Author Archives: Nola Redd

Likening the Scriptures to Ourselves

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As I’ve prepared for my new, upcoming calling as Seminary teacher (of which, I’m sure, you will hear a lot about!), I have seriously pondered Nephi’s method of teaching. You see, as Nephi instructed his brothers, he states, “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23). As he put himself in the scriptures, they began to mean more to him. Similarly, it is my hope as Seminary teacher to help my students realize that all scripture – even from the Old Testament – relates to them in some way. … Continue reading →

Faith of Our Fathers – Modern Day Pioneers

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As the church grows throughout the world, more and more of its members lack the three hundred (or whatever it is) generation link to the plain crossing pioneers. They might wonder how pioneer day affects them. Of course, learning about the faith-building experiences of others can help us resolve to strengthen our testimonies and press forward with faith. But what can we modern day pioneers do? You see, I am one of those pioneers. As I’ve mentioned before, I am a convert, the first generation in my family. I was blessed not to have strong opposition from my parents when … Continue reading →

LDS Family Week in Review: July 15-21

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From seminary to tithing to LDS secrets, this week carried with it a number of blogs sure to help and entertain you. Gospel Doctrine: In What Christ’s Resurrection Means to Each of Us, we discussed the impact of the resurrection in our lives. In Witness of the Resurrected Lord, we discussed various people who saw the Lord following His resurrection. In Doubting Thomas, we considered the disciples who doubted news of Christ’s resurrection. In The Value of the Old Testament, we discuss the relevance of the first book of the bible. In Did Not Our Hearts Burn?, we discussed the … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Resurrected Body of Christ

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Many Christians think of Jesus as a spiritual creature, existing without a body. Of all of the references to Christ’s resurrected, physical body, the scriptures of the New Testament are some of the clearest. Here, He shows His disciples without a shadow of a doubt that, following death, He took up again His physical body. Luke 24 shows the best record of this. As the disciples sat puzzling over the events of the preceding day, the Savior appeared to them. In verse 37, we see that the disciples responded with terror, thinking that Jesus was not a man but a … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Did Not Our Heart Burn?

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Yesterday, we spoke somewhat concerning the scriptures that Christ cited as He walked with His disciples. Today, I would like to talk a bit about the result of those scriptures, and the testimony of the Holy Ghost. Following His resurrection, Jesus met two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. They did not recognize Him, and so told Him of the crucifixion of their Master. They shared the report of the women who visited the sepulchre. He obviously saw that they were slow to believe the reports of these witnesses, for He called them “fools, and slow of heart … Continue reading →

General Conference From the Past: “Women of Righteousness”

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In a devotional address given at BYU on March 13, 2001, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve addressed the role of women, and how God views them. This was a wonderful talk that I, as a stay-at-home mom, particularly took to heart. It is very uplifting and, as Elder Ballard stated, good for both women and men to read and ponder. He begins by quoting a letter sent to church headquarters from an LDS woman who felt as though she were living a lie. Despite a strong testimony of the gospel, she doubted her value beyond … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Value of the Old Testament

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You may think a blog on the value of the Old Testament may seem a bit out of place in the middle of our study of the New Testament. Part of the inspiration, I’m sure, comes from my new calling as Seminary teacher; I have been considering how to emphasize the importance of the Old Testament to teenagers this year. Perhaps that is why the scriptures expounded by Christ caught my eye. Many times, we tend to neglect the Old Testament in favor of the New. We figure that most of what it teaches us we can get much more … Continue reading →

The non-Latter-day Saint Dictionary

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Last week, Andrea left a comment regarding a commonly-used LDS word that she didn’t know. As I considered it, I realized there are multiple phrases we Mormons use that would leave most people scratching their head in confusion. Personally, I think it is because of top-secret plan. Considering all of the persecution the church received in its early days, a separate language would be super-helpful in making sure that we can break off and form our own country should we have any other problems. I’ll have to think some more about this plan and perhaps clue you all in on … Continue reading →

Why Memorize?

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Yesterday, I suggested that you work on memorizing (or rememorizing) the scripture mastery verses. You may have asked, why? What is the purpose of memorizing scriptures? I would recommend everyone, from the youth down to retired folks, take the time to memorize some scripture. These verses can come in very handy. We know that the Lord speaks to us through scriptures. A non-LDS, Christian friend I know calls the Bible “God’s love letter to us.” What a wonderful way to think of scriptures! We know, too, that the Book of Mormon was written by prophets of old especially for our … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Doubting Thomas

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Usually, when we think of those who did not walk in faith, our minds turn to the disciple Thomas. He proclaimed, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) However, as I reread the scriptures today, I saw other disciples who were equally doubtful – in fact, all of them! When Mary and the other women left the tomb, they ran to the apostles – to those who served most closely with Christ! … Continue reading →