Opposition

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." (2 Nephi 2:11)

Lehi now specifically starts talking to Jacob.  I think the concept that he shares with Jacob here is a very central part of God's plan that we don't talk about very often. We talk a lot about agency, or our freedom to choose, but there is a key point that Lehi makes here: if there was no opposition, our choices and our life experience would be meaningless.  If there wasn't ever a "bad choice" that could be made, have we really chosen good?  In addition to this, our experience would be limited because we couldn't comprehend the good without the bad.

"And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil." (2 Nephi 2:5)

He starts out by first stating that we (mankind) have been given enough knowledge (from God) to know good from evil.  But how do you know good unless you've also been made aware of the evil?

Speaking about the need for opposition, Lehi said:

"If not so, ...righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness...Wherefore, all things must be compound in one;" (2 Nephi 2:11)

He then proceeded to explain that if there wasn't opposition, the earth would have been "..created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation.  Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God" (2 Nephi 2:12)

He goes on to explain that if there is no opposition, there is no God.  I think the idea of God creating an earth with no purpose is just ridiculous, and I think Lehi felt that way as well, so he was explaining that without these opposites, there couldn't be a God because of how ridiculous the idea really is.  He goes further to explain that "if there is no God we are not, neither the earth" (2 Nephi 2:13)

I think really Lehi is trying to drive home the point of how important this concept really is.  He sums it up nicely:

"Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself.  Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other." (2 Nephi 2:16)

If there weren't opposition, then our choices would be meaningless.  We wouldn't have any real test here on earth, because we couldn't choose wrong because there is no right. 

I am grateful to God for the opportunity to experience this life.  Sure there are ups and downs, and there are times when life gets kind of hard.  But the reality is, I couldn't know the good parts without seeing and experiencing the bad parts at least a little.  The joy and the peace that I have experienced wouldn't mean very much if I had not also experienced sorrow and turmoil in my own earthly experience.

I would like to add one caveat.  Some people take this concept and twist it a little to justify sin and wickedness because they need that experience to fully enjoy righteousness.  I'm not saying that you have to experience turning away and choosing wickedness in order to experience following God and choosing righteousness.  It is enough for me to see others who have gone before make those choices and see the results of them.  I also can experience more joy when I see other peoples' sorrow.  I don't necessarily have to have experienced the opposite myself.  Sure, it can be a little more poignant sometimes if I personally experience it, but the fact that this life has opposition doesn't mean I need to experience the full spectrum myself to appreciate the good.

Last Words

"Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth." (2 Nephi 1:14)

This is Lehi talking to his sons.  He knows he's not long for this earth,  it is interesting to read the last words of a prophet to his children.  Someone who has so much insight into the mind and will of the Lord surely has some good advice.

"I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning.

My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts the Lord your God should come out in the fulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed forever;" (2 Nephi 1:16-17)

Is it really any surprise that he tells his children that he wants them to be righteous? It is something that as a parent, I am certain that had worried him his whole life. He was especially concerned when he had the vision of the tree of life, and some of his children wouldn't come and partake of the fruit. Here he uses phrases like "anxiety of my soul" and "weighed down with sorrow". He really felt strongly about this and has been trying to get his children to live the commandments,

"And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things..." (2 Nephi 1:21)

"Arise from the dust and be men".  That is a great quote.  It is such a good image of someone sitting/lying in the dust.  They rise up, brush off the dust, and face the world, Being a man is so much more than being a tough guy, or to be very strong or any of the things the world considers to be "manly" traits. It means so much more.  In fact, I think it often means being less of what the world looks to as the definition of a "man". More compassion and love.  More watchful care.  Less anger and violence. Less pride.  This is great advice to give to your children.

"Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise;" (2 Nephi 1:24)

And finally, his thoughts turn to Nephi, who had been faithful and righteous through all their afflictions in the wilderness, even though nobody else did. Nephi had been treated very poorly throughout this journey, and here is another plea from an aging father for his children to get along.  I'm sure these are all things that fathers want from their children. I know I do.

This Land

"Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever." (2 Nephi 1:7)

This theme is pretty prevalent in the Book of Mormon: that the Americas are a choice land that has been given to several groups as a promised land, and that it would be a blessed and free place, depending on the righteousness of those that God led there.

It occurred to me, though, that this idea goes deeper than just the physical location of those that were led here. I was just thinking of how blessed I am, and the freedoms that I enjoy in my own mind as I try to be righteous.  If I serve God according to the commandments He has given, I can have liberty.  Liberty from the consequences of sin.  Liberty from the guilt that accompanies knowing that I'm not doing what I should.  Cursed be "the land" of my own life and mind if iniquity abounds.

But unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever,

Protection for the Righteous

"...he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved...Wherefore, the righteous need not fear" (1 Nephi 22:17)

"...the righteous shall not perish..." (1 Nephi 22:19)

"And the righteous need not fear..." (1 Nephi 22:22)

I didn't really ever think about this before, but this is a quote by Nephi, speaking to his brothers.  He was just quoting the scriptures, teaching his brothers. But some of the things he was quoting makes me wondering if he really was really just trying to help them decide to take the path of righteousness.  In the course of just a few verses, he explains the protection and blessings that come to the righteous.

I think that even through Nephi had suffered at the hands of his brothers, he loved them and didn't want them to perish because of wickedness. Even though Lehi, in his dream, saw Laman and Lemuel choosing not to follow the iron rod, Lehi and Nephi weren't giving up on their family. Not just not giving up, but they continued to teach them and love them.

I think a lot of families can learn from this.  I have heard many people in a similar boat, where they have family members who fall away or whatever.  We should never give up. On them, on ourselves, or this life. It is an amazing thing that our loving Heavenly Father has given us so much. Imagine how He feels when we or others we know falls off the straight and narrow, and I'm sure He wants for everyone in that situation to get back on the straight and narrow, but He won't force them.  We need to be like Nephi and never give up, and continue to teach, testify and invite those people we know who need the gospel more fully in their lives.

My Strength

"...my God shall be my strength." (1 Nephi 21:5)

People don't really talk this way anymore.  This happened in the old days, when people relied on themselves less and on God more.  I'm speaking generally, of course. There are a lot of people who rely on God, but not enough.  See, when we start to rely on our own strength (the arm of the flesh) to get through, even the strongest will fail.  We are human, after all.

I think the problem lies in which target we are shooting for.  When the goal is to get wealth or fame, or even just get by from day to day providing the things we need, it is easy to start depending on our own strength. I mean, God is great, but I've got to get to work to earn a paycheck, right? When our goal is the eternities, it doesn't change the necessity of providing temporally for our families, but the purpose changes. We start trying to live better lives and we start to use our strength not only for our own good,  but also our families, and society at large. When God sees that we will do this with whatever strength we may have, He steps in and provides us strength that we didn't know we had (because we don't, at least not on our own).

Sometimes I forget. Getting caught up in the day to day makes it easy. However, I know that I am happier, and ultimately more successful when I remember this fact: that God loves me and wants me to succeed, and be happy. He is concerned with and aware of my worries and fears. He has provided strength for me in hard times in my life. I have felt Him there. I know that this is true, for I feel of His love through the Spirit even now as I write, testifying to me of these things. And for that I am grateful.  And that really does give me strength.

Peace as a River

"O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments--then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea." (1 Nephi 20:18)

I read this statement, and I'm picturing a loving father, expressing sorrow for a child gone astray. I'm imagining that this father has done what he can to teach and help the child. But the child must make their own decisions.

As a father, I can sympathize with this, if even on a much smaller scale. When my kids make poor decisions, especially regarding things I've cautioned them about, it is painful to watch them go through consequences that could have been avoided,

On a much larger scale, our Heavenly Father has laid out a plan for us.  He has given us everything we need to be able to return home to Him. However, many of us do not listen or obey. We do not hearken to His commandments, and we suffer needless consequences.

That's not to say that if we live righteously, we will have an easy life.  In fact, the above quote doesn't say anything about that. However, if we hearken to the commandments, our peace will be like a river, ever flowing, steadfastly and constantly.  Who doesn't want peace like that?

The Furnace of Affliction

"I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." (1 Nephi 20:10)

We have come to earth to be tested.  Everyone in this life has lots of challenges as well as blessings, and not only that, but we all experience things differently. Similar experiences for individual people might be perceived in very different ways.  But everyone passes through afflictions and hard times.

A refiner often separates impurities through a burning process. It gets super heated and that heat burns off all the impurities, until what you are left with is pure material.  This same thing happens to us.  We go through the often painful process called life. We all have afflictions and struggles, things that we don't really want to go through. However, if we endure them well, we come out of all of this refined, or purified.

I know I could use some refining, how about you?

The Book of Mormon is Sacred

"I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred." (1 Nephi 19:6)

This is pretty straight forward.  Everything that Nephi (and those after him) writes in the Book of Mormon is sacred. I think this is interesting because there are a number of things that don't seem all that sacred. But you can find meaning in even the most "mundane" parts.

I love the Book of Mormon, and I know it was written for these latter days for us. To help us in a world where things sometimes get out of control, we have these sacred writings to lean on, and I'm so grateful for that.

Watch Out for the Slippery Slope

"behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness." (1 Nephi 18:9)

So as I read this passage, I couldn't help but think that it seems to me that nobody just suddenly goes from good to evil.  More likely, a good person starts to make decisions that aren't great, and they go farther and farther off the straight and narrow.  This scripture to me illustrates this.  It doesn't specifically say this, but I think this verse represents a progression of getting worse and worse to the point where these people tied Nephi to the boat for several days, presumably to let him die. How do you go from humbling yourself and helping Nephi build a boat, to this, in a pretty short timeline? 

It is what I was describing before.  

It is easy to be led away by the small choices we make. Satan won't have an easy time convincing a righteous person to do something seriously wrong.  However, he might help them "forget" to read their scriptures and/or say their prayers.  He might convince them to stay home some weeks from church. Making these decisions drives away the spirit, which makes it progressively harder and harder to make good decisions.

It seems to me that we (meaning I, really) can't afford to be lax on the little things, or we might go further down the wrong path than we want.

Where Do I Find Ore?

"8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.

9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?

10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools."

 (1 Nephi 17:8-10)

Something that often happens when we receive direction from the Lord is that we expect Him to just hand to us everything we need to make it work.  Sometimes He does, but often it is more like this experience of Nephi's. The overall task is assigned, but the execution isn't spelled out.

So Nephi, with his faith, didn't wait for the Lord to provide him with all of the tools he needed to build a ship. He just went to the Lord and wanted to take the first step that he could see, which was gathering supplies. He knew he needed some tools that he didn't already have, so he figured he had to make them. Through his faith, the Lord was able to guide him to the ore.

In life, I know I'm quite frequently in the group that just expects things to be handed to them. I really see how important it is to just get moving on an assignment from God, and we need to be willing to do His work. He will provide a way for us to accomplish what he asks us to do, even if it's not necessarily the way that we would hve chosen for ourselves. We are definitely blessed for acting in that way.

Where to Turn for Direction

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?" (1 Nephi 16:23)

I've always been fascinated by this account of Nephi's. To set up the story, Lehi and his family were commanded to continue further into the wilderness, and they had just received the Liahona, which worked according to their faith, pointing the direction that they should go. Along the way, they hunted for food. At some point, their bows were all broken or worn out, so they were useless, and according to the account, everyone except for Nephi was murmuring, Lehi included! Nephi could very easily have just turned to the Lord, and I'm sure He would have received an answer. But he didn't do this.  He went to his father. He went to one who was murmuring about their lack of food.

And yet if you think about it the right way, it makes sense. Nephi had grown to respect and value his father's teachings and advice. So turning to him seems only natural.  Also, Nephi knew he needed the Lord's help to know where to go hunting, and Lehi wasn't just their father, he was their spiritual leader. Another way Nephi's actions make sense is that he knew his father to be a righteous man, and without rebuking him or calling him to repentance, Nephi still helped him choose a better way and trust the Lord instead of murmur against Him.

As it turns out, Lehi repents and finds out where Nephi should go, and Nephi ends up finding them lots of food.

This one act alone shows me how humble Nephi is.  In other accounts, we see how courageous or how faithful he is, but here we learn about his humility. How he was willing to go to someone else to get help and direction from the Lord, even though he clearly was as capable and experienced with getting help directly from the Lord.

I love Nephi.  He was a great man, and is a great example to me.

Look to the Lord

"And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.

For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought."

 (1 Nephi 15:2-3)

I wonder if Nephi ever stopped being surprised at his brothers' behavior.

Anyway, Nephi heard about his father's dream, and he wanted to understand it better and gain his own testimony of it, so he prayed.  It turns out, he was visited by an angel, who explained many things about Lehi's dream.  Nephi just finishes up having these things explained to him, when he hears his brothers whining about how difficult it is to understand the words of Lehi about the dream.

Such different approaches with such differing results! Laman and Lemuel just chose to complain and ultimately just ignore advice from their father.  They explain to Nephi that they hadn't asked God, and it was probably just as well because according to them, He probably wouldn't tell them anyway. Nephi on the other hand, was missing some knowledge, so he asked the Lord, and he gave Nephi a great vision, not only explaining what the dream meant, but also a great many other things regarding Nephi's descendents.  Nephi's eyes were opened because his heart was opened.

I like this concept because I wonder how much we do this.  I wonder how often we have questions, and yet we don't take the opportunity to ask God, or (as it says in the quote) we harden our hearts and don't look to the Lord as we ought. How often do I sit and spin my wheels, not sure of a decision to make, or because I'm being stubborn and won't get help? 

I know that God is there for me and will answer my prayers.  And I hope it can be said of me one day, that I "Looked to the Lord as I ought."

No More Stumbling Blocks?

"And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks" (1 Nephi 14:1)

I first read this and thought to myself "that statement isn't always true". In other words, I was thinking what it was saying is that if we (the Gentiles) will hearken unto Christ, our pain and suffering would be eased, or that our trials would be fewer, or easier to get through.

The more I thought about it though, I realized that it says that the Lord will only take away our stumbling blocks. In other words, we will have help in not stumbling.  That is not to say that we won't run into things, or kick some rocks on the way up the hill but they won't make us stumble.  In real world application, I think this means that the act of choosing the right increases our power to choose the right in the future because 1) we know we can do it, and 2) we have increased ability and fewer stumbling blocks in making those right choices,

I appreciate this distinction, because life isn't easy, but we need to make correct choices anyway. This life is our test to see if we will do all the things we are commanded. And the more we do, the more we will be able to.

Thanksgiving

"And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land." (1 Nephi 13:12)

I think it's interesting that out of all the things that I could have read today, on Thanksgiving, I read about Nephi foreseeing the pilgrims coming to the Americas. It goes on to talk about how they battled and won with the help of God.  The reason we celebrate Thanksgiving is truly based in the fact that this is really the promised land, as the Lord has said many times in the Book of Mormon.  We celebrate abundance and how much we have been blessed with.

On this Thanksgiving day, I just thought I'd mention how grateful I am for everything. I recognize that everything that I have in my life comes from God, and without Him, I would have and be nothing.

Let's try to remember how grateful we are, and not just remember, but show our gratitude. Show it to God, our families, our neighbors, and really everyone around us.  I remember one sweet old lady who I loved talking to.  She would always point out how wonderful things were. Things that I have certainly taken for granted in my life, but I loved talking to her because it would remind me that I need to be grateful all the time, for even the simplest blessings.

Christ's Visit Was Known

"And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them." (1 Nephi 12:6)

So this is around 600 years before Christ was born. While Nephi was learning more about his father's dream from the angel, he had the opportunity to see many generations passing away.  I'm saddened by the fact that he saw his own descendants fighting and going back and forth between evil and good. I think that would be a difficult thing to see. However, there is certainly a highlight, which I have quoted.

The Savior visiting the Nephites is the crowning event of the Book of Mormon, and the initial author of that book saw it take place in a vision.  For someone with as much faith as Nephi, that must have brought great joy and excitement, along with a sense of urgency to teach his children and their children (and so on) the truths of the gospel so that they could be numbered among those that were present for the Savior's visit.  So learning the gospel from the things that Nephi wrote about after this vision helps us to know the things that will lead us to that kind of life.  The life that allows us to see such miracles.

This is something I can directly apply to my life, because I know Christ will come again, and I want to be in that same boat when he does--living the kind of life that allows me to be on His side (and maybe even near His side), fighting for His cause. I know He lives and loves me, and I love Him too.

Condescension of God

"Knowest thou the condescension of God?" (1 Nephi 11:16)

This is a question that an angel asked Nephi as he was having his questions answered about his father's dream.  After Lehi told his family about his dream of the tree of life, Nephi wanted to know more about it and to understand it better, so he asked questions, and was visited by an angel to answer them and help him understand.

My understanding of this phrase, the "Condescension of God", is simply that Jesus Christ, as an eternal, all-powerful being, came down to earth, clothed in a mortal body, and subjected Himself to the human condition. Sickness, sorrow, and temptation were all part of this existence.  This served two purposes. First, to provide an atonement for the rest of us, who could not make it back to heaven without it. This is something I am extremely grateful for, because it certainly isn't something I could do for myself. Second, to provide Him with experience such that He could truly give us the help we needed whenever we face trials and tribulations. The One who has power to create worlds, and so certainly has the ability to help me in my trials, can actually understand where I'm coming from.  We're not talking about some remote, uncaring, unfeeling being who condemns us for every mistake, but someone who understands the difficulty that we are faced with and wants to be there for us to help us.  Someone who also has a title of Advocate. Someone who is there to plead our case because 1) He understands us and our motivations, and 2) He atoned for us so He has every right to do so,

"I marvel that He would descend from His throne divine, to rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine."  

This line from the hymn "I Stand All Amazed" is really the essence of this post. Not only do I know He did it, but I'm blown away by that fact. That little old me has the attention of the Creator of the universe is almost unbelievable, but the fact is, I know He is there and cares about me and helps me along the way. 

I stand all amazed indeed.

You Can Know for Yourself

"after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God--and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come--I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him" (1 Nephi 10:17)

I just like that Nephi listened to his dad, and wanted to know for himself. He could have been just as faithful and obedient if he just believed everything that his dad told him, but it is through this desire that Nephi really becomes the great man that he was. His leadership, diligence, and faith all really stem from this one attribute: a desire to know for himself.

So often, you hear religious people (of any denomination, really) being accused of being brainwashed or blindly following their religious leaders.  I personally don't want to be this way. I want to act because I know, not because someone else says they know. There is definitely a place for leaning on other peoples convictions sometimes, but all in all, there is so much more power in knowing the truth for yourself.  Nephi had been through a lot, and he was a great man, but not because he just did what dad said to do. It was because when his father said something, Nephi would ask and find out for himself what was right and true.

So it is with us. We can listen to general conference. We can hear the words of the prophets.  We can sit across the desk from the bishop as he extends a calling.  We can listen to a teacher giving a good lesson at church. That's all great, but we need to go a step further than that. Arguably, the greatest thing about his life is that we have personal access to the Supreme Creator, God listens to us. He is there for us. He answers us. He loves us. He will tell us things (through the Holy Ghost, as Nephi points out). We can know for ourselves.

I know for myself, because I have followed this pattern.  I have heard and read things from inspired people, and I have asked my Father in Heaven, and He took the time out of His busy schedule to answer me. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I know that the gospel is true. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and has a plan for me. I know for myself because I asked and found out.

Trust me, God will tell you. You just have to ask, wanting sincerely to know the answer.

A Wise Purpose

"Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him" (1 Nephi 9:5)

The first few books of the Book of Mormon come straight from the small plates of Nephi. The Lord actually commands him to make two sets of plates, one that is more of a history, and one that is for a record of the ministry.  The small plates are the ones that Nephi makes to keep a record of the ministry. In other places in his record, he talks about these plates being reserved for the most precious things and things like that.

Nephi didn't know why the Lord told him to make another set of plates, but he trusted the Lord's commandments and knew that for some reason, which presumably is a "wise purpose" (because come on, everything the Lord does is for a wise purpose, right?), and he made them and kept them diligently.

All I know is that the Book of Mormon and its teachings have changed countless lives. People and generations are different because of the contents of these plates that Nephi made. In fact, I am different because of them.

I know the Book of Mormon is true, and I am very glad that Nephi was as faithful as he was, both as an example, and also to provide some very wonderful, inspiring content to shaper our lives.

Heed Them Not

"...but we heeded them not." (1 Nephi 8:33)

Lehi has a dream. The dream is pretty well known. In this dream, he sees the iron rod leading up to the tree whose fruit is desirable above all other fruit. Through the course of his dream, he sees several different groups of people.  Some are making their way to the tree, and others are making their way towards (or are already in) a great and spacious building, which we find out later represents the pride of the world. [Side Note: It is notable that this building stood as if it was in the air, or in other words, had no foundation. In other words, that is not a stable, long-lasting place to be.] At some point, the people in the building would notice those people making their way toward the tree of life, or those who were eating the fruit, and started mocking and making fun of them. Some of the people who were eating (in other words, these were people who had "made it") and saw them mocking, and they started to feel self conscious and ashamed, and would fall away.

Lehi describes that he and Sariah, Nephi and Sam, who had all made it to the tree, saw the mocking people in the big building, and heeded them not.  They didn't even give them the time of day. 

It is a representation of life.  We work hard to get to that precious fruit, which represents the love of God. At times, even though we "make it", meaning that we've tasted the love of God, we meet cross roads, where we have to decide whether we are committed or not. Whether we want to stay there, continuing to partake of that fruit, or if we are going to choose other paths.  The problem is, Satan is sneaky.  He knows that if we are presented with these two options: partake of the love of God, or turning away from that love, nobody would choose the latter. However, from a distance, sometimes other fruit might look more delicious.  People might convince us that it is the best fruit they've ever tasted, and we go give it a try. The temptations to stray come mostly in the form of "this way is better" or "it's not too far from the straight and narrow, you can get back easily enough" or even "you've made it to the tree, and eaten the fruit, it's time to sit and the base of the tree and relax".

I think overall, the message is clear.  No matter where the temptations come from or whether the world thinks less of our decisions to partake of the fruit, we need to "heed them not", as Lehi and the righteous of his family do, and also as it says in one of my favorite hymns:

Fear not, though the enemy deride;

Courage, for the Lord is on our side.

We will heed not what the wicked may say,

But the Lord alone we will obey.

(Let Us All Press On, Hymn 243)

All Things Through Faith

"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." (1 Nephi 7:12)

Nephi and his brothers again are sent back to Jerusalem, this time to convince Ishmael and his family to come with them. I'm thinking Ishmael's daughters were probably pretty hot or something, because Nephi doesn't say anything about his older brothers complaining about having to go back for this task, but I digress.

They do, however, rebel on their way back and get mad at Nephi.  They probably all got to talking about how crazy the situation was, and how "because of Nephi", they were going to have a much harder life than if they lived in Jerusalem, and so on and so on, to the point whee it escalated so much in their minds, that they were going to kill Nephi and leave him in the wilderness to be food for the wild animals. They tied him up, and with the Lord's help, he was able to escape his bonds and talk to them.

Luckily,  a couple of people stood up for Nephi, and he ended up talking to the whole group.  He reminds them about how they had already seen amazing things (they saw an angel the last time they went to Jerusalem) and events (they were provided a way to get the brass plates and stay safe from Laban). 

I love what Nephi reminds them of at this point (the quote from verse 12).  The Lord can do anything for us (if it is His will), if we will only exercise faith in Him.

Faith.  That's the key.  Faith is action-based.  We act when we have faith. But the truth is, we are weak and compared to God, we are pretty much powerless.  We can only do so much within our human abilities. However, when we have God on our side, we can do anything.  I mean, there are many accounts of mountains moving, seas parting, tempests calming, sicknesses being healed, and dead being raised. More subtle, but I think more common, and arguably more impactful, there are amazing miracles that happen all the time, such as hearts being softened, grief being comforted, truths being understood and answers being given. So I repeat, when we have God on our side, we can do ANYTHING.

We just need faith.

Intentions

"For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved." (1 Nephi 6:4)

The fullness of Nephi's intent. He doesn't qualify that at all. I think this statement could be made my any true disciple. Everything you do is to persuade men to be saved (and there's only one way to be saved: Christ). This doesn't mean you abandon all things temporal and become a lifelong, full time missionary, but that you choose to do things every day with that purpose. So you ask yourself, with every decision you make, which choice would bring people to Christ.

Some decisions wouldn't seem to tie into this at all. For example, what I am going to wear. However, this decision can sometimes be critical when put in the light of that one question. If I dress a certain way (sloppily, immodestly, or with clothes that make me look like I can't be trusted), how can I possibly help bring people to Christ? Another example, what I am going to eat? If I don't eat healthily, and don't take care of my body, how can I have the energy or be healthy enough to share the gospel the way I need to?

I hope to make that question be more prevalent in my decision-making process in more of what I do each day. Do I have bringing people to Christ as my top priority?

Make Room

"I desire the room that I may write of the things of God." (1 Nephi 6:3)

Nephi is talking about making his record, and he doesn't want to use up the space on his plates with things that are written elsewhere. [Side note: This is an interesting observation when you take into consideration the number of things he quotes from Isaiah later on, but that's conversation for another day.]

Normally, when I read this kind of thing, I think about how this points to the fact that we need to realize that everything Nephi wrote would qualify as "the things of God", and how every little thing that Nephi (and subsequently those others who wrote in and/or abridged the records that re now known as the Book of Mormon) was included for a purpose.  While I still think that is a valid point, this is not the point that I felt as I read this passage.

What stood out to me was the following question, adapted for my life:

"Do I desire the room [in my life] that I may [ponder, study, act on, and even write about] the things of God?"

Like that night in Bethlehem thousands of years ago, will I make room in the inn (my heart, mind, life) for the miracle that is Jesus Christ?

I have good days with this and not so good days with this. I make room in parts of my life, but not others. I can do so much better, but the point is clear: I DESIRE to make room for Him, and that is a great start.

One Way to Have the Spirit

"And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit" (1 Nephi 5:17)

When Nephi and his brothers returned from Jerusalem with the brass plates, they all rejoiced because of their safe return, offering sacrifice and praising God for this.  The very next thing that Lehi did was he went and studied them.

He discovered that they contained some of his family history, as well as many sacred writings, including the 5 Books of Moses, and some other prophets. So essentially, this was the scriptures.  Lehi studied them carefully.  The scripture I quoted is the result of that study. When Lehi studied the scriptures, he was filled with the Spirit.

I know that the scriptures are true, because the Spirit has told me so. Since one of the primary jobs of the Spirit is to testify of truth, when you read the truth from the scriptures, the Spirit will be right there testifying.  A couple of posts ago, I wrote about acting on the Spirit, and how in order to do so, you need to become familiar with the way that the Holy Ghost communicates with you.  One way to keep the Spirit in your life is to do things on a regular basis that help you have the Spirit.  One of those things you can do is take the time to read study, and ponder the scriptures very day.  I have not always been the best at this.  Right up until after my mission, I had a very good habit of making sure I did this.  Life happens, though, and I let things get in the way sometimes, and that habit kind of faded.  I am trying to build that habit back up again, because I notice a difference in me when I am not studying the scriptures regularly.  One of the purposes of this blog, in fact, is to try to improve my habit of reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures every day. Yes, I expect that I won't be perfect at this.  I have already missed quite a few days since I started it, but in reality, I'm still doing better than I have for quite some time.

Here's to moving in the right direction.

Act On It

"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

Nevertheless I went forth" (1 Nephi 4:6-7)

So a lot of people quote verse 6, and talk about being led by the Spirit.  At some point, it was pointed out to me that the beginning of the next verse is pretty powerful as well.  Sometimes, we fear doing things by the Spirit because we don't have a plan or maybe we're not sure if it was the Spirit speaking or if it was just our own thoughts.  But what Heavenly Father really wants out of us is just action. He wants us to go forth, even though we may not have the most detailed plan.

So a couple of things I think are critical in this.  First, we need to be able to recognize the Spirit. We need to know how he speaks to us.  Just like people, the more you are around them and get to know them, the easier it is to recognize them. In the same way, if you live in such a way that the Spirit can be with you always, then he becomes more like an old friend. Recognizing the Spirit for what it is will help alleviate the fear of not knowing where those promptings are coming from

The next important thing after being able to recognize the Spirit is really faith. Faith in the Savior. Faith in His plan. Faith that He knows more than you, and watches out for you and desires your well-being. Faith is a principle of action.  Having faith in something always leads to action. When we have faith in Christ, we understand that He will always lead us towards happiness and joy, even if the path to get there has hard times and some sadness and difficulty along the way.  Faith has also been called the opposite or antidote of fear. Nephi's life was at stake, and he had run out of ideas on how to get the brass plates. But he followed the Spirit.  He didn't know what he was going to do, and he was probably at least a little afraid. "Nevertheless [he] went forth."

What a great example Nephi is, in so many ways.  How many times have I not followed a prompting because I didn't have the courage or faith to do so.

Oaths

"And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him." (1 Nephi 4:37)

So this stood out to me as I was reading.  It's a simple phrase almost at the end of the chapter, after Nephi and his brothers had retrieved the brass plates, and they were convincing Zoram to go with them. They mostly wanted him to go with them because they didn't want him to go back into Jerusalem because then he would know what happened to Laban and people would be able to follow Nephi and destroy his family. After speaking with Zoram for a little while, they convinced him to go with them by promising he would be able to be free among them.

The thing that stood out to me was that they were worried he would end up causing them trouble (especially if he went back into the city), but as soon as Zoram made an oath tho them, they weren't worried anymore.  The power of a simple oath. That's one thing that I think has gone away in the current world is the strength and power of someone's word.  When a person gives his word, it should be as good as signing a contract. Unfortunately, that is not really the case in today's world.  One really good example of this is when you purchase a home (or even refinance), you have to sign so many different agreements and disclaimers. Wouldn't it be nice to know that both people entering into that agreement could do so with only a handshake and their word?

I want to be known as someone who keeps his word.  I want to be someone who can be trusted. When I promise something, I try to make sure that I follow through EVERY TIME. I'm not perfect at this. I'm not even really good at it. I mess up a lot. But reading this verse is a good reminder that I want to be known as the kind of person who keeps his word.

Laman and Lemuel

"And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem." (1 Nephi 3:9)

As I was reading this chapter, I was thinking a little about Nephi's older, rebellious brothers, Laman and Lemuel. I am using the verse quoted to illustrate what I find to be an interesting point. Laman and Lemuel murmured a lot.  They rebelled a lot. But the interesting thing to me is that they went. They could have just stayed in Jerusalem, not leaving with their father. They could have even been wealthy there. But no, they left with the rest of the family. Yes, when Lehi's tells them that The Lord wanted them to go back and get the brass plates from Laban, they complained and murmured again, and yet, they went back. Laman even took the first attempt at going to Laban with their request.

I don't mean to make them out to be great valiant souls or anything. After their second attempt at getting the plates, they beat Nephi and Sam with a rod until an angel came and told them to stop. An ANGEL! I think that would be a remarkable, humbling experience.  However, what happens immediately after?

"And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur" (1 Nephi 3:31)

That's right. As soon as the angel left, they started complaining and questioning even the very thing the angel had told them: that Laban would be delivered into their hands.

Anyway, I was thinking about this and it occurred to me that the Lord ensured that there would be some opposition.  Not just for Lehi and Nephi, but for all sorts of future generations. Descendants of the Nephites needed the Lamanites to be there to provide opposition and balance. Sometimes the balance even shifted and it was the Lamanites who were the righteous ones, but the balance between the Nephites and Lamanites plays a pretty significant role in the entire historical account of the Book of Mormon.  Who knows what would have happened if Laman and Lemuel had just stayed behind in Jerusalem?

How We Can Know

"I, Nephi ... having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father;" (1 Nephi 2:16)

Nephi is such a great example of how to be.  His father told his family that he had a vision that they were to leave Jerusalem. So he packed up the things he needed to survive in the wilderness and started to take off.  Think about how his children felt.  They we're giving up everything, not because they had a vision, but because their father said he had a vision.  Some of his children reacted how a lot of kids would: they rebelled and called him a visionary man, and complained because they were being forced to give up all their worldly possessions and head off into the wilderness.  They didn't even know what their destination would be.  Nephi, however, had paid attention to what his father had taught him: that if he asked God, he could know the answer.

So not going on blind faith, Nephi, trusting that he could get an answer to his prayer, asked God for the truth, and he was rewarded with a fantastic experience of being visited by the Lord, an experience which helped him be faithful and obedient.

The best part about this example is that we are all in the same boat in life.  We are presented with this challenge called mortal existence, and it is difficult.  To make matters more challenging, we had a veil placed over our minds so we don't remember where we came from or even our purpose for being here.  We have the same choices that Lehi's children had.  We can complain and murmur because we don't understand, or we can choose to seek understanding and reassurance. If we choose the latter, we may not be visited by the Lord Himself, but I guarantee we will feel of The Spirit, the Holy Ghost, to help us to know the truth. Our experience can be just as sweet as Nephi's. Our hearts can be softened, and we can believe all the truths we have been taught. I know this to be true because I've experienced that in my own life.  And just like Nephi, those experiences have changed the course of my life.

Why we murmur

"And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them." (1 Nephi 2:12)

This really stood out to me today because we just had family home evening where we re-watched President Monson's talk from the most recent conference. One of the things he talked about was enduring to the end, especially through life's challenges.  I think that people who "murmur" do so because they don't understand or recognize God's hand in their lives. They don't trust that He is taking care of them, even though their circumstances may be difficult at that moment.

We may not understand God's reasons for doing something, but if we have faith and trust that he is watching out for us, we won't murmur, but we will see how blessed we are, and we will be grateful for it.

It reminds me of the "Footprints" poem: it's in our most difficult times that He carries us, even though we don't recognize it.  See what a powerful thing it is to recognize that though? Rather than looking back at life and suddenly realizing how much He was there for you, try to see it now, in both good times and difficult times. I think you will be amazed.  I know I am.

Recognition of Blessings in Hard Times

"and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God" (1 Nephi 1:1)

When I read 1 Nephi, 1:1, I am frequently drawn to the "having been born of goodly parents" part, because I really appreciate my upbringing and my parents. This time, however, I was thinking about the bigger picture that Nephi was referring to.  He mentions that he was born of goodly parents as only a piece of the puzzle.  Yes, he had hard times, especially as time goes on through the early part of the Book of Mormon with their travels from Jerusalem to the promised land.  I'm sure even before they left Jerusalem, he had some hard times.  They were trying to kill his father because of his prophesying, and if bet that didn't make it any easier for Lehi's family either.  It seems to me that if Jerusalem was that wicked, and Nephi was that faithful, he would have had lots of struggles just living the commandments surrounded by wickedness.

Nephi takes a few seconds to acknowledge these afflictions and struggles, but then he turns it around, and shows two things.  He recognizes that even with these struggles, he considers himself blessed.  Very blessed. He prizes his knowledge of The Lord and His gospel.

So I wonder how often we think about our afflictions, and then get so caught up in them that we stop there.  We get so wrapped up in how many afflictions we suffer, that we don't take the time to think about the flip side of the coin -- how blessed we truly are.  

I've been given so much that I can be grateful for. Even if I take time to think of all the things I'm really grateful for I still take so much for granted.  I hear about people who have health struggles.  I hear about people who have sick kids, or who experience all sorts of life's challenges.

I have so much to be grateful for, and I hope that, especially when I find myself thinking of my afflictions and struggles in life, that I can turn that around like Nephi did and focus on the blessings in my life.  There's nothing like recognition of and gratitude for blessings as an antidote to selfishness and pessimism.

Brief Explanation

The Book of Mormon is a sacred record (A Brief Explanation about the Book of Mormon)

I really like the section entitled "A Brief Explanation About the Book of Mormon". I know it's not part of the inspired text, but I like the concise and clear explanation about how it all fits together.

The quote I picked from this is simply the very first statement.  I just really thought about that when I reading and it was confirmed to me through the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is indeed a sacred record.  There is so much to learn from within this book, and I'm glad I have the opportunity and blessing to have it in my life.  I haven't always been as diligent in my studies as I should have been, but I do know that it is true.  I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, called by God, to restore His church. I know we have a prophet today to lead and guide us, and I believe in ongoing revelation and prophecy.  It makes sense to me that in an ever-changing world, we would get continued guidance and help from our loving Father in Heaven.  Most of all, I'm very grateful for a Savior. I am so far from perfect, the gap is so wide between me and the person that I wish I was, and it is only through the Atonement that I can ever hope to narrow that gap.

Joseph Smith's Experience

“I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger." (The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith)

I re-read Jospeh Smith's testimony regarding the experience he had getting the gold plates, looking for ways to look at this experience differently.  I read about how Joseph Smith had been visited by Angel Moroni 3 times in the night, and  then once more in the morning, and then how Moroni instructed Joseph to tell his father.

I think the fact that his father was able to confirm to Joseph that the vision was from God accomplished a couple of things.  As the patriarch of the home, Joseph's father was able to confirm for Joseph that he was doing the right thing.  Even though he was the one who had experienced the First Vision, and visited with the angel through the night, Joseph was taught that his father would be there for him and give him guidance and help. Joseph learned (or had it confirmed to him) that his father was able to discern spiritual truth, and recognize the source of good.

It made me think about my role as a father, and how crucial it is for me to be close enough to the spirit so that I can play that vital role for my family.  Not to say that my children will have visions, but they will go through times when they need strength and wisdom, and I need to be ready for that when it comes.  I also need to be living my life so that they feel like it is productive to come to me for this help, and not some source outside the home, where they will get advice and help from potentially the wrong sources.  I hope that when that moment comes, I will be able to both bear witness to my kids (as Joseph's father did), and then encourage action (as Joseph's father did).

I love my family, and I hope that I can be a better husband and father, a better priesthood holder, and a better son of God.  There is always much to improve, and I hope to keep working at it so I can one day be the kind of son that Heavenly Father needs me to be.

8 Witnesses

And we lie not, God bearing witness of it. (The Testimony of Eight Witnesses)

The testimony of eight witnesses is interesting to me.  After reading of the divine manifestation that the three witnesses had, that is, that an angel appeared to them and showed them the plates, it is interesting to me that there was a need for 8 other men to have a different experience and bear witness of it to the world.  I think that in the world today, where there is so much false information out there, it is nice to have multiple sources of information.  We find independent reviews to try to make the wisest purchases possible. We look for second opinions for medical advice.

I was thinking about why we needed an additional witness, and it occurred to me that each testimony is a witness.  Not each person who signed their name, but each experience. Joseph's experience, the three, and now the eight.  "In the mouth of two or three witnesses" is a phrase we hear more than once in the scriptures.  In this case, there are three separate experiences now, with the testimony of the eight, that establish the truth and reality of the Book of Morrmon.

The quote I picked stood out to me because I think it's important that while their experience was very "earthly" (no angels or divine manifestations), it was very, and it had a spiritual component to it. They mention that God bears witness to the fact that they aren't lying when they tell of their experience.

That phrase also made me wonder about my own life,  I know they were speaking of this particular experience, but could I join them at all times in my life and say "I lie not, God bearing witness of it"?  Something to think about anyway.

I know the Book of Mormon is true.  I've had that confirmed to me through the reading it, praying about it, and finding answers through the Spirit.  It contains the Gospel, and I'm glad to have it in my life.

It Is Marvelous

"And it is marvelous in our eyes" (Testimony of Three Witnesses)

This is something that I love that the three witnesses added in.  It doesn't change the description of events or what they are testifying about at all.  What they say happened, really happened.  This is one simple sentence that expresses how they felt about it.

I looked up marvelous in the dictionary, and the best definition for this is this: "such as to cause wonder, admiration, or astonishment; surprising; extraordinary".  So the events that these three men experienced caused them wonder and astonishment.

This small phrase pretty much sums up how I feel about the Gospel and God's plan for me.  It is marvelous in my eyes.  The fact that the same being that created the world (worlds without number, actually), has time and cares for each single individual, that He cares for me, causes me wonder, admiration, and astonishment.  It is something to be really grateful for.  That I can talk to Him in prayer and He has the capacity, and even the desire, to listen to me and be there for me, and direct me in the way that I should go is a beautiful, amazing thing to me.

I love the words to the hymn "I Stand All Amazed".  It pretty much sums up how I feel.


I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, 
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me. 
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, 
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine 
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine, 
That he should extend his great love unto such as I, 
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify. 


I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt! 
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget? 
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat, 
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.


(Chorus) 
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me 
Enough to die for me! 
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

It really is amazing, wonderful and marvelous.

Testimony of 3 Witnesses

"...the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Testimony of Three Witnesses)

This phrase is repeated twice in the relatively short testimony expressed by these three men, so it stood out to me.  I think to me, this phrase means that Heavenly Father and Jesus have given us so much, even though we didn't really earn it.  Through no merit of our own, we can overcome sin and death.  Not because we have done anything special, but because of God's plan, and because of Christ's willingness to go through a perfect life and make an atonement for us.

Whenever I hear the word 'grace' in a gospel context, it reminds me of a scripture that I used often in my mission.  A lot of Christian religions out there believe that somehow, grace absolves us of worldly problems, and once we are "saved", the grace of Christ just clears the path for us to make it to heaven.  The scripture that we would share is 2 Nephi 25:23:

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

While it's true that I can't save myself by my works, meaning no matter how hard people try, they will always make at least one mistake in their lives, which means they cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.  At the same time, grace doesn't save us unless we do all that we can.  That's why Christ came, to make up the difference between what we can do and what the laws of God require of us.

What the quotation from the testimony of 3 witnesses points out, though, is that grace is so much more than just filling the gap between us and God.  It manifests itself in smaller things as well.  Any time God blesses us, especially when we haven't done anything special to earn those blessings, that's grace.

It's humbling to me that even though I will never measure up to the standard that I need to meet to earn my way into heaven, God has a plan and has prepared a way for me to be able to make it anyway.  Even though I mess up on a regular basis, I still receive so many blessings, big and small, from God.

Good Reminder

"The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after His resurrection." (Introduction)

Nothing too deep.  I just had the thought as I read this phrase, that out of all the neat things that happened in Book of Mormon times, Christ's visit is the crowning event. This is not surprising, but I got to thinking. If someone asked me what the crowning event of my life was, would I respond with my experiencing the Lord's hand in my life? Would I look back at the events and experiences I cherish the most, and see the Lord, or will I look back and see worldly experiences?

That makes me think, though, if you take enough time to answer the question, 'what is the crowning prevent or experience in your life', you might have a few quick answers, but if you really think long enough about it, the realization comes that everything comes as a blessing from God.

I'll have to try to be more conscious of these kinds of things so I know what my crowning event will be when I look back at my life.

Even on the title page

"Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers;" (Title Page of the Book of Mormon)

This is about the Book of Mormon as a whole.  I think that this is one thing that really stands out to me when I'm doing these SOTD's: how many things the Lord has blessed His children with.  Even if the scriptures didn't teach me anything else, it would be hard to miss that lesson.

It makes me think of a theme that gets repeated over and over throughout the scriptures--that the Lord is sitting there waiting to bless us and protect us, if only we would choose to be blessed and protected.

Often, things that don't really seem like blessings end up to be exactly that when we have the benefit of a little hindsight.  We look back on our lives and realize how many great and wonderful things the Lord has done for us--what He has done for me--in life.

When we take a look at history, we see all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon his children, and we can't help but be grateful.  Gratitude is a funny thing, because it helps us gain some perspective which often leads to obedience.  For example, with the law of tithing.  Sometimes it's hard to give up a full tenth of our increase.  However, when we realize and come to gain a testimony that it is only through the Lord's blessings that we have an increase anyway, letting him have ten percent of the stuff He just gave us seems natural and less burdensome.

I recognize how blessed I have been throughout my life, and though I am not always as grateful as I should be, I know that God has given me everything that I have.  All because He wants me to be happy and He loves me. 

And I love Him. I really do.

What this blog is about

So quite a while ago, in the earlier part of my marriage, I used to do what I called "SOTD" (Scripture of the Day). I would make a point to think about a scripture that I read that day. If something in particular didn't really stand out to me, I would find something and expand on it. I would write some thoughts (usually just a paragraph or two, sometimes longer) and then I would email them to Rhoda.  I look back, and I think other than my mission, that was a time that I was getting the most out of my scripture study.  

I have been trying to think of a good way to improve my study lately, and so my mind went back to the SOTD.  I decided to start a new blog that is dedicated to these.  The timing is good, as I'm just beginning the Book of Mormon again.  For now, I'm starting at the beginning of the Book of Mormon and I'll work my way through.  In time, I suspect I'll move on to other things.  Perhaps I'll work on some other study topics rather than just going straight through a book of scripture.

With that being said, I'd like to say that I have a strong testimony of the scriptures.  I know that God lives and He wants His children to be happy.  To make that happen, He gives us directions and help from ancient prophets (thus the standard works of scripture that are there for us) all the way to current prophets (and so we continue to gain insight and instruction at general conference and other times.  I know I am a son of God, and that He cares about me.  Me!  Not just a general statement that He cares about all of us, but that He actually has enough time to care about me and take care of me and help me. That thought alone is enough to make me want really want to do better at all the things I know I should be doing.