Shaken for Good

When Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, the earth shook in Jerusalem and even more violently in the new world. Of course it did. Because what other reaction could there be from the creation in response to the death of its Creator? The horror and pain must have been intense. And the very earth …

The Best of All Good News

Given the good news/bad news query, I will go for bad news first every time. I think subconsciously I am hoping the good news will trump the bad. Or at least put the bad into perspective. When the news is good enough, bad news seems more manageable somehow. The bad is still there, and whatever …

Embracing Our Privileges

Elder Uchtdorf once told a story of a man who took a long saved-for and awaited cruise to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing the historic cities along the Mediterranean Sea. Because he did not want to spend additional money, he packed food for his trip and embarked on his journey. He looked longingly at …

Holiness With the Lord

In Hebrew, the word for holy (‘qodesh, qadash’) can mean sacred, set apart, consecrated, dedicated. As a noun, it means God. ‘Man of holiness is His name…’ (Moses 6:57) He is the embodiment of holiness-so much so, that it is His name and is synonymous with Him. We build temples in ‘holiness to the Lord,’ …

Faith First

Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel for a reason. We must first believe in order to have a desire and a motivation to follow. Without the belief, we wouldn’t have any reason to act. But there are other gifts of faith that make its preeminent position purposeful and beneficial. When …