In this episode covering Doctrine and Covenants 94–97, I talk about how the Lord gives us patterns—whether in building temples or in building our lives—and how following His plan brings blessings we can’t find in the world’s way of doing things. I share a listener’s touching review about the power of the Book of Mormon, insights on the Lord being in the details, and lessons from Joseph Smith’s insistence on building the Lord’s house His way. We discuss chastening as a sign of God’s love, Hyrum Smith’s eagerness to begin the Lord’s work, and how temples and Zion invite us to become pure in heart. Most of all, this episode reminds us that the Lord wants to refine, bless, and multiply us when we humbly follow Him.

See Saints, 1:169–70; “A House for Our God,” Revelations in Context, 165–73.

Below is the talk I referenced, The Lord’s Strange Act by Rex C Reeve.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/rex-c-reeve-sr/lords-strange-act/

This week I’m diving into Doctrine and Covenants 93—“Receive of His Fulness.” I talk about Elder Renlund’s message on “Infuriating Unfairness” and the importance of being stone-catchers instead of stone-throwers, share some powerful listener stories about following the prophet, and explore how we grow grace by grace, just like the Savior did. We’ll look at what it means to climb the ladder of exaltation one step at a time, how light and truth fill our lives as we keep the commandments, and why setting our own homes in order really matters. I hope this episode reminds you that you are a child of God with divine potential and that little by little, you can receive of His fulness.

From the manual:

“When you climb up a ladder,” Joseph Smith taught, “you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 268).

Sometimes that ladder of exaltation seems impossibly high , but we were born to climb to the top. Whatever limitations we may see in ourselves, Heavenly Father and His Son see something glorious in us, something godlike. Just as Jesus Christ “was in the beginning with the Father,” so “ye were also” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:21, 23). Just as He “continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness,” so also “you shall receive grace for grace” (verses 13, 20). The restored gospel teaches us about the true nature of God, and so it also teaches us about ourselves and what we can become. Despite the efforts of the “wicked one” (verse 39)—and despite what you feel you may lack—you are a literal child of God with the potential to “in due time receive of his fulness” (verse 19).

https://youtu.be/3mzj-gBeAZg?si=2JS0EzsTV4gm4bkB

https://youtu.be/JBX-InLxObI?si=F-5cI1YIb6x3UeAD

https://youtu.be/tMRm1NfpQYQ?si=FECvAJzW-_fBCuAy

https://youtu.be/VZljNTyemcU?si=LL_Bz98ayO9-pNN1

Check out my book, "Feasting on the Words of Christ," where I share a simple, five-step method for receiving answers to your prayers through the scriptures. You're really going to love it!

In this episode, I continue with Doctrine & Covenants 88 and move into sections 89–92, “A Principle with a Promise.” I share the wrestle I had over releasing this episode that talks about the vaccine, why I ultimately felt impressed to publish it, and how it ties into following the prophet and learning by faith. We’ll look at what it means to submit our will to God, seek answers in the scriptures, and embrace the Word of Wisdom as both temporal counsel and spiritual promise.

“… the submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!”

“Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father”

Swallowed up in the Will of the Father

Alan Jackson - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

"Seek Learning By Faith," Elder David A. Bednar

The Power of Sustaining Faith - Elder Eyring

Synonyms for Sustain

• assist
• defend
• help
• aid
• approve
• back
• comfort
• confirm
• endorse
• support
• uphold
• validate
• verify
• lend a hand
• stand by
• stick up for

• Antonyms of sustain
• hinder
• obstruct
• condemn
• contradict
• deny
• disagree
• disapprove
• discourage
• disprove
• ignore
• invalidate
• oppose
• refuse
• reject

Melanie's Video about the Vaccine

Check out my book, "Feasting on the Words of Christ," where I share a simple, five-step method for receiving answers to your prayers through the scriptures. You're really going to love it!

In this episode, I dive into Doctrine and Covenants 88, an amazing revelation about light, glory, and the peace Christ offers us, even when life feels hard. I share how this section came in the middle of challenges for the early Saints and how it teaches us to seek God’s will, not just our own. We’ll talk about what it means to be sanctified, why consolation is just as much a gift as joy, and how the story of the brother of Jared shows the importance of doing our part before asking for miracles. Along the way, I share personal experiences, tender mercies, and lessons the Lord has been teaching me about trust, preparation, and finding light in dark places.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Hannah Kerr - Emmanuel

Neal A Maxwell - Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father

Neal A Maxwell - But for a Small Moment

Sharon Eubank - Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness

This episode is about journals, how the spirit feels and how it testifies to us, and about standing in holy places.

From the manual:

Christmas Day is usually a time to ponder messages like “peace on earth” and “good will toward men” (see Luke 2:14). But on December 25, 1832, Joseph Smith’s mind was occupied with the threat of war. South Carolina had just defied the United States government and was preparing for battle. And the Lord revealed to Joseph that this was only the beginning: “War,” He declared, “will be poured out upon all nations” (Doctrine and Covenants 87:2). It seemed like this prophecy would be fulfilled very soon.

But then it wasn’t. Within just a few weeks, South Carolina and the U.S. government reached a compromise, and war was averted. But revelation is not always fulfilled at the time or in the way we expect. Nearly 30 years later, long after Joseph S mith was martyred and the Saints had moved west, South Carolina did rebel and civil war followed. Since then, war throughout the world has caused “the earth [to] mourn” (Doctrine and Covenants 87:6). While the prophecy was ultimately fulfilled, the value of this revelation is less in predicting when calamity will come and more in teaching what to do when it does. The counsel is the same in 1831, 1861, and 2021: “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved” (verse 8).

Some of the apps I talked about were:

Chatbooks for printing your Instagram accounts

Happy Feed daily gratitude posts

Day One Journaling App

StoryWorth website sends email prompts that you fill out and return and they make it into a book.

This episode discusses the influence of the priesthood in our lives and the importance of taking the Book of Mormon seriously.

Click here for a link to the talk, “Men and Women and Priesthood Power” By Elder M. Russell Ballard

Click here for a link to the talk, “Revealed Realities of Mortality” By Elder Paul B. Pieper

Click here for the resources, “The Book of Mormon, they Keystone of our Religion,” By Ezra Taft Benson

Below is the great talk, “The Book of Mormon – Keystone of our Religion” by Ezra Taft Benson

This episode is about “Where much is given, much is required.” I also discuss how the Lord is bound when we do what He says.

This is the conference talk I referenced.

If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments

In this episode, I sit down with Standard of Truth podcast hosts Dr. Garrett Dirkmaat and Dr. Richard LeDuc—two brilliant minds who somehow make 19th-century church history as fun as late-night comedy.

We talk about what makes a source reliable, why passion doesn't equal expertise, and how to respond when someone says, “If you only knew what I know...”

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by anti-church content or wondered how to help a loved one struggling with their faith, this episode is a must-listen. It’s funny, smart, and anchored in testimony.

Listen in, laugh with us, and leave reminded that truth is worth seeking.

Here is a link to their website, Standard of Truth. Check it out.