Meridian Magazine--Come Follow Me Latter-day Saint Podcast

August 29-September 4

We used to pass around Chinese proverbs like, "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step." My parents used to say that when I was faced with a semester paper I had to write and I was feeling overwhelmed. Here's another one: "He who asks is a fool for five minutes but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." And of course one of my favorites is this, "Man who waits for roast duck to fly into his mouth must wait a very, very long time." These are fun and can be very meaningful, but this week we study the Proverbs of Solomon and we have much to learn.

August 22-28

We know that faith is a power stronger than electricity or lightning or the flooding of many waters. It is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things. So, of course we seek how to develop it in ourselves. In Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith teaches us: “Three things are necessary for any rational and intelligent being to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.

“First, the idea that he actually exists:

“Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes;

“And thirdly, an actual knowledge that the course of life which one is pursuing is according to His will.”

August 15-21

There is nothing so joyful as seeing the Saints gather to see the beautiful Houses of the Lord dedicated and made available for the work of the dead and the living. No matter where we are or what language is spoken, the unifying feeling comes from the music that is sung both outside and inside the temple and the Spirit that follows. Well, in order to understand more clearly our study of the Psalms, you have to realize the Psalms were mostly sung, and most of the time at the Temple in ancient times!

August 8-14

Today we begin study of the largest book in the Old Testament. Surprisingly, it is Psalms with 97 pages of moving poetry that particularly explores our inner journey in seeking to find God. These are prayers, prophecy, wisdom, exultations, laments and pleadings for relief. It is a very ancient book where we can find immense comfort today.

August 1-7

When we lead our tours to the Holy Land, we will inevitably pull out some humor from the Biblical sources, attempting to create memories of laughter in remote parts of the tour. Our Bible jokes are many and varied and of a quality that only a dad could appreciate. “Who is the great tennis player of the Bible? Of course, everyone knows it’s Joseph, because he served in Pharoah’s courts! And who was the great comedian of the Bible? It was Sampson. He brought the house down! And what kind of man was Boaz before he got married? Ruthless! … I’m waiting for all of you to finish laughing. And then we pull out the most obvious one: Who was the greatest doctor of the Bible? Some contend it was Job, because he had a lot of ‘patience.’ But most would agree it’s Moses because he delivered all the children of Israel! All humor aside, we know that the greatest physician in the Bible is the Savior Himself—the one who can heal each of us. This week we will see some of the ways that Job reminds us of Jesus and leads us to Him.

July 25-31

As a scholar said, “Once it happened that the crafty was taken in his own trap, the falsely condemned were saved, and the worthy were rewarded. It is not always so.” Perhaps [the] story [in Esther which we study today] has endured because it has given the comfort of hope to other oppressed people” [and demonstrates God in the details of our lives.] Although God is not expressly mentioned in the book of Esther, there appears to be evidence in it of the God whom Job describes, who can "set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety. (Job 5:11-12).Ellis Rasmussen, Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament.

July 18-24

I’ve tried to contemplate the feelings of our ancient brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, who, after 371 years of having a glorious temple, watched as the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his forces, and those who survived the destructions were taken captive to Babylon. The temple was the holiest place for them, a place where they drew near unto God, a place where they offered sacrifices and renewed their covenants and commitments to Jehovah. How their hearts were broken, their hopes dashed in an instant.

July 11-17

Some events from the past are tipping points, that is, if they had had a different outcome than they did, our world would be utterly and completely different, maybe unrecognizable to us. The events in the scriptures we talk about today are one of those key tipping points in history where the entire future of the world hung in the balance. We’ll talk about that earth-shaking, ancient tipping point in the world’s history today.

July 4-10

Join us with McKay Christensen who has served as Managing Director of External Relations at BYU and management strategy instructor at the BYU Marriott School of Business as we explore the mantle being passed from Elijah to Elisha. What do we mean by a mantle in the Church? Are mantles for more than prophets and missionaries? 

June 27-July 3

Join us with guest Patrick Degn who has been an instructor in the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion for more than 25 years. In this episode we will explore the story of King Ahab and Jezebel and the abrupt introduction of the man who tried to counteract their influence: Elijah.