience that made him feel that the two held so much in common?

July 15-21

Preaching the gospel had been restricted during Christ ministry, with few exceptions, to the House and children of Israel.  In a series of days on the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean Sea—all that would change.  It reminds us of a very special day in June of 1978—a day never to be forgotten.

July 8-14

What is this surprise in the nature of Paul that he can go from “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ” one day and be a submissive disciple of Christ the next? Of course he had this stupendous vision on the road to Damascus, but is there something more we can learn about the life of Paul, itself, that can give us clues to his energy and passion?

July 1-7

For many people, one of the most enigmatic and mysterious parts of the life of Christ, comes after His resurrection when He spent forty days teaching the Apostles. What was the instruction that He gave them and is there some way to learn more? Do any sources give us a window into that teaching?

June 24-30

We’ve all been studying the life and mortal mission of Jesus Christ for the past six months.  Don’t you agree that you feel closer to the Savior now than you did at the beginning of your studies?  This week’s lesson has some surprises and is the culmination of the Savior’s perfect ministry.  How would you have felt if you had come to the tomb early that Sunday morning after your own pain and sorrow at the loss of Jesus—and you looked in only to find it empty?

June 17-23

After his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, another kind of agony was about to begin for Jesus who was already exhausted with the weight He had borne. Before the night was finished, He would be betrayed, falsely charged, scourged, spit upon and maligned in a trial that was utterly illegal. Why illegal? And who is the only mortal on record that Jesus refused to speak to? We will tell you in this week's podcast.

June 10-16

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.”

June 3-9

Did you know that the preparation for the Last Supper began with a miracle?  It’s subtle, and most readers of the account will not see it—but when you understand the culture and the setting of the time, it’s obvious and it’s amazing.

May 27-June 2

We have two questions for you:  1) Which chapter in the New Testament did Joseph Smith make the most changes to? It’s Matthew 24 where Christ during his last week on earth told his apostles just what to expect before He would return. Here’s the next question: 2)  Do we have any precedent in the Gospel or in history where a people were preparing for the coming of the Lord; they knew He was coming; they knew where He was coming; they even prepared a place for Him to come—and then He came?  Of course we see this in the Book of Mormon—but is the same pattern happening in our time?  We’re going to explore this question in this podcast.

May 20-26
Jesus once told Mary at Cana that “Mine hour hath not yet come,” but now as we start this lesson that has changed as we take you to the beginning of the last week of His mortal life. Now he will say, “Mine hour hath come,” a statement that will break His followers hearts and have implications for every one of us.

May 13-19

Many questions were posed to the Savior during His mortal ministry.  If you had the chance to ask Him one question, in person, what would that question be? In this week’s lesson we have a very powerful question asked of the Lord face to face in his ministry and it’s worth all of us pondering about this specific question.

May 6-12

Have you ever given a party, invited many people, and no one came? In this week’s chapters, we’ll explore a parable about a great feast and how, when invited, many people found shoddy excuses not to attend. As we hear this story, it seems so strange that anyone would find any reason to miss a marvelous feast put on by the Lord, but he is talking to us. Are we, knowingly or unknowingly, rejecting wonderful invitations that the Lord offers?

April 29-May 5

Have you ever wondered why John the Beloved included the story of the woman taken in adultery in his record?  Surely he had hundreds of stories he could have chosen to complete his testimony—why this particular story?  We’re going to explore at least three things about this tender encounter that you

April 22-28

The Lord often requires us to do things that we think sound impossible. Forgive seventy times seven? This does not mean 490 times, but boundless forgiveness, that we travel with forgiveness for those who have wronged us. Forgiveness is not always easy, especially when we have been deeply hurt or wronged or if we live in a situation where we are poorly treated continually, but the Lord’s command to forgive is one that can free and heal our hearts and cultivate boundless love for our neighbors.

April 15-21

We love Easter as the most important celebration of the year because it is Jesus Christ’s atonement and resurrection that answers every uncertainty, loosens every bond and supplies every hope for our mortal experience. More people saw the resurrected Jesus than we sometimes realize, including John Murdock, an early convert to The Church of Jesus Christ in Kirtland. He described what Jesus looked like in detail and then said this, “It left on my mind the impression of love, for months, that I never felt before to that degree.”

April 1-14

In Jesus’s teachings, the land of Israel itself becomes his visual aid. That is nowhere more evident than in the teachings he gives in Caesarea Philippi about the rock on which His Church will be built. Learn about that this week as well as the profound answer the Pharisees got who were seeking a sign.

March 25-31

Not all of the moments and sayings in the life of Jesus can we read as a sequence of events. We have stories and sayings that we can’t always connect. But in today’s study we can see things in sequence, which adds meaning to the story. This includes the feeding of the 5,000, the rescue of the apostles while they are struggling against great winds on the Sea of Galilee, and the Bread of Life speech which motivated many of Jesus’s followers to desert Him.

March 18-24

Jesus taught in parables both to reveal and conceal truths. There is more in even apparently simple statements than immediately meets the eye in what Jesus taught. What for instance does it mean, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father”?

March 11-17

This episode of the Come Follow Me podcast relates many stories that you probably haven’t heard into the calling of an apostle and what today’s apostles say about their own special witness of Jesus Christ. You will also come to know, by tradition, how each of the Twelve that Christ called eventually died.

March 4-10

As mortals we are on a journey to move from being broken to healed, and it is the Lord who is our attending physician. The stories in the New Testament are not only about the halt, the blind, and the person afflicted with leprosy. They are about us, and our universal need for his healing touch.

How can we become better at praying? It is a question that most of us ask ourselves as serious disciples of Jesus Christ. In these chapters from the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Himself teaches us how to pray. If the Lord says this is how we should pray, then, there is something deep to learn.

The Sermon on the Mount was called by President Joseph Fielding Smith, “The greatest sermon that was ever preached, so far as we know,” and President Harold B. Lee called it “the constitution for a perfect life”. It tells us not just what to do but gives us the much more exacting standard and describes how we should be.

John’s gospel is so beautifully structured to reveal eternal truths to his audience who are Church members. One story reinforces and points back or forward to the next. For instance, both the wedding at Cana and the visit to Nicodemus at night are teaching the same thing—an idea the casual reader might miss.

Jesus goes into the wilderness, fasting for 40 days, to commune with his Father, and then when he is famished, Satan comes upon him with temptation. As the arch liar who has eons of practice, he uses types of temptations on the Savior, which he also uses on all of us. What these are and how the Savior resists him is a profound teaching for us all.

There is a stir in the Judean wilderness, a voice of authority and vibrancy that hasn’t been heard amongst the Jews for at least four hundred years. John the Baptist is preaching his hopeful and important message. He is a voice in the wilderness, which has come to mean in our English language, someone who is expressing an idea that is not popular. Yet, it is the message that Israel has anticipated for its entire history, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” The Messiah is here.

Joseph Smith calls this book The Testimony of John. Think of this as his testimony to us as an eyewitness of the life of the Savior. The scenes from Jesus’ life that [John] describes are carefully selected and arranged with this object in view...He clearly affirms that Jesus is the Son of God, attested to by miracles, by witnesses, by the prophets, and by Christ’s own voice. John the Baptist is a voice crying in the wilderness. Come and listen!

The chapters in this week’s podcast are familiar to us because we have recited them so many times at Christmas. The surprise is that there are hidden gems and ideas in these chapters we might not have seen before. The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) also adds new dimensions to the old story we love so well.  Come and join us again this week.

This is the second week's lesson in the new Come Follow Me curriculum. We are Scot & Maurine Proctor, publishers and editors of Meridian Magazine. The podcast gives you 25-30 minutes of lively discussion on the week's lesson. The topic this week is: "Be It unto Me according to Thy Word" where we focus on Matthew Chapter 1 and Luke Chapter 1. Come and study with us as we give you insights and ideas about this week's lesson.

Beginning today, December 28, 2018, each week Meridian Magazine’s founders, Scot and Maurine Proctor, will be giving a 30-minute podcast on the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum for the week. This is so you can listen with your scriptures in hand, or while you are about life’s many other duties. If you want some thoughts about teaching your family or in Church lessons, this can be a place to turn. If you live alone, let us study with you. This week's lesson:  "We are responsible for our own learning."