Scripture Study: The Book of Mormon and Beyond

In this episode, we read through Ether 13 together, pausing at each verse to reflect on what it teaches us. This chapter paints a powerful picture of both prophecy and loss—the promise of a New Jerusalem and the heartbreaking continuation of the Jaredite destruction. As we move through the verses, we’ll see how the Lord’s eternal promises shine even in the darkest times, and how faith and hope can survive when everything else is crumbling. Together, we’ll explore what these lessons mean for us today and how they remind us that God’s work of restoration is never finished.

Ether 12 is one of the most powerful chapters in the Book of Mormon, filled with Moroni’s teachings on faith. As we go verse by verse, we see stories of men and women who trusted God against impossible odds, and we hear Moroni’s own wrestle with weakness and the Lord’s answer that His grace is sufficient. This chapter invites us to look honestly at our struggles and see them not as failures, but as opportunities for God’s power to shine. Walking through Ether 12 is both humbling and inspiring—it reminds us that faith truly can move mountains, and that weakness can become strength through Christ.

Ether 11 shows us a nation in constant turmoil—brief moments of righteousness followed by long stretches of wickedness and war. As we go verse by verse, we see the Jaredites slipping further into chaos, ignoring prophets, and repeating the same destructive cycles. It’s a sobering reminder of what happens when people harden their hearts, but it also points us to God’s patience and His desire to call His children back, again and again.

At first glance, Ether 10 might not seem like there’s a lot happening—we’re just reading about one king after another. But as we go verse by verse, we start to see the bigger picture of what kind of people the Jaredites really were. They were an advanced civilization, full of progress and prosperity, yet also weighed down by pride, corruption, and downfall. It’s sobering to walk through their ups and downs, and it makes us pause to think about what we can learn from their story—and how their choices echo in our own lives today.

In this verse-by-verse walk through Ether 9, we see the familiar cycle play out again: pride leads to downfall, humility opens the door to deliverance, and prophets cry repentance amid political chaos. This chapter is packed with lessons—about leadership, personal righteousness, and what happens when people reject the word of God. We talk about the role of prophets, the rise and fall of kings, and how sometimes the Lord uses unlikely people to accomplish His purposes. It’s a messy chapter full of warnings, but also hope. Join me as we unpack it together, one verse at a time.

In today’s episode, we take a slow, thoughtful walk through Ether chapter 8, reading it verse by verse and pausing to reflect on its powerful warnings and themes.

This chapter contains some of the strongest language in the Book of Mormon about secret combinations, the pursuit of power, and the destruction that follows when a people forget God. As we move through each verse, we’ll explore:

• The rise of secret oaths and societies in ancient times

• How these patterns mirror what we see in the world today

• What it means to “awake to a sense of your awful situation”

• And how faith, discernment, and courage protect us in a fallen world

This is not just history — it’s prophecy, instruction, and a call to action for our day.

Open your scriptures and follow along as we dive into one of the most sobering yet essential chapters in the Book of Mormon

In this episode, we read through Ether 7 together, pausing along the way to reflect on the stories, themes, and spiritual insights found in each verse. This chapter highlights the rise of secret combinations, pride, and cycles of righteousness and rebellion—and offers plenty to think about in our own time.

Whether you’re studying the Book of Mormon for the first time or just want a thoughtful companion as you read, this episode offers a simple, reflective walk through the scriptures—one verse at a time.

We discuss a bit about the book of Mormon itself, the incredibly difficult journey of the Jaredites in closed vessels across the ocean for almost an entire year, and their desire for a king. Oh the foolishness of men- Helaman 12.

In this episode we discuss Ether 4. There's a lot about faith, the coming of the sealed portion, the book of Revelation and how to determine what is truth. We also discuss Matthew 23 because I had recently read it to my boys and there were some things to think about in there too that related!

We talk about the Brother of Jared getting instructions on building the barges to come to the promised land. He sees the Lord and is given a vision of the the whole world from beginning to end and information about the Promised Land.