Tag: jesus
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“Members partake with their right hand when possible.”—General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 18.9.3 Imagine this: An apostle of God visits your church meeting. He tells you that God has impressed something specific on his heart—something he feels prompted to say, just for you. You lean in, expecting a…
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(Image created with OpenAI’s ChatGPT) My kids have been playing K-Pop Demon Hunters on repeat this week, and as I have watched and rewatched it, I have been struck by the films surprising spiritual depth. While the film is not a Christian film, its themes still resonate with Biblical truths especially regarding the nature of…
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One of the passages I frequently cited when teaching about the Great Apostasy as an LDS missionary was Acts 20:28–31: “Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after…
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Just today, someone posted a clip of President Dallin H. Oaks speaking in what appears to be a recent sacrament meeting. In the clip, Oaks bears his testimony: “We know that we are children of heavenly parents. So we know that we have a Heavenly Mother—or mothers.” Unsurprisingly, the line is getting attention—especially for its…
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A Tale of Two Testimonies: From “I Know the Church Is True” to “Jesus Saved Me” How LDS and Evangelical Christians Use the Word “Testimony” Very Differently This evening we went to a baptismal service at a local church. Before each person was baptized, they were asked to share their “testimony.” Each one, without exception,…
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Coal in the Stocking: A Harmless Bluff? Every December, parents everywhere tell their kids that if they misbehave, Santa will leave coal in their stockings instead of presents. It’s an empty threat, of course. The coal never comes. Eventually, the kids realize it was just a bluff—a tool to encourage good behavior during the holidays.…
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As a Latter-day Saint I used to love to speak about the United States Constitution as “divinely inspired.” Although I didn’t see it on par with the scripures, I still saw God’s hand in the document in a very direct manner. Today, I still view the Constitution very highly. But I’ve grown uncomfortable with that…
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“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”—Romans 11:33 (ESV) The Trinity is a doctrine that is simultaneously relatable and yet beyond our comprehension. It is beautiful and yet mysterious. It reveals a God that is infinitely worthy of our worship.…
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We’ve already looked at a variety of Biblical images that reveal aspects of the Trinity and push us to imagine our great God with awe and reverence. We’ve looked at father-son imagery, marriage, the body of Christ, and Angelic beings. In this post, I want to look briefly at two non-scriptural examples that help me…
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Mysterious Visions and Glorious Purpose A few Biblical figures received powerful and life changing glimpses of the glory of heaven.This imagery is not meant to be a literal picture of heaven. Instead, this is apocalyptic imagery meant to stretch our imaginations and and reveal transcendent truths that ordinary language cannot capture. One of the most…