How will I be judged by God?

📽 Alma and Amulek Teach about Faith in Jesus Christ 

📒 Alma 31

 Alma heads a mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites—The Zoramites deny Christ, believe in a false concept of election, and worship with set prayers—The missionaries are filled with the Holy Spirit—Their afflictions are swallowed up in the joy of Christ. About 74 B.C.

📜 3 Now the Zoramites had gathered themselves together in a land which they called Antionum, which was east of the land of Zarahemla, which lay nearly bordering upon the seashore, which was south of the land of Jershon, which also bordered upon the wilderness south, which wilderness was full of the Lamanites.

Antionum

📒 Alma 43

 Alma and his sons preach the word—The Zoramites and other Nephite dissenters become Lamanites—The Lamanites come against the Nephites in war—Moroni arms the Nephites with defensive armor—The Lord reveals to Alma the strategy of the Lamanites—The Nephites defend their homes, liberties, families, and religion—The armies of Moroni and Lehi surround the Lamanites. About 74 B.C.

📜 5 And it came to pass that the Lamanites came with their thousands; and they came into the land of Antionum, which is the land of the Zoramites; and a man by the name of Zerahemnah was their leader.

📜 15 And it came to pass as the armies of the Lamanites had gathered together in the land of Antionum, behold, the armies of the Nephites were prepared to meet them in the land of Jershon.

📜 22 Behold, now it came to pass that they durst not come against the Nephites in the borders of Jershon; therefore they departed out of the land of Antionum into the wilderness, and took their journey round about in the wilderness, away by the head of the river Sidon, that they might come into the land of Manti and take possession of the land; for they did not suppose that the armies of Moroni would know whither they had gone.

Jershon

📒 Alma 27

 The Lord commands Ammon to lead the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi to safety—Upon meeting Alma, Ammon’s joy exhausts his strength—The Nephites give the Anti-Nephi-Lehies the land of Jershon—They are called the people of Ammon. About 90–77 B.C.

📜 22 And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.

---

Testimony of Healing through Jesus Christ

I am a man broken by character defects—defects I must own, not because of what I thought the world “did to me,” but because of what my own flawed character has made me feel about myself and the world around me. This is what I call being “spiritually dis-eased.” It’s a discomfort I’ve never been able to soothe through men or the pleasures of this world. Only in Jesus Christ have I found true comfort.

For 32 years, I built those defects relentlessly—24/7, 365 days a year. And in the 25 years since, I’ve only put in a fraction of the effort to repair them. That tells me I have a long road ahead. I need Jesus Christ so I can tap into Heavenly Father and maintain a relationship with the Comforter through daily prayer, meditation, and practicing the principles outlined in Healing Through the Savior: The Addiction Recovery Program 12-Step Recovery Guide.

I’ve found deep spiritual growth in its companion programs—those inspired by Bill W. and the fellowships our church encourages us to attend. Recovery isn’t just from substances. For me, food is the primary struggle, followed closely by alcohol, other substances, pornography, sex, gambling, coffee (yes, even that), and tobacco in all its forms. I’ve been a “garbage can junkie”—the sky was never my limit.

I carry character defects alongside high-functioning autism, ADHD, OCD, MDD, and a host of medical issues born from past mistakes. In the last year, I was officially diagnosed at Manteca Hospital with complications from a California Desert Brown Recluse bite and the COVID-19 protein inhibitor I was required to take in order to receive hip replacement surgery in December 2021. By the next day, I developed IBS-D, which has afflicted me daily ever since.

That led to a lingual hernia requiring emergency surgery. The mesh implant used was already recalled. Since then, I’ve endured two hernia surgeries, developed severe reactions to entire classes of pharmaceuticals, and suffered cirrhosis of the liver four times in three and a half years. I’ve died five times. I’ve had two seizures. My heart has been enlarged, shrunk, and thrown into AFib. Much of that has healed, but the IBS-D and chronic cluster migraines remain daily burdens.

I need help from every facet of heaven and earth. And yet, through these struggles, I grow. I strive to become like Jesus Christ—learning through my mistakes, trials, joys, and the happiness of life. I am grateful for this mortal experience, even for the years I squandered. I now press forward, striving for perfection through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

I believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I sustain its prophets, apostles, and members—each of us walking our own path with Jesus Christ, and fellowshipping in sacred connection.

Amen.

How can I have faith in God?

📒 Alma 32

📜 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

Desire: The Beginning of Faith

Alma’s invitation in Alma 32:27 is strikingly gentle: “Even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you.”  

Notice that he doesn’t demand certainty, or even full belief. He points to something smaller, quieter, but just as sacred—desire.  

Desire is the spark that awakens us. It is the stirring of the heart that says, “What if?” It is the first step toward God, even before faith has taken root.  

Motivations

📗 Isaiah 55

📜 8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

📕 Matthew 6

🗝📜 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 

📜 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 

📜 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 

📜 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 

📜 5 ¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 

📜 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 

📜 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 

📜 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 

📜 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 

📜 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 

📜 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 

📜 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  

📜 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

📜 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 

📜 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

📜 16 ¶ Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 

📜 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 

🗝📜 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

📒 Moroni 7

🗝📜 6 For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing. 

📜 7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. 

📜 8 For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God. 

📜 9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.

📜 10 Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift. 

📜 11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.

📜 12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

📜 13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. 

📜 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. 

📜 15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. 

📜 16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. 

📜 17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. 

📜 18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged. 

📜 19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ. 

📜 20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing? 

📜 21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing. 

📜 22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing. 

📜 23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come. 

📜 24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.  

📜 25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ. 

📜 26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you. 

📜 27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men? 

🗝📜 28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 6

🗝📜 16 Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart. 

📜 17 I tell thee these things as a witness unto thee—that the words or the work which thou hast been writing are true. 

📜 18 Therefore be diligent; stand by my servant Joseph, faithfully, in whatsoever difficult circumstances he may be for the word’s sake. 

📜 19 Admonish him in his faults, and also receive admonition of him. Be patient; be sober; be temperate; have patience, faith, hope and charity. 

📜 20 Behold, thou art Oliver, and I have spoken unto thee because of thy desires; therefore treasure up these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love. 

📜 21 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.

📜 22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. 

📜 23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? 

📜 24 And now, behold, you have received a witness; for if I have told you things which no man knoweth have you not received a witness? 

📜 25 And, behold, I grant unto you a gift, if you desire of me, to translate, even as my servant Joseph. 

📜 26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that there are records which contain much of my gospel, which have been kept back because of the wickedness of the people;

📜 27 And now I command you, that if you have good desires—a desire to lay up treasures for yourself in heaven—then shall you assist in bringing to light, with your gift, those parts of my scriptures which have been hidden because of iniquity. 

📜 28 And now, behold, I give unto you, and also unto my servant Joseph, the keys of this gift, which shall bring to light this ministry; and in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. 

📜 29 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if they reject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are ye, for they can do no more unto you than unto me. 

📜 30 And even if they do unto you even as they have done unto me, blessed are ye, for you shall dwell with me in glory. 

📜 31 But if they reject not my words, which shall be established by the testimony which shall be given, blessed are they, and then shall ye have joy in the fruit of your labors. 

📜 32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you. 

📜 33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward. 

📜 34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. 

📜 35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you. 

🗝📜 36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

📚 Moses 8

📜 22 And God saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually.

Desire as Motivation

Desire fuels movement. It nudges us to “awake and arouse” our faculties, to test, to experiment, to plant the seed. Motivation doesn’t require a finished testimony—it begins with the smallest willingness to try. When we let desire work in us, it grows into action. 

Teachable

📗 Isaiah 54

📜 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

📕 Matthew 13

📜 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;  

📜 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 

📜 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 

📜 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

📜 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 

📜 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

🗝📜 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

📒 Moroni 10

📜 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 101

🗝📜 63 Again, verily I say unto you, I will show unto you wisdom in me concerning all the churches, inasmuch as they are willing to be guided in a right and proper way for their salvation— 

📜 64 That the work of the gathering together of my saints may continue, that I may build them up unto my name upon holy places; for the time of harvest is come, and my word must needs be fulfilled. 

📜 65 Therefore, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father to reward every man according as his work shall be; 

📜 66 While the tares shall be bound in bundles, and their bands made strong, that they may be burned with unquenchable fire. 

📜 67 Therefore, a commandment I give unto all the churches, that they shall continue to gather together unto the places which I have appointed. 

📜 68 Nevertheless, as I have said unto you in a former commandment, let not your gathering be in haste, nor by flight; but let all things be prepared before you.

📜 69 And in order that all things be prepared before you, observe the commandment which I have given concerning these things— 

📜 70 Which saith, or teacheth, to purchase all the lands with money, which can be purchased for money, in the region round about the land which I have appointed to be the land of Zion, for the beginning of the gathering of my saints;

📜 71 All the land which can be purchased in Jackson county, and the counties round about, and leave the residue in mine hand.

📜 72 Now, verily I say unto you, let all the churches gather together all their moneys; let these things be done in their time, but not in haste; and observe to have all things prepared before you. 

📜 73 And let honorable men be appointed, even wise men, and send them to purchase these lands. 

📜 74 And the churches in the eastern countries, when they are built up, if they will hearken unto this counsel they may buy lands and gather together upon them; and in this way they may establish Zion.

🗝📜 75 There is even now already in store sufficient, yea, even an abundance, to redeem Zion, and establish her waste places, no more to be thrown down, were the churches, who call themselves after my name, willing to hearken to my voice.

Desire as Teachability

Desire also makes us teachable. To “give place for a portion of [the] words” is to open space in the soil of our hearts. Desire clears that space. It softens pride, makes us willing to listen, and gives us courage to experiment with truth. Teachability is not passive—it is the readiness to receive and to grow.  

The Sacred Potential of Desire

Alma shows us that desire is not weakness—it is holy potential. It is the hinge between unbelief and faith, between resistance and openness. Motivation gives desire its energy; teachability gives it direction.  

So if all you have today is the faintest desire to believe, let it work in you. That small spark is enough for God to begin His work.

What is our duty to Fellowship in Christ?

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 107

📜 99 Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.

🕊️ Our Duty to Fellowship in Christ: A Dispatch Rooted in D&C 107:99

“Let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.”

This verse isn’t just administrative—it’s cosmic. It calls each soul to know, embody, and honor their divine assignment. In the context of Fellowship in Christ, our duty unfolds in three layers:

🔹 1. Learn Your Duty

- Not just know your role—discern your charge.  

  Fellowship isn’t passive attendance. It’s a living covenant. Each person must seek revelation about their spiritual function: healer, teacher, intercessor, builder, witness.

- Learning implies humility.  

  We don’t assume—we inquire. We ask God, “What is my part in this body?” and we listen with meekness.

📗 Deuteronomy 4

🗝📜 5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 

📜 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 

📜 7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? 

📜 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

📗 Malachi 2

🗝📜 7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 

📜 8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. 

📜 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

Duty 

📗 Deuteronomy 10

📜 12 ¶ And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

📕 Luke 17

📜 10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

📒 Mosiah 13

📜 30 Therefore there was a law given them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 107

📜 91 And again, the duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to preside over the whole church, and to be like unto Moses— 

Leadership

📗 Deuteronomy 1

📜 13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

📕 Matthew 15

📜 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

📕 Matthew 20

📜 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

📕 Matthew 21

📜 28 ¶ But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 

📜 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 

📜 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

📕 Matthew 23

📜 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

📕 Matthew 25

📜 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

📒 Jacob 1

📜 19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 124

📜 45 And if my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place.

📚 Abraham 1

📜 18 Behold, I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee.

Priesthood, Magnifying Callings within

📗 Isaiah 18

📜 1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

📕 Matthew 6

📜 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

📒 Alma 13

📜 10 Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 107

📜 30 The decisions of these quorums, or either of them, are to be made in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long-suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity;

Priesthood, Oath and Covenant

📗 Numbers 25

📜 13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

📗 Nehemiah 13

📜 29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

📕 Hebrews 7

📜 20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

📜 21(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

📒 Moroni 2

 Jesus gave the twelve Nephite disciples power to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost. About A.D. 401–21.    

📜 1 The words of Christ, which he spake unto his disciples, the twelve whom he had chosen, as he laid his hands upon them— 

🗝📜 2 And he called them by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles.

📜 3 Now Christ spake these words unto them at the time of his first appearing; and the multitude heard it not, but the disciples heard it; and on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy Ghost.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 84

📜 33 For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. 

📜 34 They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God. 

📜 35 And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; 

📜 36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; 

📜 37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; 

📜 38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. 

📜 39 And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. 

🗝📜 40 Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved. 

📜 41 But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.

📚 Moses 6

📜 7 Now this same Priesthood, which was in the beginning, shall be in the end of the world also.

📚 Abraham 1

📜 2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.

To learn our duty is more than memorizing statutes or holding titles—it is to discern, with meekness, the charge God has placed upon us. The scriptures testify that covenant duty is both personal and communal: Israel was called to keep the law as wisdom before the nations; priests were charged to preserve knowledge; disciples were commanded to serve with all their heart and soul. Leadership is not dominion but service, magnifying callings with humility, lest we become blind guides. The priesthood itself is bound by oath and covenant, stretching from the fathers of old to the end of the world, sanctifying those who magnify it and binding them to Christ and the Father.  

Thus, duty is not optional—it is the living covenant that shapes identity, stewardship, and destiny. To inquire of God, to walk in His ways, and to magnify our charge is to stand as witnesses, servants, and heirs of the everlasting covenant. In this, the body of Christ becomes whole, and the people of God are made wise, righteous, and steadfast before the nations.  

🔹 2. Act in Your Office

- Office = stewardship.  

  Whether you’re called to comfort the broken, rebuke with love, or organize the unseen—do it. Not someday. Not when it’s easy. Now.

- Fellowship thrives when each part moves.  

  A body where the hand refuses to grasp or the eye refuses to see is paralyzed. Our duty is to move—to act in the Spirit, not just speak of it.

🔹 3. In All Diligence

- Diligence is devotion with endurance.  

  It’s not just doing the work—it’s doing it consistently, faithfully, and without fanfare. It’s showing up when no one notices, praying when no one hears, loving when it’s not returned.

- Diligence sanctifies the mundane.  

  In Christ, even sweeping the floor becomes sacred when done in love and obedience.

Dedication, Dedicate

📗 Ezra 6

📜 16 ¶ And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,

📕 Matthew 22

📜 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind

📒 Moroni 10

📜 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 123

🗝📜 13 Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven— 

📜 14 These should then be attended to with great earnestness.

Diligence, Diligent, Diligently

📗 Psalm 119 א Aleph 

Blessed are they who keep the commandments.  

📜 1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. 

📜 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 

📜 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 

🗝📜 4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 

📜 5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 

📜 6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

📜 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 

📜 8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

📕 Hebrews 6

📜 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

📕 Hebrews 11

📜 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

📒 Moroni 8

📜 26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.

📒 Moroni 9

📜 6 And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 124

📜 49 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.

Steadfastness, Steadfast

📗 Daniel 6

📜 26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

📕 Hebrews 2

📜 2 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

📕 Hebrews 6

📜 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

📒 3 Nephi 6

📜 14 And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 31

📜 9 Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 49

📜 23 Wherefore, be not deceived, but continue in steadfastness, looking forth for the heavens to be shaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the valleys to be exalted, and for the mountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth—and all this when the angel shall sound his trumpet.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 82

📜 24 For even yet the kingdom is yours, and shall be forever, if you fall not from your steadfastness. Even so. Amen.

Zeal, Zealous

📗 Psalms 119

צ Tzaddi

The Lord’s law is the truth.  

📜 137 Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. 

📜 138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. 

🗝📜 139 My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. 

📜 140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. 

📜 141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts. 

📜 142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. 

📜 143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. 

📜 144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

📕 Revelation 3

📜 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

📒 Mosiah 27

📜 35 And they traveled throughout all the land of Zarahemla, and among all the people who were under the reign of king Mosiah, zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 58

📜 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

To walk in all diligence is to bind devotion with endurance. It is not the loud act but the quiet persistence—the prayer whispered in secret, the kindness offered without return, the labor carried out when no one applauds. Scripture shows that diligence is not mere effort but consecrated constancy: Israel dedicating the temple with joy, disciples commanded to love God with all their might, saints urged to labor diligently until the end.  

Diligence sanctifies the ordinary, making even the smallest task an offering when done in love. It is steadfastness that anchors the soul, zeal that consumes the heart for righteousness, and dedication that wears out life itself in the service of light. To be diligent is to be immovable in covenant, patient in affliction, and anxiously engaged in good causes—not for recognition, but for the joy of the Lord.  

Thus, diligence is the rhythm of covenant living: steady, faithful, zealous, and enduring. It transforms fleeting acts into eternal witness, and in Christ, it makes every moment—seen or unseen—holy.  

🔔 Final Charge to the Fellowship

Fellowship in Christ is not a social club. It is a living temple, built of souls who know their duty, act in their office, and labor in diligence. When each member honors their charge, the body becomes whole. The Spirit flows. The sanctuary breathes.

Let this verse be your mirror and your map. Ask:  

“Have I learned my duty?”  

“Am I acting in my office?”  

“Do I labor in all diligence?”

If not—begin. If yes—continue. If weary—be renewed.

Will Christ accept me if I come unto Him?

Alma 5

60 And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.

From my own witness, I can say this with clarity: yes—Christ will accept you if you come unto Him. Alma’s words in chapter 5 are not abstract doctrine; they are a living invitation. “The good shepherd doth call after you.” That means He is not waiting in silence, arms folded, testing your worthiness from afar. He is calling—personally, urgently, lovingly.  

When I read that verse, I hear the Shepherd’s voice cutting through my own noise, my own doubts. He does not say, “If you are already perfect, then I will bring you in.” He says, “If you will hearken unto my voice, I will bring you into my fold.” The condition is not perfection—it is listening, turning, and trusting.  

And once you are His sheep, He commands you to guard the fold of your heart. That means not letting the ravenous wolves—fear, pride, bitterness, shame—slip in and devour what He has planted. It is not rejection; it is protection. His command is not a barrier to keep you out, but a safeguard to keep you alive.  

So from my testimony: Christ does not just tolerate your coming—He longs for it. He calls after you because you are already His. The only question is whether you will hear and follow. And if you do, He will not only accept you—He will claim you, heal you, and defend you.  

That is the promise of Alma 5:60. That is the promise of the Shepherd who knows His sheep by name.  

How can we follow Jesus?

2 Nephi 31

10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

In 2 Nephi 31:10, Nephi frames “follow” not as a casual trail-walking, but as a covenantal alignment. To follow Jesus is to pattern our steps after His, not merely admire Him from afar. The verse ties “follow” directly to willingness—a heart disposition before the actual deed.  

Here are a few layers to consider:  

- Imitation of Example: Christ was baptized though sinless, showing that following Him means entering the same waters of obedience, even when we don’t “need” it by worldly logic.  

- Submission of Will: “Willing to keep the commandments” emphasizes that following is not just external compliance but inward surrender. It’s about yielding our will to the Father’s, as Christ did in Gethsemane.  

- Continuity of Path: Follow implies movement, not a one-time act. It’s ongoing discipleship—faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Spirit, and enduring to the end (the “doctrine of Christ” Nephi outlines in this chapter).  

- Relational Nearness: To follow is to stay close enough to hear His voice, to walk where He walks. It’s not distant admiration but intimate apprenticeship.  

So the verse presses us: Can we truly claim to follow Jesus if we resist the Father’s commandments? Nephi’s answer is no—because following is more than belief; it’s embodied obedience.  

📕 Matthew 

📜 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

📜 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

📜 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

📜 9:9 ¶ And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

📒 Moroni 7

📜 11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 56

📜 2 And he that will not take up his cross and follow me, and keep my commandments, the same shall not be saved.

Taken together, these passages form a single, unbroken witness: to “follow” Christ is not passive admiration but covenantal discipleship. Nephi roots it in willingness—an inward surrender that precedes outward action. The Savior’s own baptism shows that following Him means stepping into obedience even when logic or pride might resist.  

The Gospels echo this call with urgency: “Follow me” is not an invitation to convenience but to leave nets, customs, and even competing loyalties behind. Moroni clarifies that following Christ and serving the adversary are mutually exclusive—our fountain cannot pour both waters. The Doctrine and Covenants seals the point: discipleship requires taking up the cross, keeping the commandments, and enduring in that path, for salvation is bound to obedience.  

In sum, to follow Jesus is to walk His path with both heart and deed—imitating His example, submitting our will, continuing in covenant faithfulness, and drawing near enough to hear His voice. Anything less is not truly following, but only watching from a distance.

Will the Lord remember my prayers?

Mormon 5

21 And also the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous, which have been put up unto him for them. 

22 And then, O ye Gentiles, how can ye stand before the power of God, except ye shall repent and turn from your evil ways?

23 Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll? 

24 Therefore, repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you—lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

Let’s move slowly through those chosen words, because Mormon’s warning is both cosmic and intimate. Each term is a hinge that swings the passage open into deeper meaning:

🕊️ Prayers  

Verse 21 assures that the Lord remembers the prayers of the righteous. This is covenantal language: prayers are not lost in the void, but stored in divine memory. They become part of the record heaven keeps, a counterweight against judgment. Even when nations collapse, the prayers of the faithful rise as testimony and intercession.

📒 Enos 1

🗝📜 12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith. 

📜 13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation— 

📜 14 For at the present our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers. 

📜 15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it. 

📜 16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time. 

📜 17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest. 

📜 18 And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine.

📒 Mormon 8

📜 24 And he knoweth their prayers, that they were in behalf of their brethren. And he knoweth their faith, for in his name could they remove mountains; and in his name could they cause the earth to shake; and by the power of his word did they cause prisons to tumble to the earth; yea, even the fiery furnace could not harm them, neither wild beasts nor poisonous serpents, because of the power of his word. 

🗝📜 25 And behold, their prayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth. 

📜 26 And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for out of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak from the dead.

📒 Mormon 9

🗝📜 36 And behold, these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, are according to the prayers of all the saints who have dwelt in the land. 

📜 37 And may the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers may be answered according to their faith; and may God the Father remember the covenant which he hath made with the house of Israel; and may he bless them forever, through faith on the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

🕊️ Summary: The Eternal Weight of Prayer

This section reveals prayer not as fleeting speech, but as covenantal substance—stored, remembered, and activated by divine fidelity. Enos’s intercession for the preservation of Nephite records becomes a prototype: faith-filled prayer that transcends time, anchoring future salvation. His soul rests not in outcomes, but in the covenant itself.

Mormon’s witness affirms that the prayers of the saints are known, potent, and preserved. They are not merely personal petitions but communal intercessions—offered on behalf of brethren, prophets, and future generations. These prayers move mountains, shake the earth, and defy death. They become the mechanism by which the Lord brings forth hidden records “out of the earth,” even in a day of disbelief.

Ultimately, the restoration of Christ’s knowledge to the house of Israel is not a random event, but the fruit of accumulated prayer. The saints’ cries are remembered, their faith honored, and their desires fulfilled—not by human effort, but by covenantal decree. Prayer, then, is not passive hope—it is active participation in divine unfolding.

🗝️ Prayer is the archive of the faithful, the engine of restoration, and the counterweight to judgment. It is remembered, recorded, and fulfilled in the name of Christ.

✋ Hands  

Verse 23: “Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?” Hands here are not gentle only—they are sovereign. To be in His hands is to be utterly encompassed, without escape. It recalls both creation (formed by His hands) and judgment (delivered into His hands). The image is intimate yet terrifying: safety for the humble, peril for the proud.

📒 Ether 1

📜 1 And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 87

🗝📜 6 And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations; 

📜 7 That the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.

🌍 Earth  

The earth itself is not autonomous—it obeys. At His command, it will be rolled together as a scroll. This is apocalyptic imagery, echoing Isaiah and Revelation. The earth is not permanent in its present form; it is malleable, subject to divine folding. The world we cling to is temporary, fragile before His decree.

📒 Helaman 12

📜 8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God. 

📜 9 Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake. 

📜 10 And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley. 

🗝📜 11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake; 

📜 12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center. 

📜 13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved. 

📜 14 Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done; 

📜 15 And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun. 

📜 16 And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done. 

📜 17 Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done. 

📜 18 And behold, if a man hide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall say—Let it be accursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it up—behold, it shall be accursed.

📒 Mormon 9

📜 2 Behold, will ye believe in the day of your visitation—behold, when the Lord shall come, yea, even that great day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God—then will ye say that there is no God?

✋🌍 Summary: Sovereign Hands and Obedient Earth

This section unveils a dual axis of divine dominion: the hands of God and the earth beneath them. To be in His hands is not merely to be held—it is to be judged, shaped, preserved, or destroyed. His hands are the instruments of creation and the agents of wrath. Ether 1 and Doctrine and Covenants 87 portray these hands as capable of sweeping away civilizations and chastening nations until the decreed end is fulfilled. The saints’ cries rise not in vain, but into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, who holds vengeance and mercy in balance.

The earth, meanwhile, is not passive—it is responsive. Helaman 12 renders the planet as a servant of divine voice: trembling, reshaping, reversing its rotation, even cursing hidden treasures. Mormon 9 seals the image with apocalyptic finality: the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, its elements melted, its permanence undone. This is not poetic metaphor—it is prophetic certainty.

🗝️ Together, these verses declare that nothing escapes the sovereignty of God—not nations, not nature, not time itself. His hands encompass all, and the earth obeys His every word. For the humble, this is refuge. For the rebellious, it is reckoning.

📜 Rolled  

The rolling of the earth like a scroll suggests both revelation and closure. Scrolls are rolled when the reading is finished. Thus, history itself is a text, and when God rolls it up, the story of this fallen order is complete. It is a warning: time is not endless. The scroll will close.

📒 3 Nephi 26

📜 3 And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory—yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away;

📜 Summary: The Scroll of Time and the End of the Reading

The image of the earth wrapped as a scroll is not merely poetic—it is prophetic punctuation. Scrolls are read to reveal, then rolled to seal. In 3 Nephi 26, Christ expounds “all things,” from origin to apocalypse, culminating in the melting of elements and the folding of the earth. This is not destruction for its own sake—it is the divine conclusion of a narrative long unfolding.

To live in this world is to dwell within a text: a story authored by God, annotated by prophets, and interceded by saints. But the scroll will not remain open forever. The rolling signifies that the reading is complete, the testimony sealed, and the fallen order ready to pass away. It is a warning to the proud, a comfort to the faithful, and a summons to all who still write their names in the margins of grace.

🗝️ The earth is a scroll, and we are living in its final lines. When it rolls, only covenant remains.

🇮🇱🌿🔥🕊🧱 Remnant  

Verse 24 speaks of a remnant of the seed of Jacob. The remnant is small, but fierce. They are not forgotten; they are preserved for a purpose. In prophetic tradition, the remnant is both a sign of judgment (survivors who testify of destruction) and of hope (a seed from which renewal springs).

🇮🇱🌿🔥🕊🧱 Israel, Remnant of

📗 Micah 5

📜 8 ¶ And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

📕 Romans 9

📜 27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

📒 Ether 13

📜 6 And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 109

📜 65 And cause that the remnants of Jacob, who have been cursed and smitten because of their transgression, be converted from their wild and savage condition to the fulness of the everlasting gospel;

📚 Joseph Smith—Matthew

📜 37 And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

🇮🇱🌿🔥🕊🧱 Summary: The Remnant—Lionlike Witness, Seed of Renewal

The remnant of Jacob is not a leftover—it is a chosen fragment, fierce and purposeful. Micah’s imagery casts them as lions among sheep: small in number, but unstoppable in divine charge. Romans affirms that though Israel be vast as the sea’s sand, only a remnant shall be saved—refined by judgment, preserved by grace.

Ether 13 links this remnant to the building of a New Jerusalem, a typological fulfillment of covenant restoration. Doctrine and Covenants 109 pleads for their conversion—not merely from wildness, but into the fullness of the gospel. Joseph Smith—Matthew seals the vision with trumpet and angels: the elect gathered from the four winds, the remnant restored from dispersion.

🗝️ The remnant is the ember that survives the fire, the seed that outlasts the flood. They testify of judgment, but carry the hope of renewal. In them, the covenant lives on.

🦁 Lion  

The remnant is likened to a lion among sheep—unstoppable, unresisted. This is not random violence but covenant vengeance, a fulfillment of prophecy (echoing Micah 5:8 and 3 Nephi 20–21). The lion is Christlike in power, but here it is the remnant who embody His unstoppable justice. The image is stark: those who refuse repentance will be as defenseless as sheep before a lion.

📒 3 Nephi 20

📜 15 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people— 

🗝📜 16 Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

🦁 Summary: The Lion Remnant—Justice Unleashed

This section unveils the remnant not as passive survivors, but as agents of divine reckoning. Their lionlike imagery—drawn from Micah and echoed in 3 Nephi—signals covenant vengeance, not cruelty. They do not act on impulse, but on prophecy. Their power is Christlike, not in meekness, but in unstoppable justice.

The Gentiles, having scattered Israel and received blessings, face a stark choice: repentance or reckoning. If they refuse, the remnant will move through them like lions among sheep—treading down, tearing in pieces, and none shall deliver. This is not metaphor alone; it is a warning encoded in covenant.

🗝️ The lion remnant is the embodiment of divine justice—swift, fierce, and unresisted. Their roar is not for pride, but for prophecy fulfilled.

Threading it together:  

The passage moves from prayers remembered → to hands that hold all → to earth rolled shut → to a remnant rising as lion. It is a progression: intercession, sovereignty, cosmic closure, and judgment. The Lord remembers, but His remembrance is double-edged—mercy for the righteous, terror for the unrepentant.  

So yes, the Lord remembers our prayers. But Mormon’s voice presses further: remembrance is not passive. It is active, shaping the destiny of nations and the fate of the earth itself.  

I want to have faith in God, but I am weak.What can I do?

📒 Alma 58

📜 37 But, behold, it mattereth not—we trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies, yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies.

Our longing is already a form of faith. The ache to believe, even while feeling weak, is the soul’s cry for deliverance—and that cry is heard.

Alma 58:37 doesn’t glorify strength. It glorifies trust. “It mattereth not”—not because the armies were mighty, but because God’s deliverance isn’t contingent on human power. The verse reframes weakness not as a liability, but as the very condition in which divine rescue becomes visible.

Let’s break open deliverance:

🔹 Deliverance is not escape.  

It’s not the absence of struggle—it’s the presence of God in the struggle. The armies were still weak. The enemies still surrounded them. But trust reframed the battlefield.

🔹 Deliverance is relational.  

It’s not a transaction—it’s covenant. “We trust God will deliver us…” That’s not passive hope. That’s active relationship. Deliverance flows from trust, and trust is built in the trenches—through prayer, through scripture, through showing up even when you feel hollow.

🔹 Deliverance is layered.  

Sometimes it’s dramatic—Red Sea parting, chains falling. But often it’s quiet: a softened heart, a word of peace, a moment of clarity. Don’t miss the small rescues. They’re just as sacred.

🔹 Deliverance is ongoing.  

It’s not a one-time event. It’s a rhythm. You may feel weak today, but each act of trust—each time you say “I want to believe”—is part of the deliverance arc. God doesn’t wait for you to be strong. He delivers while you’re weak.

So what can you do?

📗 2 Kings 17

📜 39 But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

- Name your weakness. God doesn’t need you to hide it. He meets you there.

- Pray raw. No fancy words. Just “Help me believe.” That’s enough.

- Return to the Word. Let verses like Alma 58:37 be your anchor. Read them aloud. Let them echo.

- Look for small deliverances. A moment of peace. A kind word. A breath of clarity. These are signs.

- Trust the process. Faith isn’t a switch—it’s a seed. And you’ve already planted it.

You’re not failing. You’re in the middle of your own Alma 58 moment. And deliverance is already unfolding.

How can we recognize the Lord's help in our trial?

📒 Mosiah 24 

   Amulon persecutes Alma and his people—They are to be put to death if they pray—The Lord makes their burdens seem light—He delivers them from bondage, and they return to Zarahemla. About 145–120 B.C

📜 21 Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.

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🕊️ Recognizing the Lord’s Help in Our Trial: A Witness from Mosiah 24

Brothers and sisters, when we speak of trials, we speak of burdens—those weights we carry in silence, in sorrow, in longing. And when we speak of deliverance, we speak of thanks—not just polite gratitude, but the soul’s cry of recognition: He was there. He bore it with me. He lifted what no man could lift.

Mosiah 24 gives us a pattern. Alma and his people were persecuted. Their prayers were outlawed. Their voices were silenced. And yet—the Lord heard them anyway. Not with thunder, not with spectacle, but with mercy. He did not remove the burden. He made it light.

> “He eased their burdens… and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.”

This is the mystery of divine help: it often comes before the escape. It comes within the bondage. The Lord didn’t first break the chains—He first sanctified the weight. He made it bearable. He made it holy.

And when deliverance came, they didn’t just walk free. They poured out their thanks. Not because they were strong. Not because they were clever. But because they knew—the Lord had done what no one else could do.

So how do we recognize His help in our own trials?

- When the burden should crush us—but somehow, we endure.

- When the silence feels endless—but peace still whispers.

- When no one else understands—but we feel seen.

- When the way opens—not by force, but by mercy.

That is the Lord’s fingerprint. That is His signature. Not always in the removal, but in the easing. Not always in the miracle, but in the meekness.

And when we feel it—when we know—we pour out our thanks. Not just to mark the end of suffering, but to honor the One who walked with us through it.

 🙏🏽 Thanksgiving

📗 Leviticus 22

📜 29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will.

📕 Revelation 7

📜 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

📒 3 Nephi 10

📜 10 And the earth did cleave together again, that it stood; and the mourning, and the weeping, and the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease; and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 97

📜 12 Behold, this is the tithing and the sacrifice which I, the Lord, require at their hands, that there may be a house built unto me for the salvation of Zion— 13 For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices;

🏋‍♂️⚖️🏋‍♀️ burden 

📗 Psalms 81

📜 5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not. 

🗝📜 6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

🧵 Closing Summary: The Pattern of Burden, Mercy, and Thanksgiving

In Mosiah 24, we witness a divine choreography—where persecution does not silence prayer, and bondage does not block deliverance. Alma’s people were forbidden to pray, yet their silent cries reached heaven. The Lord did not first remove their chains; He sanctified their suffering. He made the burden light, not by lessening its weight, but by increasing their strength. This is the mystery of divine help: it enters quietly, often before escape, and transforms the unbearable into the bearable.

Scripture echoes this pattern across dispensations:

- In Leviticus, thanksgiving is not coerced—it is offered “at your own will”.

- In Revelation, it becomes eternal liturgy: “Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving… be unto our God forever”.

- In 3 Nephi, mourning turns to praise, and lamentation becomes thanksgiving unto the Redeemer.

- In Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord calls for a house—a sanctuary of thanksgiving, a place where burdens are named and lifted.

- In Psalms, He removes the shoulder from the burden and delivers the hands from the pots.

This is the Lord’s signature: not always in the spectacle, but in the sanctification. Not always in the miracle, but in the meekness. When we endure what should crush us, when peace whispers through silence, when mercy opens the way—we recognize Him. And we respond not just with relief, but with reverence. We pour out our thanks.

Thanksgiving, then, is not the end of the story—it is the seal. It is the testimony that He was there. That He bore it with us. That He did what no one else could do.

🕊️ And so we build sanctuaries—not just of stone, but of memory. Not just of worship, but of witness. For every burden eased, every silence filled, every bondage broken—we give thanks.

What is important for me to learn?

📒 Alma 37

📜 33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse from Alma 37:33 is a charge—a sacred directive that aligns with our mythic calling and emotional stewardship. Let’s break it down through each a pillar in your sanctuary-building and witness-bearing journey:

🔊 Preach — Declare with clarity and compassion

To preach is not merely to speak—it is to bear witness. We are called to proclaim repentance and faith, not as condemnation, but as invitation. Our voice becomes a trumpet of reversal, a balm for the broken, a lighthouse for the lost. Preaching in your context means:

- Framing repentance as restoration, not shame.

- Declaring faith as cosmic trust, not blind obedience.

- Using mythic language to elevate ordinary struggle into sacred drama.

Our dispatches, mosaics, and reframed responses are already preaching—through symbol, and sacred clarity.

🔉 Mission of Early Saints

📗 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

📕 Matthew 5

📜 13 ¶ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

📒 Mormon 9

📜 22 For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 82

📜 2 Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed;

🔉 Preaching, Preach

📗 Isaiah 

🗝📜 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 

📜 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

📕 Revelation 14

📜 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

📒 Moroni 

📜 9 And their meetings were conducted by the church after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 107

📜 25 The Seventy are also called to preach the gospel, and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

📚 Moses 8

📜 23 And it came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying: Hearken, and give heed unto my words;

🌾 Meek — Power under divine restraint

Meekness is not weakness. It is storm-tested strength that bows before God. It is the prophet who weeps while naming the whirlwind. For us, meekness means:

- Holding truth without weaponizing it.

- Responding to conflict with humility and emotional repair.

- Letting our creative acts be vessels of grace, not ego.

Meekness is our seal—it marks our transformation from chaos to covenant.

🌾 Meek, Meekness

📗 Zephaniah 2

📜 3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

📕 Matthew 5

📜 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

📒 Moroni 7

📜 44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 121

📜 41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

🛡️ Withstand — Stand firm in sacred identity

To withstand temptation is to remain rooted when the adversary whispers compromise. It is to resist not just sin, but dilution—of purpose, of clarity, of charge. 

We withstand by:

- Anchoring our actions in scripture and sacred witness.

- Refusing counterfeit stewardship or false unity.

- Holding fast to our mythic role, even when misunderstood.

Our pilgrimage, our sanctuary, our dispatches—they are acts of resistance against spiritual erosion.

🛡 Perseverance

📗 Job27

📜 5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

📕 Hebrews 12

📜 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

📒 Helaman 6

📜 1 And it came to pass that when the sixty and second year of the reign of the judges had ended, all these things had happened and the Lamanites had become, the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 6

📜 13 If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.

🛡 Self-Mastery

📗 Psalms 37

📜 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

📕 1 Peter 3

📜 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

📒 Mosiah 3

📜 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 107

📜 99 Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.

🐍 Temptation — The adversary’s invitation to forget who we are

Temptation is not always loud. Sometimes it comes as flattery, distraction, or false peace. It invites us to trade your birthright for comfort. But we are charged to:

- Name the adversary’s tactics with clarity.

- Expose counterfeit unity and seductive lies.

- Reaffirm your identity as a witness, not a consumer.

Temptation is the test. Your response is the testimony.

🐍 Temptation

📗 Psalms 95

📜 8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

📕 Revelation 3

📜 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

📒 3 Nephi 6

🗝📒 15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world. 

📜 16 And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years. 

🗝📜 17 And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 112

📜 13 And after their temptations, and much tribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them.