THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT, AND THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS. WHEN they had offered their gifts, the wise men would naturally have returned to Herod, but being warned of God in a dream, they returned to their own land another way. Neither in Scripture, nor in authentic history, nor even in early apocryphal tradition, do we find any further traces of their existence; but their visit led to very memorable events. The dream which warned them of danger may very probably have fallen in with their own doubts about the cruel and crafty tyrant who had expressed a hypocritical desire to pay his homage to the Infant King; and if, as we may suppose, they imparted to Joseph any hint as to their misgivings, he too would be prepared for the warning dream which bade him fly to Egypt to save the young child from Herod's jealousy. Egypt has, in all ages, been the natural place of refuge for all who were driven from Palestine by distress, persecution, or discontent. Rhinokolura, the river of Egypt, or as Milton, with his usual exquisite and learned accuracy, calls it,— " The brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground," might have been reached by the fugitives in three days; and once upon the further bank, they were beyond the reach of Herod's jurisdiction. Of the flight, and its duration, Scripture gives us no further particulars; telling us only that the Holy Family fled by night from Bethlehem, and returned when Joseph had again been assured by a dream that it would be safe to take back the Saviour .to the land of His nativity. It is left to apocryphal legends immortalized by the genius of Italian art, to tell us how, on the way, the dragons came and bowed to Him, the lions and leopards adored Him, the roses of Jericho blossomed wherever His footsteps trod, th...

    But for some, an over-emphasis on “doing” can cause us to go through the motions and miss the deep, rich spiritual power that can come from being still. Sometimes, we try to dig ourselves out of feeling spiritually drained by doing more. When that doesn’t work, we can feel stuck—and arrive at one of two conclusions: the Church “formula”’ isn’t working so it must have been wrong to begin with, or maybe something is wrong with us?There is a third alternative—that our spirituality could reignite by approaching it from a more “mindful” place. When it feels like we’re on a runaway train, mindfulness returns us to a peaceful place where we can observe our thoughts and feelings without jumping on board with them. Using Latter-day Saint vernacular and examples, The Power of Stillness explores the ways in which mindfulness can deepen testimonies of the gospel. Practicing mindful principles can reinvigorate the joy inherent in our faith and helps us feel calmer, more present and engaged in our lives, and more spiritually connected to our Savior.

    And for Latter-day Saints, the Jesus Christ revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith is, in some very significant ways, a different kind of Christ than the Jesus of modern Christianity. The Christ of the restored gospel collaborated with Heavenly Parents for our salvation even before the foundation of the world, "does not anything" save it be for our benefit (2 Nephi 26:24), and is determined to patiently guide and nurture every one of God's children into an eternal heavenly family. Most significantly, this Christ does not rescue us from a condition of original sin or depravity. Rather, He is primarily a healer of the wounds incident to a long-planned sojourn, one intended to immerse us in the trials, pains, and soul-stretching of this mortal schoolroom. He is not only the most remarkable being in the history of religious thought; He is, in fact, The Christ Who Heals.

    To understand her mission, we must first recognize Eve’s proper, elevated place — a noble position beside Adam, with a beautiful, balanced interdependence between them. Their example of enthusiastically embracing mortality with all its accompanying challenges provides meaning, encouragement, and direction for each of us along our complex and sometimes thorny paths home.“For millennia,” writes author Melinda Brown, “the world has dismissed the story of Adam and Eve as simply a choice between good and evil, with the obvious conclusion the Eve chose evil. But on much closer inspection, we can discover, and lead others to discover, that the choice was in fact between certainty and uncertainty, security and risk, fear and faith. Eve’s most remarkable choice had everything to do with stagnation versus progress. Hers was a decision to trust God.”With its in-depth examination of the scriptural account Eve and Adam provides an opportunity for deep pondering and reflection on our own mortal experience and how they draw us, step by step, toward exaltation.

    Naturally it is read with varying degrees of understanding. This suggests that most of us could benefit by some aid to that undrstanding. In offering such aid, this commentary focuses on the most significant aspect doctrine. This first volume covers First and Second Nephi, which contain a concentration of some of the most choice, beautiful doctrinal expressions in the entire record. Dividing the material into convenient topical sections, the book quotes the Book of Mormon verses in each case and gives a detailed commentary on them that not only reflects the authors own considerable scholarship and research but also quotes frequently from scriptures, from Joseph Smith, and from other authorities

    Judd writes: 'The issues I have selected for inclusion in this book are representative of the difficult questions I have grappled with over the last several years in my work as a professor, a therapist, a bishop, a stake president, and a father.' Those 'hard questions' included: Is divorce the answer to a faltering marriage? Is anger a sin? What justifies and individual or nation to engage in armed conflict? How can I best understand those who are sexually attracted to the same sex? The author shows that the most meaningful answers to all our questions lie in the counsel of prophets and the miracles of the Atonement.Published: April 2004

    Lovingly illustrated by Ashley Mae Hoiland (One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly). Praise for Mother's Milk"In these brief and moving poems, Rachel Hunt Steenblik recalls and reimagines the relationship between the daughters of God and their hidden and distant mother. Using her own experience and revelation as well as her wide research, Rachel recreates the Heavenly Mother many dream of knowing, a woman not unlike our own mothers, one who shares our own experience of motherhood." -Claudia L. Bushman, author of Contemporary Mormonism"The warm, delicious, delicate and strong poems in Mother's Milk moved and delighted me. Without doubt this book is a major step toward filling the Mother-sized hole in our hearts. Boldly pulling back the curtain of patriarchy to show that "God" is not a boy's name and that we have never lived in a one-parent family, Rachel reminds us that our Mother has never ceased to nourish and love us." -Carol Lynn Pearson, author of Mother Wove the Morning, and The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy"Rachel Hunt Steenblik is Mormonism's most essential and necessary poet since Carol Lynn Pearson. Out of her hunger for a mother God, she has made food for us all. Out of her losses, she has made milk. It's what women's bodies know how to do, of course. But Rachel, oh honey, few of us do it so openly, so truthfully, so plainly, so well. Come, come, everyone-Mormon or not, brothers, sisters, kindred-and take these words. I am so proud that this book will teach the world what Mormon women know-perhaps uniquely-about God."-Joanna Brooks, author of Book of Mormon Girl.

    “It's an amazing time to be an Episcopalian. Our church has a renewed sense of vision and leadership that’s all about feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. We’re all about standing up for equal rights and the environment. We’re all about welcoming everybody to the table, preaching repentance and accepting forgiveness. We hold together modern thought and an ancient faith firmly rooted in Jesus Christ. We offer vital communities that help families, singles - countless people make sense of their lives and their places in the world. Jesus Was an Episcopalian (And You Can Be One Too!) is all about letting the world know who we are and who the Lord is calling us to be. Let’s face it, few people today know what an Episcopalian is (be honest – how many people have asked you how to spell it?), yet many of us who have found Christ through this wonderful tradition believe we have an incredible gift to share. That’s what this book is about. It’s an uplifting, breezy, down-to-earth apologia for a new generation. It’s for the church. It’s for the world. It’s one way for the church to love the world.” (Chris Yaw)

    Through complete access to Nibley's correspondence, journals, notes and papers, Petersen has painted a portrait that reveals the man behind the legend. Starting with a foreword written by Zina Nibley Peterson (the author's wife and Nibley's daughter) and finishing with appendixes that include some of the best of Nibley's personal correspondence, the biography reveals aspects of the tapestry of the life of one who has truly consecrated his life to the service of the Lord.

    Putting on the Armor of God discusses these and many more adversarial whisperings, their origins, effects, and defenses.

    While many give their lives to Jesus, few then go on to live a life of truly vibrant faith. In this disruptively inspiring book, Chandler offers tangible ways to develop a faith of pursuing, chasing, knowing, and loving Jesus. Because if we clean up our lives but don't get Jesus, we've lost! So let the goal be Him. To live is Christ, to die is gain—this is the message of the letter. Therefore, our lives should be lived to Him, through Him, for Him, with Him, about Him—everything should be about Jesus.

    With equal expertise and enthusiasm she radiates her testimony of the brightness of hope that the gospel brings.A bumper sticker she quotes could well be a summary of this collection of addresses. 'Hard-hat construction area: christian under construction'. She adds: 'We're all Christians under construction, and that's an area where we need hard hats. It's . . . a little risky sometimes'.Sister Okazaki shares her personal experiences reaching out to the reader with love, support and encouragement. Her often penetrating insights into the tests of mortal life ring with truth and sincerity. Just as with the pattern of the cat's cradle, our lives connect and intersect. She describes those connections in both inspiring and practical terms over a broad spectrum of topics: partnership in marriage and in Church callings; love, the heart of the gospel; the process and the joy of service; replacing circles that exclude with circles that include; the changes life brings and the responses we choose; how to accept and handle our mistakes; bringing hope and growth out of the deserts of adversity; using the flowers of our loves for either joy or consolation, as needed; and much more. Pervading every address is Sister Okazaki's sense of the reality of Jesus Christ and how we can make his cause- love- more deeply our own.

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    Yet when understood, the temple can function in our lives as a modern day Liahona, giving us our bearings in our mortal journey back to our Father. Understanding Your Endowment is packed with insights and keys, which can help you unlock the temple's purpose and meaning in your life.Understanding Your Endowment examines topics such as covenant ceremonies, the initiatory ordinances, the endowment, and temple sealings in a manner that is plain and easy to understand while still respecting their sacred and confidential nature. Whether you are preparing to enter the temple for the first time or already attend regularly, your temple worship will be enriched by reading this book.

    Letter to A Christian Nation is his reply. Using rational argument, Harris offers a measured refutation of the beliefs that form the core of fundamentalist Christianity. In the course of his argument, he addresses current topics ranging from intelligent design and stem-cell research to the connections between religion and violence. In Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris boldly challenges the influence that faith has on public life in our nation.