For Our Day

The Nicene Creed was adopted in 325 A.D. during the Council of Nicea, organized by Emperor Constantine. Every bishop was invited to gather and establish the set doctrine and beliefs for the church—putting an end to debate and division. The Nicene Creed is still looked upon today as a founding religious document and profession of faith for many Evangelical and Catholic Christians. While many Evangelicals look to Constantine as a “Christian” leader who supposedly ended Christian persecution, converted to Christianity, and protected the church, a brief review of his life reveals that he was a murderer and an imposter. The creeds Constantine established and his silencing of anyone who voiced dissent or challenged his false “Christianity” led to one of the darkest ages of Christianity—false doctrine we are still struggling to correct today.

As Jacob and Nephi were attempting to make sacred national and individual covenants with God and build a new civilization constituted on the law of God—Sherem appeared with his antichrist ideologies that seemed to be religious and founded in scripture, but denied the true Christ and his doctrine. The early Nephites had to counter these incorrect teachings as did the early colonists alive during the early Latter-day Signs of the Times. These false creeds perverted their understanding of salvation, grace, and the character of God.

There are many erroneous beliefs of salvation in the world today. They would all fade away if the true Plan of our Father in Heaven were understood.



To find additional resources, visit the For Our Day website! https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-15-sherems-antichrist-parallels-with-apostate-christian-creeds/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

Jacob’s sermon to the Nephites strongly warns against the dangers of immorality, but how do we help our youth build up the good and overcome temptation? In this more informal and candid podcast, Hannah Stoddard shares personal experiences that left an impact in striving to remain chaste and better understand God’s vision for Celestial romantic relationships. 

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-14-restoring-virtue-chastity-in-a-shattered-world/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

". . . feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)

2 Nephi 31-33 contains the final testimony of Nephi—a "plain" testimony of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ! 

Did Nephi have personal revelation from not only Jesus Christ, but also God the Father? 

How can we permanently change and overcome every weakness we struggle with?

How does the Holy Ghost sanctify us?

Why is it essential to understand the Father and Son's relation to correctly understand the Plan of Salvation?

How do we endure to the end?

Discover the answers to these questions and more in this week's For Our Day lesson! This week’s podcast is borrowed from excerpts of an interview with Rod Meldrum, James Stoddard, and Hannah Stoddard on the doctrine and principles contained in 2 Nephi 31-33. 

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-12-testifying-rejoicing-in-jesus-christ-he-is-the-way/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

Who are Christ's enemies in the last days? And what is Nephi's bulletproof strategy to defeat them?

Both the Lord and Lucifer clearly understand that the War in Heaven continues here on earth as an intense war of words and ideas. Counterfeits form a mirage that appears so near to the truth that no one comes away untainted

Thankfully for us, Nephi and Mormon, through revelation, understood these illusory and erroneous ideas. Thus the Book of Mormon exposes these deceptive modern voices. 

But not surprisingly, the Book of Mormon's integrity, reliability, and authenticity are increasingly under attack—even by members of the Church.

How do we navigate the confusion? Learn more in this week's podcast (2 Nephi 26-30)!

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-11-exposing-christs-enemies-nephis-solution-to-the-darkness/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

Isaiah's prophecies in 2 Nephi this week utilize a common theme in Biblical prophecy: the coming of a Latter-day Moses to rescue Israel. According to 3 Nephi, Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies. However, did you know Joseph Smith was given specific priesthood and patriarchal blessings commissioning him to act as a Latter-day Moses in our day? How can this be?

Learn more about Jesus Christ's mission to save Israel and fascinating forgotten records from our Church history in this week's podcast!

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-10-latter-day-moses-freeing-enslaved-israel-in-modern-egypt/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

Isaiah boldly records strong and direct warnings to Latter-day Israel as a loving voice of chastisement and correction. This week, we will walk through specific reprimands Isaiah gives us in our day—particularly cautions on secularism, pride, witchcraft, and the destruction of fatherhood—paralleled with similar admonitions in the Book of Mormon and the words of modern prophets.

Understanding how we have moved off track will allow us to make needed changes in our day—providing hope and solutions during some of the darkest times in this earth's history.

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-9-isaiahs-warning-for-latter-day-saints-hard-truth-answers/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

Nephi continues quoting Isaiah, reminding us that Isaiah should cause us to rejoice as his words provide answers, clarity, and direction in our confused age!

Isaiah begins prophesying of a refuge of safety for Israel, built in the "tops of the mountains." Where did the Lord intend for this refuge to be built? Learn more about the fascinating (and often forgotten) history of Deseret in this week's podcast!

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-9-isaiahs-warning-for-latter-day-saints-hard-truth-answers/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

After Lehi’s death, two of his sons Nephi and Jacob led the charge among their people to set up a new civilization. 

If you had a fresh start, how would you build a new country?

The Book of Mormon provides a perfect blueprint and instruction manual to establish a successful and prosperous culture, government, and country. Our modern society is decaying. The Book of Mormon provides the answers to rebuild!

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/lesson-8-jacobs-formula-for-rebuilding-civilization/

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Host: L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

To watch the full, unabridged podcast, click here!

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V5pbIBRaBc

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA1RfTzcdTc

For a complete compilation of testimonies from latter-day prophets regarding Joseph Smith's position and greatness, see this Latter-day Answers article: https://ldsanswers.org/latter-day-prophets-testify-prophet-joseph-smiths-greatness/

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-7-joseph-smith-josephite-seer-voice-of-the-lord/

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This week’s reading contains one of the most beautiful prophecies of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as delivered by Lehi to his own son Joseph. 2 Nephi 3 comprises one of the few surviving words of Joseph of Egypt that we have available to us at this present time. This prophecy focuses on the importance of Joseph Smith’s mission to reveal the word of God, to give us pure scripture that would confound false doctrine, establish peace, and bring about Zion. We hope you will enjoy this conversation and leave inspired with a greater testimony and appreciation for Joseph Smith.

Podcast Participants: Rod Meldrum and L. Hannah Stoddard https://josephsmithfoundation.org/l-hannah-stoddard/

For additional resources, lesson activity ideas, and more, see the lesson plan on the For Our Day website here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/for-our-day-lesson-6-overcoming-the-fall-covenant-making-by-righteous-fathers-and-mothers/

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Both Lehi and the Reformers/Pilgrims/Early Colonists were born in a bleak world of darkness, oppression, and suffering. Like all of us, they had to plead with God to find Jesus Christ, the rod of iron, and His path back to the Tree of Life.

Lehi redeemed his family from darkness by restoring and teaching covenants of redemption to his children. (2 Nephi 1-2) Similarly, early Christian colonists were born into a world of apostasy and darkness but taught their children the understanding of covenants they obtained from the Bible. They laid the foundation for the fullness of the Gospel, including sacred ordinances that would eventually be restored through Joseph Smith.