1 Nephi 19

There are a few verses in here that I've marked and have enjoyed reading since my mission.

Verse 7 talks about how some men think the things of God are of great worth while other men think the things of God are nothing. Nephi says that those men who think nothing of the things of God "trample under their feet" those precious truths. He then clarifies that statement by saying men "set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels."

What he means is that when we disobey the commandments of God, it is like walking all over God himself. This statement puts a high premium on the words of God. We are to seriously heed the counsels of God, so says Nephi. If we don't, then we offend God in a tremendous way.

Verse 9 is also interesting. After I read this verse, I tried to imagine what my reaction would be to seeing a man who has been described in such a manner. We know the verse is referring to Jesus and so we automatically have mercy on him and think that we would embrace him and care for him if we saw him in such conditions. But, I tend to think that if we are not spiritually tuned, then we could overlook Jesus who appears to us, standing on a corner, begging for food or sleeping in the gutter. This verse reminds me a lot of Mosiah 14:2-4. The words almost describe a poor, poor man who is down on his luck, rather than the Savior of the world.

This brings up another point in the doctrine of Jesus, when he said, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). He had just described how we are to think of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned as Jesus himself. If we always help the oppressed, then we will truly know Jesus rather than trample him under our feet.

Verse 18 is a good verse too. Nephi's intent is to help his people to remember Jesus Christ. So many problems and so much sadness could be avoided if we all simply remember who Christ is and what he did for us and in turn do what he has asked us to do. So often we forget who we are and we forget what Christ has done for us.

And lastly, in verse 23, Nephi states the famous doctrine of the Book of Mormon. We are to apply to our lives what we read in the scriptures. He says that they "did liken all scriptures unto us that it might be for our profit and learning." In verse 24 he adds that we should liken the scriptures to ourselves so that we might have hope too. This is what I am trying to accomplish with this personal commentary. I hope to capture in words what I think of the verses and what the Spirit impresses upon my mind. In turn, I hope to translate those feelings and learning into action in my life.