Standing up for Righteousness

"Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" (2 Nephi 15:23)

"Molly Mormon", "Peter Priesthood", "Goody Two-Shoes"

These are all different permutations of the same idea, really. Usually, these kinds of names have a negative connotation. However, what's wrong with acting in such a way that the worst insult anyone can think to throw at you is really a commentary about how good you are?

"Bad", "Wicked", "Sick"

All of these kind of negative terms are more commonly used as positive references. 

The world we live in is definitely messed up in some ways. Regardless of the perceptions of others, we need to be strong in what we say and do, choosing the right for the sake of righteousness, not to impress others.

Pride and Sin

"Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;" (2 Nephi 15:18)

I had to think about this verse for a bit, but I feel like it creates a great picture.  I think we all drag behind us sin and iniquity. Sometimes, it is past sin and iniquity that we haven't repented for. It weighs us down and lowers our feelings of self worth.  It makes us feel unworthy of the blessings that God wants to give us.

(This is as much advice for me as it is for anyone else.)

To anyone who is in this situation, where they are carrying this kind of a load, I would implore and exhort to repent.  Let the Atonement of Christ work the miracle of forgiveness in you, and that burden will completely disappear, to the point that the Lord will "remember them no more". And regardless of the sin, though it may be darkest, deepest stain, it can bee "as white as snow."

There is another aspect to this verse though.  I wonder how much sin could be avoided altogether if it weren't for those darn cords of vanity.  How much sin is committed, simply because of our pride? I mean, it is easy to see how pride is such a strong tool that Satan uses against us, because it is the cause of much sin, as well as preventing us from repentance. 

Let's cast off these burdens of past, present, and future sin by getting rid of our pride and vanity, and choosing to dig in and work for a more righteous cause! 

Pillar of Fire and Smoke

"And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night;" (2 Nephi 14:5)

When I hear the phrase "every dwelling-place of mount Zion", I think of all the homes of the saints, and then "upon her assemblies" to me means when the saints gather (for church, for example). The smoke and fire of course are similar to the same things that were present with the children of Israel when Moses led them out of captivity and into the wilderness. My perception of this was that it was (at least, in part) a special message to those people to help them know God is with them.

I believe we can experience the same thing as the children of Israel here.  I think that seeing a physical reminder that God is with us at any given moment should be very comforting.  I know He is there, but seeing simple reminders helps me to notice how much He is there for me. Which makes me truly grateful. The more I remember day to day that He is there to help me through, the easier it is to weather the storms of life.

They Have Their Reward

"Say unto the righteous that it is well with them; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." (2 Nephi 13:11)

This stuck out to me because I think some people think of God as a being out there that delivers harsh punishment for wrongdoing, as well as overall a feeling of distance. This goes to show you that God watches out for His children. Once you know that, it makes it much easier to remember that God is our Loving, Caring, Father in Heaven.  He wants us to be happy, and He (just like any attentive parent) has some sort of plan to reinforce good behavior with blessings.  I have truly been so blessed in my life.  Sure, I've had my ups and downs. But truthfully, I am happiest when I am trying to live a righteous life.

I'm so grateful that the Lord sees fit to give me the blessings that I enjoy.  I think it is easier to follow a loving, caring God than a purely vengeful one.  Sure, the other stuff happens to, like a person ending up with punishment because they didn't keep the commandments, but again, they shall eat by the fruit of their doings. And just like any parent, I'm sure God wants to reward good behavior more than bad behavior. 

I love Him. I really do.

Warning to the Prideful

"For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations, yea, upon every one; yea, upon the proud and lofty, and upon every one who is lifted up, and he shall be brought low." (2 Nephi 12:12)

I have now started reading the "Isaiah Chapters".  Nephi loved the words of Isaiah.  In fact, his description of how he felt about it was that his soul delighted in them. And I think to some degree, I understand where he's coming from there.  Remember that Nephi's time was prior to the coming of Christ and his atonement, and Isaiah spends a lot of time speaking prophetically about Christ, both his original ministry and atonement as well as the second coming that has yet to come.  So hearing about the atonement that would be made in the future was probably a great comfort to those who lived before.

But I digress.

Anyway, as I read through Isaiah's words, I find myself noticing that he gives frequent warnings to the prideful, as in the quoted scripture above.  Invariably, he describes the prideful, or lofty, or haughty, as being "brought low", or humbled, in some way.  I think that in some ways that is a warning, that they who find themselves in this category will be forced to be humbled, such as having things taken away from them to the point that they have nothing to be prideful about.  At the same time, I think it also refers to that moment when you are arguing a point and you realize you're wrong. You could continue arguing (and frequently do to save face), but in reality, the wind leaves your sails, and you are better off just admitting you are wrong at that point.  I think a lot of people who have been too prideful to accept the reality of the Savior, at the second coming, will realize that they are just plain wrong, and that the Savior is real, and if the Savior is real, then so many other things are real.

I'm grateful for my knowledge of the truthfulness of the gospel.  I know that I get caught up in that group of prideful people all too often, and I try to remember to avoid that.  I hope that I can get better at that. I know the Savior lives and loves me and that my Heavenly Father watches out for me, if only I need His warnings.

My Soul Delighteth

"my soul delighteth" (2 Nephi 11, 5 different times in that one chapter)

As I saw this repeated a number of times in my reading today. In this chapter, Nephi describes a number of things that his soul delights in.  It made me ask myself "What does MY soul delight in?"

I think one of the biggest things that my soul delights in is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and all that is associated with that.  There is so much there that I can't describe it all, but some of the things about having the Gospel in my life that I would say have changed my life are things like a real knowledge that I am a son of God.  That same being that created the universe, who is all powerful, and all knowing.  He listens to me when I talk to Him, and He cares about me.  That in itself is incredible to me.  Not to mention Him sending a Savior for me, knowing that I would screw up sometimes.  And Jesus, willing to go through all that for me.  Amazing!

The other really big thing is my family.  I don't know where I'd be without my family.  I would not be anywhere near the same person without them.  I love them so much, and that ties into my gratitude for the Gospel because I know that because of the Atonement, I can live with my family forever.

There are a lot of things that make me happy, but what my soul delights in is a different story.  I'll have to think even more about that, and make sure I am delighting in the right things and can express to my Father in Heaven my gratitude for giving me so much.