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Gospel Doctrine: Sorrow Turned to Joy

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As Christ prepares Himself to leave His disciples, He warns them of His impending death. He knows that they will view His crucifixion with pain and sorrow. And yet, he promises that “your sorrow shall be turned to joy” (John 16:20). Two thousand years later, we look at the atonement of Christ almost always from a joyful standpoint. After all, it was because He took our sins upon Him that we are able to return home. Similarly, we would not be able to be resurrected had He not first suffered death and then resurrection, and so we would not be … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Baptized By Fire

As we begin reading Mark for Lesson 7 in the New Testament, you may have that strange feeling of déjà vu. That’s because, according to the Bible Dictionary, Mark has “the least amount of unique material.” Only about 7% of what he writes about is exclusive to this book; the rest was covered by Matthew, Luke, or John. Mark appeals to a general, non-Jewish audience, often defining Jewish words or customs. Mark is also the only gospel writer who was not an apostle; he served as a missionary with Paul. “The Testimony of St. Mark” (see JST) begins with the … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Worship in Spirit and in Truth

The last time we reviewed the scriptures, we discussed Christ’s role as living water. Today, as we study John 4:15-38, we further that discussion by centering on the spiritual nature of our worship of the Savior. Heavenly Father wants us to worship Him not just in form but in Spirit (vs. 24 JST). As we keep commandments and perform ordinances, it can be easy to focus on the temporal aspects of those forms of obedience. In short, it can be simpler to celebrate the physical act of baptism but neglect the spiritual portion. We can fulfill the duties of our … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: A Well of Living Water

The first fourteen verses of John 4 record Christ’s encounter with the Samarian woman (well, part of it, anyway). This woman came to the well in search of drinking water, and instead found the source of living water, Christ himself. Elder Bruce R. McConkie defines living water as “the words of eternal life, the message of salvation, the truths about God and his kingdom; it is the doctrines of the gospel.” He continues, “Where there are prophets of God, there will be found rivers of living water, wells filled with eternal truths, springs bubbling forth their life-giving draughts that save … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Because of the Simpleness of the Way

One of the most puzzling stories I ever read in the Old Testament was the story of the fiery serpents sent among the Israelites. To be bitten by one of these snakes was certain death. Through the prophet Moses, God sent a way for His followers to be healed. Moses erected a bronze serpent and hung it high, where all the people could see it throughout the camp. Those who would turn their eyes to the serpent would be healed. To my disbelief, there were many who refused to look, because the way was too simple. (1 Nephi 17:41) Instead, … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Spiritually Reborn

The Sunday School lesson this week revolves around being born again. Christ references two necessary ways that we can be reborn – first through water, and then through the spirit. Of the two, I’d like to focus today on being spiritually reborn. The physical ordinance of baptism can be as spiritual as we allow it to be. Conversely, it can be a simple, body-only ordinance if we do not bring the Spirit into it. Most converts, of course, choose baptism only after a spiritual conversion. This isn’t necessarily true of those born into the church. In many cases, testimonies are … Continue reading →

Visiting Teaching Message: Practicing Holiness

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The second section of the Visiting Teaching message on practicing holiness truly touched my heart. Although there were several things that touched me in both quotes, I felt myself truly respond to Bonnie Parkin’s admonition that “holiness is a product of covenant living.” Throughout our spiritual walk with the church, we make covenants. First, we covenant when we are baptized to serve Christ and try to be like Him. Then we renew that covenant every Sunday when we take the sacrament; we restate our willingness to keep His commandments. When we go through the temple, we make several covenants, and … Continue reading →

General Conference: “Ye Must Be Born Again”

In his talk “Ye Must Be Born Again” Elder David A Bednar begins his talk by explaining the process of canning a pickle. The first step is to clean the cucumber. The second step is to immerse the cucumber in brine, so that it can transform into a pickle. The third step is to seal the jars so that you can use them at a different time. Elder Bednar then goes on to explain that in order for us to become spiritually transformed, we need to complete a similar process. He says: “We are instructed to ‘come unto Christ, and … Continue reading →

The LDS Families Week in Review: January 28th – February 3rd

Sunday School The Sunday school lesson for this week centered around John 3-4. We examined various parts of the lesson throughout the week. In Spiritually Reborn, we looked at the need to not only be baptized but to be ‘born again’ of the spirit. In Because of the Simpleness of the Way, we talked about the relative simplicity of casting our eyes – and our whole beings – on Christ, and following the paths He walked. In A Well of Living Water, we talked about Christ’s meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well, and how we, too, can draw … Continue reading →

General Conference From the Past: Living Water to Quench Spiritual Thirst

This week, we will examine a talk given by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quroum of the Twelve Apostles. He presented the talk, “Living Water to Quench Spiritual Thirst” during the April 1995 session of General Conference. Elder Wirthlin starts his talk by discussing the Samaritan woman Christ met at the well. With this woman, He taught “powerful, eternal truths,” testifying as His role as the Savior of the world. The woman focused on the physical nature of the living water Christ offered. Similarly, Elder Wirthlin notes that many in the world today seek out the easy way, the … Continue reading →