Promises in the Scriptures
By Linda Magleby
For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.
Alma 37:17
There once was a young boy who had a very important question. He wanted to know which church was right so he could join it. He read a promise in the Bible in James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” The boy believed that promise. He believed that if he sincerely asked Heavenly Father which church was right, he would get an answer.
You have probably guessed that the boy’s name was Joseph Smith. He studied the scriptures and believed in the promise. He prayed and was given a wonderful answer—Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared and told him not to join any of the churches. Joseph learned for himself that the promise in James is true, that a person who lacks wisdom can pray to Heavenly Father and receive an answer. Many answers will come not from a heavenly appearance but through the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
There are many stories in the scriptures about Heavenly Father making promises. The scriptures also teach us that Heavenly Father always keeps His promises. When we study the scriptures, we learn about His promises to us.
Handout: Scripture Bookmarks
To make the bookmarks on page 20, mount the page on heavy paper, cut on the solid black lines, fold along the dotted lines, and glue backs together. Read each scripture and write on the blank lines the promise made. Keep these bookmarks in your scriptures as a reminder to read every day.
Bookmarks
Illustrated by Dilleen Marsh
