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

September 21-27

If you were to do a survey to determine the most influential talk or sermon in history, surely the results would point to the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.  Here are contained the eternal “beatitudes;” here is contained the Lord’s Prayer spoken each week by untold millions of Christ’s followers throughout the world; here we have “the golden rule.”  The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most densely packed three chapters in all of holy writ.  As an added bonus, when the Lord visited His other sheep in the ancient Americas, one of the first things He did was gave the same Sermon on the Mount text with some additional insights.  When the Lord purposely repeats something, I think He really wants our attention!

September 14-20

How can you not be just thrilled with this week’s readings?  The entire Book of Mormon has been centered on one Person—Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer—and His coming to the earth and the promised visit to this righteous branch of the tribe of Joseph in the Americas.  Lehi testified He would come. Nephi saw Him in vision that He would come. Jacob gave bold witness of His mission and His coming. King Benjamin, Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Himni, Helaman—and many more—they all testified that HE, the Lord Jesus Christ, would come—and in this week’s exciting readings—HE CAME!

September 7-13

I was just pondering very early this morning as I looked out the window: “What if at 4:00 in the morning on a fall day I looked out the window and it was as bright as day?  Would my heart take a leap and would I think: What is going on?!”  It was pitch dark when I peered out my window and yet, we have record of an event in this week’s reading, where untold thousands of people could not help but see this incredible, unforgettable sign of a day, a night and a day wherein there was no darkness.  The righteous rejoiced and the wicked were struck with fear.  We’re going to look at a lot of contrasts together in this week’s lesson.

August 31-September 6

In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites always think of themselves as the good guys. In a movie, they’d ride in wearing the white hat or the gold star, signifying their goodness. Yet, the Book of Mormon demonstrates that often the Nephites are relentlessly blind to their own wickedness and it is the Lamanites who are the most faithful and true. Enter the scene into the wicked Nephite city of Zarahemla: Samuel the Lamanite. The point is clear.

August 24-30

As Helaman chapter 7 opens, we see a prophet pleading with God for his people in great agony and heaviness of Spirit. The Gadianton robbers had usurped legitimate authority and taken over much of the government, the people have become corrupted and Nephi is deeply grieved for the wickedness which abounds. In a video for General Conference a little girl asked President Russell M. Nelson, “Is it hard to be a prophet? Are you, like, really busy?” He said, “Of course it’s hard.”

August 17-23

In Helaman chapters 1-6, the Lamanites become the righteous and the Nephites the wicked. How does this switch come about? And the new enemy are the Gadianton robbers, who capture the allegiance of many of the Nephites. Things happen fast in the Book of Mormon, a roller coaster of righteousness and wickedness. I used to think it was hard to imagine such reversals and drama in such a short period of time, until we all entered these tumultuous times in our own nation.

August 10-16

The ten chapters that we look at today are about both the low and high points of the Nephite nation. This is a time of continual war, brought on in large part by the “contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity of the people of Nephi” (Alma 62:40) At the same time, just as the light shines more clearly in a darkened world, we see the power of goodness in Helaman’s 2060 stripling warriors. The image of these young men carrying the banner of freedom and faith with such unflinching goodness is one that shines right into our hearts today.

August 3-9

You may get to the so-called war chapters in the Book of Mormon and wonder why Mormon bothered to include so many of them. Yet, he was a prophet who’d seen our day and if ever there were chapters as fresh and relevant as today’s news headlines, here they are. They are filled with the best heroes, like Moroni, who hoist the title of liberty, the darkest villains, like Amalickiah who prosper by deceit and betrayal, and underscoring it all is an existential question: what is the price of freedom?

July 27-August 2

With only 239 chapters in the Book of Mormon and only 531 pages, would you take four of those chapters and 8 pages just to talk about one wayward missionary’s story who committed a grievous sexual sin?  Why would the Prophet Mormon think it was so important to include this story for our day?  Let’s explore this together.

July 20-26

We see many conversations in the Book of Mormon where fathers teach their sons and their impact changes not only their son’s life, but the generations that follow. The lessons are profound. The impact overwhelming. If there was ever scripture that calls out for fathers to step into their parenting role with power, the Book of Mormon is it.