What Do Prophets Say About Freedom and Liberty?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns prophetic teachings about liberty, freedom of choice, and America being a promised land. In 2 Nephi 1, the prophet Lehi reminded his family that they were living in “a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands” (verse 5). He continued by saying that “there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord” (verse 6). Second Nephi 1:7 states:

Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

Jacob continued teaching his family about freedom of choice, or agency, which is essential for progression and growth. In 2 Nephi 2:25-27, Lehi teaches the following:

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

These verses tell us that each spirit child of God comes into mortality with agency, the freedom to choose how they will live on earth. Each is given the opportunity to choose to live righteously and keep the commandments of God, or to choose captivity and death. Anyone who is addicted to something – drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pornography, or any number of other things – is in captivity to whatever point that they can choose to not partake of the substance.

Other prophets and leaders taught about freedom and liberty. Captain Moroni was the military leader during a time of war. Evil men were seeking to destroy the church and to take away freedom of liberty. Alma 46:11-13 explains the actions of Captain Moroni.

11 And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it – In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children – and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land --

There is a difference between spiritual agency (choices between good and evil) which is a gift from God when we enter mortality, and civic freedom (political liberty and government). However, agency and civic freedom come together at certain times. We exercise our agency when we enter a voting booth or otherwise fill out election ballots. We are free to choose whoever we desire to represent us; however, we are not free to choose the consequences of our choices. 

When people vote for socialists or radical Islamists over constitutional principles, they should not be surprised when they start losing freedoms. The further the United States goes down the road toward socialism, communism, or Islamic principles, securing true liberty will be more difficult. Once freedom is lost in America, it can be regained only through the shedding of blood.

Articles of Faith 4: What Are the First Principles and Ordinances of Gospel?

Article of Faith 4

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

This is the first essay about the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This week’s discussion will use the words of Elder James E. Talmage to discuss the nature of faith and the difference between belief, faith, and knowledge (Articles of Faith [1913], 96-100).

Nature of Faith – The predominating sense in which the term faith is used throughout the scriptures is that of full confidence and trust in the being, purposes, and words of God. Such trust, if implicit, will remove all doubt concerning things accomplished or promised of God, even though such things be not apparent to or explicable by the ordinary senses of mortality; hence arises the definition of faith given by Paul: “Now faith is the substance [i.e., confidence, or assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence [i.e., the demonstration or proof] of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is plain that such a feeling of trust may exist in different persons in varying degrees; indeed, faith may manifest itself from the incipient state which is little more than feeble belief, scarcely free from hesitation and fear, to the strength of abiding confidence that sets doubt and sophistry at defiance.

Belief, Faith, and Knowledge – The terms faith and belief are sometimes regarded as synonyms; nevertheless each of them has a specific meaning in our language, although in earlier usage there was little distinction between them, and therefore the words are used interchangeably in many scriptural passages. Belief, in one of its accepted senses, may consist in a merely intellectual assent, while faith implies such confidence and conviction as will impel to action. Dictionary authority justifies us in drawing a distinction between the two, according to present usage in English; and this authority defines belief as a mental assent to the truth or actuality of anything, excluding, however, the moral element of responsibility through such assent, which responsibility is included by faith. Belief is in a sense passive, an agreement or acceptance only; faith is active and positive, embracing such reliance and confidence as will lead to works. Faith in Christ comprises belief in Him, combined with trust in Him. One cannot have faith without belief; yet he may believe and still lack faith. Faith is vivified, vitalized, living belief.

Certainly there is great difference in degree, even if no essential distinction in kind be admitted between the two. As shall be presently demonstrated, faith in the Godhead is requisite to salvation; it is indeed a saving power, leading its possessor in the paths of godliness, whereas mere belief in the existence and attributes of Deity is no such power.

… Again, an unclean spirit in the synagogue at Jerusalem implored Christ not to use His power, crying in fear and agony: “I know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24). Christ was once followed by a multitude made up of people from Idumaea and Jerusalem, from Tyre and Sidon; among them were many who were possessed of evil spirits, and these, when they saw Him, fell down in the attitude of worship, exclaiming: “Thou art the Son of God” (Mark 3:8-11). Was there ever mortal believer who confessed more unreservedly a knowledge of God and His Son Jesus Christ than did these servants of Satan? Satan knows God and Christ; remembers, perchance, somewhat concerning the position which he himself one occupied as a Son of the Morning; yet with all such knowledge he is Satan still. Neither belief nor its superior, actual knowledge, is efficient to save; for neither of these is faith. If belief be a product of the mind, faith is of the heart; belief is founded on reason, faith largely on intuition.

We frequently hear it said that faith is imperfect knowledge; that the first disappears as the second takes its place; that now we walk by faith but some day we shall walk by the sure light of knowledge. In a sense this is true; yet it must be remembered that knowledge may be as dead and unproductive in good works as is faithless belief.  Those confessions of the devils, that Christ was the Son of God were based on knowledge; yet the great truth, which they knew, did not change their evil natures. How different was their acknowledgment of the Savior from that of Peter, who, to the Master’s question “Whom say ye that I am?” replied in practically the words used by the unclean spirits before cited: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15, 16). Peter’s faith had already shown its vitalizing power; it had caused him to forsake much that had been dear, to follow his Lord through persecution and suffering, and to put away worldliness with its fascinations for the sacrificing godliness which his faith made so desirable. His knowledge of God as the Father, and of the Son as the Redeemer, was perhaps no greater than that of the unclean spirits; but while to them that knowledge was but an added cause of condemnation to him it was a means of salvation.

The mere possession of knowledge gives no assurance of benefit therefrom. It is said that during an epidemic of cholera in a great city, a scientific man proved to his own satisfaction, by chemical and microscopical tests, that the water supply was infected, and that through it contagion was being spread. He proclaimed the fact throughout the city, and warned all against the use of unboiled water. Many of the people, although incapable of comprehending his methods of investigation, far less of repeating such for themselves, had faith in his warning words, followed his instructions, and escaped the death to which their careless and unbelieving fellows succumbed. Their faith was a saving one. To the man himself, the truth by which so many lives had been spared was a matter of knowledge. He had actually perceived, under the microscope, proof of the existence of death-dealing germs in the water; he had demonstrated their virulence; he knew of what he spoke. Nevertheless, in a moment of forgetfulness he drank of the unsterilized water, and soon thereafter died, a victim to the plague. His knowledge did not save him, convincing though it was; yet others, whose reliance was only that of confidence or faith in the truth that he declared, escaped the threatening destruction. He had knowledge; but, was he wise? Knowledge is to wisdom what belief is to faith, one an abstract principle, the other a living application. Not possession merely, but the proper use of knowledge constitutes wisdom.

  

Why Is Veterans Day Celebrated?

Tomorrow is Veterans Day 2026, a national holiday that originated as Armistice Day, a day marking the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October for six years (1971-1977), but it returned to November 11 in 1978. The holiday is officially spelled “Veterans Day” without an apostrophe because it is a day to honor all veterans and not a day belonging to veterans. The above information came from this site. The site also provides the following information. 

History & Background

Veterans Day 2026 falls on Wednesday, November 11 – the 108^th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice signed in a railroad carriage in the Compiegne Forest at 5:45 a.m. French time, taking effect six hours later at 11:00 a.m., the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month. November 11, 2026 also marks 100 years since the official establishment of U.S. Route 66 on November 11, 1926, and 50 years since President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 94-53 on September 18, 1975, returning Veterans Day from the fourth Monday of October back to its historical November 11 date, effective 1978. The 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act (Public Law 90-363) had moved the observance to the fourth Monday in October from 1971 to 1977, but citizens and veterans’ groups objected, citing November 11’s symbolic tie to the 1918 Armistice. Congress made Armistice Day a federal holiday on May 13, 1938 (Public Law 75-510), dedicated to world peace; the 1954 expansion, signed by President Eisenhower on June 1, 1954 (Public Law 83-380), rebranded Armistice Day as Veterans Day to honor all American veterans following World War II and Korea. The civic campaign for that expansion was led by Birmingham, Alabama, shoemaker Raymond Weeks, who had organized the first National Veterans Day Parade in Birmingham on November 11, 1947 – the 79^th annual Birmingham parade takes place in 2026. President Reagan honored Weeks in 1982 with the Presidential Citizens Medal, designating him the ‘Father of Veterans Day.’ Veterans Day 2026 arrives with approximately 18 million veterans living in the United States, according to Department of Veterans Affairs estimates. The American Battle Monuments Commission, established in 1923, maintains 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 32 memorials across 17 foreign countries, including the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France, where 14,246 American war dead from World War I rest – the largest American military cemetery in Europe.

How Americans Celebrate

If you’ve ever stood at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at 11 a.m. on November 11 and watched the President lay a wreath to mark the hour the 1918 armistice took effect, you’ve witnessed the centerpiece of the national Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by sentinels of the 3^rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as ‘The Old Guard,’ who march 21 steps down a mat behind the Tomb, turn, pause 21 seconds, march 21 steps back – symbolizing the highest military honor, the 21-gun salute; continuous guarding began on July 2, 1937. The Veterans Day National Committee, established by President Eisenhower in 1954 under Executive Order 10570, coordinates the Arlington ceremony. The New York City Veterans Day Parade, organized by the United War Veterans Council, marches up Fifth Avenue from 26^th to 52^nd Streets – the largest Veterans Day parade in the nation, drawing approximately 25,000 participants and 500,000 spectators annually.

The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress, created by Public Law 106-380 in October 2000, collects oral histories, photographs, and documents from U.S. military veterans; as of 2026, the project holds more than 120,000 collections. National park entrance fees are waived on Veterans Day for all visitors, not only veterans, under a National Park Service policy established in 2006. Many chain restaurants – including Applebee’s, IHOP, Chili’s, Olive Garden, and Denny’s – offer free meals to veterans and active-duty service members on November 11.

            The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., designed by Maya Lin and dedicated on                November 13, 1982, draws more than 5 million visitors annually and bears the names of 58,181             service members who died or remain missing. 

Who Is Stephen Miller?

My VIP for this week is Stephen Miller who was elevated from deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser to chief of staff in the Trump administration. He replaced Susie Wiles, the first women to serve as White House chief of staff. She resigned on Wednesday.

Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell reported on the change in her article published at the Daily Signal:

“Miller is the founder of America First Legal, a conservative nonprofit law firm that aims ‘to unapologetically and boldly defend the rights of everyday Americans,’ according to its website.

While expressing gratitude for the friendship and work of Susie, Vice President JD Vance said, “Stephen Miller is an amazing patriot and will do great things…. Congrats to him on a well-deserved promotion.”

Ford McCracken reported the following information in The Hill. 

Former Sessions staffer

Miller started his career in Washington working as a press secretary for Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) in 2007 and later for Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.). In 2009, he served as Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions’s press secretary before moving up the ranks – becoming his communications chief.

Miller pushed Sessions to become more outspoken and combative, especially on the issue of immigration. He helped Sessions kill a bipartisan immigration reform bill in 2013 by writing a handbook to help lawmakers defeat it.

Behind the scenes, Miller carved out an inside-the-Beltway reputation as a hard-charging press aide, frequently battling with reporters and others in Washington.

When Trump announced his run for the presidency in 2015, Sessions became the first senator to endorse him. The Alabama senator went onto to serve as the president’s attorney general during his first stint in the White House.

But Sessions eventually fell out with Trump after recusing himself from investigations into Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and election win.

Miller, in contrast, became a part of Trump’s inner circle and was a confidant to the president for the rest of his first term, his years out of office and during his second term.

Hardline immigration enforcer

Miller is considered the architect behind much of Trump’s immigration policies – most recently his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

As deputy chief of staff for policy, Miller pushed the administration to suspend habeas corpus rights, which allow people in custody to challenge their detention, and triple its daily immigration arrest goals to 3,000….

Consummate Washington insider

Before his promotion to chief of staff, Miller was already in the president’s ear as a key policy adviser. He will now be one of the top voices in the Trump White House and among other influential people in Washington.

Miller is one of the only aides from Trump’s first term to be serving in a high role in his second term. He has a deep understanding of how Washington runs, and is known to dig deep into policy matters. His background as a Senate aide gives him a strong understanding of how Congress works, and on how executive authority can be used to assert presidential power.

During debates over legislation affecting immigration, Miller was seen as having a big influence on the stance Republicans took. He is known as a detail-oriented aide who reads briefs, asks questions and demands results.

As chief of staff, Miller will be able to have his fingers on everything the White House touches….

The chief of staff works closely with the president on day-to-day operations and manages the White House staff. It can be a gatekeeper role for [who] sees the president and can be a position involved in all policy decisions, depending on the individual chief of staff.

It is a role that does not require Senate confirmation….

Early Trump loyalist

Many in the president’s orbit have come and gone over the past decade – including Wiles, who had a brief falling out with Trump before returning to run his campaign in 2024.

But Miller has remained loyal the entire time, from the 2016 campaign to both his terms in the White House.

When Trump lost reelection in 2020, Miller co-founded America First Legal, a conservative nonprofit advocating for dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, enforcing immigration laws and protecting election integrity.

Miller rejoined Trump’s 2024 campaign and returned to the White House right away as deputy chief of staff for policy and an adviser on homeland security.

Divisive GOP figure

While most of the criticism around Miller’s promotion came from Democrats, some Republicans questioned whether Trump was making the right choice in light of sweeping midterm losses….

What Will Republicans Do After Midterm Setbacks?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the constitutional principle that “We the People” are the power behind the government. Nothing shows this principle more clearly than the way that any election flips the power switch. Whereas Republicans were in control of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, the mid-term election switched power in both houses to Democrats.

In his article published at the Daily Signal, Rob Bluey discussed what comes next for Republicans in his article titled “What Conservatives Are Planning After Midterm Defeat” as they regroup after midterm setbacks. 

Conservatives are wasting no time regrouping after this year’s midterm election setbacks. Next week, hundreds of movement leaders will gather in a Washington, D.C., suburb to plot their comeback in 2028.

The inaugural event, called The Forum, will bring together disparate segments of the conservative movement for an honest reckoning about Tuesday’s results.

Policymakers will also debate solutions to some of America’s most vexing challenges, including affordability, China, Islamification, and socialism, with an eye toward shaping public opinion and countering an emboldened Left.

Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action, joined the final episode of the Daily Signal’s “Midterm Report” to share his aspirations for the event. He also diagnosed what went wrong for Republicans and explained why conservatives shouldn’t despair.

What Went Wrong

In the days following Republicans’ electoral drubbing, pollsters and pundits have analyzed exit polls for clues about voters’ dissatisfaction.

Roberts attributed the losses primarily to the war and lingering concerns about affordability. “The Trump-Vance coalition was put together on a lot of issues, but two of the most central ones were that there would be no new wars and that prices would go down,” Roberts said. “This is just Politics 101 in any representative government.”

Roberts said he still defends President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran but believes “the war went on too long,” particularly given its economic consequences.

Many of those voters were disillusioned by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ policies, which contributed to inflation not seen in 40 years.

Trump benefited from Americans’ frustration with the high cost of living two years ago when he defeated Harris. Despite inheriting an economic mess, Trump quickly went to work addressing affordability through executive orders and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as the Working Families Tax Cut.

Americans responded favorably. By early February, more than a year into Trump’s presidency, 32% of voters said their finances were getting better, compared with 30% who said they were getting worse.

Pollster Scott Rasmussen, who has consistently asked voters about their personal finances in his RMG Research surveys, said those were the best numbers he had seen in five years.

Then the U.S. attacked Iran at the end of February. The numbers have only grown worse since then.

It’s why Roberts said affordability must be an important focus for conservatives over the next two years….

He also cited housing as an area ripe for action, pointing to regulations that restrict new construction and the large share of homes owned by corporations in some metropolitan areas.

Why Conservatives Shouldn’t Despair

Roberts, a historian, reflected on other moments in American history when presidents suffered midterm defeats, only to continue wielding great influence over the country’s direction.

He pointed to 1894, when President Grover Cleveland’s unpopularity helped Republicans pick up 130 House seats, as well as midterm setbacks suffered by Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

“Some of our most high-profile presidents – FDR, Truman, Reagan, Clinton, Obama – have suffered these kinds of defeats,” Roberts said. “And it’s not as if their respective political movements cease to exist.”

More importantly, Roberts rejected the notion that Tuesday’s results represented an ideological rejection of the conservative movement.

“This is not a repudiation of conservatism or America First,” Roberts said. “In fact, the Left very successfully co-opted the messaging and some of the policies of America First, especially economic populism.”

The lesson, Roberts argued, isn’t for conservatives to abandon their principes but to make a stronger case for them.

“We need to talk about what we stand for,” he said. “We need to talk about affordability. We need to hammer that freedom is more important than socialism.”

The Forum

That effort will begin almost immediately at The Forum from Nov 10-12 in National Harbor, Maryland….

The gathering will feature leaders from government, conservative organizations, media, and business. Roberts cited Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and commentator Scott Jennings among the headliners, along with entrepreneur Palmer Luckey….

“The point is not just to sit around and talk, but to really cohere the movement around these big focus areas,” he said.

Those priorities include making life more affordable for everyday Americans, defending freedom against socialism, confronting the Islamification of the United States, and countering China….

What Americans Can Do

Roberts also had a message for conservatives wondering what they can do after a disappointing election: Get involved locally….

But political involvement doesn’t have to begin in Washington or with a national organization.

“The best way to kind of get back into the groove politically, or maybe into the groove for the first time, is to go to your local city council or local school board meeting,” Roberts said. “And just sit there. No one expects you to be an expert when you go there.”

What Americans will often discover, he said, is “a lack of transparency and competence and a need for good, virtuous, smart Americans to be involved.” …

“Find the one thing locally that excites you,” Roberts said, joking that it could even mean running for a homeowner’s association to defend private property rights. “Just go get involved.” For conservatives discouraged by Tuesday’s results, Roberts’ message was clear: The next election might be two years away, but the comeback starts now.

Does the Old Testament Describe the Gathering of Israel?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to the book of Ezekiel in a lesson titled “A New Spirit Will I Put within You” (Ezekiel 1-3; 33-34; 36-37; 47). The following information introduced the lesson. 

Ezekiel was a prophet in exile. Along with other Israelites, he had been captured and sent to Babylon. In Jerusalem, Ezekiel would have been a priest serving in the temple. In Babylon, he was among “them of the captivity,” and he “sat where they sat” (Ezekiel 3:15), hundreds of miles from the beloved house of God and with little hope of returning. Then one day Ezekiel had a vision. He saw “the glory of the Lord” (Ezekiel 1:28) – not back in the temple at Jerusalem but there in Babylon among the exiles. The wickedness in Jerusalem, he learned, had become so severe that God’s presence was no longer there (see Ezekiel 8-11; 33:21).

And yet there’s something hopeful about Ezekiel’s message. Despite how far the covenant people had fallen, God had not totally abandoned them. If they would “hear the word of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:4), what was once dead could be revived. Their “stony heart” could be replaced with “a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26). And in the future, the Lord would establish a new temple and a new Jerusalem, “and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).

The scripture block teaches the following principles: (1) The Lord invites me to feed His sheep (Ezekiel 3; 34); (2) The Lord wants to forgive (Ezekiel 33:10-19); (3) The Lord is gathering His people and giving them new life (Ezekiel 37); (4) I can find spiritual healing in the house of the Lord (Ezekiel 47:1-12). This essay will discuss principle #4 about the Lord gathering His people.

The gathering of Israel is portrayed in Ezekiel 37 through two symbols. The first symbol is dead bones being restored to life (see verses 1-14). As you read the following verses, consider questions such as the following: (1) What is the Lord trying to accomplish through the gathering of Israel? (2) How is He accomplishing it?

1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

11 ¶ Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.

These verses describe the order of the resurrection: first, the bones, which are followed by sinews, flesh, and skin. Last of all, the spirit enters the body.

You could ask yourself these same questions as you read about the second symbol, in verses 15-28: (1) What is the Lord trying to accomplish through the gathering of Israel? (2) How is He accomplishing it?

15 ¶ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

18 ¶ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

20 ¶ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

28 And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

This symbol involves two sticks, which many scholars interpret as wooden writing boards joined by a hinge. The stick of Judah can represent the Bible (since much of the Bible was written by Judah’s descendants), and the stick of Joseph can represent the Book of Mormon (since Lehi’s family were descendants of Joseph of Egypt). With that in mind, what do these verses teach you about the role of the scriptures in the gathering of Israel?

The Bible and the Book of Mormon work together. The Book of Mormon is a second witness to the Bible that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The gathering of the house of Israel began with the publication of the Book of Mormon and continues today.

 

What Qualities Are Essential for Thriving Families?

Healthy families are strong families, and strong families strengthen their communities, states, and nations. Certain qualities are essential for thriving families. In her article published at Psychology Today, Randi Gunther, Ph.D., discusses “essential traits that help families thrive through life’s challenges.” 

There is a great deal of published data on individual and partner qualities that define which people consistently create successful relationships. The building of a healthy family takes more than just currently evolved individuals. When all factors are considered, families inevitably shift – especially as more new people are added to that mix, finances are stressed, families of origin are allowed to vote, unexpected crises arise, and socio-economic conditions remain unpredictable.

Families that weather these changes as a team must have a number of qualities that ensure they can not only face these challenges but grow stronger from them.

Working with families for over 50 years, I have kept track of the 10 most crucial qualities that stand out in every truly healthy family I have encountered. [Emphasis added.]

1. Individuals are respected.

A family is both a team and a collection of unique individuals. Each person must be respected and honored for who they are and not just a part of a whole. There must be room for each member to have the opportunity to speak their truth with encouragement and respect.

2. Everyone contributes as best as they can.

No matter how young or old, people feel better about themselves when they are earning their way as best as they can. That place of personal respect requires that each member of the family has responsibilities to enhance the family and each other in whatever way they can contribute.

3. There is hierarchy, but everyone gets a fair vote.

It is reasonable to assume that the most contributory members of the family have the greater responsibility and power to make the decisions that are best for the team. However, as each member of the family attains capability, they are given a more prominent vote as to how that power is distributed. Though there always will be a hierarchy of some kind, the family goal is to achieve as much democracy as possible as it grows so that the younger members are prepared to contribute to the goals and decision-making when it’s their turn to take on the role of their elders.

4. There is room for the expression of all emotions and needs, but mutual respect is required. Each member of the family, no matter how young or old, must feel heard, seen, and attuned to. The distribution of resources of time, energy, love, and availability must be shared but every member of the family is constantly guided to make certain all are served as much as possible. Children must be included as to when and why their needs will be met and why they must give way to others.

5. They plan and work on mutual goals for each individual and for the team.

No two family members are the same and their individuality must be recognized even as they are willing and collective members of the team. Each knows what the other’s goals are and they work together to do everything they can to help each other achieve them.

6. The distribution of resources is open and understood by everyone.

People of all ages, depending on their ability to understand, must be in on the plan as to what resources are available at any one time, and why they are allocated in the way they are. When all members of the family work together, they try to wait their turn, knowing when and how their needs will be met.

7. The focus is on learning rather than punishment or embarrassment.

A healthy family does not keep score nor blame. They know that everyone makes mistakes, but they are never chastised when they are doing the best they can. Requirements are based on what each member of the family can do, how they learn, and how they make future plans that incorporate what they have integrated. Lapses to the mutual rules are not only tolerated but understood that they will create opportunities for better choices in the future. Even younger children can help set their own goals. Ask them to review any mistakes, what they could have done differently, and how they can help create a plan to improve their behavior over time. Each member of the family is willing to encourage the others to learn and help create an atmosphere of self-respect and support.

8. Making the team stronger by each member helping the other.

Those who are more resilient help those who are less so when they can. Each member of the family, knowing their time will come and when, can draw on their own resilience to lend a helping hand. The goal is for each member of the family to be a support for whatever the others need. The key is constant and clear communication and current updates for everyone. Being part of each plan and how and why it is devised makes them feel more motivated, as they feel seen and recognize the needs of others.

9. Affection, caring, support, and encouragement are prevalent.

Healthy families do not let a day go by without expressing their love for each other and the gratitude that they still have each other. There is never a feeling of what should have or could have been shared. When you are in the presence of a successful family, you can feel how those encouraging words, expressions of affection and gratefulness abound. They know how to grieve together when they experience disappointment or loss. There is an immediate pulling together to help one another get through the loss no matter how great or small.

10. They look forward to the future together.

Each member of a healthy family is profoundly interested in the future of the other. They celebrate wins but share the experience of loss together. They live in the moment but always think of what each member can achieve in the future and are there to encourage even when goals may change. They always remember that they treasure and need each other.