A Christmas Question: Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?
The single most important thing that we can focus on in our lives is the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and there is not one of us to whom the Lord would not make that same query: Wilt thou be made whole?
By Sean Brotherson
I Have a Complaint
Some people are so given to complaining, if they had been there when Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes, they would have asked if He had cooked the fish long enough.
By Paul Bishop
Want an Antidote to The Three Deceivers?
Try Thanks-Giving!
"Thanksgiving" can be explored as a verb, as a noun, or as an adjective. We have tried, in years past, to write poems about where it comes from, why it is important, who it is for, when it can be felt, and how it can be increased.
By Richard Eyre
A Moment of Gratitude
Every once in a while you have one of those moments of clarity when you realize just how grateful you are for something in your life.
By Susan Law Corpany
Gratitude for a Special Friend
This Thanksgiving I am grateful for a grand woman who reached out to me and said, “I would like to be your friend.”
By Dian Thomas
True Thanksgiving
In my view, Thanksgiving should happen every week as we approach the Lord to make covenants.
By H. Wallace Goddard
"Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me"
I cannot thank the Lord enough for my son being safe and sound. I am doubly grateful the Lord would use me to help one I love more than my own life.
By Steven Kapp Perry
Gratitude: Recognizing God in His Gift
Every gift that we receive from God reflects his personality, including his power, his awareness and his love. Sadly, some people explain away their gifts as strokes of good luck while other people overlook their gifts completely.
By Larry Barkdull
This assignment will bring . . .
We had one concern when we were called on our mission to England: our family. When we walked out of President Monson's office I remember looking at my husband and saying, “This assignment will bring Cameron and Kristen a baby.”
By Heidi Swinton
A Moment Awash in Gratitude
“Troubles are not polite. They don't wait to take their turn, but often pile on you all at once. On this occasion, after a series of extreme trials, I felt noticed by the Divine, acknowledged by my Creator, and encircled in the robes of His righteousness.” Come and read this story of thanksgiving.
By Maurine Proctor
The Battle Continues
It is certainly not convenient to find ourselves assaulted in so many ways. But as the attacks on our faith increase, as Christianity is defamed, we can find strength through our prophets and keep Christ in our hearts.
By Paul Bishop
Contrasts and Foils in Scripture
17th Century artists employed a technique called chiaroscuro where the extreme contrasts between light and darkness are highlighted to achieve dramatic and emotional effect and to create depth.
By W. Jeffrey Walsh
How Evil Poses as Good
Evil masks itself, tries to pretend it represents all that is intelligent, forward-thinking and enlightened. The Book of Mormon turns a spotlight on this illusion.
By Maurine Proctor
Pouting before the Lord
It is tempting to want God to be, in C.S. Lewis's words, a “cosmic bellboy” or a “senile old benevolent” whose highest aim is to make sure the children are having a good time. It is tempting to hope that God is there merely to wait on our needs, jump at our demands, make our path a freeway to success and take us off the bumpy roads.
By Maurine Proctor
“Behold Never Was There a Happier Time”
Smack dab in the middle of the war chapters in the Book of Mormon, this surprising line about happiness appears!
By G.G. Vandagriff
One Heart at a Time
President Monson, found a man one night at 2:00 a.m. in the hospital, who needed his support, and as so many other times, he stepped forward.
By G.G. Vandagriff
Exercising Faith
Faith is not merely a positive attitude in our own minds, but is a power that centers in the perfect character and caring of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior Jesus Christ.
By W. Jeffrey Walsh
Are You Willing to Receive the Blessings of God?
Too often we fail to recognize the Lord's intervention and His tender mercies—which are always exactly what we need whether we realize it or not.
By Darla Isackson
Grace Under Pressure
We can be true and hopeful when prayers are answered and the crops come in, but what about when we kneel in need and seem to hear only the echo of our own voice?
By Maurine Proctor
The
Haunting Message of Haun's Mill
One clear morning at Haun's Mill,
the children were happily playing, not knowing what was about
to happen because their parents hadn't heeded a prophet's counsel.
By Darla Isackson
Where
have all the Prophets Gone?
Chapter One, Part 1
The Early Christian Fathers and Nonbiblical Writings
When Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”,
he may have been very aware that this is one of the most complex
and controversial issues of all time. Part of the reason it remains
so alive lies in how we perceive truth.
By Scott R. Petersen
Where have all the Prophets Gone?
A Condensed Exploration of the Apostasy
Today we begin publishing one man's ten year quest to understand and document the apostasy — not just the apostasy from the Church of Jesus Christ in the Meridian of time — but the apostasy from all other priesthood dispensations. Written in an easy-to-understand style, and using the Bible, selected Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha, the Dead Seas Scrolls, and the earliest Christian writings, Where Have All the Prophets Gone? attempts to carefully uncover the apostasy as never before. Join with us in this great journey through the ages.
By Scott R. Petersen
Searching
the Scriptures — A Personal Journey
I had such a wonderful experience yesterday
morning in my personal scripture study I wanted to not only share
it with you, but walk you through the process so that it might
be of some benefit. This is a very personal article. Please come
and enjoy this with me.
By Scot Facer Proctor
Are
We an Obedient People? Our Lives May Depend on It!
Too often
we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the
ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot
happen here.
On
Norms, Phobias, and Feeling Safe within Imperfect Faith Communities
We must examine our hearts with
respect to those who struggle for any reason. Unloving hearts,
such as the one attributed to the brother of the prodigal son,
will not make us a safe society.
By
Jim Birrell
Thanksgiving
with the Zoramites
A sincerely humble gratitude is
different than a boast.
By
Scott A. Hanks
Thank
You to the Ones We've Never Met
This Thanksgiving there are thousands
of people I have never met, to whom I owe a debt that cannot be
repaid.
By
Orson Scott Card
The
Many Faces of Forgiveness: A Deeper Look at the Atonement
I know the Lord ... will help me
fight my inner battles. He will make up the difference between
what I lack and what is required, until the victory is complete
and I am fully His.
By
Darla Isackson
Comfort
in the Aftermath of Loss
"There's a myth that suggests
that people who take their lives have committed an unpardonable
sin. I'm here to tell you today that's just flat out not true."
By
Darla Isackson
Start
Now to Give a Christmas Gift to Jesus
What kinds of gifts will show our
love for Jesus Christ, will be gifts that please him most, and
that are within our power to give?
by
Janet Peterson
The
Barber and the Golden Rule
His father wasn't just having his
hair cut in the kitchen. He was teaching a long-remembered lesson
on compassion.
By
Joel W. Darrington
My
Son’s Suicide: Seeking Gospel Perspectives
What can you learn about God and his comfort in
the very worst of times?
by
Darla Isackson
The
Calling of an Apostle
We’ve all had the calling
of an apostle on our minds these past two months as we lost our
beloved Elder Neal A. Maxwell on July 21st and our dear and tender
Elder David B. Haight just ten days later. In order to understand
the calling of an apostle more clearly, a story is told about
an obscure, wind-swept piece of land in northwestern Missouri
where a quiet meeting was held some 165 years ago.
By
Scot Facer Proctor
At
the Recommend Desk
I arrived for my assignment at the
recommend desk a little out of sorts. Granted that this was not
the right attitude for someone who was to spend the next two hours
welcoming patrons to the temple, but my back hurt and my feet
were sore.
By
Steve Orton
Neal
Maxwell:A Personal Touch
How could Neal Maxwell be so kind to just
another random face in the crowd?
By
Maurine Jensen Proctor
Let
It Go!
I have heard it said that forgiveness
is the willingness to give up hope for a better past. How true!
By
Jim Birrell
Turning
50: Things I Wish I'd Known Before
What has life taught you to this
point? What have been the little and big lessons? Turning 50,
Meridian writer, Jim Birrell, wrote down some insights and out
takes on what the journey has taught him thus far. For example,
this is not a Burger King world--and it's not always going to
happen your way.
By
Jim Birrell
That
He May Know According to the Flesh How to Succor
His People in Their Infirmities
Christ's suffering served multiple
purposes. The prophet Alma throws light on one aspect of that
infinite experience.
By
G.G. Vandagriff
Broken
Hearts Let In the Light of Christ
Why does the Lord require the sacrifice
of a broken heart? Why would He want us to wade through sorrow
in this life?
By
Darla Isackson
A
Heart at War
Why We Must
Forgive
You want to be at peace with the
world and everyone in it--but you've been hurt and offended. You
still feel the wounds. What can you do?
By Robert L. Greer
Obedience:The
Doorway to Freedom
We all begin with the same divine
gift of agency, but every choice we make either adds to our freedom
or restricts it.
Part
2
by
Brent L. Top
Obedience:
The Doorway to Freedom
Part 1
One of the most important messages
of the Book of Mormon for our day--for young and old alike—is
how agency really operates.
by Brent L. Top
The
Temple Express: A Tale of Two Sisters
When two sisters in a ward decided
to attend the temple every week (which was 2-1/2 hours away),
they didn't know the spirit of their expedition would spread so
far.
Virtual
Historian: An Integrated Approach to the Study of the Doctrine
& Covenants
A new software program allows
you to take an arm-chair tour of Church history, step into more
than 100 photographs as if you were there, and find multiple references
to enhance your study of the Doctrine & Covenants with the
click of a mouse.
By
Greg DeVore
Cry
Unto the Lord
The roadblock to greater
spirituality posed by "praying without really praying"
is all too prevalent in the world today, even in the lives of
those who profess to know the power of prayer and how to pray.
by Brent L. Top
Hard
Questions and Keeping the Faith
Why do some people assail the Church? Should
we respond to critics? How should we deal with hard questions
and accusations? Were can we find answers?
By
Michael R. Ash
My
Thoughts on The Passion of Christ
Meridian's editors said they
wouldn't put in one more article on The Passion of Christ, thinking
our readers had probably seen enough. Then this one came in and
we couldn't resist.
by
James
R. Birrell
Generosity
in Forgiving Others
Joseph
learned early in his ministry about the importance of mercifully
forgiving others. He had experienced the joy of forgiveness during
his first vision, when he heard the Savior’s voice declare,
“Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee.” [i]
By
W. Jeffrey Marsh
Dealing
with Personal Injustices
Lessons from the Life and Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith
Have you been offended or treated
unjustly? Given a wound that does not seem to heal easily? Joseph
Smith walked that same rocky road and left insightful ideas to
lift our burdens.
By W. Jeffrey Marsh
Who
Was Responsible for the Death of Jesus?
The recent release of The Passion
of the Christ has created quite a stir in a society that is already
saturated with those claiming to present the true picture of Jesus.
Scholars at BYU have carefully been studying the last hours of
Christ and shed some insight.
By
Thomas A. Wayment
Have
you Inquired of the Lord?
It was a shocking moment in
church when his daughter turned to him and said, "I'm going
home! I don't believe any of this stuff, anyway!"
by Brent
L. Top
Springing
the Comparison Trap
Comparing ourselves to others
is detrimental to our well-being and a sign of pride. The Savior
offers a way out of this harmful trap.
by Darla Isackson
He
Did Deliver Me from Bondage
An
Introduction
Darla introduces us to He Did Deliver
Me from Bondage, a powerful guide for serious seekers.
by
Darla Isackson
Grace
Under Pressure
We can be true and hopeful when prayers
are answered and the crops come in, but what about when we kneel
in need and seem to hear only the echo of our own voice?
By Maurine Proctor
The
Interloper
He'll never forget the night he
accidentally was moved into the crowd of VIPs touring the newly-opened
Washington D.C. temple.
By
Steve Orton
Fathers
and Forgiveness
"I
Guess I Came to Feel the Same Way about God as I Felt About My
Father"
by
Darla Isackson
Except
Ye Become As Little Children
Every
year when Mother’s Day and Father’s Day roll around,
I somehow think we ought to have a day to honor children too!
Not by giving gifts or indulging them as we do on many holidays,
but by recognizing their pure spirits.
by
Darla Isackson
Perspectives
on Prayer
How
different my prayers are when I can feel His nearness and His
love, when I am trusting Him completely, seeking His will because
I know He wants what is best for me, than when I am desperately
pleading to get my will done!
by Darla Isackson
When
Help Hinders
As
members of Christ’s church, we are a service-oriented group,
and that is as it should be. Christlike service strengthens
the recipient and can dispel dark clouds of discouragement hovering
over the hopeless. However, not all service strengthens, and some
help hinders.
by Darla Isackson
What
Are the Chances? Thinking about the Big Questions
When
people find out I am a pretty recent convert, they often ask me
why I converted. The answer has mostly to do with a heart-changing
experience with the Holy Spirit. But there is another point that
bears considering: before I became a member of the church I rarely
spent much time thinking about the Big Questions.
by Geoffrey Biddulph
What
Do We Treasure?
With
Christmas behind us, we may be faced with a new dilemma: how to
make room for new “things” when our closets and cupboards
are already jam-packed. Some home management texts include the
rule: “Whenever you buy something new, get rid of something
unwanted.” They suggest that the number of items that flow
into our homes should equal the number of items that flow out.
Seems like good advice, so why is it so hard to follow? We know
that if we do not get rid of things, we may find ourselves unwisely
seeking a larger home, renting storage space, or living in constant
chaos!
by Darla Isackson
Is
the Giving Enough?
Giving
is to Christmas like snow is to an Idaho winter. It can swirl
around our celebration like a pesky blizzard delaying progress
to our destination or it can cover our mundane cares with sparkling
excitement and beauty. Why is some giving so satisfying, other
giving such a burden and frustration? What are our motivations
for giving? How much should we give? What constitutes genuine
Christlike giving?
by Darla Isackson
Brazil's
Poor
How
do you know if you’ve done enough, when there are so many
who are desperately poor?
by
Geoffrey Biddulph
When
Help Hinders
As
members of Christ’s church, we are a service-oriented group,
and that is as it should be. Christlike service strengthens
the recipient and can dispel dark clouds of discouragement hovering
over the hopeless. However, not all service strengthens, and some
help hinders.
by Darla
Isackson
The
Healing Blessings of the Temple
Editor’s
Note: Our beloved writer, G.G. Vandagriff, has not been with Meridian
for about a year as she has been afflicted with a severe illness.
We are excited and grateful that she has recovered enough to again
be on the pages of Meridian.
by
G.G.
Vandagriff
