Come Follow Me- Daily Dose

The scriptures teach us that the Savior took upon himself all of our pains, afflictions, temptations weaknesses, sicknesses and sins so that He could know how we feel and run to us in those moments. Elder Holland explains that it goes even one step further. Jesus Christ while on the cross lost the companionship of the Spirit of His Father and for a moment was entirely alone. And He experienced tha...

The word for the atonement in Arabic actually means "A warm embrace." Can you think of a more perfect description of what the atonement can do in our lives? The Savior invites ALL to come unto His arms of mercy.

Nephi declares that despite his weaknesses and sins, he TRUSTS the Lord. What does it mean to trust the Lord? What does it mean to really believe Him when he says we have been redeemed? One of my favorite conference talks holds the answer! 

Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ and His glorious resurrection, He can play an actual role in our lives. He is the Savior of ALL mankind. To those that love Him and those who despise Him. To those who believe in Him and those who have never heard of Him. He is became the Savior of all, so that He could invite ALL to come unto him and be partakers in His glory.  

Section 29 finishes up with the Lord clarifying other aspect of the Plan of Salvation. And in verse 36 we learn about Satan's "I" problem. His focus inward caused him to be cast out and miserable, and since he seeks to make us miserable like unto himself, it makes sense that one of his great tools on us it to make us focus inward as well. 

There are commandments that seem purely temporal. Tithing, the word of wisdom, the law of chastity. But here the Lord explains that there is no such thing as a temporal law in the gospel. ALL things are spiritual at there core. How much power and strength would come into our lives as we focused on the spiritual aspects of the seemingly temporal laws.

Today we talk about the glorious doctrines of the second coming, the resurrection and the millennium. 

Several times throughout this section the Lord makes reference to "the elect." I think that often times it is easy to believe that just because we are baptized members of the church that we must be considered the elect. But I don't think that is necessarily true. These scripture define who the elect are, and it goes beyond just being baptized. The elect Hear Him, they stay teachable and they are w...

In verse 5 the Lord says that He is our advocate with the Father, but what does that really mean? An advocate is someone who pleads on someone else's behalf. I love this visual, but I think it is important that we don't think of our Savior as standing between us and the big bad father. That is not the case at all. Rather he is working with the Father to shield us from the effects of justice, by ta...

Often times I say that I am really good at doing what I am supposed to do...as long as I KNOW what I am supposed to do. Here the Lord gives his clarion call to those in the church who are repenting and coming to Him. We are to declare His gospel. So there is the WHAT we are supposed to do...but HOW is sometimes a harder thing. It may actually be easier than we think.

One of my favorite parts of these scriptures is the visual we get when the Lord refers to Himself as a hen gathering her chicks. Through this comparison, He is inviting us to come and be protected by Him, and He is showing us the absolute love that he has for us. 

As we learn in this section what it means to have a prophet of God on the earth, a mouthpiece for the Lord, it is important to really understand what that means. As I pondered what it means to have a prophet on the earth today I couldn't help but think of a talk given by Pres. Benson years ago about the 14 fundamentals about living prophets. That talk was an hour long, so I couldn't share it, but...

One thing that is reassuring to me in this day and age where it seems like the adversary rages in the hearts of the children of man, is that he hasn't seemed to change is tactic much in the thousands of years he has been at it. One of his tools has been counterfeiting truth in efforts to deceive. He did it with Moses as he stood in front of the pharaoh, he did it with Hyrum Page and the "revelatio...

The last couple of days as we have talked about putting on the whole armor of God, we have spent our time focus on what we wear to protect us. But today we are going to shift our focus on the weapons we are given to fight the "fiery darts of the wicked." These weapons are part of the armor of God and as we learn to use them, we can be protected. 

I work as a Medicare broker for a living. In doing that I am constantly worried about making sure people are fully covered, leaving no gaps or weaknesses in their insurance, because I know that the smallest gap in coverage can leave someone totally exposed. So when the Lord commands us to take upon ourselves the WHOLE armor of God, I picture a similar concern. A loving God asking us to do everythi...

Here, as the Lord commands us to take upon us the whole armor of God, it really stood out to me that we need the WHOLE armor! When David slew Goliath, armed only with righteousness and the armor of God, he was able to find and exposed area of Goliath and bring him down. We would all do well to examine our armor often to make sure we are well covered. 

Yesterday we talked about the process of the sacrament, today we talk about the purpose. No, it doesn't matter what we eat and drink, but what does matter is our focus on the Savior's glory, and what that glory can offer us every week as we approach the sacramental altar. 

The Lord, in section 27, is about to seriously shake up long standing Christian doctrine on the sacrament! So before He does that, I LOVE how he reminds Joseph that His work is "quick," meaning LIVING. The Lord's reminder to Joseph that His word is living is a reminder to us as well that modern day revelation is again on the earth.

In this verse we are asked to "set aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better." But what are the things of this world? Elder Johnson explained in the talk, "Power to Overcome" that the 3 things we need to set aside are: Deception, Distraction and Discouragement. How do we do this more effectively? We will talk about that today!

The Lord teaches Emma and us an important lesson about marriage here in this section. Verse 5 he tells her to comfort and support Joseph, and in verse 9 He tells her that Joseph will be there to support as well. That is what a covenant marriage should be. Each spouse giving 100 percent, there to lift and build one another. To give each other "wings to fly."

In this section we get the opportunity to learn more about Emma Smith and the wonderful woman that she is. But here in this verse we get the opportunity to learn more about her relationship with the Lord, and how we can develop one too.

Here in section 24, as the Lord is trying to instruct Joseph and Oliver how to have strength and courage in their hardships, the Lord instructs them to magnify their callings. Not just once, but twice! As we find ways to look outward, even when things are hard, we can find peace and strength.

In the summer of 1830 persecution around the church was increasing. In an effort to "strengthen, encourage and instruct" Joseph and Oliver, the Lord sent a series of 3 revelations that are found in section 24. Most notably the instruction to "be patient in your afflictions." But much easier said than done. SO how can we increase in patience in time of trial? 

Here, the Lord declares to Oliver that he should make known his calling, and to others that they need to strengthen the church. But how do those commandments apply to each of us and how can we do the same in our own spheres of influence?

In a short, 2 verse revelation to Oliver Cowdrey the Lord reassures Oliver of his standing before Him. Which is something I think we can all use from time to time. But the Lord also warns Oliver of a particular weakness and tells him to "Beware of Pride." This is a warning to Oliver, yes, but it is and should be a warning to each of us. So how can we make humility one of our divine attributes and...