July 2019

How Paul’s conversion can strengthen your faith in Joseph Smith’s accounts of the First Vision

The First Vision by Del Parsn and The Conversion of St. Paul by Jean Daret, ca. 1647.

Submitted by Jasmin Gimenez on July 30, 2019.

Joseph Smith claimed that in 1820 he beheld a vision of God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. This “First Vision” started Joseph Smith on a path that ultimately led to the Restoration of Jesus Christ’s church in the latter days. Four accounts of the First Vision were written or dictated by Joseph himself. Five other accounts come from what others remembered him saying about his vision...

How Paul and the Book of Mormon Help Us Spot “Grievous Wolves”

Image by Madeleine Lewander via Pixabay.

Submitted by Neal Rappleye on July 23, 2019.

When reading about Paul’s missionary travels in Acts, one is instantly confronted with a dizzying array of place names. Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Phrygia, Galatia, Mysia, Troas, Macedonia, Samothracia, Neapolis, and Philippi—and that’s just the first 12 verses of Acts 16! Clearly, Paul took seriously “the work whereunto [the Lord had] called [him]” ( Acts 13:1–3 ) and felt an urgency to spread the...

How Church Leaders Receive Revelation for the Whole Church: Peter’s Example

Image of The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Image via thechurchnews.com

Submitted by Stephen Smoot on July 16, 2019.

As recorded in Acts 10–15 , the leaders of the church of Jesus Christ shepherded early saints through tumultuous times. These chapters highlight how the early apostles faced such challenges as social upheaval, martyrdom and persecution, organizing missionary work, and “much disputing” among the leadership of the church that arose over unanswered doctrinal and procedural questions. The threads...

Why Was Stephen Executed?

Stephen Prays as He Is Stoned via Gospel Media Library

Submitted by David Larsen on July 9, 2019.

Stephen was one of seven disciples in the New Testament who were assigned to watch over the temporal needs and welfare in the Church. He was “full of faith and power” and “did great wonders and miracles among the people” ( Acts 6:8 ). As Stephen was out among the people, some individuals from the local synagogue began “disputing” with him, but “were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by...

Watch: Moving Rendition of 'God Bless America' to Inspire You This Independence Day

Submitted by Scripture Central on July 4, 2019.

In 1938 the people of the world faced some of the darkest days in modern history, leading up to World War Two. It was not known at that time whether the Nazi armies that were threatening all of Europe would overcome the British Isles and then cross the Atlantic to conquer America. It was then that a Jewish composer named Israel Balinsky, -also known as Irving Berlin-, reached down into a dusty...

Teachings of Jesus You Probably Never Noticed Before

Apostle Saint Paul and Christ Carrying the Cross by El Greco. Images via Wikimedia Commons.

Submitted by Jonathon Riley on July 2, 2019.

Acts 2 records Peter’s words to the gathered multitude on the day of Pentecost. After testifying that “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” ( v. 36 ), the people he was addressing “were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s response to the crowd will probably sound familiar...