Joyful Wells | Sharing Cups of Water

“ Then the Angel told me: You’ve seen that if the Gentiles repent, it will turn out well for them. You also know about the Lord’s covenants with the house of Israel. And you’ve also heard that whoever doesn’t repent must perish.  As a result, if the Gentiles harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, I will afflict them.  Because the time will come, says the Lamb of God, when I’ll bring about a great and awe-inspiring work among mankind, one that will be everlasting — one way or the other — either to convince them, resulting in peace and life eternal; or to give them up to their hard hearts and blind minds, bringing about their slavery and temporal and spiritual destruction , under the accuser’s enslavement which I’ve spoken about.” - 1 Nephi 3:26 Covenant of Christ

I rise with the Sun. I am born with the dawn. I am Ra when he appears upon the horizon, young and radiant in the morning sky. The gates of the east open for me, and the doors of light swing wide. I take my place in the Solar Barque. I sit among the gods who steer eternity. My name is spoken by the crew of heaven, and I am not turned away. I pass over the sky as the living do, yet I belong to those who never perish. The air is mine, the light is mine, the flame within the sun is my soul. At midday I am strong. No shadow clings to me. Serpents fall back, darkness has no power, for I travel with the Eye of Ra and my voice is fire. I know the secret names of the hours. I know the paths of the sky. Nothing blocks my way, for I am recognized in every realm. At evening I do not die. I descend as Ra descends, whole, complete, unbroken. The western gates receive me gently, and the gods of the dusk lift their hands in welcome. I journey through night as the ...

Throughout the Bible, whenever the tabernacle or a temple was destroyed, it never meant God was done with temples. It always meant the people had fallen into apostasy and needed to repent. When repentance was proven, the temple was restored. After the Tabernacle was lost, God gave Israel Solomon’s Temple. After Solomon’s Temple was destroyed, God commanded the people to rebuild the Second Temple. Every time a temple fell, it was followed by restoration—not the end of temples. Because of this pattern, it doesn’t make sense to say that when the temple was destroyed in Jesus’ day, it meant temples were finished. If that were true, then the loss of the Tabernacle or the First Temple should have meant the same thing. But no one believes that. The Bible also talks about a temple in heaven and future temples in prophecy, which shows God still uses and values sacred space. So the destruction of the temple ~40 years after Christ’s death fits the old pattern: it signaled apostasy and the need fo...

The sons of Adam and the sons of Noah were not called “sons” merely because of biology, but because of what they proved by their faith. They became—or were begotten—sons born into God’s family  for one reason: they listened to the voice of God and obeyed. Eve said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject His words.” (Genesis 3:6) Of Noah and his sons, it is written, “And Noah and his sons listened unto the Lord and gave heed, and they were called the sons of God.” (Genesis 5:5) It's one of those absolute standards that you cannot become a son of God if you refuse to hearken to His voice.  Using Melchizedek as a clear example, here are the keys the scripture gives us: " Now Melchizedek was a man of faith who wrought righteousness. And when a child, he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire. And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the Order of the covenant which God made with Enoch...

We yearn for peace through cooperation but will always wrestle with war to achieve it.  This is daunting.  Yet, a part of salvation consists of being a light in the (constant) darkness - fighting in that war.  A part of salvation is eternally dealing with the war and dealing with other people’s problems for their benefit.  We’re not ready to do it forever. Coming here teaches us that.  In the mean time we focus on just one step, one problem, at a time.  

Today marks another anniversary of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  Joseph in particular brought a wealth of information down from Heaven to us. This light still echoes truth in the heart of the reader today. But it’s often not the sermons or speeches that change us. It’s someone’s life. The way they show up, the way they forgive, the way they serve, give, or remain optimistic through a trial. Its their consistent goodness that has a way of getting past our defenses. When someone lives what they believe with humility and love, it bypasses our intellect and goes straight to the heart. It makes us want to be better—not out of guilt, but gratitude and understanding of the One they’re modeling their own life after. It makes us think, “I want to live more like that.” And often, without them even knowing it, they become a turning point in our story. This is how I feel about those two brothers. Their example more than anything is worth noting.

It's been one year today when the Lord accepted the Covenant of Christ . On June 20th, Denver Snuffer and a group of believers presented a new, modern-English version of the Book of Mormon to the Lord. It was offered to Him as a gift for the benefit of others —something that could have been either accepted or rejected. But the Lord  accepted it. He received the work. He put His name to it. And now, it’s a gift from God to the whole world. And we are the first ones to receive it. This gift is meant to help prepare us for His return. But as the Lord taught: “What does it profit a man if a gift is given, and he receives not the gift?” It’s not enough to know about the book and tell people the Heavens are open. We must receive it. Live it. So on this one-year anniversary, and the Summer Solstice, here are some simple questions to ask yourself: - Have I read every word of the Covenant of Christ? - Do I understand the message it teaches? - Can I share or quote anything from it? - Has i...