The Creation Guess what? You are able to read this because you exist! (And are literate and have access to the internet). The creation is truly a mystery and a miracle. It is easy to get hung up on how exactly God created the universe, the earth, and us, but far more important is living… Continue Reading

“Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born” This “Study Notes” portion on the Book of Abraham explores this book of scripture from a literary and historical perspective, and explains why some people have a hard time reconciling an academic approach with the way the Book of Abraham is presented in Church. A discussion of the… Continue Reading

“Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born” The Book of Abraham commands fascination, with its theological distinctiveness (plurality of gods and teaching about the pre-existence) and connections to the Egyptian papyri. Not everyone may be aware that many struggle with this book of scripture, however. This episode digs deeply into the value of the Book of… Continue Reading

“Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born”   The Plan of Salvation has been described as a “three act play”, and we could add that all of them are full of drama. We read about “noble and great” and “chosen” ones in the pre-existence, and wonder where we fit in. This update covers the following… Continue Reading

“This Is My Work and My Glory” This lesson only covers thirty-nine verses, but contains profound doctrine. Specifically, these verses illuminate the nature of God, humanity, revelation, and the Plan of Salvation.     III. Study Notes Value of the Book of Moses What is the Joseph Smith translation? Relationship of Moses to history Comments… Continue Reading

“This Is My Work and My Glory” This lesson only covers thirty-nine verses, but contains profound doctrine. Specifically, these verses illuminate the nature of God, humanity, revelation, and the Plan of Salvation.   I: Sunday School What is the Book of Moses? (historical background) Overview of content Close Reading (focusing on 1:39) Comments on approaching… Continue Reading

“This Is My Work and My Glory”   The first chapter of Moses addresses some of the most profound questions of human existence. What is human nature? Who is God? What is our relationship to God? What does God want? And what is salvation? Moses also models important lessons about character in his interaction with… Continue Reading

Introduction to the Old Testament   We need a preliminary episode before diving in to the manual for the year. In this “Lesson 0”, I go over the manual, provide a brief but intense overview of the Old Testament, talk about issues of faith, and suggest some key resources that will aid you in understanding… Continue Reading

Introduction to the Old Testament   Admit it… the Old Testament is full of some crazy stories. That is part of what makes it so memorable! I believe that the Old Testament is used most responsibly when we apply a “challenge and be challenged by” attitude that and that engage with scripture in a way… Continue Reading

 “Zion—The Pure in Heart”   What exactly is Zion, and how do we achieve it? Is it something we wait for, or must we build it one brick and changed heart at a time? This final episode of the year explores the nature of Zion and how we achieve it. Class Member Reading: Doctrine and… Continue Reading